//------------------------------// // Night 96 // Story: In Pursuit of Chaos // by CeresBane //------------------------------// Dear Arch-Cleric I am alive, though I fear my lungs may never function properly again. I had been in that smoke for far too long and the noxious gasses have done their work. Every so often now I cough up black phlegm, damaging my vocal chords into the rasping gravel it is now. I have found that I have privy to being short of breath also. However, I did discover something to my benefit. These blue eyes of mine are a blessing in this kingdom. After a few days in this darkness I have found my eyes for the first time has awoken to their purpose and developed an amazing night vision. Pretty soon, the goggles I carried had ran out of power and become utterly useless and so I relied on my eyes to guide my way. I now understand that if I were of pure solaris breeding, I would be dead at this point. For this I am glad of my birth right. However, hungry, tired and sleep derived from the night's relentless pursuit. I found myself to the darkness of unconsciousness, for all intents and purposes, I was a corpse in the middle of nowhere. And the border down of Dusky hill was just in the distant horizon. Next thing I knew, I am listening to the rustling of leaves, the snapping of dry twigs and a soft thud of hoofs on dirt. I could hear my own ragged breathing as I was carried on what felt like a stretcher. It went on for what felt like days. By the time I opened my eyes the endless fields had gone, giving way to a dark enchanted forest. The Everfree forest was a glow with life, with tiny lights dancing about in the trees, with a variety of flora and fauna that danced in the shadows just out of my sight. The ponies carrying me were to my great relief, the Mare-do-Wells, the order's night kingdom branch. Knowing this I let the fear evaporate from me as I welcomed the darkness once more, safe in the knowledge that I was in good hoofs. When I woke up, I found myself in a mysterious forest city. Ponies of every kind lived there, in harmony with the forest. Lunarians, Solaris and ponies of kinds I've never seen before lived out their lives toiling the land quietly. The order seemed to exist outside of this society as mere guests, as I found myself staying in the isolated temple of harmony. The legendary temple of harmony, the place where our order originated. The way these ponies breathed new life into the old capital was a marvel. To see such tranquillity exist in this wretched war-torn world sir, I dare say I had found utopia in Equestria. In my days of unconsciousness it seemed my body had developed a need for a little rehabilitation. My limbs felt heavy, my strength was wan and my muscles ached like cold fire. But despite myself I was excited. I wanted to go out to talk to everypony, however no pony in the temple lodges gave me permission to leave my room. Bed rest, they were right, I didn't need to over extend myself, I needed bed rest. I after all, had a job to do. I often had many visitors, mostly fellow clergy ponies asking me questions of details that seemed, in your haste to contact them, were withdrawn. I told them that I was merely on an important mission with you, the arch-cleric, and apparently that was enough. The fact that they were mobilised by you personally did wonders to my story I'm sure. I must say now before I ramble on that I would wish to thank you for saving my life. My arrogance had nearly cost me. There was one visitor that stood out the most, sir, a colt that seems to hold an air of reverence to the ponies of the temple. On the day of the announcement of my full recovery I had been given the honorary Mare-do-Well uniform. And the one to deliver it was a small colt named, Gala snaps. A curious stetson wearing pony, wearing a strange rainbow coloured fruit I've never seen before as his cutie mark. When I tried to grab the uniform from him, he refused to give it to me and instead dropped it to the floor. Awkwardly I tried to shake his hoof to meet his acquaintance but he refused to let me get anywhere near him. Have I done something to offend him, sir? He then merely left the room to let me change. I didn't do anything wrong right? The Mare-do-well uniform was a marvel of pony technology sir. It was equipped with everything those night soldiers had with a few modifications to suit my... differing biology. Now I had a mask to hide my face and regulated my breathing, a pair of night vision goggles that could switch to heat vision. And a heat regulator to keep out the cold air of the night. And I also received a utility belt! Never in my days have I found something so cool. To my relief also I have found my crossbow was in the ensemble holstered to my back. When I came into the town, the treatment I received was in stark contrast to what I had before. Everypony was so talkative and friendly. There was no fear in them at the mention of Pinkie Pie, they hold the same attitude as our Order, this quiet determination and opposing attitude to be rid of the cult of Discord. This desire to cleanse their taint from the world. I had not for so long been with a kindred spirit, it felt so rejuvenating to speak with ponies on the same page as I. I think these past few days had been the greatest of my life. However, no such information about the location of the demon mare was apparent in my many talks with the town's folk. Gala snaps had met with me one last time, he was task to escort me, or so he told me, to meet with the forest spirit Fluttershy. I hesitated to comply at first but at the mention of information on Pinkie Pie, I knew had to talk to this... what would be the correct term to refer to an, I don't know what? Donning my uniform, fully