"You are advised to vacate the system immediately," spoke a flickering hologram. "By the Pancreator's will, we will exterminate this threat before it spreads and joins other menaces that plague us."
Paul considered the figure. If the church felt it could brush them aside, he felt certain they would have already. They knew what was on the planet, and surely the church was aware of that. It was an attempt at intimidation. "We did not request your assistance. We haven't allowed anything off this planet save your own vessels."
"Your service is appreciated." The figure met Paul's eyes. "But no longer required."
"That planet is under Hawkwood protection," spoke Paul more firmly. "We have a landed noble already with a recognized domain. We can police our own people."
"I have spoken what must be said." The hologram faded away, leaving the warning behind.
Paul slammed a balled fist against the metal wall beside him. "Is it too ironic to wish the church be damned?"
"By half," admitted an assistant. "Any word I should be conveying?"
"Yes." Paul crossed his arms as he turned to a great clear port to the space outside, where the planet hung on the fabric of the universe. "We're going into alert. There's a good chance we'll be wetting our blades before this mess is done."
"How do you feel?"
Laud swung his feet over the side of his bed, sliding upright as if the motion were proof enough of the healing received. "You said you came to talk."
"To administer, then speak." Gregor rose himself. "You are looking at a cast out priest." He laid those cards nakedly on the table. "The church will not stand behind me, and is ready to remove me along with the taint they have decided this world has."
"You're alone then?" He began dressing himself, less a patient and returning to his warrior status, unconcerned that the priest was there. "What did they declare, exactly? How bad does it look?"
"Not entirely." Gregor's fingers danced, tips to tips. "There are some few loyal enough to me to stand against the very church we swore to. Amalthea's oaths weighed more strongly in their hearts, may the Pancreator smile on our decision."
"I need to learn more about that saint." Laud strapped his sword into place, letting out a little breath. "I feared a time of quiet humiliation at being shown up, but it seems there's no room for that."
"You are a warrior," observed Gregor. "It comes as little surprise that the gentle ways of Amalthea did not call you. Still, it is by her teachings that I cannot ignore what I have seen. The people of this world, as inhuman as they are, as bewildering their forms, as inscrutable as their ways, shine with such an intense light that those who cannot see it clearly have shut their eyes in fear."
Laud suddenly clapped Gregor's shoulder, grabbing the priest firmly. "Yes! That... You have a way with words, but that puts my thoughts out in a way I struggled to. Even the most violent of them shine with a child's wonder. They are all worthy of protection." He released Gregor then. "Sorry."
"In this dark time, I will not complain that my companion has fire in his chest, burning bright and directed in the right way." He turned to the door. "Someone approaches."
He was wrong, several someones approached. Hoofsteps clattered and the room was suddenly filled with the trotting forms of Laud's entire collection of equine wives. Also Spike. Speaking of him, he was gesturing at them. "They all, hey, you're standing. Feeling better?"
Lyra nuzzled into one of Laud's hanging hands. "Hey there, Hubby. I heard you got hurt and came down to keep you company, and you're all better? Not complaining!"
Bon Bon looked smugly satisfied. "I knew they couldn't keep you down." Her eyes moved to Gregor. "We meet again. What are you doing here?"
His prayers had given him the speech of ponies, said before he approached the hospital of ponies. He transitioned from the human tongue to theirs, softly nickering and huffing. "The sides have been set. I either help, or admit I lacked the bravery to stand behind my words. They have declared the children of this world unfit for the universe."
Twilight's eyes widened at the words. "Our foals?!"
Bon Bon raised a hoof. "Pretty sure he means each and every one of us, foals included."
Lyra withdrew from the hand she had been enjoying nuzzle times with. "What? That's harsh. What'd we do?"
Laud's hand came down on her head, her horn poking up between two fingers as he rubbed and massaged her like a favored dog, not that she was complaining one bit. "They have decided what I feared when I first arrived, that this much magic can lead only to worrisome places."
"And they're ready to hurt people, because they saw magic?!" Twilight clopped a hoof down before it hit her. "Oh, you look much better than they said you did. If you're all better, we should get out of here. They could use this room."
"It does not help that there was a demon involved." He released Lyra and began to move, striding from the place of healing. "We should try to contact the Hawkwood forces. We'll have need of them. Did the merchants already flee?"
"They were there when I walked past," reported Gregor, following a bit to the side and behind Laud. They all left the hospital in a great cloud of forms, drawing wide-eyed stares from the ponies there. It wasn't that common to see so many important figures all at once, looking so serious and speaking of unknowable things.
Bon Bon suddenly thudded against Laud's side as he walked. "How many of your people do we have, and how many of theirs do we face?"
Twilight waved a hoof wildly as they emerged from the hospital. "It's not a matter of numbers. There's enough on either side that an outright fight will mean people get hurt, badly. There's no way around that." She looked to Gregor. "You know them. You... were them until shortly ago. Is there not someone we could speak to?"
