//------------------------------//
// Mounting Perils 
// Story: The Breaking of the Storm 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 15: Mounting Perils

"You've returned, I see," observed Morning Star.
Standing across the room from him was none other than Terra Heart.  The dark-brown stallion's mane was tattered and his tail was tangled.  Despite that, he didn't look like a pony who'd spent the past few weeks meditating on top of the tallest mountain in the world.
"Yes...I told you that I would return when the time was right," said Terra, his voice low.  It had been a long journey back from the mountain.  He had traveled by hoof as much as was feasible.  Only when his path had been broken by the seas between Saddle Arabia and Equestria, had Terra resorted to using air travel.  "I will make for Ponyville on the morrow.  By the time I arrive, it will be the equinox, the ideal time to strike."
"Indeed," said Morning with a nod of agreement, "At that point, when day and night are at their tipping point.  It will be the point at which the day exceeds the night and the demon's power will be thrown into disorder.  The hold he has over his thralls will weaken and should shatter entirely upon his destruction."
Terra nodded.  "And what of things on your end?" he asked, "Are your preparations complete?"
"The temples are almost ready," said Morning with a smile, "I was worried for a bit, but it seems that the Guard has other problems to deal with now."
Terra pursed his lips and let out a grunt of acknowledgment.  He'd heard about some kind of incident in Cloudsdale.  He wondered if Morning had anything to do with that or if it was some sort of fortuitous circumstance.  Perhaps it is a sign that Her Radiance wishes to bring this matter to a close.  Taking solace in that idea, Terra took his leave.
Morning waited until the door had swung shut and he knew that Terra could no longer hear him before letting out a low sigh of relief.  "I was afraid we weren't going to make it in time."
"I guess telling the right lies at the right time will do that for you."
Morning Star turned to regard the other pony in the room, who had been there the entire time without Terra Heart, skilled though he was, noticing.  Such total concealment from the awareness of others was truly the hallmark of the greatest warriors in Equestria, if not the world.  It certainly befitted the pony who was known as the strongest amongst the Knights of the Celestial Order.
The other pony was another earth pony.  His coat was a light, khaki color that was almost completely obscured by the loose-fitting clothes of black silk that covered him from shoulders to haunches.  Beyond that, only the pale-gray color of his spiky mane and his tail, which was similar in shape to a fox's, were visible as well.  Around his barrel was wrapped a long sash, the two ends of which always trailed behind him like an extra pair of tails.  It was virtually impossible to tell the color of his eyes, given that they were always so squinted that they looked closed much of the time.
"Is that the opinion of Equestria's most accomplished liar?" asked Morning with a wan smile.
Swift Stride, Knight of the Celestial Order, gave Morning Star a cheeky grin.  "You could say that.  Your lies need more work though.  They have a whole bunch of holes in them.  If a pony notices those holes, you need to cover them up with more lies, which've got holes of their own.  The more lies you tell, the harder it is to hold the whole thing together."
"I'll take your opinion under advisement," said Morning, "Though things seem to be going well enough.  The power of blind faith is enough that ponies will overlook the occasional inconsistency so long as the center of their belief holds."
"It also helps to have a power that breaks the rules," commented Swift, his tone becoming more serious.
"Indeed," said Morning, "Or rather, the power to create my own rules."  He smiled.  "If you truly want to stop me, now is the time.  After all, once the foci are completed, there is no force on earth that will be able to harm them.  However, while under construction, their state is considerably more delicate."
Swift chuckled.  "I thought I told you, I was on your side through thick and thin."  He turned with a wave.  "I've got a few things to see to.  I'll chat with ya later."  Swift vanished in a blur, almost as though he'd never been there to begin with.
Morning Star let out another sigh.  "Really.  After all that you've been lecturing me, I had hoped that you would be able to tell a better lie yourself."



"You look worried."
"Oh!"  Fluttershy jumped at her friend's words, having almost forgotten that she was even there.  "I'm sorry.  I got a bit distracted."
Zhan clucked.  "There's distracted and there's completely forgetting where you are."  She looked around, checking to make sure that nopony was about to run into them.
The two of them had gone into town; Fluttershy to get the necessary feed for her animals and Zhan for supplies for the new home she and Skan were sharing a short distance from Fluttershy's cottage.  It made Fluttershy a bit nervous, especially when she thought about the main reason why Zhan was accompanying her on her forays into town.  However, in a vague way, there was a comforting sense to it as well.
