Chaos is something that everypony needs in their life. Or so the Followers say. Will this Follower be capable of convincing people in the Wasteland this is true?
Legends tell of a small group of ponies holed up in the North Mountains of Equestria, who have been there since the fall of Discord, over a thousand years ago. The Followers of Discord. Very little is known of these legends, but one pony is going to make those legends a reality to the General Wasteland. Twisted Visions, a Priestess of the Followers, has travelled the Wasteland for many years, acting as a Missionary for the Chaotic God, with a strange mission. Will she be able to save this one small part of Equestria that is suffering a turmoil one could not hope to imagine, or, will she fail, letting it succumb to what is to come?
A/N: So, for those worrying that this is a self-insert story, it isn't. I am well aware that my username is Twisted Visions, but Twisted Visions is the only character I really made, which was inspired by the Fallout Equestria Series. Twisted was made for this story, one that I never felt I was a good enough writer to write. Even still, stories that swim in the mind too long eventually find themselves on paper, and I feel I am ready to write it. I hope you all enjoy it. This story ignores parts of Project Horizons for now, as I am unsure if I want to write this story with Discord being freed. In-Fact, I'm completely unsure if any event has happened from the main two stories. Assume, for now, this is a stand-alone project.
Follower of Discord. A strange title to have for oneself, to be sure. Even stranger still, was the tall mare who proudly declared herself as just such a pony. She did not look chaotic at all. On the contrary. Her mane was cut short and clean, and her coat of maroon fur was well kept, trimmed, and cleaned. She donned a set of metal armour, but it was far more than the typical fare of raiders, slabbing plates of any old metal to their bodies to help prevent an untimely death by bullets or bats alike. This was well made. Forged of steel for her body, clinging to her torso neatly, it's polished surface glittering purple and dark grey in what light managed to sneak through the endless cloud cover that very rarely lifted.
She stood tall and proud as she walked, the desolate wasteland a drab brown and grey. Her saddlebags, while full, did not bulge and were tightly secured to her sides, a call to the standard of maintenance she seemingly held herself to, as well as a longsword, scabbard adorn in various symbols. Around her neck, hung an amulet. Two wings, one of a dragon, and one of a pony, circling around a sword, swaying back and forth with each step she took. The form was there, but her visage strongly relied on function. No one would ever believe that this mare, at first glance, worshipped, seemingly, the icon of Chaos.
It had been some weeks since she had found anypony of interest on her walk. She was far from any cities, which meant there were substantially fewer people to run into. The odd merchant, or weary traveller whom she traded with, or spoke with. Though today, the monotony of life the wasteland offered would be broken, as the sound of gunfire was heard in the distance. She stopped, her ears flicking in the direction of the ruckus, and it spurred her into a quick trot towards the sound.
Minutes later, she would find herself on a ridge overlooking what she could only guess to be a warehouse, which was very clearly being attacked. Warehouses indicated civilization, and attacks indicated someone or something was in that warehouse being attacked, but she was not about to jump into a conflict she knew nothing about, at least until she noticed something very pointed about the attackers. Raiders.
A swirl of anger filled her chest, but still, she held herself on this ridge, looking down. She was but one pony, and there were... one, two, three, eight, nine. Nine raiders below, assaulting this warehouse. She was not about to run down and take on nine enemies, and risk her life on the offchance that they were fighting against ghouls or another group of raiders. She would simply allow them to exhaust themselves in their conflict, and go to clean up those left so that perhaps the wasteland could be that much nicer a place.
That was, until, of course, she heard the one thing she needed to hear. The sound of a scream as two of the raiders managed to rush up to the door under the cover of their comrades continued to fire. A tactic, she was shocked these ponies were even bright enough to pull off. The scream was that of a child in fright, calling for their mother. How... Cliche, but still, enough to spur the mare down the ridge and towards the conflict.
Her hooves beat against the ground loudly, as the conflict grew closer and closer until she was upon the group. Two raiders in the back with rifles hid behind a car. Adequate cover to defend against those inside the warehouse trying to shoot back, but worthless against the mare who was now upon them. The sound of metal being drawn the only thing to pull one raider out of his focus on the warehouse to turn, but turn to late as the blade of her sword cut into his shoulder, exiting out of the barrel of his chest.
The scream he let out, yet silenced quickly, was enough to have his comrade turn to see the towering mare dispatch him. He turned his rifle to her, only to find the very same blade now occupying the same space his heart occupied, firing a shot which ricocheted of Twisted's armoured shoulder and slammed into the car they were behind. His dying gurgle turning the attention of the other five raiders who were around on the mare who had just killed to of their comrades.
To them, this was now a battle on two fronts, and three of them turned to Twisted Visions to try and deal with her, but the mare was already moving. She showed no fear, no remorse, their guns firing as her horn flared purple, speckled with other colours one could imagine. Bullets went careening around her, launched into seemingly any direction other than her as she rushed one of the three ponies, cutting them down with a similar efficiency. Efficiency, a strange word to describe a being who dedicated her life so devoutly to that of one who seemingly had no belief in such terms.
Thee down, but she could not stop. Gunfire in the building, as well as the sounds of a very obvious struggle, drove her forward as much as the fury these raiders instilled in her did. She did not care about the shouts, the screams, the pleas for mercy and the crying of pain these foul individuals made. The flair of magic and the glint of steel was all that they deserved in her eyes, until the last two dropped, not by her hoof. This stopped her, making her take a step back.
The air was quiet, and ponies laid dead around her, by both bullets and her own action. It was some time before any other pony showed their faces. A dirty stallion, about middle-aged with a weapon that looked to be made of common pipe. She could admire the ingenuity of the stallion if he had made it.
"You alright there ma'am?" He called out, placing his weapon into its holster at his side as he trotted over. Twisted stared at the bodies of the last two raiders to die and spat, face scowling as she noticed she was splattered in their blood.
"I am fine, my dear, I trust you and your companions are also safe?" Twisted responded, her voice smooth and cool. She turned, looking down at the shorter pony, not with any sense of disgust or righteousness, as her expression had turned into that of concern.
"Well, Blitz ain't doing too hot, and I don't think we would have gotten out of that if not for you there miss! They came up on us while we were trying to salvage what we could from this warehouse," The pony said, looking back at the warehouse. "Summer and Lily are spooked, but I'm sure they'll be fine in some time. They are looking at Blitz right now," He added.
Twisted nodded, starting to walk towards the warehouse, past the pony who had approached her. He stepped in her path. "Woah there, we appreciate the help and all, but you can't just walk past me!"
The mare furrowed her brow. "Why ever not? You said there was a pony within that building who needed assistance, did you not?" Twisted asked, stopping now to examine the stallion a touch more critically. He was unassuming. Brown coat, darker brown mane. A cutie mark that depicted a plank of wood with a nail in it. Her eyes flicked around as she took the stallion in, her face calm and unassuming.
"Well, yeah, but I don't even know your name. How do I know you're not just going to be a worse problem?" The stallion asked, puffing his chest out, which made Twisted smile.
"That is for the Wake to decide, my little pony. It was the cry of the filly inside that spurred me into action, otherwise, I would have merely allowed this fight to continue. The Wake brought me to you, and thus you should trust in it," Twisted explained, walking past the now confused stallion.
"The Wake? What the buck is th- HEY! You can't go in there!" The stallion shouted, but Twisted had already crossed the threshold.
She looked around as the stallion rushed to the door. It was dark, and she could see the bodies of the two raiders, as well as a mare and a filly, fussing over a larger stallion in quite the panic. The stallion had a particularly nasty gash in his shoulder, which she could only guess was caused by the machete that one of the raiders had dropped when they died. That, or the knife, but she didn't necessarily care. The pony who was hurt was her concern.
"Step away from him please, let me see," She ordered calmly, walking to the two ponies tending to the third. They looked up at her, no small amount of fear in their eyes, but seeing the seemingly giant mare splattered in blood was enough to get them to comply with what she asked. The mare pulled her daughter away with a hoof, looking at the stallion who originally greeted her.
