The loud clanking of my metal boots vibrates off the walls as I pace back and forth like Celestia had. These stone walls were driving me insane. Luna wasn’t back yet, and I had sent a scout only moments ago. Emeris sighs with frustration.
“Sir, worrying about it will not get her here any faster. We need to focus on our next step, you know this.” I grit my teeth but nod. Celestia is in a much more reasonable mood.
“I’m sure she’s fine Raiden. She has many powerful abilities and is a very capable mare. Whatever is holding her up, I can safely presume it’s nothing dangerous. Perhaps she saw a new opportunity?”

I place my hands on my hips, trying to think.
“Okay, so the Og Nag fell back. Our next step, if you agree Princess, should be to go on the offensive. I know you’d prefer to give them a chance but-”
Celestia cuts me off with a flat tone.
“I’m aware of our previous policy, but from what I’ve seen today, I will only grant mercy to those who ask for it. This war needs to end before we do.”

Emeris lets out an amused chuckle.
"The pony’s bloodthirsty eay?" He says with a grin. I shoot him an angry glare. That was way out of line considering she's trying so hard to come to terms with her options. Celestia pauses nervously for a moment. I’m worried she’s going to comment, but a shift in her face tells me she’d rather brush it off.
“I would like to offer you three official roles in this fight as my temporary captains. This will allow you to issue orders to our guards if need be. The time for caution is over, and I will no longer sit here as my kingdom burns. We will go on the offensive.” Emeris and I can’t resist howls of excited rage. I bang on the table several times, as Emeris jumps up and down, arms in the air. All this sitting around wasn’t our style. Heads needed to be rolled, and our swords were thirsty.

Celestia eyes us hesitantly. I know she’s worried we’ll go overboard, and I couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. We calm down and start discussing our best move, with a sprinkle of humiliation from our outburst.
“Emeris, we’re going to need scouts to start tracking them. I’d like you to be responsible for it. Celestia, are there other flying ponies we may be able to use?” She nods.
“We have a team of professional flyers called the Wonderbolts. They stay up in Cloudsdale, far away from the Og Nag.”

I stare at her for a minute.
“Wait what do you mean up there?”
Celestia smiles a bit for the first time in weeks.
“I apologize. Cloudsdale is a city made of clouds. They are responsible for our weather. It is just to the northwest of Canterlot.” Emeris and I glance at each other in confusion and shock.
“Why have we not put all the refugees there?!” yells Emeris. Celestia tries not to snicker at our ignorance of her land.
“You must have the power of flight. These wings are not actually enough to fly. There’s literally a touch of magic in them.”

I don’t know what it is yet, but my gut tells me this war is about to turn in our favor, and it starts with Cloudsdale.
“You said...they control the weather?” I say, as my brain starts buzzing with hundreds of questions. Celestia nods.
“Every rainstorm, every sunny day.” I glance at Emeris, he knows I’ve got a feeling.
“Your highness, can we perhaps visit this Cloudsdale? We could really use anyone who’s willing to be a scout. Also I’d love to learn more about what they can do, because a nice rainstorm over mud could really give us an edge.”

Celestia looks a bit surprised.
“I wish I had thought of that. They are also capable of making minor tornadoes as well.”

Emeris chuckles menacingly.
“Now you’re talking, princess!” he says excitedly. Celestia smiles a bit.
"Hold on, let me try something." She closes her eyes and concentrates. Her horn flares yellow and her eyes burst open, once again completely white. Emeris is surrounded with Celestia's magical glow. It starts swirling around his armor as if the magic itself was swimming around him. He examines his shining hands and glances at me. Celestia start grunting to herself as her face twists and contorts angrily. I watch as she even grits her teeth. We jump as a beam of yellow magic rockets off Emeris and strikes a nearby wall, plowing into a bookcase and causing it to float around the room as if gravity no longer existed. I raise an eyebrow as her eyes return to normal and she starts panting.
"That...that is very...odd. My spell won't take to you." She holds her hoof to her chest as she pants. She sits back on her haunches.
"I don't understand, I've never had this problem before. Perhaps...it is a trait of your species? I believe you've never experienced magic before correct?" Emeris and I both nod. Celestia's head swings briefly to the left and right as she thinks. I cross my arms.
"It could also be our armor. I heard a rumor it was made with...special properties, but I was never told the specifics. All I know is it's as strong as steel but twice as light. For now, we need another alternative. Cloudsdale needs to take priority, but we can run tests soon enough." Celestia slowly nods her head.
“Could be because you're not from here as well, but regardless I’ll let you take my chariot since you won’t be able to visit any other way. I'll have to think about this since it's odd that Cadence could still heal you. I’ll stay here and wait for Luna while doing a bit of research.” Emeris and I nod, although I do my best not to show any reluctance. I wanted to be here when she got back more than anything, but I couldn’t let my personal feelings get in the way of my responsibilities.

