//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: Rain 
// Story: City Scape 
// by TigerSwirl448 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 14
Rain


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~





The usual chattering of Twilight's laptop keyboard was muffled by the breeze as she rapidly inputted the day's new findings. 

On impulse, she glanced up from her screen to scan the area, but all that could be seen were some passing birds. With a defeated sigh, she returned to her work. The message from a few days ago was still fresh in mind, and even though Dash said she'd come find her, Twilight hoped that meeting would be sooner rather than later. With slower pace, she completed her final notes and shut the lid with a click of finality.

"Um, hey there."

Twilight looked over her shoulder, and felt that her morning was only going to get better. But it would just be rude to hold a conversation while cross-legged and facing away, so Twilight set her laptop aside and quickly got to her feet.

“I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?”

“O-oh no,” Twilight dusted off her knees. “I was just finishing up. You're um ... Dash, right?”

Rainbow awkwardly shuffled her feet. "You read the letter huh?"

Twilight chuckled. "It was little rough around the edges, but I got the picture." 

The student fell silent, waiting for some kind of response. The she remembered that she was still a guest of the rooftops, and that the native Cloudsdalian didn't even know her name!

“Well, since I know your name-” she offered her hand. “My name is Twilight, Twilight Sparkle.”

Dash stared at the hand – and Twilight thought she may have been offended in some way – but she eventually took the offered appendage.

“Nice to finally meet you, Twilight.”

With greetings out of the way, Twilight was quick with a question.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here? I know you said it in your note, but why was I such a shock to you?" 

Rainbow shrugged, sticking her hands in her pockets. "Well it's a bit tough to explain. But let’s just say seeing someone dressed like you are – here in the skyline – gives many pause for concern."

"The way you say that … it's like you live up here."

Another indifferent shrug. "I do."

Twilight blinked surprised. "Wait, you actually live up here?"

Rainbow smiled. "Yeah, I do." 

Twilight, though, was confused. "But ... why are you up here and not living down on the ground, where it's safer and ... warmer." Twilight shivered from a blast of autumn air as Dash brushed back her hair and looked around. 

"It's too complicated to explain the reason, but all you need to know is that this is my home.” She took on a more serious tone. “And I will do anything to protect it from outsiders." 

Twilight nodded. "I see."

“So, why are you here, Twilight? And what does all your equipment do?”

Twilight blinked, turning to her set then back to the girl. Nobody had told her not to talk about her mission, and this was Dash's home; she at least deserved to know.

“Well, you see, I work for the Canterlot Council, and we all have been noticing changes in the environment here in Cloudsdale. Then there was a rumor that these changes were caused by people living on the skyline. So I volunteered to come and study the regional weather.”
With her reason for being there out of the way, Twilight waved Dash over to her meteorological set to discuss the second question.

"All of these sensors are designed specifically to measure all kinds of atmospheric conditions. Things like air temperature, dew point, and windspeed. Personally, I'm hoping the forecast for today is correct and I can get a rain sample. That would really be the best specimen for my tests.”

Rainbow watched the readout displaying windspeed and grinned. “Cool. So Twilight, how long are you going to be in town for?”

Twilight shrugged. "Well originally it's to be six months."

"Originally?" 

Twilight shrugged again. "I'm not sure how long it will take to formulate a reasonable climate model." 

Dash nodded. "Well, since you're here for a while ..." 

As she trailed off while staring up at the overcast sky, Twilight thought she saw Dash's face go a few shades deeper in the red department. 
"H-how often do you come up here?" 

"Oh about three times a week, depending on the weather and such. Why?"

Dash was now holding her hand above the propellers on the wind gauge and letting the blades tap against her fingertips. "Well for starters, we tend to do things different up here than on street level. If you want to know the laws of the land around here, I can teach them to you." 

"Teach me?" Twilight wanted to inquire further into the workings of rooftop society, but Dash was now distracting herself with a flock of birds flying overhead.

"You forget it's a cityscape here seeing so many pretty birds." Twilight smiled.

Dash chuckled dryly. "Oh they’re just pigeons. Nothing pretty about them."

"Oh I find all creatures pretty."

Dash smiled softly. “... Yeah, I guess.”

They fell silent, unsure what to say, until a faint buzzing drew a flustered whine from Dash. She pulled out an earbud from her pocket and placed it in her ear.

"Yeah, what?" Rainbow growled.

Twilight watched as the rainbow haired woman's expression went from mild annoyance to terror and embarrassment in the span of a second. "Damnit, you just keep that big mouth shut!" Rainbow snarled in the mic. "Alright already, I'll go." She groaned and turned to Twilight.

