The Cult of Chaos

by PegasusKlondike

Who We Are

They hauled the aged unicorn back to the prison area without care or decency. The pair of Acolytes threw him into the cell the Lost had once been in, across from the human sacrifices, they themselves waiting to die. As soon as they closed the door he scrambled to his hooves, turning his back to the door he began to kick it as hard as he could. Again and again, screaming his frustration. But one of the Acolytes opened the door to the front, letting in several of the Lost cretins, upon spying the unicorn kicking at the door they screamed and began to claw through the bars to get him. Starswirl recoiled, unable to fight them.

Falling back to the back of his cell, he collapsed, hating himself for making his friend go on this suicide mission. Damning himself for even giving them the idea of infiltrating the Cult hideout. The humans in the adjacent cell whispered with each other, wondering why a pony had joined them in their damnation.

"Hey, hey pony. Can you speak?" Starswirl looked up from his pain of failure, one of the humans was looking right at him, as close to the bars as he could while staying back from the Lost.

"Yes, I can speak. Now leave me be." Starswirl lay his head against the wall, trying to think of ways to kill himself, just so his soul would not feed that monster with the rising of the sun.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you pony? Don't kill yourself, they'll win if we just give up."

"And what would you know about it? That thing consumes our souls! If I die now I return to the Earth Mother; if I die in his grasp I only make him stronger. There is no winning against such evil!"

"Come on, don't be like that, pony, you have to have faith. You gotta believe that we can overcome this somehow."

"And what do you suggest, human?"

The man in the other cell shrugged. "I don't know, you're a unicorn right? So that means you can do magic?"

"Not any more, I've been silenced by this infernal contraption!" He scraped his horn along the wall, trying desperately to get it off. "Do you think you could get it off? I don't have your digital dexterity."

The human recoiled with his brethren. "No way, the last guy that reached through the bars had his arm torn off by those fuckers." He spat at the nearest Lost, landing his loogie solidly on the cretin's face. "What I wouldn't give to have a little revenge against those gray fuckheads, and their little pet crazies too."

"Consider yourself lucky, human, tomorrow I am the replacement sacrifice for one of you."

The human he spoke to leaned against a wall, "Well, I thank you for the extra time you will be giving one of us. What's your name pony?"

"Starswirl. Some call me Starswirl the Bearded."

"Well, Starswirl the Bearded, I'm Ron. Some call me Ron the Optimist." he said with a grin. "Not many people have been calling me that lately, not much to be optimistic about nowadays."

"Well Ron the Optimist, I'll have you know that Leviathan starves tonight. His intended sacrifice got a little 'sharp' with the High Priest, we assume she escaped completely."

His human compatriot smiled. "Any other night I would celebrate with a bottle of aged whiskey and a set of good friends. But it seems that one or the other is always in short supply."

Starswirl gave a grunted laugh. "All I wanted was to come here and give myself a second chance at helping you humans. But it looks like I failed at that too."

"You know Starswirl, you're cool by me. And I would gladly spill some Cult blood beside you, if I had the chance that is." The other humans nodded their heads in agreement, all wanting to tie Discord to a rack and slowly pull his limbs out of his sockets.

Starswirl had a pained smile on his face, "Good to know." He laid down his head on the concrete, coming to terms with the end of his existence as metaphysical sustenance for the very monster that he fought to destroy. He whispered to himself, hoping his prayers reached more loving ears.

"Clover, I'm so sorry my apprentice. I'm sorry I couldn't stop these monsters; I know you'll grow up to be a lovely, smart mare with her heart always in the right place, and I hope I had some hoof in that. White Dawn, I love you, I always will love you. But it looks like we will never see one another again, in this life or another. And Cloud, forgive me, brother."

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Starswirl did not sleep that night, he simply lay on the floor of the prison cell, sending his prayers to those he loved. He begged for forgiveness, and received some. The humans across from his had accepted him as a fellow, but they were not enough to cover for his failures. When the Acolytes opened the door to his cell, he stood without a fight as they grabbed him by both legs.

"STARSWIRL!" The old unicorn looked to the other cell. All the humans stood close to the bars, his companion amongst the forefront. "Don't let those fuckers get the satisfaction of fear."

The unicorn nodded. Looking to his Acolyte handlers, he gave his acquiescence, "I'm ready." They walked him to the church, all the Acolytes gathered for this most important sacrifice, the one that would begin Discord's true march of madness across the world. Behind them the Lost roared, very nearly breaking free of their bonds as the Acolytes chanted for the blood of the unicorn. Starswirl was led into the doors of the church, down the aisles and to the altar. His Acolyte bearers placed him on the altar, tying down his legs. He breathed hard, waiting for the High Priest to begin his sermon.

