The Cult of Chaos

by PegasusKlondike

His Imminence, Leviathan

High Priest Stewarts paraded this evening's prize around town like a slab of prime rib, showing it off to the various Acolytes and Lost, as if they could even comprehend giving a damn. The carnal desires of the High Priest were extremely well noted by anything of intellect within ten miles of the Cult hideout. Stewarts was pleased with the odd Acolyte's choice for this evening, a brunette woman around the age of seventeen or eighteen. Probably fresh off the farm, and completely unspoiled by the touch of a man or the touch of Discord. He directed the oddly compliant girl into his home, decorated garishly with anything that could be considered luxurious.

She sat in his bed, slightly shaking and her hair covering her face. The High Priest popped open a bottle of cheap wine from before the war, filling two glasses, one for himself, one for his 'guest'. Discreetly he slipped in a little 'extra something' into her glass. He sat next to her on his little love nest.

"Mmm, service to God is a great honor. You should be honored to be meeting him in the flesh. After I show you the purity of flesh, of course." He drained his glass, lifting a lock of her hair he inhaled her scent. The young woman shivered and cringed from his repulsive and unwanted touch.

With a finger he began to slip the simple dress off her shoulders, exposing her sun tanned and soft skin.

But she knew the truth, that Acolyte was no ordinary agent of Chaos, he had given her a little edge for the evening. Letting it fall out of her sleeve, the young woman knew she would only have one chance. Grabbing the dagger, she threw his hand off of her shoulder and slammed the dagger into his shoulder, hopefully close enough to his heart. She punched the Priest in the face, making a break for the door with this opportunity.

The Priest struggled to stand up, reaching up he grabbed the weapon and pulled it slowly out of his shoulder, grimacing and grating his teeth as he did. The young woman wrenched open the door, running out into the street and past the walls, to freedom.

Stewarts yelled his frustration, leaning against the doorjamb he yelled to a pair of Acolytes passing by. "YOU TWO! The sacrifice has escaped, AFTER HER!" The pair nodded and sprinted in the direction the Priest pointed.

Stewarts stumbled to a wash basin, grabbing a rag he doused it with some hard whiskey and pressed it his wound. He screamed as the burning fluid cleaned his wound of infections. He wanted to train as a paramedic before the War, and he took a shot of whiskey as he dug a rough needle into his skin to suture the wound. The High Priest collapsed on his bed from the pain, wondering what kind of death he should give that little bitch when those Acolytes found her. He noticed for the first time the oddity of the dagger she had stabbed him with.

Grabbing the bloody blade, he noticed that the grooves in the handle weren't made for fingers. No, they had the look of being gnawed on, like they were made for teeth. With his thumb he cleared the clotted blood from the pommel, under the crimson stain was an emblem. An emblem he had seen before. A four way divided shield, with various plants and the sun in another pane.

"Ponies...the god damned PONIES!" He thrust the dagger into his mattress, spraying feathers everywhere. How could this be possible!? Those Acolytes checked every prisoner thoroughly for any weapons or even objects that could be weapons on a daily basis. This dagger had to have been smuggled in, but why a pony dagger?

High Priest Stewarts' head cleared enough to give him an idea. He grinned as he realized who and how to expose the rats that had infiltrated.

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The trio of ponies in human form continued to traverse the town, looking for any sign of Leviathan while still trying to look busy. Nearing dusk they only had one building left to search, the large white building near the center of town. The one with steeples and the bell. They just had to get inside, then it was up to any of them to kill the monster that had started all of this.

Their wandering was interrupted by the deep ringing of the massive bell at the church. Acolytes all around them literally dropped whatever they were doing, all making a migration to the source of the call.

Sun was panicking, "We've got to leave now, this is our only chance!"

"No, if they are gathering for something, I think our target might just be there as well." Cloud stated. Like they had any choice, they were swept up in a flowing gray crowd that moved with a single track mind to the church. The mindless Lost were left to their own devices, nobody really caring for the maddened beast men.

The crowd filed into the church, taking their pews and placing their hands together, beginning their dark chants. The ponies in human skin took a pew in the very back, folding their hands and imitating the chant. Starswirl gasped, the whispered to his companions. "Don't say the words! It's a dark magic spell, I know it well!" The doors of the church closed, two of the more well trained and armed Acolytes standing guard. Without speaking, they all agreed that this had become a one way mission.