"I'll have to catch you later Twilight. I got a job to do."

Twilight nodded. "Oh well, okay. See you around then?"

Dash returned the gesture. "Yeah." 

With that, she skipped into a run, and dropped fearlessly off the edge of the building. Even after seeing Dash's show of prowess for the third time, Twilight was still awed by how fast this new friend was. 

That Dash gets more interesting by the second.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


Sonata clamored out from the manhole – the last one up before Aria slid the heavy iron cover back into place. On the surface, Adagio looked around them and took a pensive sniff of the air.

"A storm is coming."

Aria nodded, dusting off her hands of rust. "Must be big to cause the deepest of the slums to get a gentle breeze."

Adagio sighed, walking over to a rusty metal newspaper holder. She pulled out a flathead screwdriver from her belt and jammed it into the lock. After a few seconds of hearty wrenching, the lock released and the door popped open. She reached inside past the well fogged over glass window and pulled out a small sack. 

In the bag was the fruit of her labor – an old flip phone that would have been a top of the line model a decade or so ago. But judging by the grimy coating and the way Adagio stabbed at the power button with nothing to show for it, it was long passed its prime. 

As Adagio smacked the phone against her palm and Aria hawkishly watched, Sonata did what she always did and kept distance from her sisters' affairs, instead keeping watch on the deep shadows cast by the disheveled refineries and factories of the old industrial quarter. Luckily, the only living thing nearby besides the trio was a scrappy looking rat that scurried across the street and down a gutter.

"Aha!" Adagio exclaimed with a grin. "Finally, this old dinosaur turns on. That's one thing I'll get when we get out of this place, a new and better phone."

Aria peeked over Adagio's shoulder to get a visual of the screen. "Anything yet?"

"In due time, Aria." She growled. 

Adagio waved her sister away and navigated to the voicemail section where a fresh message was waiting.

"Is it our contact?" Aria asked.

Adagio double-checked the contact information and nodded. "Yes it is. Now hush up and let me listen to this."

Sonata tried to keep up the quiet vigil, but with a chilly breeze rolling in and the oppressive smokestacks looming, she couldn't any longer. With hands clasped behind her back, she started rocking back and forth on her heels. 

“What?!”

This loud exclamation caused Sonata to pause mid bounce and nervously glance toward Aria. She would have seen her sister's perturbed visage, if it was aimed at her and not Adagio.

"What is it?! What's wrong?! What did they say?!" 

Adagio snapped the old phone shut. 

"They did it." 

"Did what?" Sonata asked.

Adagio looked to her two sisters with a range of different emotions on her face, shock, anger, and fear.

"They pulled through with the plan."

Even after seeing Adagio's fearful expression and Aria's troubled frown, Sonata still nervously ventured. "That’s... good?" 

With a flourish of golden hair, the leader shook the negative notions out of her head, replacing them with her usual cold ambition. She cleared her throat.

"No matter. That just means we have to go with it like we promised."

The declaration didn't keep Aria from turning away with a bit lip. Sonata unconsciously rubbed her arm as well. 

"So... what now?" 

Adagio knelt down, pulling off her pack and setting it on the ground in front. She unzipped the bag and reached inside, producing a pistol and handing it to Aria.

"Now, we have to do our part."

“Which is?” Sonata wanted to press for more information, but the cold grip of a handgun pressed into her palm silenced her. A glance down revealed the blued steel of a snub-nosed revolver. She was usually only trusted with holding flashlights and the like, but a loaded weapon was a new surprise. It's so unlike her.  

Adagio rubbed her face, then stuck her personal gun into her waistband, Aria did the same while watching the streets.

"Look, there was a reason Aria and I didn't tell you the plan. We didn't think they would go through with it."

"Yeah," Aria snorted. "Took them like what? Five years?"

Adagio nodded. "So getting the message that they actually did it was ... unsettling."

"Why?" 

"It means they're serious, dum-dum!" 

Aria took a calming breath, then continued. "If they really pulled that off, then we better complete our side too. Thanks to our connections and a recent pay up," Aria reached into Adagio’s backpack to pull out the large vanilla envelope, the same one they got from Cherry Jubilee, "we know our next move." 

Aria handed the envelope to Adagio, and patiently waited for her sister to give her own two cents on the issue.

"Yes, but we won’t do the job the way Cherry wants it." She opened the envelope to pull out a stack of bills, and she ran her finger through them. "Our contact wants us to find this pesterous reporter and ask her questions. Like it or not, she'll help us."

"Help us with what?" 

Aria snarled and silenced Sonata with a stomp of her foot. "I'm getting tired of the twenty questions game!" 