Twisted climbed down to her knees, looking "Blitz" over carefully. The wound looked a lot worse than it was, which she was grateful for. "Did you stick him with anything? I know you ponies around here enjoy trying to solve all your problems with various drugs and the like," She asked, turning her head to the three ponies, two of which having a quiet, whispered argument with each other. No doubt caused by her.
The filly shook her head. "No missus, We couldn't find any," The little girl stated meekly, only to get a quick scolding from the mare.
"Lily Grove!" The mare hissed, to which Twisted only chuckled.
"I would avoid scolding those who offer assistance. It may teach them not to provide it in the future," Twisted stated, getting something of an embarrassed glare. "Thank you, Lily grove. That was very helpful," Twisted added, turning back to the stallion, her horn lighting up as she pulled a cloth wrapped package from her saddlebag. she was silent, as were the ponies behind her as they watched the priestess work on their friend.
The cloth package contained a dried mix of various plants, cloths, a small but very curved knife, a curved needle, thread, and handmade bandages. Twisted took the plants, placing an eyed amount into her muzzle and began chewing as she cleaned the wound. She didn't make much sound, and neither did Blitz as she worked on him. She took the police from her mouth, gently spreading it onto the stallions wound, before pulling out the needle and thread with her magic, and starting to sew the wound shut.
"Uhm... Miss? I don't think you do it that way," The stallion said, unsure as to if a poultice should be applied to an open wound, and then sewn shut.
Twisted shrugged. "I know these plants well enough, young pony. I have applied them hundreds, maybe thousands of times over in my life, and have learned that they have entertaining properties when used in just such a way. In other words, I know this is not how it is commonly done, but this is how it should be done with this particular mix," She stated kindly, finishing her work and covering it with some bandages. "Now, he should try to avoid using the leg... Or moving in general. I would avoid using your drugs, as I have seen many a pony who has grown a need for them that can be dangerous, but that is entirely up to your own discretion," She said, wrapping up her things and placing them back into her saddlebag.
She got up, to which the Stallion from before approached her rather sheepishly. "Uh... So, could I get your name, maybe?"
Twisted Visions looked at him, then smiled. "I am Priestess Visions, and you are?" She asked the pony who was suddenly looking at her as if she had two heads.
"Uh, my friends call me Plank. That's Summer Breeze, and you already know Blitz and Lily's name," He explained, pointing everyone out by name. "So, thanks, for everything I mean. It's just, not everyday a mare comes out of nowhere and helps you out."
"No need to thank me, little pony. The Wake brought me to you, and I merely acted as expected."
"Yeah, about that. You keep saying the Wake, and clearly, you're some kind of holy person, but the wake of what?" Plank asked, scratching his mane.
The reaction to Twisted's comment was immediate. Plank drew his gun, Summer Breeze stepped behind Plank with Lilly grove, and Blitz continued to lay where he was. The priestess, however, did not flinch. Actually, she was busy placing tallys on an internal counter, regarding their reaction. In short, this was far to commonplace to her. Guns were drawn, people were scared, oh no it's an insane cultist! It bored the mare, but she didn't do anything about it. Merely stood there.
"What do you mean the wake of Discord!" Was the typical response. That was the same response she was given. It was like she was the anti-princess when she said she mentioned Discord. "What do you mean, the Wake of Discord?" Plank asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I mean exactly that. The Wake of Discord. The element of chaos the bleeds into our world and makes life the way it is," Twisted stated calmly.
"That would be the Princesses, you mean?" Summer stated matter-of-factly.
Twisted started laughing. "The Guardians dictating the world! My, you must believe they are the most OCD, manipulative, and cruellest beings to have ever existed!" She said. Her laughter was light and jovial, which caught the two ponies off guard.
"No, the Princesses are... They're..." Plank started, before Twisted cut him off.
"Do you think, the princesses dictate each and every breeze? Every ripple in an ocean? The position of every star in the night sky? What colour you yourself will be upon your birth and what cutie mark will adorn your flank? Do you think they decide every person who lives, dies, lives a life of mundane nothingness or excessive grandeur?" Twisted asked, taking a couple slow steps. "Do you think the princesses, bother themselves with every little thing in this world?"
"Well... No... When you put it like that, I suppose that would be excessive..." Plank said, lowering the rifle.
"Exactly. That would be excessive. Instead, they merely act as something of a dam, to stop the wake of chaos that would send our world into a calamity that none would ever be able to live in. They cannot stop it all, and so the wake bleeds through. That, is, in truth, what dictates this world. The wake that Discord makes as he travels is what causes events in our world. They supply enough consistency for us to function, but without Discord we would be lost." Twisted stated finally, but she knew she didn't convince them.
"Regardless. I helped you, twice. If I wanted you dead, your rifle would give you a chance, but you would likely be dead already. My beliefs, do not change my actions, and I would appreciate you consider that before you make any brash decisions," Twisted finished carefully.
Plank and Summer looked at each other, then Plank frowned, holstering his rifle. "I seem to be apologizing quite often today Miss. I guess you're right, and while I can't say I agree with you, I can respect that you helped us, and you have your own beliefs. If those beliefs are what pushed you into helping us, then they can't be all bad, can they?"
"Well, I would have killed the cultists regardless. It was the child screaming that spurred me into action," Twisted said, readjusting her armour.
"Uhm... Cultists?" Summer asked, tilting her head.
"The... Ponies outside?" Twisted asked, arching a brow.
"Oh! You mean raiders! Never heard them called cultists, before, but If that's what you call them from where you are from," Plank said with a shrug, going over to help with Blitz. "Hey, Miss Visions. Uhm, I would hate to over-reach the boundaries of your generosity, but would you be able to help us with getting back to our town? It's not exactly the safest trip, and I'm going to be tied down with Blitz here," He asked, nodding to the large, brown pony.
"I could use a civilized place to stay a night or two, so I see no harm in escorting you. Here," She said, pulling a length of rope out of her saddlebags and tying it into a harness. Then, she found an old door, laying it down next to Blitz. "Here. Tie the rope to the door, place him on it, and you can drag him easier. This will also let us switch out without having to actually move him," The tall mare explained, using her magic to assist Plank in getting Blitz onto the door.
"It's only about an hour or so from here. Shouldn't take us very long at all," Plank smiled at the maroon mare, before heading off.
The walk had turned into a little more than an hour, but Blitz had been slowing them down. Plank, to Twisted, seemed to be a proud stallion, not wanting her help. She couldn't blame him. She had gotten the feeling that this was his family, and he was just avoiding actually telling her that. She had already intervened on his pride too much, pulling him out of a tough situation, and he was likely trying to regain some of that. It wasn't until she heard a young voice at her side, that she was pulled out of her sentry duty fueled thoughts.
"Excuse me, Miss Visions?" Lily Grove asked, having caught up to Twisted and started jogging along beside her. Her short legs trying to keep up with the long gait of the holy mare.
"Yes, Lily?" Twisted asked, stopping to give the filly a break.
"Are you a paladin?" The filly asked, tilting her head. The question caught Twisted by surprise.
"Oh? Am I a paladin? Tell me, Lily, What are paladins?" She asked, interest in her voice. She knew what a paladin was, but this was a child. You changed the rules with children.
"Paladins are warriors of the princesses! They wear armour, carry swords, and kill bad people to protect the innocent!" Lily smiled, jumping up and down in her excitement at telling Twisted what they were.
Twisted laughed, the sound jovial. "Well my little pony, I would not say I am a warrior of the princesses, but I am a warrior of faith, and that faith is what helps guide me," Twisted explained, waving her head to get the filly to follow as she started walking. "Tell me though, how do you know about paladins?"
The filly followed along, hurried pace making her legs scramble. "Oh! Stories! I do love stories about paladins, and adventure! Saving ponies, fighting evil dragons and monsters. Sword fighting and magic flinging and so much... Adventure!" She shouted, her voice squeaking loudly, bringing another smile to Twisteds face.
"You enjoy stories do you? Do you read?" Twisted asked, trying to slow down her pace without walking awkwardly so the filly could keep up easier.
"No, but my grandpa can! He reads me stories, or tells me stories that he remembers being told when he was a colt. He told me paladins didn't exist! I can't wait to show him a real life one!" Lily exclaimed, running around Twisted quickly, taking her in. "You are so tall! Like the Princesses of old! How did you grow to be so tall?"