Zhan was much quieter than her more boisterous mate.  The fact that she was smaller as well made it easier for Fluttershy to be around her.  Zhan never tried to start up conversations simply for the sake of talking.  If anything, being with her was accompanied by a companionable silence that allowed Fluttershy to relax and feel as though she didn’t have to talk about anything if she didn’t want to.
Still, Zhan was right.  Fluttershy was getting distracted.  For a moment there, she’d blanked out right in the middle of the street.  She was fortunate that Zhan was there to ward off anypony who might run into them.  As it was, Fluttershy kept finding it harder and harder to stay focused on whatever task was at hoof.  Her mind was constantly straying to all the problems that had been adding up lately…one of which was the reason for Zhan’s presence to begin with.
In addition to the revelation that Flash Spark had resurfaced and was apparently more dangerous than ever, there were all the other myriad threats looming.  Somepony, most likely one of the nobles in Canterlot, had sent Perlin Bluestreak to Rarity’s boutique in an attempt to steal a sample of her new fabric.  Also, even though there had been no sign of activity from the Cult Solar recently, Princess Luna’s ominous report that somepony they referred to as the Cardinal was apparently coming for Dawn at some point made that silence all the more disquieting.  It didn’t help that the Guard’s investigations into the threat were now being distracted by the more imminent and tangible threat presented by Flash Spark.
“Ah!  Fluttershy!”
“Eep!”  Fluttershy jumped, realizing that she’d just let herself zone out again.  Beside the jittery mare, Zhan rolled her eyes and the two of them directed their attention to one of the nearby cafes, where a gray mare was waving at them enthusiastically from one of the tables.
“Oh!  Ditzy!”  Fluttershy felt her mood lift just looking at her friend and mailmare.
For the most part, Ditzy Doo was about as unremarkable as a pegasus could get.  Her gray coat was offset by a blonde mane and tail that always looked slightly ruffled.  Nopony had ever truly deciphered the meaning behind the bubble cutie mark on her flanks and Ditzy was apparently in no hurry to explain.  However, she did have one feature that attracted a substantial amount of attention wherever she went.  Ditzy was afflicted by a peculiar eye-condition that seemed to result in her eyes never quite lining up properly.  As a result, they always seemed to be pointing in two different directions whenever they weren’t rolling around completely at random.
In the past, Ditzy’s condition had caused her a fair number of problems.  The constant shifting of her field of vision was dizzying and disorienting.  The fact that her eyes could never stay in alignment meant that her depth perception was almost nonexistent.  As a consequence, Ditzy had once been best known for her spectacular crashes and other sundry accidents that seemed to accompany her like a plague.  It had earned the ire of many of Ponyville’s residents and callous remarks from more than a few of them, most of them attributing Ditzy’s clumsiness to a lack of intelligence on her part, rather than her poor eyesight.
However, in recent times, Ditzy’s situation had improved.  Rather fittingly, it had been Dawn (who had a unique eye condition of his own) that had helped her.  He had taught Ditzy how to sense her surroundings through the air, thus allowing her to navigate without needing to rely on her faulty eyesight.  As a consequence, the number of crashes and accidents Ditzy had been involved in had taken a drastic nosedive over the past few months.
There was another reason that Ditzy’s situation had improved markedly, a reason that was all too apparent with the gold pendant that hung on a silver chain around her neck, a pendant decorated with a bright-green apple.
“Hi Ditzy,” chirped Fluttershy as she trotted over to the table to join the gray mare, “Are you done for the day?”
“That’s right,” said Ditzy with a happy sigh, “There were no big packages or any unusual deliveries today.  So, once I finished my route, I was done.  Now all I have to do is wait for Dinky to get out of school.”
Zhan raised an eyebrow.  “I’m guessing you’re happy about something else too.”
Ditzy blinked and looked over at the griffoness, apparently noticing her for the first time.
“Ditzy, this is Zhan,” said Fluttershy, her voice quieting, “She’s my new neighbor and we’re doing some shopping in town.”
“Oh my goodness!” gasped Ditzy, her excited wingbeats nearly lifting her up off the stool, “I’m so sorry!  I didn’t even realize you were there!”  Ditzy was mortified that she’d practically ignored Zhan’s presence without bothering to wonder why she hadn’t noticed the brindled griffoness standing right next to Fluttershy.
“It’s alright,” said Zhan, not giving the slightest impression that she was offended in any way, “I’m used to it.”
“Still…that was very rude of me, I’m sorry,” said Ditzy.
