Plans
Chapter 12
Ogham's announcement of having seen the stone quickly silenced the quarreling group. Discord threw a sulk at having the wind taken out of his sails, but a cocked eyebrow and stare showed his interest had been caught.
“You've seen it?” Twilight snapped her head back towards Ogham. “You mean in real life, right? Not just in a book?”
“Of course,” He gave her a frown, as if insulted.
“So if you've seen it, you know where it is, right? I mean, you can show us?” Twilight went on eagerly, nodding slightly as she leaned forward.
“Well, I thought that's where we were logically heading, so yes. I fully intend on giving you directions. I er... thought that was obvious?”
“Well, thank goodness that's one less thing for us to be worried about.” Rarity said with clear relief.
“Thank you, Oggie,” Twilight beamed at him.
He shifted uncomfortably but seemed pleased. “You're welcome.”
“So we're heading to the kooksville headquarters and busting some flanks, right?” Rainbow Said enthusiastically, boxing the air with her front hooves. “Then we get to this rock and blast it with the Elements of Harmony. Got it!”
“I think there might be a bit more to it than that, Dash.” Applejack gave her a sideways smile, “But that's the rough idea so far.”
“I don't suppose we could... ask them nicely to stop what they're doing?” Fluttershy mumbled.
“I don't think so,” Twilight said, giving Oggie a sideways glance. “Would they even listen if we tried?”
“No.” Oggie replied with certainty, “and I'd advise against even trying. The current leader of the group, a Unicorn called 'Black Lavender' is not the kind of pony one can reason with. He's frighteningly zealous about the group's ideals. I would go so far to call him insane if it wasn't for his intellect. And he's not the only member to be deluded beyond all sanity. I'd recommend taking the stone away from them, because they will not hand it over willingly.”
“Good to know,” Twilight gave a nod.
“Oh yes, very reassuring.” Discord stretched out his spine and gave a long yawn, “Six ponies against a large group of unstable lunatics. And not the fun kind of lunatics but lunatics with Conviction. Oh yes, I see this going swimmingly.”
“You're going too, you know.” Rainbow Dash scrunched her muzzle at him with a sharp frown.
“Wouldn't miss it for the world,” Discord added with a bored expression, “No doubt it's going to make for quite a spectacle.”
“If you think it's such a hopeless idea then you might as well stay behind!” Twilight snapped, spinning towards him with gritted teeth. “If you're just gonna sit back and watch us try and take this on ourselves without any kind of help then we're better off without you!”
“You don't mean that, Twilight,” Fluttershy said wide-eyed. She turned to Discord laying beside her with an equally innocent eyed expression, “And you won't ignore us if we need help, will you Discord?”
Discord was inspecting his talons on his eagle claw. “I'm merely saying that if we were to follow our Rainbow Dash's level of forethought we might as well gift-wrap ourselves and ring the front doorbell.”
“Hey!” Rainbow yelled but he ignored her.
“The lack of imagination here is staggering. It breaks my heart. Surely you ponies can think of a better idea than just breaking the door down and hope you won't all be instantly hacked to pieces by mentally unstable cult members?”
“He has a point,” Oggie added to Twilight's annoyance, “The Defectors may have a twisted perception of reality regarding the use of magic, but they're not the mindlessly insane ponies you might think them to be. They are ruthless, singleminded and devoted to their beliefs, but they are also most of them highly intelligent. You must remember, most of them, at least in the higher ranks, are either scholars, researchers or high-magic users. And if they aren't recruits from the nearby towns and villages then they are ponies who have come from Equestria where they most often left behind positions of high standing. Walking into this without a well put together idea would most likely be a suicide mission. And let me ask you this, if you reach the Stone of Null and use the Elements of Harmony to destroy it, would you be able to get out of the stronghold afterwards?” His face hardened into a serious stare. “Don't get any ideas that you only need to break in and not out again. You carry the Elements of Harmony, and you can be sure that items of such power should stay out of The Defectors' hooves. Not to mention yourself, as well.”