That was a good question. "You know, I don't really know. My mother and father weren't particularly tall. I just grew up, but, I was once a very tiny filly like you. With about half the energy you seem to have," Twisted chuckled as the filly ran circles around her.
"So do you mean I can grow up to be as tall as you!" Lily asked, stopping in shock. "Do you think I could be an amazing paladin? Could I really!" Lily asked, hopping up and down on the spot.
Twisted looked down, stopping as the filly did. She liked children, particularly ones like Lily. Unafraid of people, or to speak their mind. "While your height is in the hands of the Wake, my little pony, your actions are your own to make. You decide what fate you wish to persue. It may be hard, and the world will at times seem to want nothing more than to see you fail, if you want to become a paladin, then you need to have the strength to tell the world that your destiny is to become one. Do you understand?"
The filly nodded. "Can I see your sword?!" She asked, typical of a child. The way thoughts and idea's flowed in their minds truely was, beyond nothing else, in Twisteds mind, the most beautiful manifestation of the Wake she could consider. The longer she spoke to Lily, the smile on her face only grew. Contagious, children were.
"While I would think my sword a touch heavy for you, I may have something better suited for you," Twisted said, going into her saddle bag and pulling out a decorative knife. It was small, a little work could make it sharp, but even Twisted knew it was just a very nice decorative peice. There were better weapons out there for sure, but this was a child, and the child didn't need a weapon. She needed inspiration.
So, Twisted kneeled down, holding the knife in her magic. "Lily, before I give you this, I need you to answer a question for me," She said, her tone taking a more serious edge. "If I give you this, you need to promise me, you will only ever draw it when the life of someone who is innocent, or yourself, is in danger. You will take care of it, and you will strive to be the best pony you can be. Can you promise me that?"
The filly was calm, for the first time since they had started talking, looking at the decorative dagger that was being offered to her. The words slowly sank into her head, and after a few very long moments, Lily nodded. "I promise Miss Visions. I'll be the best pony Equestria has ever seen."
"Good. Maybe, if we have time, I will show you how to use it. Only if you're the best Filly Equestria has ever seen for the remainder of our trip," Twisted said, getting up. "Now, I've kept you from your mother for far too long. You should go tell her about your new blade, but remember what I said. Do not draw it," Twisted said, ushering the Filly to run to her mother, which she did. The mare watched as the girl ran, then laughed. "Paladin of Discord... An entertaining title to be sure," She sighed, before going back to scanning the horizon for anything strange.
It wasn't long after Twisted and Lily spoke, that they had made it back to the the settlement previously mentioned. Twisted looked about, and felt it was rather quaint. Not well built, but she could see there was clearly some effort and thought up into the settlement. It was all built around what appeared to be a school building. There was a town not far off, which Twisted personally would have used, but the ability to have land to farm made the spot ideal in the sense of resources. Their return brought a crowd out, most speculating on the mare in the shiny armour.
The whispers of the rumour mill filled the air, but Twisted was used to such things. She was particularly regal, compaired to the industrialism of the groups of soldiers, such as the Steel Rangers or the NPR, or the Savagry of the Raiders. She carried herself, quite literally, like a knight, and while her posture was strong, her smile still shone. It wasn't until a very old pony walked up to her, that she was directly spoken too.
"And who might you do, young lady?" He asked, voice aged well. He was a light purple unicorn, with a dark blue mane, with just a hint of grey going through it. He himself had been aged well.
"Grandpa! She's a paladin!" The excited voice of Lily shouted from behind the tall mare, making twisted sigh in amusment.
"Yes, I suppose that would be a good thing to call me, I suppose. A warrior with a holy mission," She confirmed.
"Hmm, I thought your kind died out quite some time ago," The old stallion said, looking Twisted over. He stopped at the pendant around her neck. The wings of discord around a sword. "Strange... I know that symbol from somewhere..." He said, narrowing his eyes.
This revelation took Twisted by surprise. Someone who knew her pendant? "That is perculiar indeed. My order has not been in Equestria in some time, though we are making our way to help how we can," Twisted said simply.
"I will have to see if I still have the book somewhere, but I will be honest. I recall having mixed feelings about it. Perhaps you may be able to shed some light on it, where I have lacked information," The old pony, explained, but Twisted noticed a slight change in the ponies around them. A touch more concerned. This man, was quite clearly the one they all looked to for guidance.
"Well, then, I would be more than happy to help you shed light on your concerns. If it helps, I have no intentions of causing you or your people harm," Twisted responded, before Lily ran up to the stallion.
"She said I could be a paladin! Like her! She saved us from raiders with her sword!" Lily exclaimed, showing off her knife. Twisted was glad to see she did not pull it out of the sheath. "She was all like hooah! Yah! Hey-yah!" The filly continued, pretending to sword fight. "The cultists didn't stand a chance!"
Summer walked up, taking the knife away from Lily. "I told you not to go doing anything silly with it!" She scolded, to which Twisted frowned. The girl was a child, clearly prone to excitement. The priestess did not approve of the disaplinary action, but wasn't about to say anything.
"You should listen to your mother Lily," Twisted said softly. "Remember what I said about being the best filly," She added, catching a glare from Summer.
"She's my neice, first off, and second I wanted to talk to you about that. How da-" she started, before Plank jumped in.
"Woah now! Take a breath, this can all be settled when we aren't surrounded by everyone else. No need to air out our problems like this," The younger stallion said, standing between the two. Summer, anger clear on her face, while Twisted maintained her calm demeanor.
"Yes, Blitz seems to be in need of some care. Let's settle down, and we can bring this conversation somewhere a little more private. Shall we?" The older stallion said, waving off the crowd. "Nothing exciting to see here, I'm sure you'll all get a chance to meet the... Paladin... Should you wish it."
The crowd murmered and then wandered off gradually. Blitz was taken somewhere to heal, and the elder pony lead the group off to the school house. Twisted followed, but for the time being she wasn't quite paying attention to everything around her. What she was thinking about, was the slight wince Lily had made after Summer's comment. Something... Twisted did not like the feeling of.
Twisted found it strangely ironic, that she was brought to what was once the principal's office for this meeting. It reminded her when she would be scolded as a child in the sanctuary, though right now it was nothing to be laughed about. The wake was throwing a problem in her direction, and she prayed silently she would be able to overcome the issues that had risen. Those issues, primarily, being Summer Breeze. She was dissatisfied with what Twisted had done, and, less knowingly to the rest of the group, had said something which bothered Twisted. At least, it bothered Lily Grove, which in turn bothered Twisted.
"Now, I seem to have forgotten my manners. Miss, my name is Ink Well. I'm the... Leader, of this group, and I apologize your arrival started with us needing to settle an issue, but that is what we try to do here," Ink Well explained, sitting down. The other two ponies sat down similarly, but Twisted remained standing. She knew she was far too gangly and long to look dignified by any means if she sat down. Not that it would help the height issue.
"Of course, my name is Twisted Visions. I am a Priestess of the Followers of Discord," Twisted responded, getting a nod from the old man.
"Yes, I figured Discord had something to do with your faith when I saw the wings on your amulet. Though, your faith isn't really the problem right now, nor do I see it being an actual problem in the future. I still look forward to conversing with you about it, but right now, Summer seems to have an issue with you, that I would like to get resolved as quickly as possible," Ink explained, not commenting on Twisted's failure to sit along with everyone else.
"Look," Summer started, turning to look up at Twisted, who met her gaze easily. "I appreciate you helping us back there, but I really think you overstepped your bounds by giving Lily that weapon and filling her head with delusions that she will somehow become a Paladin. It's hard enough getting her to do her chores as it is, I don't need her swinging around a weapon and hurting someone with it, let along, Celestia forbid, accidentally kill someone!"
Twisted waited a moment, looking to Ink and Plank to see if they had anything to say. It seemed they didn't. Good. "Where you see a childish filly with delusions, I see a filly with aspirations and potential. Though, first I would like to demonstrate something. Do you have the weapon?" She asked, to which Summer presented it.
