Break stared mouth agape. “What, that’s impossible!”

“Its divine power gave me my stand.” Wind Whistler replied nonplussed by her shock and disbelief. “Divine providence guided me to the bone and made me accidentally cut myself on it giving me my stand powers. It’s all that remains of the sun goddess after she let go of her mortal form and flew to the heavens.”

Break peered at the object in question. It was larger than a normal pony’s bone. However, she herself was larger than most ponies. It was possible this bone came from an unusually tall pony and not an alicorn.

Wind Whistler raised an eyebrow. “You still don’t believe me?”

“Well, it’s odd it gave you powers, but to claim it came from a goddess is a tall order.” Break knew she should just go along with whatever he said. She needed to join this group for Green Miles’s sake, but she wanted the truth of this mysterious object.

“I know it seems difficult to believe in the goddess’s power in our bleak and almost hopeless world, but its power` is very real.” Wind Whistler replied. “Let me show you.”

He stood up taking the bone in his hooves careful not to touch it instead using the cloth to pick it up. Break followed confused. They entered a living quarter and Wind Whistler knocked on a door. A young stallion with a yellow mane and green coat answered the door. His cutie mark was a turnip.

“Wind Whistler.” The stallion said in greeting. “Is it time for initiation already?”

“Yes Root.” Wind Whistler said smiling. “Sister Break Point is here to watch the goddess’s power at work.”

“Hi, Root.” Break gave the stallion a hesitant smile. “What’s happening? What do you mean by initiation? Didn’t he already do the Q&A?”

“This is the true test.” Wind Whistler replied. “You didn’t have to do this part for the Goddess Celestia has already blessed you.”

“Right.” Break replied confused about what he was talking about.

“We search not only for ponies with our gifts but with similar vision also.” Wind Whistler clarified.

“He doesn’t have a stand?” Break asked.

Wind Whistler’s stand appeared and punched at Root’s face with blinding speed. The hoof stopped inches away from Root’s muzzle. The stallion didn’t react or even flinch. It was obvious he didn’t have a stand.

“No, I haven’t gotten that honor yet.” Root said shyly.

“This test will show if Celestia herself has chosen this potential brother to join us.” Wind Whistler sat the bone down on the ground.

Root bent down kneeling before the bone. “I’m ready!” Break watched the ceremony in interest wondering if the bone really granted powers.

“Extend your hoof.” Wind Whistler said and Root obliged with hesitation. “Oh, Goddess Celestia, if this one is worthy, give him your blessing and power!”

Wind Whistler used the bone’s sharp end to prick Root’s hoof.

That’s it? Break had expected a light to descend from the ceiling or a voice booming from the heavens. She stepped back in shock as Root screamed and writhed on the ground. She ran to his aid, but Wind Whistler blocked her path.

“No, this is normal.” Wind Whistler pushed Break back. “Now he’s in the Goddess’s hooves.”

Root screamed in agony like even cell is his body burned. Break sweated as the room temperature increased tenfold. Root’s body expelled heat like a blazing furnace.

“This is normal?!” Break said horror-struck. “He will die!”

“Only if Celestia rejects him.” Wind Whistler said calmly as if he were discussing the weather and Break stared at him horrified. “Not all can withstand her glory.”

Root stopped moved and Break feared he was dead. She backed away as his entire body erupted in flame and she fled outside the room to safety. She looked back and all that remained of Root was a black burn mark on the floor.

“He wasn’t worthy.” Wind Whistler shook his head. “Pity.”

“Pity?!” Break screamed. “He’s dead!” She lost all control and wailed piteously tears flowing like a broken dam.

Wind Whistler put a comforting hoof on Break’s shoulder. “Sadly, the Goddess Celestia didn’t choose him. We can’t know the reasoning of the divine.”

Break wanted to throttle the stallion. Didn’t he realize a pony was dead? How many other ponies died to this foalishness? Nothing could be worth this much death. She turned away from Wind Whistler unable to bear the sight of him.

Wind Whistler opened his mouth and closed it thinking better of it. He said nothing for several long moments then finally spoke up. “I see you’re upset, I too am saddened by Root’s death. How about I show you to your room and give you some time alone?”

“Yes.” Break replied biting out the words.

Break followed Wind Whistler as he led her to another wing of the Stable. He said nothing as they walked giving Break the space she wanted. Green Mile approached them but backed off when she saw Break’s pensive expression and received a shake of the head from Wind Whistler. He showed her a decent-sized living quarter empty except for a bed and a dining table.

