Broken Stems

by TCC56


I'll Be Thunder

"Ah wish you had a better plan than 'act casual'."

Applejack hadn't liked Tempest's plan from the moment it was spoken. It didn't help that Tempest had admitted from the start she didn't like it either. About the only one who was on board with it was Rainbow Dash and even she had some reservations.

"We don't have a lot of alternatives." Tempest paused to rap her hoof against the plating of her armor. Those two years of change meant it was riding wrong - fine enough for now, but it would chafe if she left it for hours. "This is one of our best tools and this is our best chance to use it. If this works, all I have to do is say a few words and all you have to do is stay quiet."

Rainbow tried to help. "Yeah, and if it doesn't work we just give it to 'em! Pow!" She did not help.

With another heavy sigh, Tempest shook her head. "Look. There's only two entrances to the armory - one for carts, one for hoof traffic. Both are locked and guarded. We would have to pick the guard's pocket, unlock the door silently and sneak past two of them to get inside. My magic doesn't have the dexterity to grab the key unnoticed and none of us are particularly stealthy."

"Windows?" offered Applejack.

"Barred on the outside and the inside, and high enough off the ground that only Rainbow could reach them."

"The roof!" Dash happily volunteered.

Tempest shook her head. "They have griffons and hippogriffs here, and that's one firm rule - no flying. Anything that lifts off the ground is to be shot down, no questions asked. And you aren't a subtle flier."

Searching for an alternative, Applejack tried again. "Sewers?"

"Who in their right mind would connect the interior of an armory to a public sewer system?" Tempest actually laughed at that - sharp and dark. "It's our only way. Now come on."

Tempest led the trio forth, emerging from between two buildings. Her head held high, she marched towards the armory as if she owned the entire Citadel. Her presence - as well as attitude - did not go unnoticed. Dozens of eyes locked onto Tempest as even the slaves murmured among themselves. None seemed quite sure how to react to the Commander suddenly re-appearing after being gone for two years, let alone if they knew what she had spent that time doing.

Slightly behind and to her right, Applejack whispered. "Are ya sure this is--"

"Too late to back down now," Tempest hissed. "They've seen us."

And it was - only a few dozen yards ahead, the pair of hulking Storm Guards at the entrance had stiffened up at the sight of Commander Tempest Shadow parading towards them as if she had never left. Their meaty paws tightened on the spears - both bracing against the looming force of personality that strutted towards them. She stopped - pointedly just inside spear-reach - and fixed her eyes on each in turn. "Open the door."

The guards looked at each other, and the one on the right grunted to voice an objection.

Tempest's horn sparked. "Open. The. Door."

They opened the door.

As soon as the trio was inside, the door closed again behind them. Tempest leaned against the wall, shivering and holding down a mouthful of bile. Rainbow gave her a friendly punch to the shoulder and grinned. "That was awesome. You really--"

"Shut up."

The snarl was enough to make Dash jerk backwards.

Applejack grabbed the pegasus by the ear and dragged her towards the armory's interior. "We ain't got time for jawin', you two."

She was right, of course. The three moved into the armory proper - the center of the grey stone building was almost entirely a single room. Throughout it was packed the tools of war - carts for moving heavy material, rack after rack of bi-pronged spears, stacks of black iron shields, cannon of several descriptions and piles of ammunition for them. Above was seemingly endless rows of black flags and banners, each and all emblazoned with the blue double-lightning bolt of the Storm King.

The first order of business was a cart: one that could be pulled by a pony and had the proper size to carry enough weapons for their revolution. That duty fell to Applejack - which was only fair since she'd be the one pulling it.

While she handled that part, the other two set to gathering. Tempest pulled spear after spear off the rack, stacking them into a pile. Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was entranced by the cannons.

"Leave them," Tempest firmly advised.

Dash didn't give up so easily this time. "Come on, why not? If we just bring spears, the slaves are only gonna be even with those guards. With some cannons they'll totally have the advantage!"

