Equestria Aflame.

    "Fluttershy? Can you take the kids outside, they could use some fresh air right now." Applejack asked with a smile.

    "Of course." Fluttershy replied and proceeded with Applejack's request.

    "I think I'll join her." Rarity said, getting up and following Fluttershy, "Be sure to fill us in when you're done here." She turned her head back as she was walking out.

     "So, what's this plan o'yours?" Applejack asked from across the table.

     "Alright," Bronze began, "Pinkie's stunt in Ponyville was to lure soldiers from neighboring forts, to weaken the defenses there."

     "So destroying the Ponyville garrison was just a ploy?" Applejack asked.

     "Yes, we needed the surrounding forts to be as undermanned as possible for what we plan on doing." Gleaming Shield added with a rough voice, it was deeper than Bronze's. It was the first time Applejack heard him speak.

     Bronze nodded, "Exactly, and so far two forts have sent their regiments to Ponyville. The nearest is Fort Wingstead, it's quite a ways north and the next is Fort Mane far to the east."

     "And what did you want me and Big Mac to do?" Applejack asked. Big Mac gave a look of confusion.

     "Well, we were gonna have Pinkie Pie tackle this again. But, we need a pony or two with a little more...tact. We managed to get two undamaged sets of armor one male the other female. Both of which are made for earth ponies. The bulky helmets don't accommodate our horns."

     Applejack saw where Bronze was going, "So this is where Big Mac and I come in?"

     "Exactly!" Bronze said with a smile. "We need you and your brother here to deliver a shipment of powder and ammunition to Fort Wingstead."

     "I'm sure that's not all." Applejack deadpanned.

     "You're very astute, Applejack." Bronze rose an eyebrow, but kept his grin. "The shipment will be... rigged. You just have to get out of the small fort in time before it detonates."

     "Sounds dangerous." Big Mac grumbled, "I don't like it."

     "The odds of success are pretty high." Bronze interjected.

     "What if they suspect somethin'? How do we know they won't check the cart?" Applejack asked.

     "Why would they?" Bronze said, "It's a pretty routine shipment. The gate guards are always half asleep anyway."

     "There's still one thing," Big Mac said, "Where is this 'shipment'?"

     "It's hidden at the base of this castle, we ambushed it two days ago. I need to make it clear that time is of the essence, that shipment is already a day late and we need to deliver it to the fort."

     "They're going to ask why it's late." Applejack said worriedly.

     "Any excuse would work, do you honestly think that the guards care? They're not gonna want to risk getting their hide tanned by the captain for removing himself from his post and asking unnecessary questions."

     "I don't know." Applejack breathed out in a sigh, she looked at the ground in contemplation.

     "Listen," Bronze said, sobering his tone, "If we don't do this, nothing will change. The soldiers will stay and Celestia would find us eventually. I'll be executed along with my brothers. You and your group would be imprisoned for a very, very long time. Look, if we destroy this fort then the soldiers in Ponyville right now won't have a fort to return to, they will have to go to Fort Mane and soldiers and engineers from Canterlot would be sent to rebuild the fort and re-garrison it. This is all part of a much larger plan, Applejack.

     "And what is that?" Applejack asked, still a little skeptical.

     Bronze sighed, "I prefer not to tell you."

     "If you want my help, you better tell me what your ultimate goal is." Applejack said, steel in her voice.

     "How about this," Bronze replied, "You carry out this task, and I will tell you everything. You're already sealed into this little revolution of ours, so why not?"

     Applejack looked at her brother, her face shown that she wanted his help.

     Big Mac closed his eyes and, ever so slightly, nodded.

     "Alright we'll do it."