The tall mare drew the blade from its sheath, and pressed it against her arm, drawing it across. Nothing happened. She did it again, and again, the fourth time drawing it along her neck, before placing it on the desk. "It's effectively a paperweight. I would never give a child a live, ready to use blade without knowing her. It's a decorative knife I found in a town a few months ago," She explained, before turning to Summer. "More importantly, it is a symbol. Your neice wants to be a Paladin. Even I think that to be high hopes, but it is what she wants. I, do not think you see the potential of such a dream, as even if she fails, she will be a better pony for it. Paladins are people of honour and piety, which brings with it a level of humility. They strive to be fair and just in all things, and protect the weak when they are not capable of helping themselves. Something, I did for you not too long ago," Twisted continued, her tone taking on a harder edge as her tone went from defensive to scolding.
"Someday, somewhere, your niece may find herself in the same position I was in not hours before. If her wanting to be a Paladin gets her to save the life of even one innocent pony, or helps her make the wasteland a better place, then I see absolutely no issue in doing a simple, small act to help give her the motivation to do as such," She sighed, looking at the two stallions in the room.
"Third, before I gave her it, I made it very clear that she is not to draw that blade unless she needs to. Unless her or the life of another who is innocent is in danger, she doesn't need it. While you saw a filly being irresponsible with a weapon, I saw an excited filly, doing exactly what she was told to the letter, but let her excitement get the best of her. I saw a child showing more self-control than most children I have met in my life, and while I was impressed, you were upset... Why? Because someone gave her a dull knife? Because someone saw potential? Passion? A young filly who should be raised with making Equestria a better place in mind?" Twisted asked, losing a touch of her composure. A scowl had taken her features, and her gaze had grown very hard, locked on Summer.
"Finally, and most importantly, how dare you..." The priestess hissed, leaning down. "When you corrected me... After I called you Lily's mother... Did you not care about the flash of pain that swept her face? I don't need to know what happened to her mother, but I can only imagine how much that filly looks up to you as her mother, and I can only imagine how often you correct her regardless of the pain it inflicts," She whispered.
The room went silent before Summer Breeze managed to get her wits about her. She looked down and muttered a soft apology, before walking out of the room, leaving only Plank, Twisted and Ink. Twisted watched her leave, then took a breath, plucking up the knife and storing it in her bag. "I will have to return this to Lily. I apologize for losing my composure, but, when it comes to children I have a difficult time letting things go."
Plank let out a whistle. "While, I can't say you're exactly wrong, did you have to be that harsh about it?" He asked.
"Sometimes, a firm hand is what's required. Though I'm unsure if it was a benefit or not that it came from you, Priestess Visions," Ink responded, shaking his head. "Though, something is unsurprising about a holy pony being so blunt about such a thing. Despite my shock that a mare who worships Discord has such a reasonable view of the world. That brings me to my next question. Followers of Discord, can you explain that to me?" Ink asked, turning his attention to Twisted once again.
"We are a religion, that has sworn itself to maintaining the will of the Wake and not allowing anyone to believe they can assist Discord in creating chaos. The Wake does what the Wake will, but there are those who go too far. Cultists, heretics, the like, who take the act of creating chaos and manipulate it. They kill, torture, maim, rape, pillage, and any number of other terrible things all for the purpose of wreaking as much chaos as they can," Twisted explained. "My order has been fighting against them for hundreds of years, and they have always manifested themselves differently. Sometimes, they are deliberate and open. Other times they are blinded to what they are doing. The only thing that is consistent, is they lack remorse, or a willingness to change," She finished.
"Would explain why you call raiders cultists," Ink said simply.
"Yeah, and why you seemed to lack any form of remorse yourself cutting down those raiders from before," Plank added. "That was actually intense. I haven't met a pony yet who was sane and could kill with such effectiveness. It was like you weren't afraid of them, or of losing for that matter," He added, standing up.
"On the contrary, I was terrified," Twisted said, looking at Plank. "I was terrified I would lose, I was terrified that I would die. My faith steadied my blade. As for lacking remorse, I don't. I have those poor souls in my prayers, and I will likely never forget them. I will pray that Discord forgives them of their wrongdoings, and allows them the opportunity in the afterlife to make amends, as I hope he will for the atrocities I commit in his name."
The room was silent, once again, and once again it was Twisted who made it such. Ink Well was the one who ended it. "That certainly explains why I remember mixed feelings about that pendant. Discord being the spirit of chaos, I thought your order would be one that exhibited a similar mentality as him. Though, on the contrary, you seem vehemently against such an idea. It would seem I mistook you and your religion, as a religion based on what you would call cultists. While I am not sold on the religion, I don't feel there are any grounds to be worried about you, or what you may teach. So, you are free to stay here so long as you help out. I think, by saving my daughter and granddaughter, as well as my son in law, and one of our other citizens, you have earned time to relax. Feel free to roam around as you wish, abiding by peoples privacy, and I will see if there is room for you to sleep. Though, I may not be able to provide you with a bed that is suitable for your... Size."
Twisted smiled. "I thank you for your generosity, and I do apologize once again if I caused any problems. I feel Summer may need some time before she is ready to be around me again, but please tell her I think that I believe she can be a good caretaker," She said, taking a step back. "Now, I think I will take you up on that offer to roam around. If you need anything from me, then all you need to do is ask," She finished, leaving the two ponies to themselves. Now she had another thing on her list. Find Lily.
I didn't take Twisted much time to find Lily sitting at the edge of the community garden, looking at the various food plants that grew in it. She seemed down, which was something to expect, given the recent turn of events. Twisted had already assumed many things, and while that was dangerous, pieces of the puzzle could be flipped around easier. Still, she felt bad for Lily and her current predicament, and seeing the filly so down in the dumps made her feel a tad bit worse.
She didn't say anything at first, choosing instead to lay down, keeping her eyes on the filly. Lily's ears twitched at the sound, but otherwise, she didn't move. Good. While Twisted wasn't expecting the worst, it relieved her to know that Lily wasn't completely out of whack. So, she pulled the dagger out of her bag. "Lily, can I speak with you for a little bit?"
The filly nodded her head softly, rubbing her eye with a hoof. She didn't say anything, but Twisted didn't need her to talk. She wanted her to talk, but Lily talking would come on its own. "I understand, how it is you may be feeling right now. It's never easy to look up to someone the way you do Summer, and not have the feelings returned. Sometimes it happens," Twisted explained, shifting up beside the filly, looking down at her.
"People say my mom turned into a bad pony... That mom and dad became raiders and ran off..." Lily said softly, looking at the ground. "Summer has taken care of me since they ran off, since I was a foal..." She said, looking back at the gardens. "Sometimes I think Summer doesn't like me..."
That was information Twisted didn't have previously, and would actually explain a lot. Having a foal forced onto you often cause resentment, no matter how you were related to them. She herself knew how that felt, all too well. "I wasn't raised by my parents either... Not properly, at least," Twisted said. "But see, sometimes the Wake brings us such cruelty, and the only thing we can do is become stronger with it."
"Who were you raised by, Miss?" Lily asked, looking up at Twisted.
"If I tell you, do you promise not to be scared?" Twisted asked, giving a smile. Lily nodded.
"See, I wasn't born in my people's sanctuary. I was born into a group of cultists. My view of the world was wrong, twisted, and vile. Then, when I was about your age, the Followers came and attacked my village," Twisted explained, the mentioning of cultists grabbing Lily's attention.
"You were a cultist?" She asked, turning to face Twisted better. "But... You said there were evil! Why didn't they kill you like everyone else?"
Twisted laughed. "Yes, I was born a cultist, and yes the Followers will often kill cultists, but we will show mercy when we are able too. A mercy they provided me."
"So... What happened?" Lily asked.
"The followers stormed my village if you could call it that. It was a terrible place. I still sometimes dream that I am there. It was terrifying. We didn't have guns, but neither did the followers. Everyone fought, including me, but I was defeated," Twisted said simply.
"You?! But... You're so strong!" Lily exclaimed.