The last comment was directed at Twilight who blinked in response.
“You are an Alicorn, Twilight Sparkle. One of the minuscule few ponies in existence with incredible magic pumping through your veins. Magic so strong it keeps its carrier forever young and forever powerful. Do you think it would be a good idea to allow yourself to possibly be captured by ponies such as this?”
Twilight sucked at the inside of her cheeks and avoided his gaze. “No.” She said as she glared at the floor.
“I suggest you first educate yourself on what lies in wait for you.” Oggie got up, collecting the books from the floor and carrying them back to his bookshelf. “If I may offer further advice, I suggest you spend the night, and tomorrow I can give you a map to the stronghold they've made their home. It'll also give us some time for me to give you any information I have on them.”
“Not to mention we could get some supplies from town,” Applejack added. “We only packed to get as far as Coltchester. If we're gonna be headin' for the border, we're gonna need a lot more than we're carryin'.”
“What do you think, dear?” Rarity asked Twilight.
Twilight took a breath and nodded, raising her head again with a determined expression. “I think you're right. We have to fix this as fast as we can, but rushing into it and not planning ahead is not going to help Equestria or the Princesses or anypony.”
“Can we drop it for tonight, then?” Discord asked, sitting up. “I'm dying for a warm bath and some clean sheets. Don't know about the rest of you but if we're going to do any more walking I need some mental preparation. And that requires Bubble-bath.”
“There's a tub upstairs.” Oggie replied as he trotted back, smiling once more. “No bubble-bath though.”
Discord gave a long, mournful sigh as he headed for the stairs. “Oh, the trials we must face on this journey.”
“I calls dibs after the walking headache's finished.” Rainbow said quickly before Twilight could snap at him again.
“Me next! I call next!” Pinkie bounced to her hooves. “Good thing I remembered to pack my shampoo! And Rubber duck! And shower-cap!”
“Ya gonna have enough room for seven of us, Oggie?” Applejack got to her hooves as well.
“Some might have to bunk on the floor, but I think I can fit you all in.” Oggie gave her a smile as he moved to collect everypony's teacups.
Rarity groaned, “I do hope we can put this whole ugly business behind us. I don't know how much more of this I can take.” She caught herself and blushed lightly, giving Oggie a sheepish smile. “Of course we do thank you, Oggie darling. You are very kind.”
“I... guess that settles that then.” Twilight added, giving him her own lopsided smile.
“No problem at all,” Oggie grinned, something flashing in his eyes. “Wait until I tell Rowan who I had staying over in my home.”
The evening went by relatively calmly. Discord took way too long in the bath, annoying several ponies who'd at some point formed a line waiting for him. Oggie, not having enough in his cupboards to feed seven extra mouths, had supper ordered from a small local store which specialised in making basic home-cooked meals for ponies who were too busy to cook their own. With the absence of magic they'd become very popular in the last few days, but hearing that Princess Twilight was one of their customers they were keen to serve. Twilight was a little unsure about this, but Rainbow Dash guilted her into not thinking about it and just being happy she could feed the rest of them without any more problems getting in their mission's way.
Although the news on what was waiting for them wasn't the best or most reassuring, the group rested easy that night. Thankful to have a clear answer to the problem at last. They had spread themselves out on the first floor of the small tower with the use of several pillows, the available couches, extra blankets and whatever else they could gather that was soft and comfortable. Pinkie and Rainbow had set about building a fort for the two of them but after a brief power struggle and a mutiny, the fort was ransacked and torn to the ground, its ruins pillaged by the other ponies for their own beds. Rainbow took a spot on top of a bookshelf to sulk. Rarity had claimed the couch and by her expression it was clear she would murder anypony who tried to take it from her. Nopony dared. Oggie had initially offered to give up his bed for Twilight but she absolutely refused. Discord had curled himself up under the large desk, dragging Fluttershy with him to use as a teddy bear. The others had gathered around the dead fireplace, lumping together in a large nest where they eventually fell asleep.
