//------------------------------// // 20 - Revolution, Part 5 of 10 // Story: The Last Cutie Mark Crusader // by Jatheus //------------------------------// Swiftlight shifted a little nervously in CIC. Everypony had left for the day, and the conspirators had gathered for a meeting. His every endeavor was to be incredibly discreet in how he gathered information. He knew that if his intentions to warn Prince Shining Armor about the plot were discovered, they'd probably kill him. This now constant threat of danger made Swiftlight a little shaky at times, and he had opted to avoid Java Chip for the time being. The last thing he needed was for anypony to suspect he might have told her anything. "Thank you all for coming; we'll keep this brief tonight," General Mane Crusher said. "We have now confirmed our positions throughout the EUP. We are poised to take control at every corps and division level of the entire army." Swiftlight involuntarily gasped, and he was pretty sure one of the captains from Brax's battalion saw him. He tried to play it off as an excited gesture. None of the others paid him much attention, but he was certain he was convincing to the captain. "Now that preparations have been made, we must contact all forces and prepare to move quickly," the general continued. "I have sent dispatches that will arrive by morning. We execute the change in three days." "Three days? We’re not ready,“ one of the officers objected. “We have to be,” Mane Crusher countered, stroking his mustache. "The faster we move, the less chance of being discovered." Swiftlight's heart was racing, but he was doing everything he could to stay composed. "What about the local battalion under Brax?" another officer asked. "Leave that to me," came the reply. "I'm the senior-ranking captain, and there are several officers I can trust when it is time. Brax won't be a problem, and once he's out of the way, the others will follow me." “We have our work cut out for us, take care with the final arrangements,” Mane Crusher said in conclusion. "We will strike so quickly that Prince Shining Armor won't know what hit him. My only hope is that he will step down peacefully. The less blood shed in the transition the better it will be for all of us." There was a general consensus around the room. Swiftlight wondered whether that was simply a nice sentiment or if it were sincere. "Dismissed.” The group dispersed, casually leaving CIC. Swiftlight's panic was on the verge of returning. If they were moving in three days, he had run out of time to gather information. If Shining Armor was not made aware of this with time to prepare, he wouldn't stand a chance. ... "I don't stand a chance!" Applejack sulked. Scootaloo was trying to think of anything she could say to be helpful, but she just didn't have any wisdom for this sort of situation. The debate was going to begin in the next few minutes, but the waiting was apparently getting to Applejack. "It's just nerves, sis," Apple Bloom said. Applejack snorted. Cloud Blazer spoke up, "All you have to do is answer questions the best you can." "You'll do fine; we all believe in you," Sweetie Belle added. “They’re right,” Sparklefly began. “Remember when Diamond Tiara came to you yesterday with an offer of selling the produce off of the farm and giving you a fifth of the income if you dropped out of this? She wouldn’t have done that if she weren’t scared you could win.” Applejack smiled nervously. Scootaloo could tell that no amount of well-wishing, rationale, or pleasant sentiment was going to change Applejack's disposition as she paced the room. Her fears, combined with her ever growing pregnant belly made her seem somehow more vulnerable. "Just keep breathing," Scootaloo finally said. Confused, Applejack turned to her, "What was that, now?" "Breathing," Scootaloo answered. "All you have to do is keep breathing. You're going to get through this. You are the most honest mare I've ever met, and everypony in town knows it. It's Ponyville out there; they already know you. In fact, the whole town already likes you." Applejack nodded, her green eyes boring directly into Scootaloo. The anxiety was lessening, but it was still strong. "The fact that we've even made it this far is huge," Scootaloo continued. "If the town didn't want to give you a chance at being mayor, they'd never have signed the recall petition, and we wouldn't be here tonight." The fear faded from Applejack's eyes, and she began to grin. It was small at first, but widened in the moments that followed. Just then, Silver Spoon poked her head in the door and said, "It's time to begin." She left without awaiting a response. "We all believe in you. Make that awful Diamond Tiara sorry she picked this fight," Scootaloo concluded. Applejack crossed the short distance of the room and embraced Scootaloo in a sideways hug. "Thanks, sugar cube," she said. "Come on, everypony!" At Applejack's invitation, the rest of them approached and joined the embrace for a moment. "Thanks to all of you for getting me this far,” she said. "I've got to go. See y'all out there!" Applejack left, seeming much more confident. Once she was gone, Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief. Now if Applejack could just stay focused through the debate, they had a fighting chance. Scootaloo caught Sparklefly smiling at her. "What?" Scootaloo asked. "Nicely done," she replied. "How'd you do that?" Apple Bloom asked. "I don't know," Scootaloo shrugged. "I guess I just tried to think how to make me feel better if I were about to give a speech." "That was amazing," Sweetie Belle chimed in. Cloud Blazer was smiling, but he looked as if he were going to be ill. "Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked him. He cleared his throat and coughed, wincing from the pain. "Yeah, I think that immobilizing spell needs to be done again. I'm starting to hurt all over." Sweetie Belle nodded, and the others stood back as she closed her eyes to focus for a moment. Her horn glowed green as she reapplied the spell to Cloud Blazer's injuries. When she finished, Sparklefly was already in place to catch her as she nearly fell over again. "Thanks," Sweetie Belle said. Her eyes were shut, and she looked exhausted. "You alright?” Apple Bloom asked. She nodded her answer. Scootaloo said, "The immobilizing spell drains her a little. It's a complicated one." Cloud Blazer sighed relief, "Thank you."