//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: A Gathering Storm // by BritBrony //------------------------------// Storm Shadow continued to scan her assigned sector, moving her attention between stationkeeping behind and to the left of Derpy, and scanning the skies to the left of the formation for anything unusual.  They had been flying for nearly two hours, and had left the Everfree Forest and the tall peak of Dragon Mountain far behind.  Ahead of the formation, the horizon was thick with dark cloud. “Rainbow,” said Storm Shadow. “I see it, Storm,” replied Rainbow Dash, “That doesn’t look like a Cat 3 to me.” “Agreed.  That’s a Cat 4 at least.  Pretty impressive for it to grow so fast - my father laid eyes on it less than 10 hours ago.” “He’ll have done it from at least five thousands lengths higher than we are right now.  Take a look at the topcover.” Storm Shadow took a moment to scan the uppermost parts of the cloud.  Above the dark nimbus cloud, separated by a gap of a thousand or so lengths, was a thin layer of white. “Hmph.  I see what you mean.  Pileus cloud has formed up on top, hiding the main storm cloud below.” “The weather team from Manehatten will have helped it along as well,” interjected Blossomforth.  “Besides that, we’ve got cold air coming off the top of the mountains behind us.” “Blossomforth’s right,” said Rainbow Dash.  “We need to regroup and think about this a second.  There’s a thin layer a thousand lengths up, just to the north.  We’ll set down there and take a look.” The formation started a gentle climb, following Rainbow Dash’s lead.  With a gentle curve, they formed a line at Rainbow’s command and increased spacing to come in for a landing on the edge of the cloud layer.  The ponies took a moment to stretch their legs a little and gathered around Rainbow Dash and Storm Shadow, who were watching the oncoming storm with increasing concern. “This doesn’t feel right,” said Rainbow Dash.  “Look at the bottom of the cloud deck.” Storm Shadow followed the team captain’s outstretched hoof and studied what she could see of the underside of the storm clouds. “I see what you mean, they’re very flat.” “What does that mean?” asked Star Hunter. “Nothing good,” replied Storm Shadow, “I think we might have a capped inversion layer here.  The cold air is rolling off the mountains behind us and flowing under the storm, which is running in the opposite direction on top.” Rainbow Dash turned to look at her team. “Derpy, I need a thermal survey, you’re flying solo.  Watch out for wind shear, there’s probably going to be something nasty through the inversion layer.  Storm, take Thunder to that cloudbank on the north side.  Keep an eye on the storm wall, make sure it doesn’t start breaking apart on us.  Blossom, Star, you’re with me.  We’re going to perform a complete cloud survey from above, I want this whole storm mapped.  After that we’ll head over to the south wall and make sure it stays intact.” Each of the named pegasi nodded in turn as they received their orders.  As they pushed their flight goggles back into place, Rainbow took one quick look around and nodded at Derpy, who had taken position at the edge of the cloud, wings still folded, her right hooves barely standing on the cloud. “Let’s go!” called the wall-eyed mailmare gleefully, and rolled to her right, straight off the cloud. “Damnit, Derpy!” called Rainbow with a grin, accelerating toward a gallop like the others as they dived head-first off the cloudbank in pursuit.  As Storm Shadow cleared the edge and looked down, she saw Derpy snap her wings open to stop the developing spin.  With a slight twist of both wings, Derpy began to curve her flightpath toward the storm.  Behind her, Rainbow Dash, Blossomforth and Star Hunter formed a left echelon.   Storm Shadow made a quick check to confirm Thunderlane had taken position on her right before joining up with the formation, forming the right-side of the vee shape. “Starting my survey!” called Derpy, already diving down to below the level of the oncoming storm. “Take care, Derpy,” replied Rainbow Dash.  “Flight, we’ll start a spiral climb, nice and gentle.” Storm Shadow gently banked into the turn, splitting her attention between stationkeeping and trying to watch Derpy below.  They had completed two circles and had started a third when Derpy made her first call. “Muffins!” “Derpy, you OK?” “Sorry, Rainbow.  Major windshear right at the inversion layer, just like you said.  