“Apology accepted,” said Zhan, faintly amused.  It was clear that no other response would really satisfy Ditzy.  “Anyway, there seems to be something else you’re rather pleased about.”
Happy to get away from the topic of her social faux-pas, Ditzy was more than willing to embrace Zhan’s line of inquiry.  With a happy sigh, she cupped her cheeks with her hooves.  “Well…the wedding is almost here.  I’m just so happy I could fly.”
“Um…you can fly,” Fluttershy pointed out lamely, though she couldn’t conceal her smile either.
“Wedding…?” asked Zhan.
“Ditzy is marrying Big Macintosh,” explained Fluttershy, “He proposed to her last autumn.”
“Oh…Big red guy…?  Applejack’s brother, right?”  Seeing Ditzy and Fluttershy nod, Zhan let out an impressed trill.  “Wow.  Nice catch.”  Macintosh and Applejack had both worked to help build Zhan and Skan’s new home in Ponyville, which rested only a short distance away from Fluttershy’s cottage.
Ditzy giggled shyly before freezing, then looking oddly at Zhan.
Seeing Ditzy’s befuddled look, Zhan shrugged.  “What?  He may not be a griffon, but he’s certainly nice to look at.  Where do you think hippogriffs come from?”
“Oh!  I’ve heard of them,” said Fluttershy, her eyes widening in recognition, “I’d forgotten all about that.”
Ditzy looked back and forth between Fluttershy and Zhan, clearly a bit perplexed with how at ease Fluttershy seemed to be with the brindled griffoness.  As could be attested by the fact that Zhan’s name and address were still being registered by the Post Office and she wasn’t even on one of the regular delivery routes yet, Zhan was clearly new in town.  And yet here she was, going shopping with Fluttershy, behaving as though this was just a casual outing, even though Fluttershy, who couldn’t have met Zhan more than a couple of days ago, was notorious for her shyness when meeting new people.
Unaware of Ditzy’s confusion, Fluttershy looked excitedly at her.  “So…is everything going well for the wedding?”
Ditzy nodded eagerly.  “Oh yes!  The dress Rarity’s made for me is fantastic and the Apples are going to be flocking in from all across Equestria.”
That made Fluttershy giggle.  It seemed that the Apple family members were always looking for some excuse or other to gather as many members of their extended family together in one spot as often as possible.  Just as it had been for that fateful Summer Sun Celebration, they were just chomping at the bit for a reason to turn an affair into another of their family reunions.
“What about your family?” asked Zhan.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the table at that question.  Zhan quailed slightly, realizing that she had apparently trodden on, if not forbidden, then at least restricted territory.
After a long moment, Ditzy let out a long low sigh.  “I don’t know,” she said, “I haven’t heard back from them yet.”
Zhan blinked, but decided that it was clearly best to drop that line of questioning.  Instead, she coughed awkwardly.  “So…who’s officiating?”
“Mayor Mare,” said Ditzy, her mood lightening a little as the conversation swerved away from dangerous territory.
And so the conversation went.  Fluttershy and Zhan politely inquired about the details of the wedding and its overall progress and Ditzy answered to the best of her abilities.  As it was, her wedding was set to take place in the next few days.  After which, she and Macintosh would head off on their honeymoon.  They were set to return just as Applejack would be leaving for Canterlot to take part in the selection process for the Royal Warrant.  Fluttershy and Zhan ended up joining Ditzy for lunch, eating as they conversed.
They parted ways as Ditzy left to pick up Dinky, while Fluttershy and Zhan resumed their shopping excursion.
“She’s nice,” Zhan observed as she watched Ditzy flutter off in the direction of the schoolhouse.
Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
Thinking back to that brief uncomfortable moment, Zhan frowned.  “I take it her relationship with her parents isn’t the best.”
“It’s…”  Fluttershy struggled to find the right words to describe it.  “It’s hard to say…They’re distant.  I’ve never met them.  We went to Flight School together, but we didn’t really get to know each other until we met up in Ponyville later.”  Back then, Fluttershy had been mercilessly bullied by the students as well as the instructors, albeit more indirectly by the latter, for her weak flying abilities, as well as her meek and submissive nature.  Ditzy, who had tremendous difficulties of her own, thanks to her eye condition, was in a similar position.  However, the two of them had kept their distance from each other, despite their mutual position as outcasts, mostly due to the shared fear that one being associated with the other would only heap more abuse on them.  However, for all of her difficulties, Ditzy had been better off, thanks to her greater enthusiasm for flying and her willingness to put more of an effort in spite of her problems.