The Priest from earlier entered from a side door, standing behind the pulpit, he raised a hand and silenced the chanting masses.

"My brothers and sisters. A terrible tragedy has befallen us. Our enemy stands resolute in the face of our great efforts to bring them into our coven of Chaos. Our Master is most displeased with such a failure."

All around the trio Acolytes shivered in fear of failing their Master.

"And more, our enemy is amongst us dear children. This very night they have tried to take my life and stole our sacrifice, but thankfully they failed my children. I still walk amongst the living, yet our offering has left us for the ignorance of those who do not receive the Master's touch. But I say we have been given an even greater opportunity to please his Lordship Leviathan. An opportunity to sate his thirst, WITH THE BLOOD OF PONIES!" The High Priest pointed a meaty finger at the trio in the back, knowing they had smuggled in the dagger, and knowing why they had hesitated in the face of a direct order.

Dozens of Acolytes screamed their rage, grabbing the three men where ever they could. Hauling them to the pulpit, they were forced to their knees before the High Priest. "Yes dear children of Chaos, they are the enemy, hiding in the flesh of those we know!"

The shouts and threats of the Acolytes were silenced by a slow clap. From the shadows drifted the form of Discord, present the whole time, but hidden in his favored darkness. "Bravo, bravo. You ponies indeed put up a valiant fight. But all for nothing."

"Leviathan..." whispered Cloud.

"I was going to save your souls for later, after I had feasted on these wretches here. But it looks like dessert came a little early for dinner." He raised a feline paw, glowing with magic. "Come now, let me see your faces, the faces your precious Mother gave you." A wave of magic came from the monster, funneling into the three men. Their bodies began to warp and shimmer, leaving them as ponies again. The Acolytes ripped off their human clothing, leaving them in their natural fur.

"You'll never get away with this! All the evil you've done will come back one day and get you!"

"On the contrary dear pony, I plan on staying the way I am, on top of the world!" He gave a twisted chortle. "You know, I think I need some new recruits, someone to fill the ranks that you depleted." Discord looked to the world, shouting.

"Did you hear that! I will make your precious champions my slaves for all eternity! You failed, now I will reign over this world, and harmony shall be ground into the dust!" With a flourish he touched his clawed hand to Sun's head, a wave of gray passing down his body until he was an ashen image of himself.

"No, Sun NO!" cried Starswirl.

"All hail the Master, Discord." replied the earth pony. He was let up by his Acolyte brethren, another of the gray mass that served the monster of madness.

Discord chuckled at the suffering of the two normal ponies. Next he tried to lay a claw on Starswirl. His gryphon finger touched the head of the unicorn, and Discord yelped as his claw sizzled and burned when he touched the unicorn. He spread his teeth in a growl, placing his whole hand on the unicorn, again he felt the burn.

"WHO PROTECTS YOU!?" he screamed. Looking at his burned hand, Discord felt the signs of harmonious magic at work. "So, She chooses to give you aid, little unicorn. Let me tell you something, one day I will pierce Her very heart with darkness, and among the souls I consume to give me power shall be yours." He once again addressed nothing. "DO YOU HEAR ME! HIS SOUL SHALL BE THE ONE I USE TO KILL YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

High Priest Stewarts edged to the angered draconequus. "Who do you speak to, my Lord?"

"Foolish human! I insult the spirit of the Earth herself! And She mocks me with her petty protection of this pony." A clever idea came into the maddened mind of Discord. "If I cannot harm him, why not have someone else do it?" Discord placed his wicked touch on Cloud. The pegasus struggled and fought against the tide of assimilation that flowed down his body, corrupting him with Discord's dark touch.

Cloud Hoof was released by the Acolytes, he stood. "All hail the Master."

"Cloud, no." the unicorn begged, his voice losing all vestige of hope. He looked to Discord, "YOU MONSTER! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Discord shook a finger, "Naughty little ponies deserve to be punished. At first light, you will become the first of many pony souls to join my own. And to make sure you behave, you need a little bit of a leash." With a flick of his wrist he summoned a twisted wire that he wrapped around Starswirl's horn. Starswirl tried in vain to reach his magic, but the wire prevented him from touching anything arcane.

"Throw him in with the other sacrifices." Discord said to the Acolyte masses. The draconequus retired to his throne, his new pet ponies taking position on either side of him.

Comments

[La Vallett1]

The touching part to Starswirl really reminds me of Voldemort as Quirrel when he touched Harry Potter.