The storm is above three thousand lengths, the air is relatively warm and moist.  There’s a good 20, maybe 25 knots of wind blowing the storm towards Ponyville, as planned, but below the layer it’s cold and the wind is blowing 20 knots back out towards the bay.  I’m going to start mapping thermals ahead of the storm path.” Storm Shadow broke away and headed for the cloudbank that Rainbow Dash had indicated.  The cloud was only a quarter of a mile from the main wall of the storm itself, and afforded a good view of the north side of the storm and the ground below.  Settling on top, she sat on her haunches and took a few minutes to take in as much as she could. Below, the grey shape of Derpy was barely visible, zigzagging ahead of the storm’s path as she tried to feel out the air currents and atmospheric disturbances.  Rainbow Dash lead her flight closer in to the storm, threading between the main body of the cumulonimbus and the pileus cloud sitting above it. Storm Shadow looked away from the storm, picked a row of trees on the ground visible ahead of the storm cloud and started counting to herself.  Once the leading edge of the storm obscured the trees, she made a few mental calculations then called on the common band. “Rainbow, Storm.  I think we’re picking up speed here; I just clocked us at about 35 knots over the ground.” “Copy that, Storm,” replied Rainbow.  There was a pregnant pause; Storm Shadow could picture Rainbow’s brow creasing at the mental arithmetic.  “That gives us about four and a half hours, I think.” “Four hours, thirteen minutes for the leading edge of the storm to clear the valley watershed,” came the immediate reply.  “Rainbow, if the speed holds, the storm will cross the valley area and the leading edge will go beyond the dam within 24 minutes.” “Wait... Derpy?  Was that you?” “Affirm, Rainbow.” Even over the slightly tinny quality that the electromagic crystals gave each pony’s voice, Storm Shadow could hear the confusion in Rainbow’s. “How did you... are you sure?” “Yes.  Like I said, four hours and now twelve minutes to get there, twenty-four minutes to cross the upper valley and start raining beyond the dam.” “There’s more than 24 minutes of rainfall in this storm,” commented Blossomforth, “Boss, the rest is going to hit slap bang on Ponyville and the rest of the valley.” “OK, I got it,” said Rainbow Dash, “But our first problem is that we need to get the storm there.  We’ve got mountains to get across.” Storm Shadow listened in on the conversation as she regarded the wall of cloud in front of her.  The storm was still surprisingly low, capped on top by the white pileus cloud, but the wall formed an almost sheer face upwards, roiling cloud forming bumps and patterns that threatened to break away like bubbles from the top of a soda. “Rainbow, Storm.  We’ve got instability in the north wall.  Thunder and I will try to contain breakaways.” “Copy, Storm.  Watch for lightning.” Storm Shadow turned to Thunderlane, who had walked to the edge of the cloud and spread his wings already. “I’ll get the first one, you take the next!” he yelled, and dived off the cloud.  Storm Shadow watched as he dived at a bubble of cloud threatening to break away from the storm wall, plowing into it hooves-raised and forcing it back.  Her attention was drawn to another breakaway starting to form a few thousand lengths higher up and a mile or so futher back in the storm’s track.  She gritted her teeth, extended her wings and dived... The next hour passed in a blur, with voices in her ear telling a difficult tale as she and Thunderlane alternated trying to contain the unstable north wall of the storm.  With a few exceptions, they were generally successful, with most of the distension being pushed back into the storm body with an appropriate buck, forehoof shove or in some cases a couple of strategic wingbeats to control the destabilising air currents from the violent shear layer that was building as the storm accelerated towards the ridgeline of the mountains. By the sound of things, the other ponies in the team weren’t having a much easier time on the south wall, either, with Blossomforth and Star Hunter likewise trying to hold the cloudbank together.  Rainbow Dash had tried to stay on top of the storm, keeping an eye on the path of the storm and watching for the telltale buildup of the anvil thunderhead that would surely come.  The pileus cloud had finally broken and dumped virga – rainfall that doesn’t reach the ground – all over the top of the storm, and all over Rainbow.  