Early next morning Pinkie had woken up first and proceeded to try and drag Discord from his hiding place, babbling something about finding a candy store to buy 'supplies'. He tried his best to ignore her, but Pinkie was not a pony one could really ignore. After the ruckus had woken everypony else up, she was bribed by the offer of breakfast and coffee to calm her down.
Once everypony was properly fed and Pinkie had finally coaxed Discord out from the desk, freeing Fluttershy in the process, she practically dragged him out the front door. Discord, either too tired or too uncaring, didn't resist too much. Fluttershy had trotted after them, looking nervous. Applejack volunteered to go too and make sure they didn't spend all their money on chocolate and skittles. Once she was finished, Rainbow Dash also left, mentioning that she wanted to speak to the local weather team. Finally, seeing everypony else had gone, Rarity left as well, saying they should probably get more than just food for the trip.
This left Twilight and Oggie alone, where the two of them pulled out several maps and started discussing the best route to take beyond the border to the stronghold. Falabell was less than an hour's walk away from it, but Oggie still marked the exact location of the fort on the map with some red ink. He gave a very detailed description of Falabell and some suggestions of where it would be safe to spend the night, where they wouldn't be spotted by any of the Defectors. Oggie seemed very well-informed on the area.
“And how do you think we should get inside?” Twilight asked him after he'd described the basic layout of the stronghold. “You said it'd be a bad idea to try the direct approach.”
He nodded, “There aren't many entrances besides the main gate, but there are a few places you could slip in unnoticed. I'd recommend splitting up into a smaller group, but it depends on how safe you feel doing so. Using the entrance for pegasi wouldn't be a good idea. You'd be spotted in the air easily. There's a backdoor leading to a garden that goes to the kitchens but I wouldn't recommend that either. The kitchens are almost always occupied and the door is in frequent use to harvest the vegetables and flowers they grow. Your best options would be the cliffside entrance on the North-Western side. There's a wooden walkway leading to it that's in disrepair. The pegasi don't use it since it's a little awkward to get inside while flying. There's another entrance you could try but it's a little less pleasant. The fort has an underground water system which leads out to a small stream at the foot of the cliff. If you're not confident in the integrity of the wooden walkway, you can enter through the stone pipe and work your way up to the inside. However, The water is usually cold and it isn't exactly the best smelling or easiest walk.”
“Got it.” Twilight gave a nod, committing this to memory.
“If all goes well, you should be able to get in unseen, retrieve the Stone of Null, and then leave through either of these ways again. I'd suggest using one to enter and the other to leave. I must warn you to try and stay away from The Defector's higher ranking members altogether. The leader, as I've said, is a stallion named Black Lavender. He rarely associates with the lower ranked members but it's possible he might be around the chamber where they keep the Stone. Luckily, his strongest power is in his magic. If this lack of power extends to the members of the cult, and I see no reason why it wouldn't, he doesn't have that much more strength over you. However, every member of the cult will follow his word to their deaths, so it's best to stay away from him. He's a grey-purple unicorn with a black-purple mane and tail. Below him is his right-hoof pony, another unicorn called Blue Jay. I wouldn't worry too much about him if you catch him on his own. Without his magic he has little going for him. He's thin and frail and due to some burn injuries he got as a colt, he isn't the best athlete. However, like his master, he will be obeyed without question by the others. Other than those two there is Cloud Bastion, a white pegasus stallion who is a strong flier and physically well-built. I'd avoid him completely. Also Shielded moon, a silver unicorn illusionist who does not require her magic to create apparitions and traps. She's also a skilled alchemist and knows how to use her potions to her advantage. If you see her, do not go near her. It's best to turn the other way and find an alternate path to where you're trying to go. Lastly, there is Stoneflower, a blue earth pony. She's in charge of the lower ranking members of the cult. Her strength is her powers of persuasion and intimidation. She's also uncompromisingly devoted to the cult's ideals. Nopony will question her orders and if she spots outsiders in the stronghold she most likely will attack you herself. She almost always carries some kind of blade on her. She is probably the most unstable of the higher ranked members.”