Stewarts placed himself behind the pulpit, dagger in hand as usual before a sacrifice. Discord sat behind him, impatiently awaiting the bloodbath and his feast of a pony soul.

"Dear children, we have gathered here today to witness the death of a heretic, and the birth of our triumph! With his blood I will seal the bond between ourselves and our Master. Oh mighty Leviathan! Grant me the strength to complete such a daunting task!"

"No." said the avatar of evil.

"What!?! My Lord, what have I done to offend you?"

"Nothing personal, except the fact that I hate you. I want 'him' to do it." He pointed at Cloud Hoof, who still sat motionless beside his Master. The pegasus rose from his seated position, drawing his sword with his teeth. He walked slowly to the front of the altar.

"Yes my pet, destroy that infernal Earth Mother's desperate attempt at harmony. Slay your oldest and dearest friend."

Starswirl looked into Cloud's eyes. "Cloud, please. Don't do this. Please, remember me."

The gray-red pegasus awaited his Master's order. Discord nodded. Cloud raised the blade.

"Cloud, please remember! Remember Starshine! Remember your friend Aaron!" The pegasus hesitated, something scratching at the back of his mind. "Remember me Cloud, remember Hurricane!"

The pegasus dropped the sword, "Hurricane..." he murmured.

Discord flew to Cloud's side. "What are you doing?! KILL HIM!"

"Cloud, no. You can choose! You always had a choice! You always controlled your own destiny!"

"No you don't, kill him now!" Discord shouted.

The pegasus now had his hooves to his head, the forces battling inside him.

"You....don't.....control...me!" Cloud grabbed the sword and with a sudden thrust shoved it into Discord's belly.

The draconequus screamed, both hands going around the blade that shed his blood and burned his body with its magic touch. The Acolytes around him all screamed their own pain, clutching their stomachs as if they too had been skewered. Discord flared with magic, teleporting from the place. The sword was left behind, it fell clanging to the floor of the church.

The Acolytes now screamed from a different pain, they all clutched their heads and twisted, searching for the ever present influence of their Master. Outside, a different cry filled the town. Thousands of Lost all suddenly became free, and began their rampage.

Cloud reeled from the pain of Discord's departure, but he grabbed the sword once again and sliced through the bonds that held down Starswirl. Grabbing the wire in his teeth, he ripped it from Starswirl's horn.

"Thank you my friend!" shouted the unicorn as he applied the memory spell to Cloud. His color returned and he regained his mind. Their companion still reeled on the floor, still an ash skinned Acolyte. Starswirl ran to him, applying the memory spell in haste. Sun regained himself and stood.

"We have to get out of here! The Lost have all broken free and are going to tear this place apart!"

Some of the Acolytes began to regain their senses, seeing the ponies free, they roared. But something broke down the door to the chapel. Dozens of bestial Lost leapt in and clawed furiously at their former masters. The Acolytes fought back, their martial prowess overcoming the individual Lost, but failing utterly at the onslaught before them.

The three ponies ran out the side door of the church of chaos, and it seemed as though the whole town had gone insane. Everywhere Lost fought each other and tore apart anything that moved. Starswirl took the lead, "We have to get to the prison!"

"Why?" shouted Sun as they dodged the psychotic creatures that fought.

"Promise to a friend!" Starswirl shouted back. They came to the front of the prison, only to discover a few Acolytes had regained minimal control of a pack of Lost. They barred the way to the prison. Cloud still had his sword out, Sun raised his crossbow, and Starswirl charged up a combat spell. One of the Acolytes was about to shout for an attack when a javelin from above pierced his skull and dropped him like a sack of grain. Two more javelins dropped two more Acolytes, and the pack of Lost wailed and began to claw one another. Bolts from crossbows began to drop them in trios.

Three pegasus forms dropped in front of the ponies. "We thought you could use a little help general!"

"Wedge you beautiful son of a bitch!" Cloud shouted. The earth pony archers rushed in from their sniper posts to cover the rear flanks. Starswirl's unicorns were nowhere to be found, but the explosions in the other parts of town gave subtle hints as to what they were up to. Crosswind tossed Cloud his spear and shield, Jet Stream dropped off his armor. Outfitting himself, Cloud charged into the breach.