The string of expletives that had rung in the team’s ears had been very illuminating.  And enough to make a teamster blush, it transpired, as Derpy stopped her running description of the thermals and atmospheric disturbances ahead of the storm long enough to ask Dash if she knew what those words actually meant. Thankfully, their fears had not been fulfilled, as the storm cloud absorbed the extra moisture without beginning to rain through to the ground below. “We’re running out of space down here,” came the call from Derpy.  Her commentary on the state of the thermals and air currents coming off the mountain had been invaluable to the team, giving advanced warning of where potential instabilities could form and allowing the ponies to jump on them before they could build.  The team had managed to hold the storm to a relatively narrow front, just a few miles wide. “I think that’s all we’re going to get, Derpy,” called Rainbow Dash.  “Team, looks like we’re getting close to the ridgeline.  Reassemble on the cloudbank and we can ride it out.” Storm Shadow nodded to Thunderlane and headed for the cloudbank that the team had assembled on a few hours earlier.  A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash and the rest of her section wearily touched down alongside as she peered over the edge, watching Derpy slowly wend her way over the hillside below before selecting a weak thermal to spiral up to meet them. “She’s heading up here now,” said Storm Shadow to nopony in particular, biting her lip in apprehension as the grey shape below was flung around as she crossed the inversion layer.  Once she was sure the mailmare was safely through and heading up to meet the rest of the team, Storm Shadow turned her attention to the ridgeline ahead. The two mountains bracketing the pass ahead of them probably had names, but right now all she could think of them was North and South.  Thankfully, the storm was heading pretty much straight between them, tending perhaps a little towards the north peak. “Direction looks pretty good,” said Rainbow Dash, running a practiced, if not expert eye over the probable path. “We might scrape a bit on the north side,” replied Storm Shadow, turning around to look at the dark mass of cloud looming over the weather team.  “I think we can afford to lose a little, though.” Rainbow Dash nodded thoughtfully as Derpy managed to land on the cloud without taking out half of the team. “Hey, Derpy,” said Rainbow, “Great work down there.” She paused for a second and looked around the rest of the team.  “That goes for everypony, we’re doing well so far but we’re only halfway home.  Take a breather, there’s not much more we can do until we’ve cleared the ridgeline.  Right now, we’re pointed at home and heading there–” She paused and looked over the edge of the cloud at the ground streaking by below. “–Heading there pretty fast, actually.” Blossomforth had taken position at the leading edge of the cloudbank to keep an eye on things. “OK, here we go!” she called, spreading all four legs out slightly and crouching to lower her centre of gravity. Storm Shadow grimaced and took up a similar stance, she’d never enjoyed ridgehopping during weather training, and had certainly never decided to take a cloud out and ride the turbulent air currents around a mountain for fun since then.  The cloud below her hooves seemed to undulate and she felt herself rising rapidly as the cloud was caught in the rapidly narrowing buffer of air between the mountain and the storm as the inversion layer was squeezed. “Here we go,” she muttered to herself as her stomach lurched. “Wheeeee!!!!” “Damn it, knock it off, Derpy!”       Storm Shadow strained to hear over the noise of the thunder rolling ominously close by.  Due to the hills, she and the rest of the team could only hear Rainbow Dash, the responses coming back from Ponyville blocked by the surrounding hills. “No, you need to clear the streets, this is going to be a big one, bigger than we were expecting,” said Rainbow. There was a pregnant pause. “And make sure the dam is closed off – that whole area needs to be clear of nonessential ponies and the spillways opened to full.  Yes, I know, I know.  Tell them to start emptying out the reservoir right now, we’ve got more than enough to refill it.  The lower reservoirs need to be ready to pull in water from the river, and the riverbanks should be cleared out too.” Another pause. “You need to scramble Cloudkicker and her team.  