Twilight repeated the names of these ponies to herself, nodding as she said each one out loud. “Alright, Try not to get caught and if we see any of these ponies we'll try and stay away from them.”
“That's about all the info I can give you,” Oggie said as he rolled up the map he'd marked. “Things might have changed a bit, but I don't think it'll be too different than what I've told you. Just keep out of sight, don't underestimate the cult members and once you retrieve the stone, don't return to Falabell. It's better to head straight for the trees and put as much distance between you and them. Even if you're not seen, it won't take long before the realise the stone's been stolen.”
“You really know a lot about these guys.” Twilight said.
“Well... I am the expert.” Ozzie said, handing her the map.
“No kidding.” She smiled, taking it from him. She paused for a moment before going on. “Why don't you come with us?”
“What?” His ears perked as he stared at her.
“Why not?” Her smiled brightened. “You know so much about these guys and what the place looks like, if you come with us I bet we could be in and out of this place in five minutes.”
“Oh no, I couldn't.” He said dismissively as he started to tidy the area they'd been working.
“Aw c'mon,” Twilight went on. “We could use the help. And if anything unexpected happens I'm sure you'd know better than any of us how to deal with it. Plus, it's kinda obvious you've been to the area. Even if you don't come with us into the stronghold you could at least guide us there.”
“I have been there. And I won't go there again.” He said as he put some books away.
“Why not?” Twilight asked again. “Is there something you haven't told me about the place?”
“No, I've told you everything.” He said, his voice stiffening.
“So why then? If there ever was a good time to use your knowledge I'd think it'd be this, right? Celestia said you know more about cults and renegade groups than anypony.”
“And I retired from her court, remember?” He turned to her again, this time with his stony frown firmly in place.
“But Equestria could use your help. Look, I dunno why you retired but I'm sure-”
“You're sure what?” Oggie said harshly. “Do you think I retired from the Canterlot Palace for simple reasons? Do you think it was done on a whim or that I'd just gotten tired of it? I have a reason for leaving both Canterlot and the Palace behind me, Twilight.”
Twilight was taken aback by the sudden change of mood, but she kept her ground, frowning lightly. “This is something that's affecting every magical being in the entire country, maybe even further than that! Whatever it is that happened, can't you put it aside for a while?”
“No. No I can't!” he snapped. He gave his head a shake, trying to cool down. “I can't, alright? And it's not by choice, nor is it something I am proud of but I can't. I can't go back there.”
“But why?” twilight asked again. “If you'd tell me...”
He bit his lip as she trailed off. She waited, her frown still in place. If Oggie refused to guide them, then she couldn't do much to change his mind, but she felt she deserved an explanation. With so much relying on her quest and the trust of the Princess riding on her, she wasn't going to ignore any advantages they could have. Especially now that she knew this wasn't some force of nature or freak accident, but the malicious work of other ponies. That she wouldn't stand for.
Oggie finally gave a sigh, straightening as he regained his composure. “Alright, I suppose it's only fair you know my reasons.”
“That's all I'm asking for.” Twilight said assuringly.
Oggie nodded, sitting down again and thinking over what he was going to say. Twilight lay down in front of him, waiting patiently. After a moment he nodded to himself.
“When I was working as the head Researcher of Alternative Worship at the palace, I would often do field research, interviewing and, if the needed, briefly attending cult gatherings. I never got deeply involved with any of the groups, mainly just joining on a temporary basis, or speaking with members who might be under the impression I could give their cause more publicity. I am a bit of an odd pony, being a magical researcher who has no magic. But this also gave me an advantage in my research. You see, nopony really expects you to be a serious researcher in the field of magic unless your a unicorn. This meant I had a much easier time getting into these groups as I wasn't seen as being very suspicious.