"I wasn't always. The one who defeated me was a Griffon named Bedlam. A very large griffon. Larger than myself, actually. Swatted me to the side as if I were nothing more than a doll. Of course, I was a large bit smaller than I am now. When I had come out of my daze, they had rounded those of us who were still alive up, tied us, and Bedlam walked to each of us. She would ask a question, and immediately after, kill who she was talking too," Twisted said, looking off across the wastelands. "It would have been terrifying, but I... Hated these people. I grew up hating them, thinking that they, instead of I, were the ones with the perverse idea of chaos. That they sought to stifle it, destroy it, while we wanted it to prosper and consume the world. We thought they made a mockery of Discord."
"So... What happened when Bedlam got to you? What did she ask?" Lily asked.
Twisted was silent for a moment, then she sighed. "She asked me, if I regretted the pain and the mutilation I had committed against other ponies. If I regretted all the terrible things I had done..." She whispered, then laughed. "She asked me if I would accept forgiveness, and that if I was forgiven, would I strive to make up for those wrongdoings."
"And... Did you?"
"I spat in her face," Twisted chuckled, shaking her head. "Bedlam didn't like that, but, I was a child. I was a child, and I was scared. I thought I was supposed to hate these people, and it is so hard to turn away from that, but Bedlam saw this. She didn't see this terrible monster of a pony who was out of reach of saving. I was dirty, scarred, lord knows how many infections I had," She continued, the amusement from before vanishing. "The Followers try not to kill children. In the moment, when they pose a threat, often times we don't have the choice. They will attack, and they will try to kill us, often to prove themselves to the others. Though, when subdued, we will try. We will try to help them, and steer them in the right direction."
"So what did Bedlam do?" Lily asked.
"She hit me harder than I had ever been hit before," Twisted said, the smile returning. "And even to this day I still thank her for that. We joked that she hit me hard enough to knock some sense into my head, hard enough to shake loose the beliefs I had that was seemingly set in stone. After that, I woke up in the sanctuary, tied to a bed, covered in bandages."
"And you were better?"
Twisted gave a bit of a face. "Eh, not right away. She hit me hard enough to break everything free, not completely change me. I was still rather violent, very aggressive, snapped at those who tried to help me all through about a year or so. I was a black sheep. Then, the elders decided if I were to stay with them, after failing at teaching me through love and compassion, they would let the Griffons deal with me. I learned very quickly after that..."
"You were raised by griffons?!"
"I was! Sort of. The griffons are often our warriors. They wear massive, thick armours, far thicker and heavier than my own, and they gave me a run for my money on the aggression when I showed it. Bedlam took a very large part of raising me, and was none too happy to do it, which she in turn took out on me. It was hard, and I spent most of my early teens hating her, to the point where I said I would do anything to go back and be with everyone else in the sanctuary proper," Twisted said, shrugging. "There I was taught the ways of the Followers, and over time I started seeing things there way. I started to understand what the world was like. I started to understand the important role chaos played in the world, and how what we the cultists did were wrong. By the time I was in my twenties, I became an acolyte, deticating myself to absorbing every bit of information they gave me. I wanted to learn even more how the world worked, and the more I learned, the more I understood everything."
The two sat in silence for a a minute as Lily absorbed what Twisted was saying. then she looked up. "Miss Visions... How old are you?" It was a simple question. The simplicity, and the directness took Twisted off guard.
"Hmm... I would say, I am... In my fourties? Mid to late fourties, maybe fifty years old?" Twisted asked, as if trying to remember herself. "Time just... Blends together at a certain point. Years pass by faster than you think they do the older you get. At your age, the days seem to drag along. You feel like you have all the time in the world. Then, as you grow up, you don't even realize the day is over until the sun rises to tell you the new one has begun."
"So if you were a bad pony, and then became a good pony... Do you think the followers could make my mom a good pony again?" Lily asked.
Twisted didn't fully know how to answer that. "I couldn't tell you Lily. My age saved me, but perhaps if asked the same question I was, your mother would say yes. If she did, then there would be hope for her."
"When I find my mom, I'm going to ask her that... I'm going to ask if she regrets what she did..." Lily whispered.
"And if your mother says no?" Twisted asked.
"Then I'll hit her, like Bedlam hit you. I won't stop until I break her beliefs..." Lily stated firmly.
Twisted laughed. "Well, maybe that will work, but you have a long way to go before you can do anything like that little one."
"Then help me? Help me like Bedlam helped you?" Lily asked.
"I don't know Lily, I wouldn't want to lead you down a path you might regret in the future," Twisted said simply, looking the filly over.
"You said the Wake made those decisions! You said a pony makes the choice on what path they want to take. What their destiny is meant to be, and they take whatever the Wake throws at them!" Lily snapped back, anger showing in the child for the first time. "I want to choose my destiny, and you're the only one who'll let me! So let me!"
Twisted frowned, then stood up, all under the furious glare of the child before her. "As you wish, I suppose. I did tell you that, it would be wrong of me to go against that. Though, not everything I teach you, or tell you to do, may seem like it is preparing you to meet your mother. Do you understand that?" Twisted asked, looking down on the filly, standing their in resolution. She nodded, almost as if to defy the doubt everyone had in her.
"I do."
Twisted nodded. "Good. Now, run along. I have some things I must prepare before anything else can happen. However, I do have one task for you to complete. It will be hard, but you will feel better for it."
"What is it Miss?" Lily asked, tilting her head.
"Go to Summer Breeze, give her a hug, and tell her you forgive her. Tell her that, and mean it. She tries her best, i'm sure, but sometimes a ponies best isn't enough. We cannot hold that against them," The mare smiled.
Lily frowned, sighing loudly as she looked to the side. "I guess..." She groaned. "Maybe if I hit her really hard..?" She asked, looking at Twisted hopefully. The mare couldn't help but laugh loudly at the suggestion.
"No no, your aunt doesn't need a reality check. She needs to know that you're willing to give her another chance. Of course, I could hit you really hard if you don't think you can do th-" Twisted started, but the filly had already bolted off, shouting about how she would do it. Twisted let out the last of her laugh in a relieved sigh, looking at the rest of the settlement. The Wake certainly did have a weird way of working, but what did she expect from chaos? Normality? Maybe, but that was an existential question for another day.
It had been a few weeks since Lily and Twisted had their conversation, and Twisted hadn't expected to have stayed as long as she had. Of course, she didn't stick around for free. She pulled what weight she could, and she had knowledge and experience that allowed her to bring the settlement to a better quality of living than they had been before. Mostly, she spent the majority of her days scouting around for anything of interest. The town a little ways away had been looked over plenty, but there was a city a couple miles away that she would look at and scout around.
Otherwise, she spent a vast majority of her free time, improving the little settlement. She spent her time teaching the ponies, young and old, how to read, how to write, and as much as she could on how to build some form of infrastructure. Many nights she sat, writing out lesson plans for the coming days, to give her some structure to the chaos the town brought her. She was tired, sore, stressed, but strangely enough, she was enjoying herself greatly. She had, after a very long time, found a place where she could do what she had originally set out to do. Try to make the wasteland a better place, and help the ponies who needed it. Teaching these ponies how to make their situation better was just the beginning of that.
Though, strangely, but partly to be expected, Lily was right at her hooves, close enough to actually trip the mare up on a couple occasions. Twisted always managed to laugh it off, even with the filly apologizing all over herself each time it had happened. Gave the priestess some excitement. A surprise. Something she could almost look forward too, despite looking a fool given how her long legs always seemed to get tangled up in one thing or another. Once, she actually needed one of the gardeners to untie her from a particularly stubborn bunch of ropes. How she got so tangled, was beyond her, but leave it up to a child to cause such a thing.
Today, she was on a patrol, Lily keeping pace as they scanned the horizon. It was something of a project, and by the grace of the town, she had been given a small, portable radio they could listen too. Twisted was quite thoroughly shocked that radio towers were even operational. While it took some learning on her part to use it, given she had never had one, or seen one operational before, she quite enjoyed the music that was played, if not a touch repetitive.
Hello hello hello, ponies of Prince John's! It's your DJ Talon Scratch! I hope you're all having, a glorious, day. Just a typical day in the wasteland, staying out of trouble. News has been scarce, but there have been some whispers about a band of raiders you should look out for. Said to have taken residence on Bell Island, how they got there I don't know, but if they can get there, they can get back. Be sure to keep an eye out on the region, and stay safe. Up next, Mare, I feel like a Stallion, Ow!