Tell them to handle the stuff that makes it over the town and the local fields.  Anything they can push over to the next valley before it drops all the rain in this watershed would be a bonus.  Don’t let them come any closer than the dam, tell them they’ll have me to answer to if they do.  You got all that?” Static. “No, I think that’s everything.  Thanks, Twi.” Storm Shadow looked around at the rest of the team.  They were scattered on a small cloud that had broken free of the main storm’s south wall and had been corralled to serve as a small platform for the team to rest.  By all appearances, they needed it – while most of the team had been able to take the occasional break and rest their wings, Derpy in particular had been airborne nearly the whole time from encountering the storm to crossing the mountains, fighting the wind shear and strong currents caused by the extreme weather.  She lay on her belly on the cloud, legs splayed, eyes fighting to stay open.  Storm Shadow wearily wandered over and nuzzled the top of Derpy’s head. “You OK?” One golden eye opened and looked up at her, accompanied by a weak smile. “I’ll be fine.  There are some advantages to spending the whole day on the wing with heavy mailbags.” Storm Shadow stepped back as the mailmare climbed wearily to her hooves, looking up into the dark sky for the cerulean flash of Rainbow heading down to meet up with the team.  Seeing the brightly-coloured mane catching the weak beams of the setting sun a few thousand lengths up, she looked around to the rest of the team.  Thunderlane was just about asleep, resting his head on Blossomforth’s shoulder as they sat together.  The white pony was fully awake, and on meeting Storm Shadow’s gaze, shrugged her shoulder to wake him up. “Give us a minute, we’ll be good to go.” Star Hunter was stood at the edge of the cloud, watching the storm front as the whole mass sped over the hoofhills of the retreating mountain range.  At Storm Shadow’s question, he had broken his gaze away to look at her, and when their eyes met, he nodded. “Ready.” Storm Shadow nodded in response and turned at the sound of wings flapping as Rainbow Dash landed on the cloud.  Her multi-hued mane glistened with moisture and her drooped shoulders told the story of fatigue, but when she pushed her goggles up, her rose-coloured eyes burned with determination. “OK, I made contact with Ponyville, they know there’s a big storm coming.  The plan hasn’t changed, we need to dump as much rainfall into the dam’s reservoir on the first pass and minimise the rainfall that’s going to drop onto the town and the valley below.” She looked around at the team; they were all on their hooves now and looking at her. “I know you’re all tired, it’s been a long day, but it’s not over yet.” Blossomforth stepped forward a pace.  “We’re ready, boss.” “We’ll cross the hill line for the watershed in a few minutes.  As soon as we do, it’s all hooves on deck – we need to trigger the rainfall and get things going.  Blossom, Derpy, you’re on the south side.  Hunter, you’re with me on the north side.  Storm, we need to start the lightning sooner rather than later.  We’re going to need-“ “Skysparking,” interjected Storm Shadow.  She looked around at Thunderlane.  “What do you think, kid?  Can you keep up?” “Hay yeah!” said Thunderlane, puffing up his chest. Storm Shadow turned back to Rainbow Dash.  “We’ll lay down four parallel trails under the storm path, two out and two back, about a hundred or so lengths above the water surface.  When we skyspark them, they’ll provide the electrical path to start the lightning bolts headed to where we want them – into the lake and not the dam or town.” “Sounds good,” said Rainbow. Storm Shadow looked around to the other ponies.  “Just don’t start bucking those clouds until we get clear; we really don’t need the lighting hitting the trails and coming straight at us while we’re still laying them down.” She headed over to the edge of the cloudbank and looked down.  With one hoof, she pulled her flight goggles down over her eyes and looked to her side as Thunderlane stepped up and did the same. “Ready when you are,” he said with a nervous grin. “Hold your horses,” replied Storm Shadow.  “If we start laying too early, they’ll dissipate before the storm gets there.  Now, I want you above the northern shoreline, about a hundred lengths up.  