This also meant I was a prime candidate to investigate The Defectors, and see if they could pose a threat to Equestria as their name might suggest. And so, not fully knowing what it was I was getting into, I joined the cult to see what they could be hiding. It was only after I'd gotten inside the building that I realised I'd bitten off more than I could chew. But I gathered as much information as I could and I made sure to observe and record every small thing of interest. It was my grandest and most frightening on-field study I'd ever done. But I overestimated myself, and eventually suspicion started to fall on me. I never found out who, but somepony reported my excessive writing to Stoneflower. I managed to hide my true motives by giving her my notes on the physical building, claiming I was interested in its history and architecture. I don't know if she suspected me of any other motives, and perhaps she fully believed that I was just interested in the stonework, but as was her nature, just the act of doing something secretly in my own time and showing interest in something that she claimed was 'beyond my proper focus' angered her. Stoneflower is not a pony you should ever anger.”
He shifted in place, rubbing one foreleg over the other subconsciously. The movement drew Twilight's eyes and she once again noticed the permanent scars on his legs, chest and neck. She said nothing.
“That night I left behind all my notes, papers and belongings and fled. I used the cliff-face door and flew away. And I did not stop flying until I reached Equestria's border.” He paused for a moment, lost in thought before carrying on. “When I had recovered from the experience, I moved to resign from the Palace court. However, Princess Celestia, instead of accepting my resignation, granted me retirement. This left me with full access to all research, books and materials I had while working for her and it meant I would receive monthly payment from the palace for my past contributions. I left Canterlot and moved here. I'd visited Coltchester some years ago to attend a festival honouring the nature surrounding the town. A left-over from more pagan beliefs before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna came into power. I've had no desire to go back to the capital.”
He seemed to bring his focus back to earth as he turned to Twilight again. “I can't go back to Falabell and the stronghold with you, Twilight Sparkle.” He hesitated before saying, rather softly. “I'm afraid.”
There was a heavy silence in the room as the two ponies regarded each other for a moment. Twilight broke eye contact, nodding softly to herself.
“Ok.” she said gently.
Oggie stood up again, turning and walking to the other side of the room. “I'm going to make myself some tea. ...would you like some?”
“Yes.” She nodded again. “Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea.”
Later that day, the rest of the group filtered back into the tower. First came Rarity, wearing a practical but stylish sunhat and carrying a few parcels of what she called 'necessities'. A few minutes later saw the return of Pinkie, Discord, Fluttershy and Applejack. Applejack was carrying several paper bags filled with travel-safe food. Fluttershy carried another one behind her. Pinkie and Discord on the other hand wandered into the room with candy sticks sticking out of their mouths and Pinkie holding a box of pastries. She was perched proudly on Discord's back, who trotted into the room on all fours. The slew of words that came from Pinkie explaining their purchases and the hundreds of different candies they'd gotten went well over Twilight's head as she instead helped Applejack and Fluttershy sort their more reasonable food between the saddlebags. Pinkie didn't seem to notice as she and Discord were still giggling among themselves. Granted, Pinkie's laugh was probably easier to described as 'giggling' than Discord's as they recalled the various surprised and sometimes terrified reactions he'd gotten in the town. Twilight was starting to wonder if it was safe to leave the two of them alone together in the future. She hesitated to picture what they could get up to without Applejack and Fluttershy to keep an eye on them. Fluttershy on the other hand seemed very pleased with herself for some reason, smiling happily at Discord and Pinkie's enthusiastic babbling. Applejack shook her head and rolled her eyes but ignored them. Rarity gave a disapproving glance and eventually turned the conversation to what she'd bought for them to protect them from the sun.