We step outside and I anxiously scan the sky to the East, hoping to see the young princess swooping in unharmed. My shoulders slump as I see nothing but clouds. Emeris amicably slaps my arm and motions towards the chariot. The thought of entering such a rickety thing makes me uncomfortable. The guards who are in charge of pulling it raise a hoof to the forehead and greet us by rank. Emeris and I nod in respect, and board.

Emeris cries out with amusement, as I cling to the floor for dear life.
“Oh come on Raiden, when are you ever going to get the chance to fly again?!”
“Hopefully never!” I shout back in absolute terror. We pass through a few clouds, and while the fear still swims in my veins, I also appreciate the beauty of being so high up. The air was so fresh and cool, almost carrying away my worries with it. There was no smell of ash, blood, rusted steel, none of it. Mustering my courage, I slowly stand up, gripping the edge with both hands. I peer over the side, and the moment is cut short. Many cities had multiple large pillars of smoke rising from them. Emeris and I quietly look around, inspecting the damage.

I look at the guards, and one watches the ground in horror. His accomplice nudges him a few times angrily, but it’s no use. The chariot begins to rock a bit. Emeris calls out to them, but the guard is transfixed on the ground below. We start plummeting hard as the poor soul stops flapping. His tears trail behind his cheek, and splash onto my chest piece. My guts want to jump out my mouth as we rapidly descend.

I call out to the guard.
“Who did you lose?!” He shakes his head a few times, and looks back at me with wide, painful eyes,
“My sister...she...she lives in that town below us! I...” I do my best to sound aggressive but also encouraging.
“If you want to avenge her or even look for her, you need to keep your head in the game!” He gives me the death glare, but starts pulling his weight. The two guards give it their all to get us back on track. After a few minutes, we're level again, heading towards a massive group of clouds and rainbows. The formation was highly unnatural. Different sections were spread loosely apart, and mimicked what can only be described as vague musical notes. Every cloud I had seen, was usually one large shape. This place swirled around and wrapped back on itself frequently and elegantly.

Cloudsdale; another sight I can hardly comprehend.

“This land...I do not think we will ever learn all its secrets.” I mutter to myself. Emeris examines it in silent awe. It was nauseating not being able to take in the sight, but we have a job to do. I turn to Emeris.
"When this is all over, we’re going on a massive vacation. Guards, can you take us to anyone who can give us a tour?” One nods, but the other is still giving me the silent treatment. I get it, he's angry because he feels powerless and now I remind him of it.

We settle at the front of what looks like the main building. A yellow haired Pegasus is standing in the main area, watching us come in for a landing.. Her eyes are wide and surprised. She wears what has to be a blue military outfit with numerous badges and stripes on the right shoulder. On her face were these odd pieces of brown glass, with a frame that kept them fixed in front of her eyes. The moment we stop, she marches up to the cart.
"I'm Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts." I give her a deep bow with a hand on my chest.
“I apologize ma'am, but we’re in a hurry. I need to know everything you can tell us about -” The tearful guard tears loose from the Chariot, and begins badgering the Pegasus about his sister. Without the support, we plummet from the cloud. I hold onto the vehicle as hard as I can, with my other hand grasping Emeris by the ankle. His helmet falls off, letting his wavy blonde hair flutter around madly. The last guard tries valiantly to slow us down, but it’s not going to be enough. In a few seconds, we've already fallen so far that I can't even see the first guard anymore.

I see multiple blue figures rocketing down towards us. My hand starts burning, as the weight of Emeris and his armor is hard to take. He looks over at the chariot and starts swinging towards it. I do my best to help, but my grip is fading fast. Right as my hand lets go, Emeris grabs a hold of a wheel with both hands. We dangle, hearts racing, as the ground is getting more and more visible. I look up, unsure if the figures will reach us in time, let alone lift us.