When you get to a quarter mile from the dam, turn and head parallel ‘til you’re near the centre of the reservoir, then turn and head back towards the storm.  If we time it right, I’ll meet you there and we’ll bring the trails until we’re under the storm.  Don’t spark until I tell you or we’re both toast, clear?” Thunderlane swallowed nervously and nodded. “When we’re done, break low and head north, then when you’re clear, meet up with Rainbow Dash and Star Hunter and help out on the northside.  I’ll meet Derpy and Blossom and help on the south.” “Got it.” Storm Shadow looked again at the terrain slipping by below and turned back to Rainbow Dash. “See you on the other side!” On seeing Rainbow’s salute, she turned back and leapt forward.     “I’m in position!” called Thunderlane on the channel. “OK kid, start laying your trail!” Storm Shadow looked across the reservoir into the darkness, but couldn’t see him.  She had started her own trail a few seconds before he called, but the rapidly fading twilight meant she could barely even see that.  A quick glance around the horizon showed the edge of the moon, but it wasn’t high enough yet to provide significant lighting. She turned her attention back to the comms. “OK, that’s the edge!  Let’s get this rain flowing, everypony!” called Rainbow Dash. “Damn, there’s a lot of lightning over here, Boss,” warned Blossomforth. “Be careful, we just want rain at this point!  Storm, how are you doing?” “We’re about two-thirds of the way along the reservoir,” called Storm Shadow, “We should be turning in a few minutes.” She continued to scan the darkness.  As soon as we can see the dam, anyway she thought to herself.  Curving around the foreland to her left, the moon caught the still-smooth surface of the water, showing no signs of the violence following hot on their hooves.  Above the water, though, was the silhouette of the dam, a few lights along the top of the grey concrete, and behind that the lights of Ponyville.  Once she had reached the appropriate distance from the dam, she made her turn towards the centre of the reservoir. “Just making my turn,” came the call from Thunderlane. “Me too-“ replied Storm Shadow.  As she was speaking, she spotted movement on top of the dam “Oh, ponyfeathers.” “What’s wrong?” “Thunder, Storm, change of plan, make your turn as planned and head back.  Don’t spark, just lay your trail and get clear.” “But-“ “Do it!” called Storm Shadow as she stopped her contrail and spiralled down to the dam below.  Galloping along the top was a unicorn in a hard hat. “What are you doing!?” she shouted over the roar of water from the dam’s spillway, visible in the rising moonlight as a glowing white plume from the arches.  The unicorn began to slow, looking over his shoulder at the unexpected voice.   “No, keep going!  There’s a major storm on the way!” She slotted in alongside him, still flying. “We know,” he panted, trying to catch his breath as he ran, “I just had to -   sort out a - problem with - a control valve!” “OK, where’s your control room?” “Up there,” said the unicorn, nodding towards a low building at the far end of the dam, just beyond the statue of a sitting pegasus. “OK, get inside and button up, this is going to be a big one!” The unicorn shot her a look; even in the darkness she could read it as what do you think I’m trying to do? A quick look over his shoulder into the valley showed the lights of Ponyville spread out below them; the moon had risen enough over the distant hills to show the smaller reservoirs down on the valley floor.  A few spots of rain on her back drew her attention back to the storm towering over her. Damn, it’s close, she thought to herself. “Good luck!” she shouted at the engineer pony and banked up and away from him without waiting for a response. “OK, dam is clear!” she called onto the common band, “Thunder, are you clear?” “Affirm, Storm, breaking off now and heading north, but the rain is starting to mess with the trails!” “Got it!  Team, standby!” She dived low to the surface of the reservoir, thankfully now a good distance below the level of the dam, and accelerated into the rain.  After a few seconds, she adjusted her rear legs and started her trail, searching above her for Thunderlane’s.  The moonlight was weak and the storm clouds above were dark, seeming to swallow what little silver glow there was available, but Storm Shadow could pick out her wingpony’s slowly dissipating trail above.  