armed and equipped as per Gala snap's decision I followed him to the heart of the forest. For hours it seemed, we traversed a huge expanse. Occasionally Gala snaps would stop me in my tracks, as he scouted ahead and returned to give me the all clear to continue. I struggled to keep up with the agile colt. He seemed so sure hoofed with such fleeting speed that I swear to you he almost flowed through the forest, as if riding an invisible current. One thing was for certain, there was something magical about the ponies of this forest. The forest spirit was a rather unexpected pleasure to meet. Here was me thinking I would meet upon some ancient talking tree or some elder beast like a dragon or something... and yet I was looking upon the most beautiful pony I had ever seen. She seemed so gentle, so kind and meek as she at first shyly avoided my gaze and fluttered her wings nervously. The soft shades of her yellow coat and to my horror the long flowing pink mane calmed my fears. I looked to Gala snaps to confirm my doubts but upon meeting with her he was gone. With my guide gone and my means of return now impossible. I exchanged words with the forest spirit. I will never forget the exchange for the rest of my days. "I umm... I am Fluttershy, queen of this forest. My little ponies have told me that you had been asking about Pinkie Pie." There was a long silence as her lips quivered with such delicacy, I dared not speak lest I anger the forest by offending her. At the time, I was doubting whether I should have been talking about her to the town's ponies. But now I know I had made no mistake. "What do you intend to do with her?" Stamping a hoof upon the earth the yellow pegasus gained some confidence in herself. All the timidness vanished from her. I knew from that stare of hers, I would have to choose my words wisely. "I am on a mission to slay the demon of laughter." But under that stare I couldn't help but speak with the frank truth. And with those words I could feel the earth rumble with anger. "However, I have some doubts whether I should or not." Despite the power of her stare I was regaining some of my composure. "In my pursuit I have come upon a vision of her which have given way for my doubt." At those words Fluttershy's stare had significantly diminished in power. "What vision?" Staring suspiciously at her pink mane, I wondered if I should talk further of it. After all pink was a colour of Discord. However past the intensity of this stare was an innocence and purity I couldn't deny. A genuine concern for a good friend. It seemed so reminiscent of what I saw in Pinkie Pie, in the least incriminating way possible. Arch-Cleric, could the spirit of the Everfree forest be one of the lost names of the elements of harmony? Anyway continuing on, I recounted my experience of my vision onto Fluttershy. And although she had seemed so calm before, a relief had come over her when I explained my revelation. A tension I had not noticed before dissipated as a calming smile welcomed my vision. "I am glad that my friend isn't truly lost. She was a good pony, spreading smiles and laughter wherever she went. I truly hope that what you say is true. That truly, she could be saved. If only I hadn't left. If only I had stayed maybe I could have... maybe..." The way the old and wise forest spirit admonished and doubted herself was something I would never expected to see. A being that lead such a beautiful utopian domain, possibly making mistakes was an unfounded concept to me. But I now see that even great and wise immortals make mistakes too. Feeling my resolve build and with Fluttershy on the brink of tears, I embraced the spirit of the forest. Thinking my initial thought of Fluttershy's pink mane as a sign of her evil was folly. I was wrong, oh so wrong. "I must see for myself whether Pinkie Pie could be saved. I hope I'm right, but I have to make sure. I make no promises that I can save her. But I will say that I will give it a try. However, if that is beyond my ability, I will have to kill her so that she may never hurt another life again." And then before I knew it, I had awoken to a new morning within the temple chambers, as if everything I had experienced was a dream. Now, every night I close my eyes to sleep sir. I see her. I will admit, that I am enthralled by this mare, like an obsession she plagues my mind with the beauty of everything that she and what she represents. When this is all over I will be returning to that forest. To see that face once more and mayhaps see that smile again. On a more serious note I have learned much about the order here. The temple of harmony and the Mare-do-Wells function so differently to the order in the empire. Everypony wore the uniform of the Mare-do-wells to disguise themselves, freeing themselves from discrimination. And unlike the empire, the republic's military aids the order in any investigation that requires their forces. Outposts are also few and far between as the order's agents on this side function primarily on their own, recruiting the help of the government. No hundreds of branches and churches and chapels sir, only the temple functions as any kind of HQ. This is what leader, Octavius explained to me at least as he tried to brief me on a situation on the capital. In hindsight perhaps I shouldn't have interrupted him so many times in his briefing. In anycase, with cultist activity rife in the capital city of the Lunar republic. There might be some sort of clue to my next step in finding Pinkie Pie. With my fellow Mare-do-wells, I now set off westward, leaving the loving, nurturing embrace of the Everfree forest for the harsh cold climates of the night fields and to the even further extremes of the land of Tartarus. -Piety