Adagio sighed, shaking her head. "No, we should have clued her in from the start." 

Aria and Sonata gaped in surprise, before echoing the same sentiment. "Really?"

Adagio nodded. "Sonata, there is a war coming and you now have to make a decision."

Sonata gulped. I don't like the sound of this.

"Choose to help us with our goal, and we'll finally be free of the Griffs,” Adagio gestured widely to the general area, “and tear down all these walls." 

Sonata blinked, feeling a cold drop of moisture on her nose, and looked up to the dark gray sky, then she looked down at the concrete to see the wet dots of rain splashing down.

"I won't sugar coat it,” Adagio warned. “There will be times you have to make the decision of killing someone, in self-defense or otherwise. But in the name of our future, these people we sided with are going to help us. We’re going to make a new town here. New rules, new freedoms, and a new home for everyone."

Aria nodded. "So what do you say? You in? Or are you too chicken to do the job?"

Sonata gulped, feeling the weight of the pistol in her hand. She now understood why Adagio gave it to her. It was more than just a sign of security, but also a sign of trust. 

"What about Dad and the rest of the workers?" Sonata asked. "Do they know about this?"

Adagio sighed. "A few do, but not all." 

She approached her younger sister, placing her hand on her shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. "We made a deal to allow them to be unharmed during this whole affair. And I promise you this, everyone will be safe and sound. By the time we're through they’ll hail us as heroes. They'll praise us to their grandchildren, saying it was us that gave them new hope and a home for them and their families." She said excitedly.

Sonata though, wasn't so sure. "I don't know. It sounds ... fishy and-"

Aria once again failed to hide her disdain. "Look, do you want to help Dad?" 

"More than anything!" Sonata blurted out while glaring at her.

"Then this will help him. Adagio and I guarantee it," she said, smiling a touch.

Sonata looked down, and saw the wet gun shaking in her hand. It wasn't just the cold atmosphere causing the shivering. Her sisters were ever the schemers, and she had seen several concocted plans explode in their collective faces. There was a high probability of failure once again, but the promise of freedom for everyone was too tempting a prize to let slip. 

"Alright, I-I'm in."

Aria and Adagio both let out sighs of relief.

"Good," Adagio said cheerfully while beginning down the dead street. "Come on, we have a meeting with Flash Sentry. The last message was from him about that reporter. He’ll tell us where to find her."

With that, both Adagio and Aria began their walk into the depths of low town. Sonata didn't follow initially. A chance to reclaim the surface would be a dream come true, but it felt like just that. And if it really was possible, then why all the shadow games? Wouldn't everyone back home want to know and help?

With a sigh and a sniff, she reached around behind and slid the cold wet revolver into her waistband. Left with more questions than answers, she ran off into the rain.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


The sheets of rain accented by the odd clap of thunder drizzled down the apartment window as Vinyl stared out across town. As she sat hunched over on a desk chair with an elbow propped against the window sill, she mused that most people would probably be hunkering down away from the chilly deluge. For a split second, the DJ was in her studio, delivering a weather bulletin into her microphone and wishing every listener safe passage, but a light titter brought her back to reality.

Humans weren't the only ones caught in the elements. Vinyl looked down at the planter box, where a family of doves had built a nest, with the mother bird keeping her two little chicks close and dry while the father would stop by every now and then with a worm or two for food. Geez, what a time to have kids. I'd invite you all in, but I think just having me here is already pushing it. 

With a sudden spurt of creativity, Vinyl breathed on the window, fogging up a sizable portion of the pane. She couldn't readily let wild birds in – Octavia would throw a fit – but she could at least let them know she cared. The quickly drawn smiley face wouldn't be winning any awards, but it was enough to invoke a smile of her own.

Which promptly vanished when she remembered why she was where she was. It had been roughly a week since she practically moved into Octavia's flat, and the DJ had never returned to the studio. She thought about going back and becoming the voice of the people once more, but after the elevator incident, she figured it was best to just forget about that venture. Just the mere recollection of long, coffee fueled hours behind the console, waiting for the next “public relations officer” to burst in and set her straight had Vinyl rubbing away at her temple in frustration.

As the thoughts slowly ebbed away, the trumpets and saxophones of smooth jazz took their place. She took a few seconds to fully immerse herself in the bright cadence, before looking up at Octavia's premium sound system. It would have been tuned to a totally different station when Vinyl switched it on an hour ago, but being in the business taught her that most musicians hated having their equipment messed with.
It also felt nice to hear something that was reminiscent of simpler times, rather than her own collection of angry, antisocial tunes – so the dial remained untouched.