"Many someones," he sighed out. "But those close at ..." He caught a moment, his faith magic refusing to let him finish the term in a clash of communication. "Hoof," he completed. "Have already declared what they believe. Getting past them to reach other ears is basically impossible."
Bon Bon rolled her eyes. "It's a galaxy-wide thing. Somecreature out there agrees with us. One of them's right here." She pointed at Gregor. "You argued for us, didn't you? That's why you're here. They didn't like it, not one bit."
"Not one bit," he admitted with a wry expression. "I am no longer a priest, cast out."
"That's a big fat lie," protested Lyra. "Can not-priests do that prayer thing and magic happens?" She advanced to Gregor's side, looking up at him.
"Not typically, no."
"And it comes from the, what was it, Pancreator?" pressed Lyra. "So if the Pan Guy was really upset at you, he'd take away your magic, and you wouldn't be talking to us without a collar because you never learned how to talk horse, and here you are." She whipped her head around to look at Laud. "And you made Laud all better! Thanks for that." She pressed her face against Gregor's hands from below. "You're a good human, and Pan Pan obviously agrees."
Gregor smiled, the expression hard to fight off at the innocent explanation of things given by Lyra. "That was heavily blasphemous, and yet entirely innocent. You are why this world needs protecting." He gently rubbed the side of Lyra's neck as one might a horse. "And you are one of magic, are you not?"
"Not as much as Twi or Star, but sure." A lyre popped into being beside her head and began to play itself, glowing with the same color magic as surrounded her horn. "You do magic too, crazy human magic. It's kind of cool. Twilight, how have you resisted studying it?"
"Considering the fact that we are at the edge of something terrible," she replied with a nervous smile. "So, there is someone here, who doesn't like us, but they are in charge. Can't we... try to talk to them?"
Spike pointed up. "They're all up there, the, uh, church and Laud's family. Is this going to be one of those space battles, lasers going pew pew pew?" He made little sound effects as he made guns with his hands, then a loud explosion, throwing his hands apart.
Laud clenched his teeth at the thought. "The loss of even one of those ships would be a tremendous loss for the side it happened on. I am guessing that is why it hasn't happened yet. All sides could cause it to the other, but fears it happening to them. It's a stalemate, but not one that will endure for long." He gestured vaguely where he had landed on that world untold months before. "The tiny ship I arrived on, lamentable, but not a considerable loss to the forces at play now. Ships that large are barely made in this day and age."
"Laud."
He raised a hand to his ear. "Laud Mountbatten. Who's this?"
"Comms from your family upstairs," explained the voice. "Paul sends his regards and advises you be on the lookout. The church looks ready to do something stupid, and they may try to be sneaky about it."
"Already worrying about that. You don't need me to say it, but try to give us warning if they send another ship down here." Lyra was circling him as he talked to himself, which he was ignoring.
Twilight closed with Gregor. "Equestria is far from perfect, but it isn't a bad place, is it?"
"It is a terrifying place," he spoke calmly, hands moving back together rather than his usual jovial sway. "But not one in need of the purification they have in mind."
Bon Bon suddenly thrust a hoof at him. "You seemed pretty ready to use that word before. Mind telling us what 'purification' means to you?"
"A heavy question." But the pony kept looking at him, waiting for an answer. "Its meaning can vary, depending on the subject. A living person could perform penance and be cleaned both literally and through re-conviction in the oaths we have sworn."
Twilight inclined her head. "That isn't what you're scared of. Only a few ponies would be that hard to convince to take a bath and we wouldn't be treating this as a crisis moment. Go on, please."
Bon Bon suddenly closed in on Twilight from the side. "Are you that daft? He means burn it to the ground and build something better on top once you're sure it's gone."
"Where did you learn to think in such a way?" miserably allowed Gregor. "In a world of cherubs, you are an angel, flaming sword grasped firmly and a deadly conviction in your eyes. What she says is true. The purification of a world is far more violent than any one person, often with few survivals. It is... a means not used in some time, but its purpose is clear. Raze it to the ground, everything."
Twilight began to go pale at the tips of her ears and end of her snout. "Raze... You must be kidding! You're a galaxy-spanning creature. How have you come this far and... That's barbaric!"
"There are times when it can be better than the alternative," admitted Gregor, his eyes turning to the strange sun that Equestria had, though not looking at it directly. "There are forces insidious and pervasive, that can corrupt a populace with uncanny skill. This is not such a case, I do not think, but let us not lay accusations on the tool, but the one wielding it improperly."
Laud pointed towards the landing pad. "If the merchants are here, we need to have a talk with them. They either need to get out of here while they can, or we have another ally."
Lyra twanged on her lyre. "Or another enemy, but hope not! I liked their stuff."