Adjusting course a little, she started to climb, passing up through the contrail for a few hundred lengths and then back down, intertwining her own until they merged together. “Here goes!”  she called, and struck her hooves together.  As she did so, she opened out her rear legs a little, stopping her own trail, and rolled hard to the right. The her hooves were fast enough, though, as the electrical sparks spread rapidly along the contrail, crawling like a living being across the surface of the tubular cloud.  A fraction of a second later, the trails did their job as the storm above her finally let go, a huge lightning bolt striking the trail less than a half-mile behind her.  The sparks on the trails glowed like hot coals as the electricity spread through them, then arced down to the water’s surface from the low point, harmlessly grounding out away from land. Storm Shadow dived low to the water and beat her wings frantically in the now-driving rain, pushing hard for the southern shoreline.  She flew under her own trail, sparking and glowing from the excess electricity of the occasional lightning bolt from the storm above, thankfully now discharging into the centre of the reservoir behind her. “I’m clear!” called Storm Shadow.  “Let ‘em rip!” “OK, team, you heard her!  Let’s get the chain reaction underway!” Storm Shadow scanned the dark sky above her, using the illumination from the now more frequent flashes of lightning.  Spotting movement a few miles to the west, she began a slow climb.  She found Blossomforth and Derpy galloping along the side of the cloud, using their wings to hold them in place as they ran at 90 degrees to the ground.  Behind the two ponies, Storm Shadow could see the clouds light up as each hooffall triggered the lightning inside, building and flashing, heading inwards towards the centre of the storm where the electrical path to ground was easiest. “It’s working!” she called on the common band.  “Chain reaction on the south side!” “Got it, we’re underway on the north side as well!” replied Rainbow Dash. She adjusted course and matched pace with the two mares galloping along the side of the cloud.  Below, visible under the edge of the cloud, the space between the underside of the storm and the water’s surface flashed with angry blasts of electricity as the storm poured electrical energy and rainwater into the reservoir below.  Trapped between the hills on each side and the storm overhead, the air began to heat from the lightning blasts pummelling the water’s surface, causing random updrafts and currents to spill up and outward towards the weather ponies. “Rainbow, Storm, we’re seeing some instability again over here.” “Copy that, Storm,” came the reply, “Let it go, minor stormcloud breakaways are OK at this point.  Intervene if it gets too bad.” “Got it.” By this point, Derpy and Blossomforth had finished their pass and broken away from the storm wall, looping around to join up with Storm Shadow.  The three mares watched as a small stormcloud drifted away from the southern wall, headed out at a right angle away from the storm and the valley below.  The leading edge of the storm had just about reached the dam and the rain was pounding down hard; some was beginning to fall beyond the dam into the valley below. “Storm!  Another breakaway!” called Blossomforth, diving in towards the dark bank of clouds.  This one was much larger and wasn’t breaking away as cleanly as before, with parts already heading beyond the line formed by the dam. Storm Shadow rolled hard, following Blossomforth but adjusting her course to intercept the cloud a little further out.  To her left, Derpy lined up to do the same.  With an audible grunt, Blossomforth hit the cloud with both forehooves extended, followed a few seconds later by Storm Shadow a hundred lengths away, then Derpy a few seconds after that.  The Storm Chaser could feel the momentum of the breakaway slowly adjust under the combined power of the three pegasi, furiously beating their wings. “Almost there,” said Blossomforth. “Contact!” The cloudbank shifted suddenly, unexpectedly, as the trailing edge was absorbed by the main body of the storm.  Storm Shadow could feel the electricity make her mane stand on end as she pulled her hooves back and banked away.  She had just spotted Derpy do the same when the lightning bolt stuck, leaping from the end of the cloudbank and striking the mailmare’s right wing, sending tendrils of light arcing across her back and into her left wing, too.  Derpy’s scream of pain echoed across the common band, cutting into Storm Shadow’s soul.