A few hours later Rainbow Dash came back as well. She'd spent her day with the local weather team. When asked what she'd done, she went into an explanation about weather patterns, cloud control, wind currents and other things regarding the strange weather patterns and what the team were doing to manage it. Apart from Fluttershy an Oggie, the others couldn't really follow much of it, but at least Rainbow Dash seemed to be feeling better about the topic than she had when the freak storm had hit them.
The evening went by with Twilight and Oggie giving the group a summary of what they'd discussed that day, as well as the route they were going to take. Discord got bored and dozed off halfway through it much to Twilight's annoyance, but the others seemed to get a basic idea of what was to come.
And so the next day, with bags packed, maps double checked and a large breakfast eaten, the group set out once again, this time heading North for the border. Oggie walked them to Coltchester's outskirts before seeing them off. Pinkie waving goodbye wildly at him as they left.
Twilight was the last to leave, giving Oggie her heartfelt thanks before turning to follow her friends.
“Twilight, if I could just give a word in parting,” He drew her attention back.
She turned to him questioningly. He smiled at her, although his tone of voice was slightly more serious. “I don't know what's happened on your journey so far, but I want to suggest you don't behave so aggressively towards Discord. I couldn't help but notice you seem to have some strong animosity.”
Twilight's face instantly pulled into a frown. “Don't let him fool you Oggie, he's only here for himself. He may seem like he's playing nice, but he's shown that he hasn't got any loyalty towards any of us.”
“That's probably true,” Oggie nodded, “but as you're the one leading this group, I think it'd be better if you hid your anger. You're the one who has to be in charge, and if you're in charge then it's your responsibility to make sure the rest of the group knows they can rely on you. Getting angry and allowing yourself to get pulled into childish bickering won't help this quest. Leave it for when you've succeeded.” His smile perked slightly at the last sentence.
Twilight pouted. “You don't have to be in his company twenty four seven.”
Oggie gave a dramatic sigh and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Gods' strength, Twilight Sparkle.”
She smiled at this, turning to go, “Trust me, I'll need it.”
She trotted after the group, her gaze set on the horizon. She felt reinvigorated, confident in their goal, and ready to kick down some doors and get things done. The Defectors' Stronghold was waiting for them, as was the solution to their problems and a return to normal life back home. Safe from mad cults, crazy weather and annoying draconequuses. All they had to do was be ready for the kinds of ponies that were waiting for them.
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A fiction that's named after my supposed alignment?
*clicks Read Later*
*just, *my
*Pinkie
So obviously we got a nasty case of hypocritical leader in the "whatever cult", which mean that either:
1. He seeks to absorb all magic in the world,
2. He wants to destroy all magic, except his own, to be the most powerful,
or 3. He's crazy and really believe a world without magic is better. (I don't think it's going to be that one 4sumrison)
4657030 Don't worry, Twilight is suppose to be irrational about this issue
She has her reasons though, and because she's suppose to be at an extreme at this point, it means there's definitely plans for that to come into play later 
It'll not simply be ignored, be sure of that.
And that goes for Rainbow as well.
Otherwise, thank you for pointing out my mistakes, I'll fix those asap. I try so hard but it seems mistakes always find a way to hide from me.
As for the term "to be cowed"... is that not Used by people as often as I use it?
And thank you to every-one for your lovely comments and helping me out with my errors as well! You guys are awesome! I will try my hardest to make the wait much shorter for the next chapter!
4656662 Thanks for the corrections
I hope you're still enjoying the story despite them.
As for your guesses... well we'll see
Capital E, my good lady.
Cry more, Twilight.
4657172 It's 'Lady'
4657351
My apologies, my good lady.
fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/144/b/1/the_apology_by_rainbowdashart101-d7jlpjh.png
Interesting story so far cannot wait to read more!
4656662 or 4. All magic in equistria comes from a balancing between chaos and harmony, and by discord denying his nature is causing the destruction of the magical field around equistria. Although that is insanely unlikely.