Temper roiling just below bursting, Tempest shot a glare at the pegasus. "Because we don't want them to fight the guards. We want them to run away. If they stay and fight, they're just going to get hurt - because they can't win. They're outnumbered and almost none of them have any experience fighting." Stomping over, Tempest didn't take her eyes off of Dash. "If they stay and fight, they don't get free. And big, heavy, immobile cannons don't help them run to the docks." She jabbed Dash in the chest with her iron-shod forehoof. "So we leave them, so no creature gets the idea to be stupid."

The logic did seem to mostly end the discussion - though Rainbow Dash still pouted. "You are such a Twilight," she groused.

Tempest's teeth started to grind. "Now listen here. I don't know what your problem is, but I am not Twilight Sparkle and--"

A sharp whistle from the cart slashed through the looming argument. Both turned to Applejack. "Hey, Tempest? You've got a handle on that grunty-howly language those guards speak, right? 'Cuz there's more than two of 'em out there havin' a big chat."

"...That's not good."

The three crept to the door as quietly as they were able, hooves relatively silent on the flagstone. Outside they could hear the grunts and growls of the guards - though only Tempest knew the guttural language of the Storm Beasts. She knew enough that after only the second minute, her eyes went wide.

Hurriedly, she grabbed the wooden bolt and slammed it across the doorway. "The other one! NOW!"

Rainbow Dash was gone before Applejack could react - and the other bolt falling closed echoed off the stone. The farmer, in turn, looked to the once-Commander.

"Well, you'll be pleased to know you were right," Tempest sneered with exasperation. "The uniform didn't fool them at all. They let us in because they were too afraid to fight me on their own and needed to delay until backup arrived."

Applejack blinked slowly, very much not pleased that she had been right. "So they... locked you in a fortified building full of weapons."

"Yeah." Tempest facehoofed. "Now do you understand that Grubber was the smart one?"

There was quiet as Applejack processed the implications of that - enough time for Rainbow Dash to rejoin them. "So! We're kinda trapped, huh."

With a nod, Tempest confirmed it. "For the moment. They won't open the doors until they think there's enough of them to take us with. That should give us enough time to load the cart and be ready, so that when they open the door--"

"You blast 'em with your horn and WHAM!" Dash enthusiastically ended.

"Dash." Tempest closed her eyes tightly, trying to hold in the frustration. "I want you to look around, and I want you to count how many barrels of cannon-powder there are in this building."

She didn't need to - Rainbow Dash got the idea and counting that high would take too long anyway. "Oh. So... bad plan."

"Terrible plan," came the dry confirmation. Tempest looked then to to the pair of barred doors, each in turn. "I'll set up one of the cannon. When they break the door down to come for us, I'll fire it off. The shot should scatter the guards and we can get the cart past in the wake of it. I'd hoped we could get to the encampment without the guards up our flanks, but it's what we've got to work with."

Their next few minutes were spent in a scramble - loading every spear and shield that could fit into the cart. Haphazardly hurling everything into an unsecured pile was fast, but not fast enough. There was still room in the cart when the trio heard keys turn in locks and the doors rattle. Glances were exchanged - they knew what to do. As the first shoulder-check hit the barred doors to break them open, Applejack scrambled to get herself harnessed to the cart. The other two pushed one of the stored cannon into position, lining it up to blast the doors open and start their escape.

WHAM

Loaded - primed - aimed. A glance over, and Applejack was securing the last straps.

WHAM

The Storm Guard crashing against the doors gave no respite - but there was enough time. Tempest grabbed Rainbow, a hoof on either cheek. "Dash. Swear to me that this cart will get through."

Rainbow Dash's eyes frantically went between Tempest and the trembling door. "I--I don't think this is the--"

WHAM

"Swear to me!" She ripped Rainbow's attention back. "Pinkie Promise me that you will get this cartload of weapons through no matter what."

"Okay, okay, I promise!" Rainbow quickly mimed the motions of the Promise before yanking herself away from Tempest's grip. "Sheesh, what's you problem anyway? You think I'm gonna screw this up or something? 'Cuz I don't see you grabbing Applejack!"