I see all six of them lock legs in a vertical line, as they get a massive boost in speed. With only one pony having to take the drag of the wind, they’re wing power stacks significantly as they flap in a perfect pattern, with each preceding Pegasus flapping just after the one in front of it. It had to be a way of regulating the air current around them. I hear a roar as they come into view. They wear blue outfits, with bolts of lightning on the chest and cuffs. Their eyes are covered with wide goggles, leaving only their manes and mouths exposed.

Without a word, two of them grab the reins and start pulling, making us lose speed immediately. Another two start lifting the cart upright. The final two give Emeris a boost into the chariot. Their coordination was staggering. At their speed, there was no way they discussed it on the way here.

Emeris tries to hop in with style, swinging his legs over casually. A small spike on his leg gets caught on the lip of the vehicle, as we are greeted with his horrendous screams as he falls. Three Wonderbolts take off almost instantly, giving insight into their training and reaction times.

After a few minutes, they painstakingly heave him into the vehicle, not taking any more chances with his antics. We get back to Cloudsdale, with the other guard lying on the cloud quietly sobbing. He doesn’t even move as we arrive. Emeris and I share a glance, knowing he probably received the worst news. We save him from a tongue lashing by calling out to the group as we arrive. The Wonderbolts introduce themselves, but their leader Spitfire is my main interest. A leader of an elite team of flyers was going to be invaluable. Her hair reminded me of fire, having orange at the top, and and underlayer of tan at its roots. Her yellow fur in the sun forces me to squint slightly. I clear my throat.

“My name is - “ She cuts me off.
“First Captain Raiden and Second Captain Emeris of the nation Taraska. Good to meet you. Celestia sent word of your arrival. What can we do?” She gives me a quick hoof salute. I return it with an equally quick head nod.
“We need scouts to keep an eye on the Og Nag movements. Mainly the large packs of them in the thousands.” Spitfire nods.
“We can easily do that. We’ve had a massive influx of recruits since the war started. We have no real idea how to fight them on the ground but we’ve taken to small raids with dropping rocks. We’ve kept them decently busy to the west but not by much.”

Emeris places his hands on his hips, always loving it when ponies fight back.
“We’d also like to know the quickest introduction to what your city does with weather. A few tornadoes and rain storms could make a massive difference.” The other members begin murmuring to each other excitedly. A colt with teal fur and a dark blue mane steps forward. He salutes us and hold sit for a brief second then pushes back his hood.
"I'm Soarin of the wonderbolts." He takes a step forward.
“We collect lightning and water from stray clouds and store them here. Then we pump it back into a cloud when it’s time to use it.”

Emeris’ jaw drops.
“What...what do you mean, that you can store lightning?!” Soarin nods.
“We have special jars for lightning. No idea how they’re made, but we got tons of them.” I laugh with a homicidal tone.
“And...what happens if you were to...let’s say drop one of these jars on some Og Nag?!” We all share in vicious laughter, knowing we now have a massive weapon in our hands.

Spitfire and I go over exactly how we’re going to set up a chain of scouts, who leads what group, what each group will be in charge of, everything. We both talk excitedly, even finishing each other’s ideas. I shake my head.
“It will be too slow for one pony across the nation to fly all the way to Canterlot with news of the Og Nag, who could easily have moved multiple miles or sack a town by the time we receive word.” Spitfire rubs her chin.
“I suggest having units do aerial moves to indicate where a group is moving, so a face to face meet up can be avoided, allowing us to send messages through a relay of flyers. We could get a message back in just a few minutes, and also save energy.”

We toss ideas back and forth a bit longer, slowly nailing down the plan. We both become more animated as we talk. The feeling of striking back and not being so helplessly blind spreads to everyone, who chatter frantically.

Emeris strokes his chin.
“One last idea: we need to save the lightning for large groups. For smaller strikes, let's get some sticks, weigh them and sharpen the tips, then your units can dive bomb them into enemies below. They won’t do a lot of damage normally, but give them some speed, and you could impale an entire unsuspecting group before they even know what happens.” The Wonderbolts cheer, along with Emeris and I. Commanding aerial units was something I had never done before. While Taraska briefly had large blimps to drop bombs with, they didn't get a chance to be used. Hopefully these ponies would be okay following my orders. There's no real guide to dealing with multiple commanders in a battle unexpectedly.