Kicking down the door to the prison, he skewered a Lost without a second thought, ripping his spear out he whipped around to down another. His soldiers did the same, trampling any unorganized resistance. Starswirl ran to the prison area, charging up his horn he went to the human prison cell. "Get back!" he shouted to the humans. The bars shivered and shook, shattering into hundreds of pieces. The humans were apprehensive, not leaving their confinement. "You all said you wanted to fight the Cult, now is your chance!" His companion Ron smiled, then charged out, grabbing the leg of a chair as a club.

"Come on brothers, lets ride 'em out of town on a rail!" The humans cheered, grabbing whatever they could use as weapons and joining the ponies. They ran back outside, the unicorns had joined the earth ponies in firing at whatever Lost or Acolyte scum that got in their way.

An Acolyte stood down the street, aiming a rifle at the general. A crack like thunder resounded, but not from the Acolyte rifleman. Dozens of armed humans ran out into the streets, shooting the Cultists and capturing any that they could.

Wedge saw that they were led by a familiar face. He lifted his spear and gave a pegasus war cry, the father of Noah raised his rifle and gave an Army war cry. Their ragtag force joined the pony led force, and together made their way to the edge of town clearing the streets of any Acolytes and destroying any Lost.

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Pain, physical pain!

Discord clutched the wound done by the enchanted blade, summoning more magic he forced it to heal, closing the wound and making it seem like it never was there. He lay on a rock several hundred miles from the town he ruled. He panted from this new feeling. And something inside of him seemed satisfied and smug, like it was gloating at his suffering. It most certainly wasn't himself that was feeling that way, more like something that he had absorbed.

"Damn you human souls!"

He had half a mind to go back to that wretched town and tear it apart, molecule by molecule for the rage he felt. But he felt something else, something he hadn't felt in weeks. His pursuers.

They had felt his magical surge, and were now hot on his trail again. "Vacation is over I guess. Horrible idea in the first place."

And with his mind set against trying some stupidity like starting his own cult again, Discord resumed his normal hunt.

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With the aid of their human allies the ponies had cleared the town of any trace of an organized cult, even burning down the church to symbolize the end of the Cult's madness. The Lost had effectively taken care of themselves, after being freed they simply slaughtered one another or committed suicide. There was no sign of the High Priest, and a handful of Acolytes had escaped into the wilds surrounding the town. They would be problematic, but no real threat to either of the races.

Starswirl and his unicorns worked long into the afternoon restoring the minds of the hundreds of captured Acolytes. Upon their revival, any Acolyte that wished simply to keep living was officially pardoned for his crimes by both races.

The leaders of the ponies and the leaders of the humans gathered to confer. They met outside of the wall to the town, with the ponies packed and prepared to return to their homelands. Cloud walked forward and extended a hoof to the leader of the human expedition, father of Wedge's temporary charge. With gratitude he took Cloud's hoof and shook it.

"General Cloud Hoof of the pony nations, we are well aware of your actions on the Day of Judgement. We all did horrible things that day, but on behalf of the race of Man, I forgive you of any crime." Cloud looked surprised, then glanced back at Starswirl, who seemed incredibly intent about not looking at Cloud.

"And I forgive you, sir. May our children know harmony with each other." he gave a bow, his human counterpart did the same.

The optimistic human from the prison walked up to Starswirl. "We did it buddy."

"Indeed we did." The human curled up a fist and held it out for the unicorn. Starswirl looked at it oddly.

"Come on Starswirl, don't leave me hangin'." The unicorn mage smiled, lifting his hoof he bumped the human's fist. "See you around sometime?" he asked.

"Absolutely, maybe you could come stay at my place for a while, if you are ever in need of a bed to rest your head on, Ron the Optimist."

The man began to chuckle at his now official title. The ponies turned to begin their journey home, the way made safe by the humans who now let them be instead of attacking them. Wedge stopped as he crested the hill overlooking the town. He turned back, flying down to the gate where his friend still stood. "Sir, I wanted to ask you something."

"Anything for the pony who helped reunite my family."

"Would you give this to your son? I know his mother wants me out of his life, but I wouldn't feel right leaving him so completely." Wedge took off a medallion emblazoned with a the winged head of a pegasus, symbol of Cloudsdale.

"I have a feeling that it will be one of his most treasured objects, seeing as all talks about is his own 'superhero' who came from the darkness and saved his parents from the bad people." He accepted the medallion from Wedge, placing it in his pocket. He stood back and gave a salute to the warrior, Wedge smiled and returned his salute. Turning back, Wedge flew to rejoin his companions and make their way home.