Rainboom Revolution

Silence fell over the opera house again briefly after the heart to heart between the captive Wonderbolts, but it was not long before it was broken as a trickle, and then a gush, of retreating rebels fell back on the opera house as a rallying point. At first it was just a manageable scattering of refugees from the rebel operations in the city, but chaos of an unhelpful kind started to manifest as Agent Cruelty arrived leading the retreat of the main rebel attack. That Agent very quickly realizes that none of his peers have shown up there, and with no chance of getting in contact with Agent Snake assumes overall command of the rebel force in order to initiate a reorganization.

Cruelty has his second-in-command posted to watch for a feared-imminent loyalist counterattack, then "field promotes" Agent Animosity's second-in-command, who had joined Cruelty in the main retreat, to replace his superior that had been killed in the failed rebel attack. Cruelty and the new Animosity next gather what information they can from the incoming refugees, drawn by the chaos arrow banner flying over the opera house in place of the Equestrian "yin-yang" flag. From the information the two gather, a depressing picture begins to emerge: Agent Treachery and his second dead, Agent Greed dead, Agent Deceit captured by loyalists, no knowledge of the status of Sadness or Snake, no imminent signs of the arrival of "the chaotic one".

Cruelty is debating what the next move should be when he gets a report of Agent Sadness arriving with news of Snake and "the chaotic one". The pegasus stallion works his way past electrically tense fellow rebels and is relieved when he sees Sadness arrive with his second at the main door, the second carrying a glowing sack full of items Cruelty can only guess at.

"Please tell me you have some good news, Sadness." Cruelty asks his fellow Agent of Chaos, the worry and battle damage all too obvious to the now-concerned Sadness.

"If you mean Snake made it into the castle without raising the alarm, then yes. But what happened to you?" Sadness asks with a great deal of worry.

"The attack on the officer barracks failed, many casualties on our side." Cruelty reports as calmly as he can, fighting down rising dread and fear. "Animosity is dead, Treachery is dead, Greed is dead, Deceit has been captured... I've assumed overall command, trying to reorganize everypony, have about 60 now... waiting to see if the second-in-commands show up before I do anything. You have anything else to report, Sadness?"

"My second and I will seed the city with artifacts to facilitate the emergence of the chaotic one, on Snake's orders. No sign of the loyalists preparing a counterattack, but I would not be surprised if they will as soon as they have reorganized enough - there's loyalists all over the place." Sadness answers, shaking his head as he speaks.

"Anything that helps generate chaos is in our best interests. Go, but split the artifacts between yourselves and head in two different directions, that way you're more likely to succeed." Cruelty advises.

"Yes, sir. Good luck, sir." Sadness replies, forced to accept the very mixed current situation - although the Agents had inflicted terrible damage, it did not seem to be enough to bring forth "the chaotic one" as had been hoped, and there seemed to be no guarantee the success of Snake's infiltration would change that.

"Same to you both. Do what you can, and get out of the city if at all possible. You know of the contingency plan - the odds are good we are going to have to execute it." Cruelty orders.

"Understood." Sadness answers, both him and his second turning away to head back into the dangers of the city. Cruelty was worried that was the last time he would see either stallion alive, but for now he had more pressing concerns on his mind...

The mood started improving when the seconds of the lost Agents started arriving shortly after Sadness' departure, bringing both their welcome presence and less-welcome speculation that the loyalists were gathering a counterattack force. Already worried that time was short and without further orders from Snake to go on, Cruelty assembled the remaining Agents in a backstage area to formulate a plan.

"Due to the death or capture of more senior Agents, I have assumed overall command here on my own initiative. I have already promoted Animosity's second to fill the vacant position, now I will do the same for Greed and Deceit. Treachery and his second are both dead, so whoever was in their squad will be transferred to my command." Cruelty begins addressing, the junior rebels exchanging nervous looks as he speaks.