“We’ll talk later, sister.” Wind Whistler said with compassion. “Rest for now. You’ve had a long journey.”

He left her alone and Break plopped on the bed. Root’s tragic death played through her mind. What had happened? Why did the bone kill Root, but not Wind Whistler and presumably Green Mile and several others? Had Celestia determined Root wasn’t worthy of her powers? No, that didn’t track with her. She’d never bought Celestia as any divine being. She was another pony only with powerful magic. Besides, Celestia was renowned for her kindness and compassion. She wouldn’t kill helpless ponies like that.

What makes a pony a stand user? Was it magic or a strange virus? What made her different from Root? These questions buzzed through her mind as she stared at the rusted ceiling. A soft knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

“Hey.” Green Mil peeked through the door. “Are you okay? I heard what happened.”

“I’m fine.” Break signed. “Just angry.”

“Yeah, it’s tough.” Green Mile walked inside and pulled aside a chair and sat on it. “Our mission has a terrible price.”

“Our mission?”

“Saving the world.” Green Mile replied. “Only we have the power.”

Oh no, don’t tell me she buys into this nonsense. It would be harder to remove Green Mile from this organization than she thought. “What are you trying to accomplish? How are you saving the world?”

“We need to evolve and only Celestia’s divine power can accomplish that.” Green Mile said. “That’s why she left her bone behind. As a beacon of hope!”

“I see.” Break winced. “So, what? Are you going to make everypony a stand user?”

“Oh, we have much greater ambitions than that.” Green Mile stood up proud. “We plan to rejuvenate the entire world. The stand powers will lead the way.”

Could a stand be that powerful? Could anything be that powerful?

“How?” Break asked. “What’s your plan?”

“We still don’t have a solid one yet, but we’re learning much about stands and looking for more of Celestia’s remains. They might have a clue to our goal. Okay, it’s not a solid plan, but we’re making the world a better place.”

“Hmm.” Break didn’t buy it. Why weren’t they using their powers to fight raiders or make the world a safer place? Their goal was too abstract to her.

Green Mile saw her doubt. “We’re doing something! Trust me. I know what I’m doing! We are fighting for the greater good! Besides, they’re helping us destroy the Cosas!”

Break blinked. “What?”

“The leader agrees with me.” Green Mile face became angry and ugly. “They’re sinners needing purging!”

“But, that’s crazy!”

“Break, they tried to kill you!” Green Mile grabbed Break as if to shake some sense into her. “I heard what happened, you only defended yourself and they hunted you like dogs!”

“Well.” Break had conflicting feelings. They tried to kill her, true, but she caused… It was all a stupid accident and Break wanted to put the incident behind her and make amends. Besides, not all the Cosas were evil. She thought of Robin and felt a strange kinship with him. They battled death itself together. Despite everything, she wanted peace. Killing the Cosas would only cause more death and chaos. Break wasn’t angry at the Cosas. She was tired. Tired of death and hatred.

“I don’t want anypony else to die.” Break said finally. “It was my fault Steel Dagger died. I can’t blame them for hating me.”

Green Mile made a face. “Steel Dagger deserved to die. He was a spoiled brat that terrorized the town. Our home is run by criminals, Break!” She grunted in disgust and forced herself to calm down.

“I suppose I can’t force you, Break.” Green Mile said. “You’re a gentle pony who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Forget it.” She gave Break a fake smile and it was clear to both of them their argument had resolved nothing.

“Anyway!” Green Mile said trying to dispel the awkwardness. “Why do you have a white leg? Is it part of your stand power?”

“Um, kinda?” How would Break even begin to explain how it happened? It sounded insane even to stand users.

“Why you even have stand powers?” Green Mile said. “I’ve known you all my life. You haven’t shown mysterious powers before. Did you get them somehow? Did you find a fragment of Celestia?”

“Tsk tsk.” A voice said startling them both. “You know what the boss says. We don’t share our powers. We don’t know who might overhear us. We can’t have an enemy learn our secrets.”

They both turned to discover an earth pony stallion with a magenta coat and bright yellow mane standing at the door. His cutie mark was a moon surrounded by stars.

“I wasn’t asking that Moonlight.” Green Mile scowled. “I only wanted to learn how she became a stand user. She apparently didn’t become one the normal way. You weren’t born a stand user, right Break?”

“No. I somehow got them when somepony graffed this leg on me. That’s all I know.” Break didn’t want to lie to her cousin despite everything.

Green Mile stared at her white leg in wide-eyed astonishment. “That’s incredible!”

Moonlight raised an eyebrow. “Why in Equestria would they do that?”