With a snarl, Tempest pushed her face threateningly close to Dash's.

WHAM

And there was fear in those blue-green eyes. "It's because you're Loyalty, Dash. And I'm sorry but what's about to happen is going to test that, and I have to be sure you'll make the right choice."

Tempest pointed to the trembling door. "In a few seconds, we're going to charge out there, barrel through a lot of guards and run froth-for-leather until we get to the compound. Every step of the way, we're going to be attacked by guards and they're going to do everything they can to stop us. If I go down or if Applejack does, your first instinct is going to be to try to help us. You can't do that. Because the revolt's already started, Dash. They're a bunch of malnourished, untrained, unarmed slaves against a much larger number of guards. And without these weapons, they die."

WHAM

"Do you understand that, Rainbow Dash?" Tempest shoved her hoof against Dash's chest. "They all die. All the slaves. Applejack's family. Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie - all of them. It's going to hurt you more than anything else and it goes against everything in your heart, but for the love of the alicorns you have to leave us, Dash. Do you understand?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes were darting - those who knew her well would be able to see the plans formulating in her mind. Wild, half-mad contingencies from a mare who had made her life about overcoming the odds and defying physics.

She still nodded, even if it was as close to a lie as the Pinkie Promise would allow.

WHAM

The sound of wood splintering raked over them.

"We gotta go!" Applejack shouted. "Doors ain't gonna hold much longer!"

Tempest leaned over, lighting the cannon's fuse with her horn - and the other two jumped onto the cart.

WHAM

WHAM

BOOM

The cannon erupted with flame and shot, shredding the already cracking doors. Several of the guards could be heard through the smoke as they howled in surprise and pain - but the ponies didn't pay that any heed. Applejack was in motion before the powder-flash faded from their eyes, and out the other side of the smokecloud before the ringing faded from their ears. A detached part of Tempest's mind was flattered at how many of the Storm Guard had been considered 'enough' to take her on - even with two Bearers to help, she would have had trouble being outnumbered more than twenty to one.

An uneven spot in the cobbles kicked one of the cart's wheels up, rocking the entire thing dangerously rightwards. The contents of the cart - weapons and ponies both - shifted and lurched. Applejack let out a mighty grunt as she heaved the cart back to solid footing, but sweat was already on her brow. Another shout ahead - and she whipped back left as the guards from the armory's other door came stomping around the corner. Lightning bolts started to fly as the second group gained sight and the first recovered from their shock.

Applejack twisted again, swerving the cart around a well as she found the way ahead blocked by guards once more. In the bed of the cart, Rainbow scrambled to take one of the spears in her hooves and return fire.

"Too many!" Tempest wasn't a Bearer, but she had more than her share of fights and she could read a tactical situation faster than any of them. "There's too many!" For a moment, she met Rainbow Dash's gaze. And the dark mare smiled. "Pinkie Promise," Tempest grimly noted.

Then she lept off the cart.

"TEMPEST!" Dash's instincts screamed for her to go after the unicorn, even as she fell. Only that reminder of the Promise stopped her... and Dash watched helplessly as Tempest charged the guards.

Furious sparks kicked up from iron-shod hooves and cascaded down from her broken horn. The guards - painfully familiar with just what that horn could do - scattered for cover rather than continue firing.

She had been counting on that.

A zig-zagging bolt of unfettered magical power ripped through the air from Tempest, sharply ignoring physics as it shot between several of the Storm Guard, turned a corner and flew into the armory. Two seconds later, her blast detonated amidst the munitions they'd left behind.

The building ripped itself apart in a tremendous explosion of magic and cannon-powder. Several lesser structures nearby collapsed from the force, and the crowd of Storm Guard were thrown to the ground. The only one that remained standing in the face of the blast was Tempest Shadow - who promptly yanked the spear from a guard with her mouth and spun it around to strike another.

And then the cart was around a corner, leaving the burning wreckage out of sight.