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE REST, I'M SO EXCITED!!!
But I'm nervous for them too!
I'm NERVOUSCITED!
4657766
Except Discord isn't denying his nature. If you read the first chapter, you'll see that he does things like randomly turn the Ponyville market into a beach which splashes the merchants with salt water every so often. He's still creating chaos, just not all the time and everywhere at once. Certainly he's creating more of it than when he was in stone. So that one doesn't seem possible for this story.
awww pinkie and discord are getting along :D
but anyway! liked the chapter and the explanation of it hope to see the next one soon sometime X3
4660815 Ah yes, my bad, it's been awhile since I've read the story from end to end and had forgotten that part, thank you for reminding me.
The best laid plans don't survive contact with the enemy and something is telling me this plan is half baked. We'll see how they handle a cult. I hope they stick to stealth as much as they can -it's what I would do- but that's easier said then done. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Another good chapter!
That's a beautiful picture you drew.
Reasons the ponies give for Discord to show any sort of loyalty = zero
Oggie is adorkable and therefore deserves his own story... I mean after your done with this one cuz... like its reallly good... and shit
I am really enjoying this story so far! You have excellent characterization, an interesting plot, and you write very well. I really like the friendship that is developing between Pinkie and Discord.
I do like Oggie, and it was becoming fairly obvious that he had been part of the cult at some point, but I thought he was a sincere member that turned away from it rather than an infiltrator who almost got caught.
Spelling (because you asked): "black-purple main" should be "mane" and "I don't know if she expected me of any other motives" should be "suspected" rather than "expected."
And replying to another commenter about "to be cowed" - that is a standard English phrase that I would expect most people to know. But in Equestria where cows can talk and are sentient, it might come across as a racial slur. (Although they did use "stubborn as a mule" on the show and that did not seem to cause any offense to a mule character, so maybe it's fine.)
Keep up the good work!
My, Oggie! You conveniently have all this detailed information about this crazy cult in possession of a magic-nullifying stone that may be a piece of a Dark God! Oh, and I find it interesting that you've never bothered to mention any of these potentially rather useful tidbits of information about crazy rebellious cults using dangerous dark magic that seems to frequently result in death to Princess Celestia so she could swoop down in a flaming visage of Tyrant Sol and swipe away the potential Doomsday Stone of Ultimate Evil Badness.
But no, you're not suspicious at all!
Now that's also suspicious. Left-over beliefs that lingered through the reign of Discord and then survived for over two thousand years once he was deposed and left stoned?
Rather a long time for such archaic things to hang around without leadership reinforcing them... unless there is a deeper motive to cling to them.
*Alondro is a VERY suspicious person... it's why he has traps all over the place and never takes off his trusty foil hat!*
It's times like this, when you find that your adventuring party of seven is up against a sizable number of dangerous cultists, that you might want to consider sending word to Canterlot with a request for army or Royal Guard support.
Even if they can't get there in time, having the cavalry arrive to mop up is a good idea. Surely they could find a courier in town willing to run/fly a message.
5451871
Naw, I'm sure a bunch of minors along with a mischievous spirit of chaos can handle this on their own, according to Celestia's logic they should fair better than the more experienced mages and special services she has at her disposal.
5451871
5623592
What more experienced mages/special service? Twilight was the best unicorn mage around before she became an Alicorn and no Royal Guard showed anything close to the physical prowess of AJ, Rainbow, or Pinkie. Add to that Discord being more powerful both physically and magically than any pony and I really wonder what more effective team you're looking for?
I don't really see the point in going back for the Red Shirts of the Equestrian Military... Not that it would be at all reasonable given the distances and time frames we're talking about. It would take days for word to get back to Canterlot, likely at least a day (if not much more) to mobilize any help, and even after that an army marches much slower than a group of individuals. They would be weeks behind and far too late to help in any way.