As a consequence, Ditzy had actually managed to succeed where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had both failed and had actually graduated from Flight School…barely.  The staff of the school had offered her no special consideration for her disability and Ditzy had only barely squeaked through the final exams thanks to the fact that her parents were substantial donors to the school.
From what Ditzy had told Fluttershy, her parents hadn’t exactly been happy with the narrow margin by which Ditzy had succeeded.  They were even less happy when she took up a job in Ponyville as a humble mailmare.  Ditzy’s family was certainly well off.  While they weren’t counted amongst the ranks of Cloudsdale’s oldest and and most respected families, they were still substantially wealthy.  Despite that, they’d never offered a shred of monetary support after Ditzy moved to Ponyville, not even after Dinky was born.  From what Fluttershy had heard, Ditzy had hardly spoken with them at all.
Fluttershy sighed.  "It's sad.  Ditzy's parents should want to be with their daughter on their wedding day."
"I think it'll be fine," observed Zhan, smiling wryly at Fluttershy, "Even if it's not by blood, it seems she has plenty of family down here already."
That remark brought a smile to Fluttershy's face as the pair continued with their shopping excursion.



"Ah!"  Rainbow Dash collapsed on the cloud.  Her entire body felt limp and her wings felt as though they were being stuck through by countless needles every second.  Her mane, plastered with sweat, hung in straggly strands across her face, barely moving with her head as she panted fiercely.  Even her feathers seemed to droop like the petals of a wilting flower.
"Not that easy, huh?" asked Firefly with a sardonic grin as she watched her student huff and puff in front of her.
Rainbow had to suppress a grimace at Firefly's words.  After everything, she was barely managing to lift a few inches off her chosen platform.  I can't believe the squirt managed to get the hang of this so quickly.
Firefly frowned as she watched.  Rainbow was pushing herself extremely hard, especially for a pony who was just beginning to work on fully harnessing her magic.  The techniques taught by the Wonderbolts were well-suited to a pony who'd learned to fly by conventional means.  However, Firefly's method, which was derived from the basics of the Gale King, was not as easy to learn for a pony who already had their own way of flying.  Rainbow's greatest difficulty was to keep her wings from moving as she lifted off.  Because of that, her focus was divided by the need to repress years of carefully-honed reflexive actions.  It would be a difficult task for anypony, which only served to make it monumental one for Rainbow on the basis of how ingrained the habit was for her.
In spite of that, Rainbow was making progress, much faster than most ponies in her situation would.  Her determination was driving her to continue practicing until she almost completely drained her magic to the point that Firefly had to carry her back to the Wonderbolt Headquarters once their training session was complete.
I guess it's that Flash Spark guy who's making her do this, she thought, Her determination is almost frantic, since she believes a friend of hers might be in danger.
Still, rushing things any faster would be dangerous.  Because she's pushing herself so hard, I have the feeling she'll be ready a lot sooner than I initially thought.  If push comes to shove, we can do this the hard way.  The only pony I ever tested that method on was myself and it was after I learned the technique.  We need to focus on building her magical reserves.  As exercises go, this one is plenty good.
As proof of Firefly's observations, Rainbow forced herself back up into the standing position and stretched out her wings once again.  "One...more...time..." she grunted.  Her eyes closed and her face furrowed in concentration.  A few seconds later, the clouds beneath her hooves began to ripple as an invisible force pressed down against them.  Slowly, Rainbow's hooves rose clear of the cloud and she began to lift up into the open air.
A strained grunt escaped the cerulean mare.  Firefly could see the muscles along her wing tensing with the urge, almost a need, to flap.  But still, Rainbow held them rigid.  Instead, her eyes clenched shut all the more tightly and she began to rise a little higher.  Firefly's lips stretched into a tight line as she watched.  Come on...push harder.  Rainbow obliged her silent plea and lifted a little further still.  This was a new record as far as Rainbow Dash was concerned.  She was now hovering at least twice her own height in the air.
"Good," said Firefly, "Hold it there.  Maintain that as long as you possibly can, until you can't hold it anymore.  Then hold it a little longer."
"G-got it," grunted Rainbow, struggling her hardest to not be distracted simply by the sound of her mentor's voice.  It was frustrating in the extreme.  She felt like a foal all over again.  The pins and needles in her wings had dissolved into a constant heat that burned through them, the fire slowly spreading down into her back.  Her muscles ached, not with exertion, but with the need to exert themselves, protesting being held inactive for so long and in a situation like this.  After so many years of training, her wings practically had minds of their own.  If she let her concentration waver for even a second, they would begin to flap and she'd be back to square one.