"That griffon has quite the talent for showmanship, doesn't he?" Twisted asked as they walked, keeping her eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.
"How do you know he's a griffon Priestess Visions?" Lily asked. Twisted didn't notice when Lily had started calling her that, but she wasn't against it. She looked down at the purple filly, admiring for a moment her golden hair. She never really took the time to appreciate the colours of the girl. Her dagger was fastened to her side in a similar fashion as Twisted's sword, some string doing the trick just fine for the time being.
"Talon Scratch? I would imagine they were either a Griffon or a Diamond Dog. Though, this far north? More likely a griffon. Diamond dogs, even before the war, were particularly uncommon in this region of Equestria, so given that information, I can safely assume that in all likelihood, it's a Griffon." Twisted explained, seeing buildings in the distance.
"And, if you're wrong?" Lily asked.
"Then I am wrong. I reflect on my mistake, and if I cause insult with it, I apologize. Being wrong is nothing to be ashamed of, and without making mistakes, you don't really learn very much," Twisted said, as she stopped walking. Ponygal Cove, was apparently not far from here. It was likely the town she was looking at.
"Something wrong Priestess?" Lily asked, stopping next to Twisted, looking at the town ahead.
"I am contemplating, currently, whether we should keep going, or stay here and listen for anything that could be worrysome. I don't want to get you hurt, after all, and having some distance from the town gives me the ability to slow down anything that might attack us so that you can get away," Twisted said, looking down. "I do have a responsibility to keep you safe, and if I fail at that in any way, you won't be able to come with me on these trips," She added.
"What if we stayed on the outskirts? If anyone is in there, they are probably near the center of the town, and we wouldn't have to worry about being surrounded," Lily said, giving Twisted a moment of pause. She remembered giving the guard a something of a lecture on how to avoid being surrounded on a scouting mission, among other things, but she didn't actually think Lily was paying attention.
"You are correct Lily. Having an idea of where the enemy is, gives you a better chance of keeping an open line of escape, but it could prove to put you in a bad position. We don't know much about this place," Twisted said, looking back at the town.
"What if we only checked out those couple of buildings. The ones closest to us? We'll be closer at least, can better hear what's going on around us, and know if we need to come back with more ponies to scavenge," Lily retorted.
"Look at you. You're proving to be a very smart filly, but something tells me you might be too smart for your own good. Fine, we will check out only those buildings, but remember what I told you. If I tell you to run, you-"
"Run and run and run until I get back home. No matter what I hear, what I see, or what happens to you. I'm not a hero, I'm a filly, and the last place a filly needs to be is in a fight," Lily Grove finished, her tone annoyed. "I know! You told me a million times!"
"Well, a million and one times won't hurt nothing then," Twisted smiled. "Come on, and keep your eyes open. Nothing is too small to tell me about," She ordered, starting to walk. She was uncomfortable with the idea, but she wasn't going to let that make her paranoid. Cooler heads prevailed, and a bit of discomfort in situations like this made her cautious, which in the right amounts was always a good thing.
It only took them a few minutes to get to the buildings. Worn and in ruins, they didn't look usable as shelter. Twisted was beginning to think this was going to be an easy trip, when Lily pulled on her saddle bag. "Uhm, Priestess, it looks like there is a cellar door over there." Of course, there was.
"Alright, we'll check it out, but once we do we are heading home, alright?" Twisted said, starting to walk towards the door. The filly nodded, staying close. The door opened and down below was darkness. Twisted took a breath and stepped down, her horn lighting up with magic to illuminate the place. It looked like an old cold cellar, with all sorts of jars and cans. In the middle, there was a dusty table set with two chairs, but in general, it didn't look like anyone had been down here in years.
"Alright, Lily. Remember what I told you. Keep an ear out, but let's check what we can and keep moving. If you're unsure if something is worth taking, leave it and move on, the next group we send out will do a better job searching," Twisted said as the two of them started looking at the various cans. The next few minutes were quiet, aside from the occasional clang of Lily kicking or dropping a can by accident. The longer they were there, the more worried Twisted became.
"Seriously Slash, you think you saw an Alicorn?!" A gruff, angered voice asked from outside, freezing the two unicorns in the cellar.
"Would you shut the fuck up Bone? You know what the boss said. We see any other Alicorns, we need to get into contact with them!" Another voice responded
"Yeah, and what if this Alicorn turns us to paste? We already got six ponies, if there's an alicorn out here we can get a larger party out here that's better equipped for dealing with them!"
"Yeah, and let someone else take all the glory? Look, they guys got a handle on the others, let's just check it out."
This was very bad. Twisted used her rear hoof to push Lily towards the back wall, gripping her sword in her magic. The second the first person up there showed their face, Twisted would act. It was the longest few moments of her life, and Twisted could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Not for herself. She wasn't worried about that. She was worried about Lily, and what would happen to her if she failed.
A taloned leg stepped down into the Cellar, pushing Twisted into action. With a yelp, the Griffons leg was yanked down the flight of stairs, sprawling out at the bottom. He was ragged, covered in scrap leathers and spiked metal, rusted and covered in dry blood. Twisted's blood boiled. A raider...
Whatever the second raider said, Twisted didn't hear it as she drew her sword, sticking the griffon in the chest with it. Up the steps, and in the face of a pony carrying a pipe gun similar to Planks. Her horn flared as he levelled it, bullets spraying off in all directions as it came into contact with her magic, she cut him down just as quickly. Then she heard shouting in the distance.
"Lily! Run!" Twisted shouted, bullets slamming into the wood around the mare as she tried to keep the filly safe from the gunfire coming their direction. She saw Lily scurry past her, and immediately bolted forward. It was a group, and she could see they weren't all raiders. That wasn't important. She couldn't outrun bullets, and Lily certainly couldn't. Twisted needed to give her time to get far away from here. The raiders were all at the far end of the street the building they had checked out were, and already taking positions. So, Twisted bounded across the street, slipping between two more buildings.
The lack of fences was both a blessing and a curse as she ran up the back of the buildings. She needed to get as close as possible to them, given her sword, and even her magic wasn't very effective at range. Seeing a rifle start to come around the bend, she quickly shifted directions, between another two houses to the street, running even closer, until she came to the house she saw the Rifle from. She was behind them. She got a better look at the captive ponies, but that wasn't her concern. She ran back down between the third pair of houses, coming up behind the group of raiders, and that was when her magic flared once again.
The maroon light, laced with specks of greens, browns, and yellows burst as she tore the gun out of one ponies teeth, bringing it around and slamming it into his muzzle. She didn't count how many there were, but that didn't matter. She stepped up, jamming her sword down under the first raiders collarbone, leveraging it out as she walked to engage the second one. He turned, raising a bat in magic of his own, blocking the mares next strike to the side, bringing it around and hitting her in the side hard enough to rock her off balance.
She barely maintained her balance as she stumbled to the side, her shoulder protesting as she continued to use it. She was fast enough to her shield up as gunfire rained down on her, scattering as usual. Then it stopped, and she saw the raiders start to reload. As hard as she could, she pushed her body forward, bowling past the raider with the bat. She reared up, hitting one raider in the face, landing, then shooting a hind leg out, connecting with the bat raiders jaw.
A sharp pain blinded her for a second, causing her to scream. She looked, only to see a third raider had stabbed her in the side with a knife, and a vicious scowl took her features. A flash, bang, and suddenly the raider who stabbed her's leg blew off, twirling herself and using all her strength to hit another in the chest with her sword, drawing the slash as it connected, spraying blood across the ground and her. She turned back around to see Bat raider levelling himself out and getting ready for another attack. Twisted focused, and he stopped dead as the glow of magic encompassed his head.
Twisted's teeth were set in a firm scowl, grinding as she dumped more and more magic into her attack, watching blood start to pour from the ponies ears and nose, trails tricking from his eyes. His gurgling brought a slight grin to her face, as she stepped up to him. He was struggling, and she watched him. "Do you repent? Do you seek forgiveness?" She sneered, looking the raider in the eye. She waited a moment, then chuckled darkly. "I didn't think so," She said, snapping the raiders neck and letting his body fall to the ground.