     Celestia was tired of waiting, She paced up and down the palace halls, a clear sign that she was worried. Her hoofsteps echoed through the halls. 'Where is Luna? Where are the guards I sent to find her?' Celestia argued with herself. 'Did she kill them? Did they join her? Or are they just lazy and went home.' She grimaced to herself, the stress of the whole situation was getting to her. 'They had all night to find her, they are the Lunar Elites, it is their job to operate in the darkness. It...' She stood still like a statue with mouth slightly agape in realization. 'That's right, they are the Lunar Elites, they are Luna's guard. They are hoof picked by Luna, they serve directly under Luna,... Luna, Luna, Luna.' She gritted her teeth. 'I should've known.' She sighed. 'At least the rest of the elites are still garrisoned at the base.' She thought, 'No more than twenty-five or thirty can be with her now.'

    Celestia's pacing had her end up at a balcony in one of the palace's towers. A slight breeze brushed her majestic mane, she breathed in the air and let out a slow sigh.  'I'll carry out my new orders myself' She thought, she spread her wings and leaped off.

   Celestia pounded the ground of the Canterlot Army Base. Dust spread in a shockwave over the  surprised soldiers and guards. She took a regal pose and scanned the soldiers. Most were in half uniform performing mundane tasks. All were now bowing in reverence.

   "As you were!" She said, keeping a regal tone. She turned her head to see the base commander shuffling up to her straightening his crested helmet. It was apparent he wasn't prepared, but Celestia couldn't care less.

   He hurriedly bowed and said in a frightfully apologetic tone, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was not prepared for your arri-"

   "Dispense with the pleasantries, Commander." Celestia interrupted in a deadpan voice, she continued, "Assemble all of the Lunar Elites, I need to discuss something with them."

   "Highness?" The commander tilted his head in grimaced slightly in confusion.

   Celestia paused, a little confused herself and said, "Was I not clear, Commander?"

   "Your Majesty, you sent the elites out after Princess Luna last night." He said carefully.

   Celestia sighed while shutting her eyes, she was not in the mood for this. "Yes, I did. There are more than twenty Elites in Luna's guard. if you didn't know that, I am reminding you. Now assemble the 180 elites remaining here." Her tone grew angrier.

   The commander gulped and prepared for whatever might happen, "You sent all two hundred of them, Your Majesty. Last night they gathered their combat armor and marched off into the night."

    Celestia's eyes grew two times their normal size, "Wha-what? I gave no such order." Celestia said in almost a gasp. "You just let 200 soldiers march off with combat armor?

    The commander stammered, "The elite's captain said it was by your direct order to mobilize the Lunar Elites and-"

    "I don't want excuses!" Celestia shouted. "I want to know why you let 200 soldiers march off with combat armor without my written order or seeking my confirmation!"

Her Canterlot voice was seeping into her rant and she was towering over the commander. "How could you be so incompetent! I can't-!" She stopped herself, clamped her eyes shut, gritted her teeth and took a step back from the frightened officer. He was standing ramrod at attention like he always was but the fear was apparent in his eyes. She was shocked at what she had just done, she has never raised her voice in anger this much before. A small eternity of silence fell upon the base. All of the soldeirs were completely frozen in place, some in the middle of tasks. Their mouths hung open in shock and their eyes solely focused on the commander.

    She cleared her throat and said in her soothing voice, "My apologies, commander."

    He just nodded, still speechless.

    "These are my real orders." Celestia narrowed her eyes, "Mobilize all the soldiers you can, full combat. Garrison the watchtowers and double the gate guards. All guards are to wear full combat armor until my orders change. Load and station the artillery. This city is on lockdown until further notice."

    "Where's the rally point, Your Majesty?" The commander asked, still recovering.

    "The muster field, I'll decide where to position the soldiers when they've fully mobilized. I want all soldiers, the ones on patrols, leave, all of them." Celestia ordered, calm and collected.

    "It shall be done, Your Majesty. But it will take several hours."

    "Then now is the best time to begin." She deadpanned. At the completion of her order, she spread her wings and quickly ascended upwards.

    The commander gazed upward and watched her return to the palace, he turned his head toward all the soldiers who were still frozen in place from what just happened. Their mouths still widely agape.

    "What're you fillies lookin' at!? Move!" He shouted, all bravery returned to him by some unknown magic. All the soldiers quickly scampered about, tripping over each other in hurry.