There is only a short pause before Cruelty continues: "I do not believe we have yet failed despite the thwarting of the attack on the officer barracks. Our leader Agent Snake has made it into the castle, and Agent Sadness is dispersing magic artifacts through the city along with his second. We also still have about 60 strong ponies supporting us. But it is only a matter of time before the loyalists counterattack, and we must make a stand here to provide Snake with the time he needs to summon forth the chaotic one. There is a contingency plan in place in case we need it, but I will decide if and when we implement it. In the meantime, I want the squads reorganized and ready to repulse a counterattack. Clear?"

"Sir yes sir!" the other rebel officers reply in booming unison, giving a brief pass or relief across Agent Cruelty's face.

"Good, you are all dismissed! And please hurry, we do not have much time to act, regardless of whatever needs to be done!" Cruelty reminds as the other rebel Agents start filtering back out into the opera house...

However, just when things were starting to look up for the rebels, the mood starts crashing down again when Cruelty, supervising the reorganization of the rebel groups, sees his own second rushing back and forth among the groups, pleading for help. Cruelty naturally intercepts his second and asks what's going on, the response striking fear into his heart: "THE LOYALISTS ARE COMING NOW!"

"Take me up top, show me what's going on!" Cruelty exclaims, his second leading him and several other ponies who had already agreed to help up to the roof of the opera house. It was there, below the rallying arrow banner flag, that Cruelty saw the loyalists were indeed coming, judging from the cautiously-moving cluster of pegasi a few blocks away.

"How many do you think?" Cruelty asks his second as both of them stare into the low-lit night.

"Maybe 15, 20 pegasi. There's a few more ponies on the ground too." the second-in-command answers.

"We can take those numbers!" one of the volunteer stallions speaks up from behind Cruelty and his second.

"It's not the numbers of the opponents I'm worried about." Cruelty answers - he has realized the rebels are out of time, and escaping the city is the only chance for the rebellion to survive.

"What do we do?" Cruelty's second asks his superior, the senior rebel officer looking back and forth between the worried stallions standing on the roof behind him and the looming loyalist counterattack inching its way closer.

The senior pegasus finally lets out a long, sad sigh, and to the surprise of his comrades reaches down with his teeth and pulls off the Lieutenant's star decorating his rebel-altered uniform. The second steps up beside him, and Cruelty drops the pulled-off star in front of the junior comrade.

"Sir?" the second naturally asks.

"Take it. Take the star." Cruelty quietly orders, his face showing determination not to break down emotionally in front of his fellow rebels.

"Sir, you can't be serious! You're only one pony!" the second begins to object, but is silenced by a raised forehoof on Cruelty's part.

"Me and the volunteers must counterattack, must buy time for the rest of the force to get out of the city." Cruelty begins to explain, a tear streaking down his face as he does so. "If we stay here, the rebellion will be ground down to nothing. A few brave ones that you've already gathered, I will lead to buy time, but you must lead the rest out of the city. Get out of the city, southwest to the army forts on the frontier, at whatever cost. You understand?"

"... Yes, yes sir." the second replies, choking up as he picks up the dropped Lieutenant's star and takes off his own Upper Class double bars to put the star in its place. Effectively, he has realized he has assumed overall command of the remaining rebels.

"You all are brave souls, and Snake will be sure to honor your courage when he hears of the sacrifice. We go, and probably will not come back. But we are making our last stand here and now, to ensure the survival of the rebellion." Cruelty addresses the five stallions besides his second behind him, and the five nod in grim affirmation of the orders given to them.

This perverse application of courage was motivated by the knowledge that mercy would not be given if they were captured alive, and besides that many of the rebels had been convinced the Equestrian society was prejudiced against pegasi in general. Their minds were completely corrupted by the kind of thinking that those lusting for control and power build their ambitions upon, and those stallions would ultimately lose their lives to it.

As Cruelty's second watched, his superior took off flying with the small force in the direction of the advancing loyalist group, now approximately one block away from the opera house rebel stronghold. And as Cruelty predicted, the stallions would go and not come back - the advancing loyalists begin engaging in aerial battle, and Cruelty's second ducks back into the opera house to organize the flight of the remaining rebels. The rebellion was far from over, but they were running out of time for the expected arrival of the chaotic one...