A glance outside revealed that the swirling masses of the weatherfront had passed, and a light drizzle from the grayed sky was all that remained. The worst had passed, and the sun would shine on the city once again. So what if the radio gig didn't work out, there were other means of musical expression – and no reason why light couldn't be shined on them.

Maybe it's time to make a new start.

The last time she made a new start was when she came down from the rooftops to pursue a ground bound life. Acclamation from having full run of the rooftops to such a fiercely regulated society was no easy feat, and at best, Vinyl was barely off the fringe. 

Octavia was the first person from street level – other than her manager and the Griff goons policing her every broadcast – that the ex DJ had gotten to know personally. Having a friend outside of any obligation with similar interests to her own had worked wonders. She knew of all the great clubs and haunts where artists could jump-start their careers while making a few bucks on the side – and even though their tastes would clash from time to time – they both genuinely wanted each other to succeed. 

She had helped Vinyl get set up before, and she probably could lend a helping hand once again.

Through the rain slicked window, Vinyl could just make out a few blots of color streaking across the low roofs. The gaudy colors and lightning yellow backpacks brought a nostalgic smile to her face.

"Be safe guys. Weather's getting colder."


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


Scootaloo was never a fan of menial work, especially if she was cleaning up a mess that somebody else had created. But dipping the mop into the wheeled bucket and painting the floor with suds – once the bane of her existence – now served as a distraction from current affairs.

It had been almost two weeks since she had been taken from Cheerilee's orphanage, and the most grueling few weeks she had ever endured. Even though Scootaloo liked to consider herself athletic, the enforced training regime she was now under was far beyond anything she could have ever imagined, let alone prepared for.     

Without thinking, she stopped mopping and raised her hand up to her face. The jaw had stopped throbbing some time ago, but it still acted up once in a while. It was now nothing compared to the dull fatigue that radiated throughout her body. The harsh drills and even harsher obstacle courses were only just beginning to take their toll. The fact that the gruel they were fed with was unpalatable wasn't helping either.
She looked ahead, and saw Alula on her knees scrubbing away at some scuffmarks on the tile floor. She also saw their two guards busy with their own conversation just ahead. She sighed with a sniff as she returned to work.

Over time, Scootaloo noticed changes in their training. Some of the Griffs would take away highly excelling trainees, for them to never be seen again. Alula believed that they were either taken to a more advanced facility, or deployed outright.

A similar fate was also befalling those that couldn't make the grade. But unlike with the excelling troops, they were taken away with zero fanfare, and Scootaloo swore she could hear painful wailing in the dead of the night – even though the walls were soundproof.
Not wanting the situation to get any worse, Scootaloo was careful to pace herself. She only did enough to keep from being fed to an incinerator, but not so well that she became one of Iron Will's poster children.

Then there were the psychological aspects of confinement. Every morning, the trainees were roused from fitful slumber by loudspeakers blaring out announcements and pro-Griff propaganda. At first, it was run of the mill schedules and orders for the day, but it quickly evolved into strange metaphors recited by a sickeningly cheerful voice. Eventually, it was Alula that suggested that it all was a ploy to brainwash them into submission.

After that revelation, the two began doing anything they could to block out the propaganda. When alone, they would try and pass the time by playing childish hand games. Scootaloo would from time to time pull out a length of twine that was swiped from the cafeteria and randomly tie a knot, only to unravel it a few minutes later. When under guard, they would just focus on the training or whatever basic tasks they were given on the side. Anything to keep their young minds focused and unhindered by the words.

When they had finished washing the floor, they were dismissed by the guards and ordered to report to the gymnasium for some sort of review. They both saluted then marched away. Once they were away from the scene, Scootaloo groaned and rubbed her wrists.
"If I have to mop another damn floor, it’ll be too soon." She growled. She turned to Alula to see her looking around them. "Did you find another way?" She whispered.

Alula shook her head. "No, the only way to get out of here is through the vents. But I have no idea how big they are or if they can even hold our weight."

Scootaloo felt her arm. "Well I've been losing pounds trying to get skinny. I can't take anymore of their food, anyway. I swear there is something in it."

Alula nodded. "I noticed it too. I always feel funny after eating."

As they reached the end of the corridor, Scootaloo took a left down another, only to backpedal furiously. She grabbed her friend before she did the same and pulled her back around the corner.

"What-"

"Shush!" Scootaloo whispered peeking out then pulled back. "It's Iron Will."

"So?" Alula whispered.

"Someone's with him, someone new." 

They both peeked around the corner, and sure enough, they saw Iron Will down the hall – face set and grim as ever. A stark contrast to the soldier that stood with him.