Instead, she held them as still as she possibly could and focused her remaining attention on the feeling of pushing downward without moving.  That's what I need to develop, she thought, This feels unnatural, but I need to work on it until it feels natural.
For the briefest of instants, the image of Scootaloo practicing slipped into her mind's eye.  Rainbow remembered watching the orange filly go through her forms, dancing across thin air as her hooves carried her without any assistance from her wings.  Hay!  She'd seen the little filly hovering in place the way Rainbow was now, looking completely natural at it.  Rainbow found herself more than a little envious of how easy it had seemed for Scootaloo at the time.  Now that's an ironic reversal.
"Hmm?"  Firefly raised an eyebrow as Rainbow's body seemed to relax, her muscles loosening.  Her wings stretched out a little further as Rainbow released her hold over them, yet remained still.  What have we here, she wondered, a breakthrough of some sort?
Even as Firefly had realized it, Rainbow was also coming to consciously recognize that her body was feeling more at ease.  I guess all it took was thinking about Scootaloo to get through it, she thought, Thanks squirt.
Opening her eyes, Rainbow let out a relieved breath.  Her wing muscles still wanted to flap, but she had them under control without having to think too hard about it.  More importantly, it felt easier to hold herself aloft now.  Then...without any warning whatsoever, the lift disappeared beneath her wings.  "What the-?"
Before Rainbow could finish her sentence, she dropped.  However, Firefly simply tapped the cloud beneath her hooves.  The packed cumulous seemed to burst outward.  Rainbow dropped into it and sank down into the now much softer cloud before coming to a rest.
"Good work," said Firefly with a warm smile as she helped her protege up, "You're starting to get the hang of it now.  We'll practice a while longer to build your magic more, but we've passed a big hurdle."
"That's...good..."  Rainbow's voice trailed off as her exhaustion caught up with her.  She began to slump until she was lying down.
Firefly felt a breeze ruffle her mane and she looked up to see Soarin' swooping overhead before coming in for a landing.
"How are things going?" he asked.
"Much better than I could have hoped for," said Firefly, "Your fillyfriend really knows how to push her limits."
"That she does," said Soarin' with a good-natured chuckle.
"Hey," protested Rainbow weakly from where she was laying.
"I think we can wrap up for the day," said Firefly, "I'll leave it to you to get her back."
"Sure thing," said Soarin'.  He was already lifting Rainbow up onto his back.  "Come on Dashie.  Let's get back home."



"Again," said Dawn as Scootaloo's hooves touched down on the ground.
A quick nod was the only response Scootaloo gave before she once again focused her gaze forward and pushed off.  Her wings swept in tight arcs around her body and she slipped through the opening in the air that they created, only feeling the faintest tug on the hairs of her tail as the world blurred around her.  Then she flared out her wings and kicked out with her hooves to bring herself to an abrupt halt.
"Much better..." observed Dawn quietly, "...but not quite.  Again."
With another nod, Scootaloo pushed off again, her for blurring until it appeared to stretch to the point where she flared her wings to stop herself again.
"Most impressive," mused Skan as he watched from the top of the ridge.  Even at this distance, his keen eyes had no difficulty discerning the details of Scootaloo's technique.  Having fought Dawn himself, he could easily understand just what she was practicing.  The swift movement technique used by practitioners of the Gale King could make the user seem to teleport.  However, Scootaloo was a ways away from that point.  And yet, even in the time since Skan had started observing, he could tell that she had improved markedly.
Dawn had since ceased to give particular advice to the filly in order to correct her technique.  Rather, he simply stood to the side and ordered repetition after repetition.  In spite of that lack of advice, Scootaloo's form seemed to improve with every attempt.
Having only started less than a year ago, thought Skan, thinking back to what Dawn had told him, she's already learned how to listen to the voice of her own body.  Through her practice, she's learned to continually refine her technique without any further input from her instructor.  The Little Cub was formidable enough, but the Little Kitten is catching up.
He watched as Scootaloo blurred into motion again before stopping herself.  This time, she didn't even wait for Dawn's words before kicking off again.  There was no trace of frustration in her expression.  Instead, there was an intense degree of concentration and focus.  She had completely shut out outside influences and was entirely within her own world as she repeated the technique again and again.
She's going to go at it until she drops, thought Skan.



"Hey!  You've got mail."  Soarin' waved an envelope at Rainbow.
