My Little Equestroid: Stompin' is Magic

by ForeverChasingRainbows

Intermission

**Tex Hex**

"Do none of you idiots," Stampede growled, voice rising to a roar as he tried - and failed - to restrain his anger, "understand the concept of SUBTLETY?!"

The irony inherent in the outraged bellow was rather lost on Tex. He was currently focused on two facts in particular - first, his boss was extremely angry; and second, Tex was the only other person in the room. The enormous jaws a couple of feet from his face and the clawed, scaled limbs that had slammed down on either side of him were all competing for a place on the list, but he could only fit so much fear in his head. That large cavern in which Stampede habitually resided suddenly felt terribly small.

"I didn't tell 'em to do nothin', boss," Tex protested hurriedly. He just had to deflect Stampede's anger long enough to get out of the room, then he could go beat some sense into the idiots responsible for putting him in this mess. "I've only been sendin' them special pieces of Kerium you gave me through, an' passin' on the orders just like you wanted! They did this all by 'emselves, I didn't ask for nothin' to be sent back!"

"This was supposed to be a quiet operation," Stampede said, a bubbling growl still underscoring his words, "none of them realised how much progress I had made, how close I was! Now they're going to be sticking their noses into everything!"

Tex tried not to flinch back as the glowing ectoplasm dripping from Stampede's maw began to eat away the rock in front of his boots. Then Stampede pulled his head back, returning to looming over his underling rather than continuing to shout into his face. Tex noted the gouges Stampede's augmented claws had torn into the stone floor on either side of him, and licked his lips nervously.

"There is at least one piece of good fortune to be salvaged from this mess," the towering saurian apparition mused. "These... 'Elements of Harmony' were one of their most potent defenses, but they are powerless with one of their number separated from the others."

"So do you want me to take care of it?" Tex broke in eagerly. If he was given a job to do, he reasoned, Stampede probably wouldn't kill him - at least until after he'd done it. "Permanent-like?"

Stampede opened his jaws to reply, then paused a moment. "No," he said at length, a hint of eagerness creeping into his voice, "keep her alive for now. I think this... situation might actually work to my advantage. Our little visitor will want to return to her home, and her so-called friends will doubtless attempt to retrieve her. If they simply rip open an unstable gateway from their side out of ignorance, then the problem solves itself when she traverses it. They will need to create a properly stabilised portal to get her back intact, so they will be forced to try and gain access to one of my machines to anchor this end. If the device through which she arrived were to be destroyed, there would be only one more left intact - the one here in the Hexagon."

"Then they'd have to come to us... great plan, boss!" Tex said, then flinched when Stampede's only response to his praise was a withering glare.

"Destroy that portal generator, and bring this 'Rainbow Dash' to the Hexagon at once," Stampede commanded. "I shall keep an eye on her personally, so there are no more... unfortunate mistakes. That meddling Shaman must have sensed the magical release from the unstable transfer; do not let him, or his pathetic pet, stop you."

When Tex stood his ground to acknowledge the order, Stampede roared over him. "I've heard enough of your pathetic whining, Tex. I want actions, results. Not more words. Go!"

Tex scrambled out of the chamber in a rush of fear and relief, swiftly replaced by anger as he reached the relative safety of the next room. He had left Skuzz and Hawgtie in charge of the damned outpost, and they'd somehow managed to screw it up. Now Stampede was angry with him, and it was high time he started passing some of that frustration on to the pair he blamed for his own suffering.

Tex retrieved a handheld communicator from his pocket and spoke into it. "Hawgtie? Hawgtie! Ya lazy varmint, answer me!" The device emitted a squawk of static followed by what sounded to Tex like a half-awake porcine grunt, only increasing his ire as he made his way towards the hangar housing the gang's mechanical mounts. "Get off'a your lazy screw-tailed be-hind and make sure the prisoner is secure," Tex yelled into the radio, "I'm comin' to get it an' bring it back to the Hexagon, and there's gonna be hell to pay if'n it ain't still there when I arrive, ya hear me?!"

**???**

"Are we prepared to leave? They will likely have noticed Rainbow Dash is missing by now, and I would prefer to be long gone when they track her to this hovel."

"Spring has multiple broken bones, her skull was crushed, she has third degree lightning burns and she was electrocuted! We can't move her in this state!"

"You are all resilient enough to withstand a few broken bones and a little electric shock."

"I didn't say electric shock, I said electrocuted. As in she was clinically dead. She needs a few more hours at least."

"We are not afforded the luxury of a few hours. We cannot allow ourselves to be seen, and our absence might be noted should they return to Canterlot first - the contingency plan relies upon our cover being intact. The upstart Princess Sparkle is aware of our intent now, and is the obvious target... she will be prepared, and well-protected. However, we have been given another opportunity. Luna is emotionally compromised, which presents us with an opening we cannot afford to miss. Get Spring up now. Carry her if you have to, we're leaving. I have a little surprise to prepare for my favourite aunt."

Comments

[Boss_Hoss1]

"We are not afforded the luxury of a few hours. We cannot allow ourselves to be seen, and our absence might be noted should they return to Canterlot first - the contingency plan relies upon our cover being intact. The upstart Princess Sparkle is aware of our intent now, and is the obvious target... she will be prepared, and well-protected. However, we have been given another opportunity. Luna is emotionally compromised, which presents us with an opening we cannot afford to miss. Get Spring up now. Carry her if you have to, we're leaving. I have a little surprise to prepare for my favourite aunt."

Well that narrows the suspect list considerably. Ol' Bluey would be such an easy sucker for a soul-corrupting gem if it means he becomes an equal to the immortals in his family. He would not think to ask what effects it has on him or if it will affect his health or longevity...

[Starcat5]

6772621
Please. He may be the fandom's butt monkey, but give the guy some credit. He was probably strapped to a chair for a few days while the amulet worked over his brain like saltwater taffy. At least, I hope that is the case. If he got converted because they slipped the amulet into his jewelry box and let nature take it's course...