The last armor plate slipped into place - Tempest Shadow looked now just as she did when she last left the Citadel. The black bodysuit under the matte black armor was a little ill-fitting after two years without military discipline and with Pinkie Pie's baking - but it was passable enough.
She looked down at herself and hated it.
But if it got them past even one fight, it was worth her pride. Pride didn't matter now - so she scuttled through the rocks and back to the others.
Their position was as good as they could have hoped for: a cluster of jagged rocks along the cliff-face, creating a narrow strip of ground between the hostile camp and an open fall. Close quarters was understating it - which is why Tempest had moved further away to don her armor - but it was safe and it was concealed.
From the rocky nook, the six could see the activity of the town around the fortress at close range. Above the sun shone down - the sky incongruously clear within the island's defensive ring of stormclouds. But even with that brightness, the town itself was grey - grey flagstreets surrounding buildings built from grey stone, all mined out from deeper parts of the grey island. Most were low and flat, single story affairs that cleared the ground only enough for the hulking Storm Guard to fit inside. Nearly all, as well, were peppered by a thin dusting of salt that gave a visual representation to the tang of the sea that permeated the air.
And the creatures that walked those cobbled, salt-stained streets? They were a wild mix of races - a wide variety of Klugetowners, Abyssinians, donkeys, zebras, a handful of hippogriffs, even a minotaur or three. Despite the disparate shapes, though, there was one thing that tied them all together: chains. They all wore at least a collar of dark iron as they milled about in daily chores - and all of it watched over by the ominous Storm Guards.
"There's so many." Fluttershy's quiet voice quavered. "How could any-- that one's just a chick." Her words hitched as she spied a tiny griffon - and an undercurrent of rage rose. "We need to save everycreature here from these monsters."
The yellow pegasus trembled with anger, steadied only as Rainbow Dash put a comforting wing over her oldest friend.
Tempest looked to the others with two words on her lips. "I'm sorry."
Pinkie Pie hugged her. "This isn't your fault. And now you're fixing it."
Slowly, Tempest nodded. The reassurance didn't reach her frown but she had to soldier on. "See those?" Tempest whispered and pointed with a hoof to the twin-pronged spear that each of the furry Guards held. "Those are the key."
As they watched, a donkey stumbled on a loose stone and fell. The basket full of bread he had been carrying dropped with him, scattering the loaves across the flagstone. One of the nearby Guards tapped the butt of its spear against the ground, causing an arc of blue lightning to spark into being between the tines of the spear. The threat was enough - the donkey scrambled to gather up the fallen food.
It was at that moment Tempest realized that Rainbow's wing wasn't comforting Fluttershy - it was holding her down. The normally placid pegasus' low growl was unexpected - though not to the other Bearers, who seemed to think nothing unusual of Fluttershy's barely restrained fury.
"A-Anyway," Tempest continued, "I think the plan has to be straightforward. Applejack, Rainbow Dash and I will go to the town armory. It's better stocked than the one in the Citadel itself, since there's more space outside the walls. Hopefully they don't know about my betrayal--"
"Redemption," Pinkie firmly corrected.
Tempest frowned harder and didn't amend her statement. "--And we can get inside without any trouble. We'll load up a cart with as many weapons as we can and then bring it to the slave's encampment that I showed you on the map. At the same time, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie will sneak in there and make contact. Bright Mac's probably your best choice to start from. He's going to be easy to recognize, knows everycreature here and you're going to be looking for him anyway. Tell him what's going on and to gather all the slaves up. Once we get the weapons to the encampment, they can use them to break free." She paused, watching the others to be sure they understood - around the tight circle, they gave nods of agreement.
"Most of them will make their way to the docks. They'll have to take one of the airships there to make their escape - after they spike the guns guarding the safe path out of the stormclouds." Tempest motioned upwards with a wag of her head. Around the rocky island, the wall of clouds continue to hold unnaturally firm. Lightning arced ominously through the stormwall, save for the few narrow openings that showed the outer sea. "We can't help them with that part, though. Once we get Bright Mac, we have to head for the Citadel itself as fast as we can to rescue Buttercup and any other slaves inside. If we're lucky, all the guards will be too busy trying to stop the larger group at the docks to notice us. Then we head up the Citadel itself - the Storm King has a small dock near the top for his personal air skiff. Presuming that's still a thing, we can use that to escape."