"Oh..."  With a yawn, Rainbow grabbed the envelope from him and carefully opened it.  Her tired eyes slowly passed over the letter as her mouth mumbled out the words it contained.  However, the mumbling slowly trailed off and Rainbow's tiredness seemed to fade in the face of surprise and she read through the letter with renewed intensity.  "Oh my gosh!"
"What's up?" asked Soarin', crawling into the bed so he could read over her shoulder.
"I can't believe it!  Ditzy's wedding is coming up!" exclaimed Rainbow, "It's in just a few days!"
"Ditzy..."  The memory clicked in Soarin's head as he remembered the gray mailmare from Ponyville.  "Oh!  Her!"
"Yeah," said Rainbow, "Oh my gosh!  It's actually happening!  I'd totally forgotten!  Oh my gosh!"
"Take it easy Rainbow," said Soarin', resting a wing over her back and trying to calm her down.
"I need to go," said Rainbow, "I can't miss this..."  She froze.  "Wait!  I can't go!  My training...!  Argh!!"
"Rainbow!" snapped Soarin' tightening his hold over her, "Easy!  It's okay.  Calm down."
"Soarin', what do I do?" asked Rainbow, giving her coltfriend a pleading look.
"Listen," said Soarin', "It's not like this hasn't happened before.  These kind of scheduling conflicts come up.  Let's talk to Spitfire about it."
"R-right," stammered Rainbow, getting out of the bed to stand unsteadily on the floor.
With a sigh, Soarin' followed her, doing his best to make sure she didn't fall over as they made their way to where he hoped Spitfire would be.  At this time of the evening, she was usually either in the library or in her room.  She wouldn't be in bed yet.
Fortunately, Spitfire's room was fairly close and the door opened when Soarin' knocked.
"Hey you two," said Spitfire, staring out at them in mild confusion, "What's up?"
"Well...something's come up in Ponyville," said Soarin'.  Rainbow laid out the situation and Spitfire listened politely.
"So you want permission to head back to Ponyville for a day to attend the wedding?" asked Spitfire.
Rainbow nodded.
"Normally I'd say that's fine," said Spitfire, "But there are some things to consider."
"I can try to talk to Firefly about it," said Rainbow.
"It's not Firefly I'm worried about," replied Spitfire, "I hope you're not forgetting the reason you're going through Firefly's training now."
"Oh..." said Rainbow, remembering Flash Spark, "Right..."
Spitfire sighed.  "Come in you two."
At her beckoning, the other two ponies entered their Captain's room.  Rainbow looked around, taking in the room of a Wonderbolt Captain and Knight of the Celestial Order for the first time.  Spitfire's room was a good bit larger than Rainbow's, but obviously not near as large as Wave Chill's, considering she didn't have her own personal aquarium.  It was roomy to be sure, with an arched ceiling high enough that Rainbow could take to the air, had her wings not felt like lead weights.  There was a fair-sized desk over by the window, which opened out onto a balcony that seemed to look over the whole of Cloudsdale.  By the window stood a perch, where Ouranos, Spitfire's phoenix companion currently rested.
As phoenixes went, Ouranos was a magnificent specimen.  His form seemed to be some combination of peacock, swan, and eagle.  Like an eagle, he sported broad wings and formidable-looking, taloned feet.  He also sported an eagle's hooked beak.  However, the long, graceful curve of his neck was definitely more like a swan's.  Finally, his head sported a colorful crest and brilliant plumes, like chains of varicolored jewels, dangled from his tail, similar to the decorative feathers of the peacock, but much more colorful.  From what she'd heard from Twilight, Rainbow knew that Ouranos was a male phoenix and, as with most birds, his plumage and colors were much more vibrant than the females of the species.
He was Spitfire's closest companion.  When the two of the two of them fought, Ouranos and Spitfire could merge into a being of color and flame that was practically invulnerable against any form of attack, thanks to the fact that any wounds they received in that state tended to heal almost instantly.  Rainbow had only been lucky enough to witness Spitfire in that form once, during her official induction into the Wonderbolts.
"Hi," said Rainbow as the phoenix looked at her.  Ouranos cooed a greeting back and ducked his head back down.
"Have a seat," instructed Spitfire as she finished fluffing a couple of portions on the floor into cumulous cushions.  Rainbow and Soarin' settled down together while Spitfire took her own cushion across from them.
"So..." she said, "...obviously, things are a bit complicated right now.  What worries me is that Flash Spark made it quite clear he intends to go after you, Rainbow."