    The new Fort Artemis was still abuzz with activity, the sounds of work echoed through the hill and the wind rushed through the fort.

    "Here is the plan." Princess Luna said to her lieutenants around the planning table, she turned to her captain, "You'll accompany me, along with the rest of the elites but leave a rear guard here to watch over the fort. We will march to Fort Wingstead and present our case. We will tell them the truth and ask for their help. If they refuse we will allow them to leave the fort and return to Canterlot. My sister is hopefully still in the dark about this. Although, it will only be a matter of time before she discovers us. Let us hope we are prepared when she does."

    "She may know now, for all we know she could know our location and is sending a force as we speak." Brave added.

    "I doubt it," Luna replied, "I cast an illusion spell. Our presence on this hill can't be seen from outside it. Anyone looking at us would only see an empty hill."

    "That magic must be powerful to cover an entire fort." Brave said, impressed.

    "Alicorn magic is more powerful than you think, Captain. Although it does still have its flaws. The spell only works if you're a certain distance away. A telescope from Canterlot wouldn't be able to see us, but a patrol passing right under us would."

    Brave nodded.

    "Mobilize the elites, captain, we move out within the hour." Luna ordered.

    "Yes, Your Majesty." Brave bowed slightly.

     "You're going to do what?!" Rarity shouted, Applejack had just told everyone about the plan.

     "You heard me just fine, Rarity." Applejack stated. "I know the risks, I don't need a lecture."

     Rarity was preparing for a lecture but reluctantly held her tongue.

     Applebloom looked up at her sister with watery eyes, "It's okay sugar cube," Applejack knelt down, "We'll be back soon. Equestria needs us and your brother and I have to do this." She managed a smile and brushed Applebloom's mane. "We'll be just fine."

     Applebloom just nodded an implied "Okay"

     Applejack looked up to face the rest of the group, "Y'all take care ya hear? We'll be back soon." Everypony then gave their hugging goodbyes.

     "Well, here it is." Bronze presented Applejack and Big Mac with the two suits of armor which laid on the floor in steel heaps. Bronze had brought them to a room in the lower levels which housed all of their weapons. Garbage bags of glass bottles and a few stray ones littered the dusty stone floor. Spears, both stolen and ones made by themselves, stood against the walls. Jugs of sesame oil were stacked up in the corners, A few barrels of hard cider accompanied them. A table at the end of the room held a few molotov cocktails and the ingredients for them. Nothing in the makeshift armory was organized. A few lit torches on the wall provided adequate light.

    "They were tough to get, make good use of them." Bronze said, then left the two to gear up.

     "This armor is awfully heavy." Applejack shrugged, clanking her armor. They managed to figure out how to put it on and were helping each other armor up.

     "I guess that's why they call it 'heavy' armor." Big Mac replied, tightening a strap with his teeth.

     "Very funny, big brother." Applejack said sarcastically, putting a piece of forehoof armor on. She slid it on, it was more comfortable than she thought it would be.

     Bronze poked his head in, "You guys ready?"

     "Almost, I just wish this armor wasn't so heavy." Applejack muttered.

     "Well it is made for earth ponies. Your kind are almost twice as strong as us unicorns. Earth pony soldiers are just massive chunks of steel, covered in blades. I wouldn't want to get close to one." Bronze said, taking a few steps into the armory.

     "Ya got a point." Applejack said, putting another piece of studded forehoof armor on.

     After a few more minutes, Applejack and Big Mac were the spitting images of Equestrian soldiers. They marched out of the castle and approached the steps. Applejack looked out and saw her little sister playing with her friends, Fluttershy was lounging under the shade of a tree talking with Rarity while also keeping an eye on the foals.

     Applejack sighed. 'Maybe I won't be comin' back.' She thought to herself. She shrugged it off and followed Bronze to the cart, where his three brothers awaited.

     They strapped the yokes on and trudged their way down the path leading to the main road. Bronze had already told them where to go, what to say, and everything they needed to know. They marched side by side, both bearing the burden of four kegs of powder and two hundred pounds of shells. They had a long trip ahead of them.