Silence - for a moment. Then, five more nods.
Tempest let out a satisfied snort. "Alright then. Let's go."
"So we're agreed?" Rarity glanced at her two companions. "Pinkie, you'll keep an eye out from here and signal us when the others are arriving with the cart. That way we'll have a little advanced warning."
Pinkie sharply saluted.
Fluttershy took a deep, steadying breath. "Now we just have to sneak in."
With a tittering laugh, Rarity shook her head. "Fluttershy, please. That's the least of our worries. Prisons are meant to keep you from breaking out. One as poorly handled as this likely never considered somepony trying to break in. Besides, if they catch us, what are they going to do? Throw us into the slave pen?"
"Rarity, I don't think it works that way." Fluttershy motioned at the slaves walking around behind the high iron fence that separated the encampment from the rest of the town. The only visible gate was flanked by two pairs of guards. "Plus if we were going to pretend to be them, wouldn't we have to wear those collars?"
Rarity sputtered with indignity. "Those horrid things? Never! I would never wear..." Shame struck Rarity's face. "...well. Under the circumstances I could make an exception. So long as there are no photos!"
"Or," Fluttershy gently prodded, "We could just sneak in."
"I suppose you're right." With a sigh, Rarity nodded. "If we approach it carefully and slowly, we should be able to find a path insi--"
Pinkie Pie slapped a crash helmet onto Rarity's head. "Problem solved good luck!"
"Wait, what?"
And then the catapult Pinkie had set up under them while they talked hurled both unicorn and pegasus through the air, over the fence and into a massive basket of dirty laundry.
Though some miracle the guards didn't hear either of the frightened shrieks - though the Abyssinian doing the laundry let out one of her own when the ponies impacted.
"Oh! Excuse us! Sorry!" Fluttershy popped out of the basket with grace - unlike Rarity. She got dragged out by the tail, flailing hysterically as she tried to free herself from a dirty burlap smock. The siamese-marked Abyssinian just stared.
Several minutes untangling later, the pair were threading their way through the encampment. As slave pens went, it struck them as rather well developed - while hemmed in by the tall iron fence, the buildings inside held strong under obvious decades of wear. Built from the same rough-hewn stone as the rest of the island, the long bunkhouses lay along five of the six sides of the hexagonal compound. A gate stood in the middle of the remaining side and a well sat in the center with an open-air pavilion around it that the rows of benches and tables suggested was for eating.
Presumably most of the slaves that weren't being worked outside the fence were here, probably asleep in the bunkhouses. Only a few were moving around the compound - a handful with laundry baskets, one or two sweeping up and one rather large stallion heading right for the two ponies.
"Well, this certainly simplifies things." Fluttershy fluffed her wings as the stallion who could only be Bright Mac trotted up to them.
The Apple family genes were strong - fur the same pale yellow as Apple Bloom's, a build like Big Mac's and the same serious frown that Applejack wore every time that the Crusaders got covered in tree sap. His age was showing over the old pictures they had seen, however - the bright red mane had faded to a greyish rose, and the same years of hard work that had left his body chiseled had also left deep lines on his face. His mane still sat as if there were an invisible hat on his head - instead he had the same collar of dark iron around his neck as the other residents of the camp.
"Ah hadn't expected new arrivals," he twanged in a voice tinted by sadness. "But Ah suppose that sooner or later they'd have to catch another pony. Welcome to the eye of the storm, ladies. Ah hope you weren't treated too bad comin' in."
He blinked in surprise as the two mares flanked him - Rarity on the left, Fluttershy on the right. "Your concern is appreciated, kind sir, but I think you may be a bit surprised at how our entry was treated." Rarity had to suppress a giggle at that. "Quite surprised."
Fluttershy was able to stay more on topic. "I think we, um, we might want to talk somewhere more private. Please."
Confusion was Bright Mac's first reaction - then shock as he looked at their necks. "You ain't chained." His eyes darted around, frantically looking for any nearby guards. "C'mon, this way."
