Star Dancer never did get use the the sight of war. Being a courier for the Scholarship, she wasn't unfamiliar with it - the whole of Equestria was in a state of conflict. The political situation seemed to change with the weather, and there was the ever constant threats of the Laughing Cult, madmares, or worse. As such, death was a common occurrence.

But Dancer was always sickened by the smell of the dead. 

She had recently arrived some days ago in Earthborn with Scroll's reports and Sliver's letter. After being cleared by Customs, she went to the Dodge Junction Technical College. Dean Spoke took the pegasus to his office, were the stallion told her the news - An Alicorn was seen in Applelossa! 

It was a great luck, for Dancer had no idea where this Torrential Waters could have been. Sweeper made a guess based on the unusual rainfall in Earthborn when Dancer mentioned the oddity. "Sounds like Rain is doing his job," Sliver said. "I wonder, is he going to turn the desert into a garden?" But now that there was confirmation, Dancer had a place to start.

The Dean had several assistants trying to locate the Torrential, and wanted the pegasus to help. "My duties here prevent me from leaving. However, with your speed and knowledge of meteorology, you can help in the Search. And my dear, you've meet the Lady as well, and this Water may be more likely to talk to a friend of his kin." Like many pegasi, Dancer took Meterology as a minor degree. 

So off she went, first going to Applelossa to find clues. From there, her search took her to the countryside. There she heard tales of a strange pony, always walking, wearing a cloak and hat. And storms were nearby were they normally wouldn't be. 

Speeding away from the gory sight, Dancer nodded. "If this isn't a sign I'm on the right track, then I don't know what is." 

----

[i] Several nights earlier… [/i] 

Northgate was quiet in the early morning. The moon was low in the sky, and the stars began to fade in the twilight, though it was still rather dark. Fog began to form outside the town. The walled town seemed to be the one peaceful place on Stormwing ground. 

Then suddenly there was a loud crash of glass shattering, the sound of whistles been blown, and then the loud ringing of an alarm bell. Soon the lights of the city began to turn on in rapid succession, as various citizens awoke from the racket. Bored guards were shocked out of their ennui, while others were stirred from bed and began to prepare for battle. 

The guards of the eastern gate expected the fight to come from the outside. What they didn't expect was for an alicorn to burst through the once sturdy door from behind them. Several, who were standing before the outer gate, were knocked aside by the charging mare. They were dumbfounded as the bald alicorn, with an Earthpony on her back, trotted into the foggy darkness. They were even more confused at the ruined gate - the strong oak and steel was cut so cleanly into smaller pieces. How it was done was not known - for the defense was whole only a few moments prior to it's destruction.