Break shrugged. She honestly didn’t know. The whole incident was fuzzy and even their fight was a little vague.

“It had to be destiny!” Green Mile said. “They gave your powers for some great mission. Maybe an agent of Celestia?”

“I kinda doubt that.” Break replied. No way that true. That stallion was a monster!

Green Mile rolled her eyes. “You’re such a disbeliever.”

“You’re an interesting one.” Moonlight said. “No wonder ponies call you the Black Cat.”

“The what?” Green Mile asked.

Break groaned. It baffled her how many ponies knew what she looked like. It wasn’t like the radio gave an exact description of her. She gave him a tense smile.

“Your cousin is infamous, didn’t you know?” Moonlight asked.

“It’s no big deal.” Break replied. “I’ve gotten into a few scraps and ponies gave me a silly nickname.”

“Hold on, what?” Green Mile stared at her confused.

“Don’t you listen to the radio?” Moonlight said. “Your cousin singlehoovedly killed the Yellow Star Slavers and the Stones… to the pony. She obliterated them.”

“None of that is even remotely true.” Break sighed and rubbed her temple.

Green Mile stared at her cousin in wide-eyed astonishment. “No way. You? You’ve changed. I never thought you capable. It must be your stand power. You might be the strongest stand user ever! Hold on, you’re happy to destroy the Yellow Star Slavers and the Stones, but not the Cosas? What?”

“The radio overstates my involvement.” Break replied. “Other ponies fought with me. They’re the real heroes!”

Moonlight and Green Mile looked at her not really believing their story thinking her as only modest instead.

“Well.” Green Mile said after an awkward silence. “I’m happy you’re here. We’ll need your power if we want to change the world!”

Moonlight nodded. “I look forward to seeing what you can do, Black Cat.”

“I guess.” Break was too tired to argue.

“Oh, right.” Green Mile said. “I’d almost forgotten. I need to show you around the base. We can talk about your adventures along the way.”

Green Mile gave Moonlight a look. “Alone.”

“She destroyed the Yellow Star slavers! You can’t deny me this!” Moonlight said with surprising passion. Break noticed a small faded burn mark on his left leg and recognized it as an old slaver brand.

“It’s fine.” Break said. She needed to learn more about the members of the Knights of Heaven, anyway.

“Good!” Moonlight put a leg over Break. “I can tell, we will be the best of friends.”

---

“And last, the sporting center!” Green Mile pointed into a window where two ponies were playing tennis together.

The order had converted an old agricultural room used to grow trees and other plants into a gym. It seemed most of the plants died when the previous occupants had abandoned it. Though new plants and trees grew, they were more for enjoyment than food.

“We have a baseball game every Thursday night.” Green Mile said. “You should join us; it’s a lot of fun!”

“This place has everything.” Break said. “I’m surprised you don’t have a spa too.”

“We’re working on it, my sister.” Wind Whistler said laughing as he approached them.

“Oh, hi.” Break said in a neutral tone. The others gave a happier greeting and their eyes light up in joy at his presence.

“Your happiness is our gain.” Wind Whistler replied not put off by Break’s chilly attitude and gave her a wide smile. “Our humble Stable has everything a pony could want.”

“I’m surprised you made this place livable.” Break said. “Stables are notoriously dangerous places after they break down.”

Wind Whistler waved a hoof playfully. “True, it took some doing to fix this place. Brother Frost Haste is a genius in engineering. He figured out how to fix the reactor and empty sections of the Stable flooded with water. Somehow, the water talisman went out of control and it filled half of the Stable with water when we found it. It was quite an effort to fix up and clean.”

It was an impressive feat, but it left her with a burning question. “Why here? Why turn the Stable into this?”

“Because I like a challenge.” Wind Whistler replied. “And we wanted a place for our kind to call our own. A home where us chosen would always be welcome.”

Our kind? You act like we’re something more than a normal pony.

“Are you finding it to your liking?” Wind Whistler asked. “If you need anything, ask. Everything belongs to everyone here.”

“It’s fine.” Break replied.

“Please stay, Break!” Green Mile said. “You’ll love it here!”

Break sighed. This place and its ponies gave her the creeps. Something about it wasn’t right, but she couldn’t abandon her cousin. Somehow she’d make her see sense.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Break said.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Green Mile gave her a hug. Again, she held Break like she was her only lifeline and Break stroked the back of her head.

“Wonderful!” Wind Whistler beamed with unbridled happiness and joined in their hug. “Welcome to the family!”

Did I just join a cult? Wonderful.