Rainbow nodded, resisting an urge to bring her hoof up to the cheek that Flash had pawed during their brief encounter at the performance a few days ago.
"Despite that, he hasn't made another appearance since," continued Spitfire, "I half-expected him to at least try something by now, but we haven't found a single clue to his whereabouts and he hasn't popped up anywhere, much less here in Cloudsdale."
"You think he's waiting for a time when Rainbow might be out in the open?" asked Soarin'.
Spitfire's expression became grim.  "I'm thinking that he's biding his time.  When he showed up last time, it was during our performance.  It was less any real declaration of his intent and more of a chance for him to show off and go 'Hey everybody!  Look at me!  I can do whatever I please right in front of the Wonderbolts and they can't do a thing to stop me!'"
"You think he wants to make a public spectacle?" asked Soarin'.
"I think he likes having an audience," said Spitfire.
Rainbow frowned.  She was worried.  The strange new abilities and insect-like appearance that Flash Spark had acquired seemed out of her league.  Maybe, once she finished her training under Firefly, things would be different.  But until then, Flash Spark was probably too much to handle.  However, that wasn't what really worried her.  If he attacked while she was at the wedding...
"I think you're getting what I'm saying," said Spitfire, seeing the comprehension dawning on Rainbow, "A wedding might not be a Wonderbolts show, but it's an audience all the same.  To make matters worse, your friend, Fluttershy, will be there along with the colt who broke Flash Spark's wings.  With that many ponies whom he has a grievance against there, I think the probability of him attacking is pretty high."
Pursing her lips, Rainbow nodded reluctantly.  There was no telling how well informed Flash Spark was about what was going on or how he'd be able to track her movements.  The simplest assumption would be that, if she left the Wonderbolt Headquarters and went somewhere else, he would know.
"Can I suggest something?" asked Soarin', raising a hoof.  At Spitfire's acknowledgement, he began to speak.  "Even assuming Rainbow doesn't go to Ponyville, there's still a pretty good chance that he might show up.  Dawn and Fluttershy will still be there after all."
"That's true," said Spitfire, "Which is why we sent those two griffons Dawn recommended."
"But..." said Soarin', "If he does show up, doesn't that make it a chance for us?"
Rainbow and Spitfire both stared at the stallion, tensing nervously.  "You're not thinking-" began Rainbow.
"-of making it a trap, are you?" finished Spitfire.
"I suppose so," said Soarin' with a shrug, "But I was thinking more along the lines that, if there's already such a good chance of him showing up anyway, we should probably use this opportunity to the fullest."
"If he shows up, we can get the drop on him," mused Spitfire, "If he doesn't, we'll just have to go back to looking."
"Hey!  Hold on!" protested Rainbow, "What about Ditzy's wedding?  After what he did to the Cloudeseum, I'd say Flash Spark can do a lot of damage.  A lot of ponies could get hurt."  To make matters worse, it would probably ruin Ditzy's wedding.  Rainbow didn't want that to happen to a good friend of hers.
"If he shows up, things will go to Tartarus regardless of whether we are there or not," Soarin' pointed out, "If we manage to catch him coming in, we may be able to head him off before he can crash the wedding."
A tired hiss escaped Rainbow's lips.  Soarin' was right.  Besides, it was more important to catch Flash Spark before he could harm Celestia knew how many other ponies and keep him from causing any more damage.  Ditzy's wedding could always be rescheduled if things went wrong, but the important thing would be to keep Flash Spark from hurting anypony.
With a quiet sigh, Rainbow looked up at her coltfriend and nodded.  "Okay."
The two of them turned to Spitfire, who looked to be deep in thought.  "I don't see a whole lot of other options," she said finally, "It's best to draw him out and nab him if we can."



Flash Spark was ravenous.  He didn't even bother to taste the food that he stuffed into his maw.  The mandibles worked in tandem with his hooves, spearing fruits and vegetables before bringing them to his mouth so that he could wolf them down.  Apples, cabbages, carrots, potatoes, and celery all vanished into his mouth, completely raw.  A single uncooked trout slid down his throat, fins, scales and all.  It should have tasted revolting, but Flash couldn't even bring himself to even notice any taste whatsoever.  It was as though his stomach had become a furnace, burning everything that he dropped into it almost instantly.
"I warned you that your metabolism has been accelerated," observed Morning Star as he walked in, "Even just flying around consumes a great deal of your energy.  You might not feel it while you are in the air, but when you come to a rest, you're sure to notice."
"What the hay!" protested Flash in between bites, "I thought this was supposed to make me better."