The bunkhouse he led them to was empty - the beds stripped and likely in the laundry they'd fallen into earlier. Rows of single beds lined the walls, but Bright Mac took them to a cluster of benches near the central fire pit. It sat empty and cold, though the stallion's eyes still went to it as if gazing into the fire. "Now, the way Ah figure it there's two things that could be happenin' here. Either you're some of the Storm King's new allies like the Commander, or you're merchants here to make a buy. Either way, Ah figure it's better to--"
"We're the rescue party," Rarity cut in.
"...What?"
"We're the rescue party," she repeated as a smile crept to her lips. "Bright MacIntosh Apple, we're here to rescue you."
Fluttershy jumped in with her own addition. "And Buttercup, and every creature here if we can."
Rarity nodded in agreement. "Our sincere apologies for it taking so long, but everypony thought you were, well, dead. We only discovered that you were both here about two weeks ago, and certainly weren't going to allow it any longer."
"Ah don't-- Ah don't understand. Who are you? What in tarnation do you mean, rescue party? Ain't like nopony cares about a pair of nobody farmers from Ponyville." Bright Mac shook his head, refusing the glimmer of hope. "Ain't no Princess that's gonna come lookin' for us after all these years."
"Not a Princess," Fluttershy replied. "We came with your daughter. Applejack is our friend, and she wants her family back."
Bright Mac's spine stiffened at the name. "Applejack?" His face contorted into a snarl. "Ah swear, if you're lyin' there's gonna be mighty harsh consequences. You do not use my family--"
"Your wife's real name is Pear Butter and one of the secrets to getting zap apples is to hop over a watering can while wearing an adorable bunny outfit."
Bright Mac froze and stared at Fluttershy.
A slight blush touched the pegasus' features. "Applejack asked me to help one year. She even let me keep the bunny costume!"
Rarity gawked at Fluttershy, aghast.
A loud thump drew both mares' attention back to the stallion as Bright Mac fell onto his haunches. "My little filly. You're actually-- Ah don't believe it." The reality of the situation snapped back into place for him, and he turned to Fluttershy. "Is she here? Is she okay?"
It was Rarity that responded. "Applejack is indeed here - off with the rest of our troupe to acquire the tools of your liberation. And that is why we must be swift. In only a short time they will be arriving with a cartload of weapons to stage a breakout, and we need every creature here to be ready."
Fluttershy gently put a hoof on Bright Mac's shoulder. "I know all of this is sudden. I'm very sorry about that. But the revolution won't wait and it needs you. It's time to rise up and topple the corrupt edifice of your oppressors."
"...Yeah. Yeah, you're right." Bright Mac rose, wits gathering slowly. "'Scuse me a moment, while Ah get the proper folks gathered up."
He galloped out the door and Rarity turned to her friend. "Fluttershy, dear, while you're right that we are in the teeniest bit of a time crunch I must say that I detected a surprising amount of ease in your declaring the needs of a revolution. Where ever did you--"
Fluttershy simply smiled, because Rarity knew that the answer was 'Discord' and going any further into detail would only be a headache.
"--Nevermind, darling."
Tense minutes passed in silence with both mares impatient and on edge. Pinkie's signal could happen at any moment, and the possibility that the others would arrive at an unprepared camp with a cartload of weapons and the guards hot on their tails was... concerning to say the least. But the signal didn't come and neither did shouts of alarm from the hulking Storm Guard. All was calm until Bright Mac slipped back through the door.
"Others'll need time to gather up," he noted. "Not every one of 'em - just the folks that get pegged as leaders in these parts. Then they'll need time to spread the world an' contact the ones outside the fence." Bright Mac reached up to his head - a painfully familiar gesture that turned from adjusting his absent hat to brushing his mane back instead. "Ah also gotta apologize for bein' rude before. Ah didn't even ask your names."
"Rarity," the unicorn noted. "And Fluttershy. Truly, it's not a problem. We have put quite a lot on your plate unexpectedly."