Twisted panted, looking at the bodies of the four raiders. The one who she blew the leg off of was already in shock, murmuring about his arm, trying to reach for it with the ruined stump it was once connected too. She walked over to him, sticking her sword into him without flair. She then turned to make sure no one else was around, just to find her looking at a purple filly, with golden hair. "Lily..."
The filly looked at Twisted, then at the bodies. Twisted took a step but the filly matched it. She had no idea how long Lily was watching, or what she saw, but it clearly had an effect. "Lily... I... You..." Twisted started before the filly ran off. She ran to the street, but Lily was gone. This wasn't good, but she couldn't have gotten far. She was about to go looking for her when the mare heard a voice behind her.
"Uhm... Miss?" A pony asked, shaking the chains that had bound them all together. Twisted turned and looked at them. She could see even now they had witnessed what she had done, through the spaces of the buildings. Various degrees of judgement that she was going to have to deal with.
"Of course, a moment please," She responded finally, walking towards them slowly. As she got closer, she was painfully aware of every speck of blood that covered her body. She had forgotten the knife, the pain nothing compared to her concern. Though she could feel it and knew she would have to deal with it, that realization was far from her mind, as she took the chains in her magic, breaking the locks and removing the inhibitors from around the horns of the unicorns.
"Do you want help with that knife? I think some of the raiders had some stimpacks," One of the ponies asked once they were free, approaching Twisted. Twisted gave an absent "Hmm" in response as she looked around for any sign of Lily. Then she felt someone press up against her side, startling her into taking a sharp step to the side. A step, her body apparently didn't like, as her legs buckled from underneath her.
"I have to find Lily..." She slurred, head starting to droop. The knife was starting to take its toll as her body lost the adrenaline it was functioning off previously.
"Yeah, she needs some serious help. Hey guys, come on! We'd still be in shackles if it wasn't for her!" Twisted could hear one of the ponies shout, but everything else was muffled. It wasn't long until all she knew was darkness.
The sound of a fire crackling in the background was what brought Twisted back to consciousness. Her eyes opened slowly, and she lifted her head to look around. It was dark, but she couldn't tell where the moon was. She had a moment of confusion before she jerked up. "Lily!"
"Woah! Okay, you need to relax a little," She heard a mildly familiar voice say from behind her, to which she turned around. A white pony with a grey mane was looking at her, keeping his distance. It was then Twisted noticed her apparent lack of armour, or anything for that matter. She looked at herself, wincing at her body.
"You must have been through a lot. You only see things like that on raiders and their victims," The white pony said, remarking on her scarred body. They were deliberate, carvings of various kinds. Most notable was the heavy scarring over what was once her cutie mark. "It also explains why you had so much on. That armour, then barding, then a body suit under that. I'm sorry I couldn't put you back in it, but I made sure no one else came in here," He added, holding out a hoof. "The name is Band-aid. As you can probably tell, I'm something of a medicine pony."
Twisted nodded. "Where is Lily Grove? A purple filly with golden hair, about this tall," She asked, holding up a hoof to show off the height.
Band-aid nodded his head. "She came out of hiding when she saw we were carrying you off. She grilled us pretty hard to make sure we weren't going to hurt you, that is for sure," He chuckled, putting his hoof down. "She's downstairs with the others, probably eating. She's safe, don't worry about that." He explained.
A wave of relief washed over Twisted as she let out a sigh. "Oh thank the Lord..." She huffed, looking down. "I was worried she might get lost."
"I was about to send some people out to look for her. We saw her run to where you were fighting, tried to stop her but she wasn't listening. Figured she got spooked by what she saw..." Band-aid said, giving a bit of a frown. "You may have given her a fright with that display of yours, but, if I can be honest with you, I'm just glad you were there. Who knows what they would have done with us."
"Admittedly, it was unintentional," Twisted mentioned, looking around the room. "Though, I suppose most of the happenings in the wasteland are. Not that I wouldn't have tried were the situation different."
"I understand, as do the rest of us. So... I suppose you want your clothes and armour back, yeah?" He asked. Twisted just nodded, looking at the door. "It's all over in the corner. I tried to lay it out as neatly as possible. I've gotta say, I'm surprised that knife managed to even scratch you, but I think it slipped between some of the plates. A lucky blow?" Band-aid wondered aimlessly.
"Armour isn't perfect. I was careless, things like that happen in combat," Twisted replied softly, taking up the body suit in her magic and slipping it on.
"I'll leave you too it then, come downstairs when you're ready," Band-aid said, before opening the door and leaving Twisted alone. She stood still for quite a while, left in the dark and the relative silence of the room. She thought about the coming conversation she was likely going to have with Lily. The possible questions, the accusations, even the loss of trust between the two. She didn't doubt the relationship they had been building over the past few weeks was damaged, but Twisted was prepared to do what it took to mend it how she could. The filly looked up to her, and while Twisted wasn't particularly prideful quite in that regard, the fact the filly did so was important.
When she had finally donned all her armour, she took a moment to realize exactly how heavy the set was. The boots, the greaves, the steel barding. It all felt so heavy. Sometimes she wondered why she became a warrior, but every time she remembered why. Because despite all her effort, she was a violent pony. So she steeled herself, standing upright. If not for herself, then for her position, her order, and for Lily Grove.
Walking down the stairs of the house, she saw the glow the fire in what was the living room, and she walked in to see the six ponies, plus Lily grove sitting around a small fire. They all looked at her, the contrast between the supposed Paladin, and these wasteland ponies horrendiously stark. Lily turned back to the fire, which made Twisted's chest clench up, but Band-aid stepped in to end the silence.
"So, Twisted Visions? I hear you are a... Ahem... Paladin of sorts?" He asked, starting up conversation.
"Of sorts. I've never called myself a Paladin until recently, but I am a warrior guided by faith. So, if that is what you wish to call me. Officially, I am a warrior priestess, tasked with being a missionary to the wasteland. I'm here to do what I can to make things better," She said, getting a laugh from one of the ponies.
"Well, keep killing raiders like that, and maybe you'll stand a chance," He said, poking at the fire.
"If that is what I must do, then so be it, but I have been focusing my attention on teaching people how better to survive. The Followers have a sanctuary high up in the north mountains that was untouched by the war. We couldn't intervene, as asked by the princesses, and after the megaspells were dropped, we just didn't have the resources to make an actual aid effort. Even now, a few Missionaries, such as myself, have been all we could afford what with our own battles to fight," Twisted responded. She didn't quite realize how flat and dead her voice sounded, until it killed the conversation. She laid down at the side of the room, looking between the floor and the fire.
Time passed, and slowly all the ponies drifted off to sleep. Having gotten the most rest, Twisted told them she would keep watch, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She thought about her life, everything that had lead her to being right here in this predicament. Her life as a cultist, then when the Followers took her in and worked to rehabilitate her. She knew she wasn't fixed. She would never be fixed. Her thoughts would have continued, were it not for someone wrapping their hooves around her neck. Lily had woken up.
"I forgive you..." She whispered, hugging Twisted a little tighter. "You are a good pony, and you try your best. I shouldn't hold that against you..." She added, nuzzling into the taller mares neck.
The words hit her hard, and she bit her lip. "I shouldn't have gone as far as I did... I shouldn't have let you... See..." Twisted started, before her voice failed her. She hung her head, her mane falling around her face as a silent sob rocked her body. Lily didn't move, she just held her.
"We all make mistakes... You told me that. Making mistakes isn't wrong, it's how we learn, remember?" Lily asked, looking up at Twisted.
The mare shook her head. "Some mistakes can't be fixed Lily... Sometimes, mistakes aren't mistakes. They are just things that are, and sometimes ponies do bad things, and they can't stop themselves. No matter how wrong it is, no matter how aware of it they are, they still do it."
Lily frowned, letting go of Twisted and walking around to stand in front of her. "Twisted Visions, do you regret what you did? Would you accept forgiveness for it? If you were forgiven, would you strive to be a better pony?" She asked. Twisted gave a huff of a laugh, rubbing her eyes with a hoof.
"What if I said no?" Twisted asked, smiling weakly at the filly.
"Well, I guess I would just have to hit you really hard, wouldn't I?" She answered, giving a smile in return.