"I am still fine-tuning your physiology," said Morning, "I needed the data from your activities in order to fully streamline the energy consumption of the augmentations.  Once I finish those adjustments, this appetite of yours should be a thing of the past."
"Good...to...hear..." said Flash as he wolfed down three more trout.  The aching hunger was slowly fading with each bite he took.  Fortunately, there was plenty of food available to sate his appetite.  Even during that lean winter, Flash had never felt this hungry.
"So...once we've finished with the adjustments, what do you have planned?" asked Morning.
"Isn't it obvious?" retorted Flash, "I'm gonna head to Cloudsdale and tear the Wonderbolts a new one.  Then I'll take Rainbow Dash with me and have some fun with her.  Then it'll be Fluttershy's turn.  I'll let her watch while I gut that colt who broke my wings, then I'll make her my toy as well."  A pleasant tickling sensation went down his spine as those thoughts ran through his mind.
"All well and good," said Morning with a chuckle, "But you should know that there is an upcoming event that you might be interested in."
"What's that?" asked Flash as more food disappeared down his throat.
"Recently, I got word that a certain mare is getting married in Ponyville," said Morning, "Her name is Ditzy Doo and she is supposed to be a friend of both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.  I believe that they shall both be in attendance at her wedding and the colt with them."
Flash's lips pulled back into a grin through the opening in his carapace.  "That sounds like the perfect opportunity," he whispered, "Will those adjustments you've been talking about be finished in time?"
"They should be," said Morning, "I am sure that the wedding will prove to be an exciting affair."



"You know it's a trap, but you're letting him go anyway," observed Swift Stride after Morning had closed the door to leave Flash to his meal in peace.
"True enough," conceded Morning with a small smirk of his own, "But even if the Wonderbolts consolidate their efforts, I doubt they will have much success in apprehending or even really injuring him.  The most I expect is for them to drive him off so that he can fight another day."
"That's pretty cruel of you," said Swift with a smirk, "You could've outfitted him so that he'd wipe the floor with all the Wonderbolts and anypony short of the Princesses who tried to get in his way."
"Well...at this point, there's only so much I can do with his body," replied Morning, "Any more than this would have required a complete rebuild from a cellular level.  My skills with producing organic matter are not yet that fully refined."  He lifted a foreleg, showing Swift a splintering crack that ran up its length, as though his skin were composed of some sort of glass.  "Even with myself, I am still refining things.  I am not yet quite ready to try that method with another pony.  Besides, it's not as though he'd need that much power."
Swift's smile faded and his eyes opened a little wider, revealing pale-blue irises.  "You're setting him up to lose, aren't you?"
That earned a chuckle from Morning.  "I suppose you could say that.  Flash Spark's vendetta is useful fodder to direct his actions.  However, in spite of encouraging his enmity with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, I do ultimately require them well and whole.  I do not want to risk losing two of the Element Bearers at this juncture."
Swift barked out a harsh laugh.  "And here I thought that you weren't actually interested in destroying Princess Luna."
"The Elements of Harmony wouldn't be very harmonious if the only things they were good for were destruction and imprisonment," countered Morning, "After my observations of their energy, I believe that there is a great deal more to them than that."
Morning walked past Swift.  As he did, Swift tilted his head to the side, watching the white-horned unicorn out of the corner of his eye.  "There's one other possibility you didn't mention," said Swift.
"And what's that?"
"That things won't go at all the way you calculated them, that things will completely go awry.  Flash could end up captured or killed."
Pausing, Morning tapped his chin.  "Admittedly, I very much doubt that possibility.  I have calculated things out very carefully."
"But if they don't go the way you planned?"
"Then that would be...exciting," said Morning, a wide grin breaking out across his face.
Swift's eyes widened again.  "Exciting?"
"Yes," replied Morning, "It would mean that there are variables I wasn't able to account for, that the ponies who will be pitted against Flash Spark are capable of exceeding even my calculations and expectations, that there is far more to the situation than I first understood."
"And that's a good thing?"
"Of course," replied Morning, "After all, that would suggest that there is so much more for me to learn.  As a scientist, the most daunting prospect is the idea that I might one day learn everything that there is to know.  But as long as such unexpected wrinkles occur, then that means there are gaps in my knowledge, new avenues of research and investigation to pursue, new possibilities unfolding.  For a true scientist like myself, such a revelation would be...euphoric."
Morning continued on his way, leaving Swift stewing in the hallway.  "This guy's a tough nut to crack," muttered the Knight.