Bright Mac gave each a respectful nod in turn. "My Ma would've tanned my hide somethin' fierce if Ah didn't show proper courtesy to guests." He reclaimed his seat on the bench, eyes closing for a moment of thought. "Though.. Ah hate to impose, but since we've got to wait anyway? Ah was wonderin' if you ladies wouldn't mind answerin' a few questions." Eyes the same green as Applejack's opened up and pierced the other two. "Could you maybe tell me 'bout my family?"
Rarity nodded at that - then motioned with her head for Fluttershy to sit beside Bright Mac. "Where to start, where to start..." She pondered for a moment more, pacing beside the empty fire pit before finding her beginning. "I suppose since you bring her up, the best place is to let you know that Granny Smith is still with us."
A shiver ran up Bright Mac's spine and he pinched his eyes closed once more. "Ah...Ah can't believe it. Ma's still... she's okay?"
"Perhaps not as hale and hearty as she once was," Rarity admitted, "But as vigorous as a lightning bolt, to put it in her quaint terms. Though she is perhaps getting a bit too cantankerous in her old age." She tittered merrily.
But Bright Mac was in quiet tears. "There was always the hope, but Ah fear'd she'd passed by now. Ah'm... Ah'm gonna get to see my Mama again."
Having been positioned properly in advance, Fluttershy gave the stallion a hug.
And Rarity put a soft hoof on his. "Granny Smith has been an unstoppable dynamo of a mare in the years since you were taken. Her steady hoof has ensured that Sweet Apple Acres has endured every trial while doing her letter best to raise your children with love and compassion."
Bright Mac wiped his eyes with the back of his hoof. "Our kids. Please, tell me about our kids."
Rarity nodded. "Your eldest - your son. They call him Big Macintosh now - and he is!" She laughed again. "I do believe he may be even larger than you, sir! But he is also one of the most polite gentlestallions I have ever had the pleasure to meet. He's quiet and thoughtful - and perhaps the only thing greater than the strength of his body is that of his heart. There is scarcely a stallion more noble, honest and forthright as your son."
She paused for a moment before taking another tack. "He was wed this past spring to a lovely unicorn - a baker of humble origins whom he loves with a quiet passion that any mare who sees them is jealous of. They held the ceremony under the intertwined trees that yourself and Pear Butter planted for yours."
A half laugh, half sob wracked Bright Mac.
"And," Rarity said with a conspiratorial stage whisper, "I strongly suspect that we shall be hearing word of your first grandfoal from them very soon."
He cried openly now - Fluttershy stroked Bright Mac's mane gently, holding him as he joyously wept.
"Your youngest, Apple Bloom, was ironically a bit of a late bloomer. Though still quite a little hellion!" Rarity couldn't help but smile widely at the many Crusader memories she had. "She's inseparable best friends with my little sister and another filly - the trio gained their cutie marks together. Apple Bloom is still in many ways a foal and deep in the rambunctiousness of youth, but she's wonderfully smart, happy and loved. She has grown up without want, surrounded by those who care deeply for her and is told so at every turn."
Sniffling, Bright Mac wiped his eyes again. "And Applejack?"
Fluttershy beamed. "Rarity saved the best for last."
"Indeed I did." Reaching out, Rarity took both of Bright Mac's hooves in hers. "Your daughter did suffer at your loss, I shall not lie. But it forged her and she has become one of the strongest, noblest mares there is. She is a peer of the realm and a hero of Equestria - responsible for saving the land several times over. She serves beside us on the Princess' privy Council. She is friend to kings and queens as well as to farmers and shopkeepers. Your daughter remains humble despite having been awarded nearly every medal and honor that Equestria has thought of."
The pegasus spoke up. "The kirin call her the Breaker of Silence."
"The Inheritor of Strength," Rarity added. "The Element of Honesty."
Bright Mac took a long, slow breath. "So my little sugarcube's a..."
"A hero," Fluttershy said simply.
And Rarity nodded. "The sort that legends are written of. But more than that - Applejack is a good pony. She is honest, compassionate, humble, kind and loving. She believes in hard work, honest speech and proven traditions. The passion she holds for home and family surpasses words, and I have seen her risk life and limb for others without hesitation, regret or thought of reward." She paused and briefly looked to Fluttershy. "We would and have entrusted her with our lives on multiple occasions because, above all else? Applejack is the truest, dearest friend anypony could hope for."