The two friends had seen every ranking soldier at the facility at least once, but this mid height woman, dressed in the standard black fatigues and with purple hair tied back in an unobtrusive bun was a completely new face. One that was way to smiley.

"How goes the training?" 

Scootaloo bit down on her clenched fist to stifle a groan of frustration as Alula shuddered. The voice from the PA!

Iron Will cleared his throat. "As to be expected, ma'am," he replied while bowing his head.

"And the propaganda?"

"We have been noticing a slight increase in their performances. Especially with the aid of the spice we placed in their food.” Iron Will said happily. "We’ve been playing the special tune at night as well."

Scootaloo and Alula looked at one another in surprise. They didn't know that they were playing something on the speakers at night!

The woman chuckled. "Good, very good. Will our new army be ready when the time comes?"

"They'll be ready. Our plan of domination will begin at your command. We'll finally get our just dues from Equestria."

Alula grabbed Scootaloo’s arm and squeezed. Scootaloo gulped and patted her hand. This can't be good.

"Good. Now remember to keep this operation under wraps from Griffin, we've waited far too long for her to ruin all the fun.”

It looked like the mystery woman was going to add more, but something outside of Scootaloo's limited view caught her attention. "Ah, I see young Smith is growing into quite the soldier."

The air of Iron Will's pride filled voice was almost fatherly. "Yes ma'am she is. She’ll make an excellent battle commander when the time comes. I’ve been training her specially to be part of our high command once we take over."

The woman chuckled. "Let's hope it's very soon. Iron Will, continue with the good work. I must take my leave and return to headquarters before anyone questions my absence." She saluted with her fist to her heart. "To the future." She declared.

Iron Will returned the gesture. "Future for the Commonwealth. Have a nice trip, Commander Glimmer." 

With her business taken care of, the new commander made her way down the hall – right towards Scootaloo and Alula. Quickly looking for a hiding spot, Scootaloo spied a stack of gray crates which they promptly hid behind. After she passed and they were sure Iron Will wasn't about to do the same, they came out and looked at each other with trepidation.

"Scoots, I don't think this is a Griff army." 

Scootaloo nodded. "I'm starting to see that too. If what we heard is true, something is going on and they're not with the Griffs."

"Who do you think they work for, if not them?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "I don't know, but I don't feel like sticking around to find out. Those vents are probably our only bet for escape. We have to warn my friends about this."

"Do you think they can beat them?" Alula asked worriedly. 

That was a question that Scootaloo had been asking herself a lot lately. Ever since arrival, she had been sharing stories of the exploits of the group she had planned to join with Alula and any other trainee who was willing to listen. But even with Scootaloo's attempts to boost morale, all of the trainees had simply given up hope and had gone distant. People that she once thought of as siblings would now just brush her off and mumble something about getting back to their new life. I now know why.

Scootaloo desperately hoped she could escape, find Dash, and have her put an end to the madness. They had surmounted every obstacle imaginable, and had eluded the authorities every time, but what good could they do against an entire army.

"I ... don't know. But we have to tell someone." Scootaloo whispered. 

"Ahem!" 

They both jumped as the one person they failed to account for, Commander Smith admonished them from the corridor juncture. "Just what are you two doing here? Shouldn’t you both be at the gym?"

Scootaloo stood her ground while Alula's eyes became acutely drawn to her own bootlaces.

"We’re just on our way there, ma'am." Alula blurted out before Scootaloo could word her own response.

Smith snarled, and stabbed her finger in the direction they needed to take. "Well get going maggots!" 

A short jog later, they entered the gym to find it filled with all the trainees from the various, color coded units. Gone was the rabble of two weeks earlier, replaced with row after row of stiff postures and stony faces. The way they stood at attention didn't just resemble soldiers ready for battle. Their unfocused, glossy stares were more akin to a zombie hoard in an old horror film than actual humans.

As Scootaloo fell in line behind the other red bands, she felt a peculiar sensation at the base of her skull. Something told her that she was in the right place, that her meager existence had led up to this moment. No longer individual, no longer unique, she was now just a cog in a great machine of conquest and retribution.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman from the hall walk past with a triumphant smile. But when she actually turned her head for a better view, all Scootaloo saw was her Sergeant, Smith, moving up the side of the group to join with the rest of the trainers at the front.
With a mild tingling, the sensation fizzled and ebbed away, leaving her in a slack-jawed state. She looked at Alula, and it looked like she had a similar experience. Even with all their effort and care, they were still slowly falling into the trap. Not eating the tainted food was probably slowing the process, but their bodies couldn't run of fumes forever. Time was quickly running out, and Scootaloo knew what needed to be done.

We need a plan of escape, and we need it fast.