"And do you know why that is?"
Snuffling, Bright Mac cracked a grin. "Ah'm guessin' you're about to tell me."
Rarity tittered. "Indeed I am. It's because every time I have seen Applejack tempted, she asks herself just one question: if I choose to give in, would my parents be disappointed in me? Because, my dear Bright Macintosh - even after you have been gone for so long? You are her soul. You are that mare's everything." Letting go of him, Rarity stood. "And that is why we followed her into Tartarus for you. And while we shall get you out of it no matter our cost."
With another sniffle, Bright Mac wiped his nose with his fetlock. "Ah guess Mama did raise 'em right, even without us."
And Fluttershy shook her head. "That's not true. You've always been with them in spirit and in their thoughts. We just need to fix that your body's been absent."
"Thank you. Thank you both." The old stallion gave Fluttershy a hug back, and a respectful nod to the more distant Rarity. "No matter what's comin', Ah thank you for doin' what you've done for us."
It was around ten minutes later the others gathered up - the motley collection of slaves that Bright Mac had called together. The group numbered just short of a dozen, all bedraggled and worn from years of hard labor. They covered a wide range of races - while Bright Macintosh was the only pony, the group included a eyepatch-clad hippogriff and a hornless minotaur. Rarity frowned as they all shifted uneasily.
"I am going to presume that Bright Mac gave you few details," she started out. This was her arena much more than Fluttershy's - Discord's influence and Iron Will's seminars aside. "And we have little time so I shall be brief and to the point. Two years ago, the Storm King attacked Equestria. He was defeated - turned to stone in the end by one of his own obsidian orbs and shattered across the steps of Canterlot."
She paused, rightly anticipating the gasp of surprise from the audience. "Since that time, heroes of Equestria have been working to carry word of his defeat and striking at the outliers of his former kingdom." Rarity also chose to not speak the former Commander's name - a number of these slaves were victims of her armies. "Nearly all of his conquered lands have been liberated and his outposts destroyed - Panthera flies its own flag once more, and Queen Novo's hippogriffs have returned to Mount Aris."
The one-eyed hippogriff went stiff with shock, beak hanging open.
They were eating out of her hoof, and it made Rarity smile all the wider. A proper sense of drama didn't hurt the occasion, after all. Neither did a little bit of lying by omission to bolster long-faded hopes. "And now we come here. This is the last bastion of the former Storm King's lands, and we are here to help liberate you. In a short time, the rest of our party will be arriving with a cartload of weapons. With those weapons, the intent is for all of you to make your way to the docks, foul the guns watching the passages and flee using one of the airships there. We," and she paused to indicate herself and the unseen members of the rescue party, "Shall be striking the Citadel itself in the confusion to free those there."
Bright Mac spoke up. "Ah won't leave Buttercup behind, and you all know that."
The others gathered nodded solemnly.
"The hope is that in the confusion, both of our groups will be able to achieve our goals." Rarity tried to keep upbeat, but in her heart she knew the coming hour or so would be an uphill battle. A lot of creatures were going to get hurt or worse - there was no avoiding that. She tried not to think about it. "Once we are all clear, the intent is to head north to the coast, then east along it to Mount Aris. It won't be a short trip, but the navigation will be easy and--"
Her attempt to lay out further plans was interrupted by a not-so-distant boom. All eyes went westward towards it - and Fluttershy frowned. "I don't remember Pinkie Pie bringing her party cannon."
"I don't remember her bringing a trebuchet but she certainly did," Rarity pointlessly sniped, sounding only a touch bitter.
"It was a catapult," Fluttershy quietly corrected.
Rarity paid the correction no mind. "I'm afraid we're out of time, darlings. That't the signal - the cart should be here at any moment."
A second, far louder boom rolled through the air.
Fluttershy frowned sharply. "Oh dear."
"Quickly!" Rarity stomped a hoof on the flagstones. "Gather every creature you can and get ready! We shall have only a short while to harness the seventh Element - surprise!"