"For a young filly, you sure are wise," Twisted laughed.
"I guess you're rubbing off on me. Are you going to answer the question, or do I have to start hitting?"
Twisted sighed, nodded her head. "Yes Lily, I regret what I did, and I will always strive to be a better pony. If not for myself, then for you, at least," She said softly, looking the filly in the eye.
"Awe, I was hoping to hit you," Lily joked, before embracing Twisted once again. "But I'm glad you said yes."
It had been a few days since Twisted and Lily had gone off on their scouting mission, and their return was taken with mixed feelings. Some anger, some concern, some just glad they had returned mostly unscathed. Summer Breeze went up and down the both of them about how they should be more careful, but in the end the mare was happy they had returned safely. Though, news had quickly travelled about Twisted and Lily. Band-aid and his group had split off from them the next morning, and they seemed to have no problem telling the story.
Hello hello hello, people of Prince John's! It's your DJ Talon Scratch, and I hope you are all having a glorious day in the wastelands. Today, I have one hell of a story for you, and if you would all do me the kindness of pardoning my vulgar language carrying on from here, I would be much appreciated. So, I've heard of some crazy things in this wasteland, but I don't think I have ever heard of an honest to Celestia Paladin running about! Get this shit, there is a mare, running around in old-school, straight out of a fantasy novel, but hardcore armour, killing raiders with a fucking longsword! I'm not even lying. I heard reports about this lovely lady a few days ago in the rumour mill, and just today, I got a hold of actual eyewitnesses!
They say she is a Follower of Discord, crazy right? Who would have thought anyone connected to the spirit of chaos would be out there offing raiders and saving the good ponies. Here she is though, proving us all wrong! Maybe Discord can do some good, am I right? Add a little, controlled chaos to your life. Shout out to Twisted Visions, and keep up the good fight. If you are ever in Princes John's, stop on by, but till then, I dedicate this song too you. Up next, is Hallelujah!
"Wow... Didn't think you were going to get famous for that?" Lily commented, helping Twisted dig into the garden. They were working on setting up a new irrigation system, to go in tandem with the new latrine hut they were building. growing good crops as a top priority, and Twisted had to explain, a few times, that everything could be used to make a settlement better. No matter how gross it initially seemed.
"I didn't think you would tell them so much about me," Twisted replied, smiling at the filly. She had forgone most of her armour, opting out to just wear her body suit. It made her look strange, the black, thin leather covering her body. It contrasted with her coat, making her stick out even more than her armour did.
"Well, they were curious! Don't worry, I wasn't mean about it. They got a little weird when I mentioned Discord, but once I explained it like you did, they seemed fine with it. You helped them, so they were grateful. Said you couldn't be all that bad if you were killing raiders rather than helping them," Lily said, looking at their work. "So, you said we were going to make, like, troughs to string up, right? Why are we making these trenches?"
"Because," Twisted started, sticking the shovel into the dirt, "We want all the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to get into the soil. So that way, when we empty the liquids barrel, it not only gets to the upper roots but can soak into the dirt and get into the deeper set roots. Of course, we're going to have to wait until next growing season to really get any benefit out of it, so we can really get into the dirt and mix it around," Twisted said, wiping her brow. "Also, I don't mind you telling others about me. So long as you don't go exaggerating my abilities. Last thing I need is ponies thinking I have some kind of divine power," She added, getting back to work.
"Well, if ponies do start thinking that, then you could always just go to Prince John's and talk to Talon Scratch. You are, also, pretty awesome with your sword and magic," Lily said, working away in turn. "By the way, I was meaning to ask. Why does your magic look different from everyone else's?"
"Why do you ask Lily? Do you want pretty looking magic as well?" Twisted teased, giving the filly a sly look.
"No! Well, sorta? It just seems like your magic is different, so I thought I would ask," Lily defended, scowling.
"Fair enough. My magic is different, I suppose. I use it in a different way, I don't try to control it, or tell it what to, and how to do what I want it to do. It makes my spells unstable, but, at the same time, gives me more strength, as I spend less energy controlling the magic, and more on letting it flow. It takes a very long time to learn how to do it right, and you often break a lot of stuff in the process," Twisted explained, putting the shovel down and looking at the work they had done. "It's also very hard to explain. The way I was taught, was to imagine seeing the Wake as it bleeds into this world, and draw from it, rather than yourself. Become a conduit for the energy, and give it suggestions, rather than orders. Get good at it, and you can suggest it to do things, where you usually get the outcome you want, even if it's not exactly how you wanted it done."
"Is that why when ponies shoot at you, their bullets seem to go everywhere?" Lily asked, turning to the mare.
"How very observant of you Lily. Yes, that is why bullets seem to change directions when ponies shoot at me," Twisted said with a chuckle. "I suggest to the Wake to stop bullets from hitting me, and it does exactly that. Stop bullets from hitting me. I generally try not to use it when I am surrounded by people, as I don't want them to get hit either, so in times like that, I will use more direct and typical magic." Twisted said with a shrug. "Everything depends on the situation."
"So chaos isn't always good?" Lily asked, sitting down to rest.
"Whoever said chaos was always good? Chaos is just a way of looking at the world, too much, like with the cultists, is a terrible thing. Too little makes the world boring." Twisted responded.
"So... Does that mean your religion isn't... The right one?" Lily asked, tilting her head. The filly was filled with good questions.
Twisted thought about her answer very carefully. "There is no such thing, in my eyes, as a correct religion. At least myself, and other of my order to not believe as such. We don't know what will happen when we die, or what will happen in life. That is why we call it faith, and not fact," Twisted said, grabbing a bottle of water. "Following the Wake, and believing its tenants are true, is an act of faith. Understanding things that go up, must eventually come down, is a fact. We as ponies can demonstrate this, by dropping items. They fall, we acknowledge they fall, and we carry on," Twisted continued.
"So then why does religion exist?" Another question and Lily was getting startlingly good at them. "If you don't know, then why believe it?"
This was the first time Twisted had been stumped by the filly. "I don't actually have a good answer for that. I suppose it makes people feel better. I know it makes me feel better. Sometimes things can't be explained. What is important, is understanding that your faith, can very well be wrong," Twisted tried to explain.
"Oh... So what if you're wrong? Say, you die, and you are greeting by the Princesses, instead of Discord, and when you see them, they tell you that you were wrong your entire life?" Lily asked, clearly invested in this difficult line of questioning.
"Then, I suppose I will laugh. I will apologize for underestimating how much power they have, and then question why they saw all this to be a necessary course of action. Why ponies get sick, and die. Why ponies suffer, and why, if they truly loved us, would they bring us such a terrible existence?" Twisted said in response.
Lily was quiet for a moment. Her face scrunched up, warning Twisted that yet another question was coming. One that was probably a good one. "What do you think the sisters would say? If that were true?"
It was. Once again, Twisted was set philosophically off balance and thought hard to correct herself. "What would they say? I suppose I would expect nothing less, than how can you appreciate the good in life, without the bad? Regardless of religion, regardless of belief, that is the only thing that remains consistent. Without bad things happening, you cannot appreciate the good things that come to you. We wouldn't appreciate the sun, or the moon, or the stars, if we did not have this cloud cover almost all the time. We wouldn't appreciate our friends and family if we couldn't lose them. We wouldn't appreciate small moments where we can just take a breath and relax if we didn't have anything else to concern ourselves with. I guess it would be a terrible existence." Twisted said, starting to walk out of the garden. Lily followed at her heel, as usual.
"Well, Priestess, if it means anything, I think you're right," Lily said with affirmation. The confidence surprised Twisted, getting a look from the mare of confused surprise.
"Do you? And why is that?"
Lily smiled. "Well, I think about it, and I think about what it is that everyone else believes with the Princesses, and then I think about just not believing in a religion. Thinking about it, at the very least, what you believe is more fun. I figure, if I'm going to believe in something, I may as well believe in something fun, right?" Lily asked, giving a shrug.
Twisted thought about this response, then smiled. "I suppose you are right Lily. I guess if you want to believe in something, it should be something fun."
Hello hello hello, people of Prince John's! I certainly hope all of you are having a wonderful day, but I have some bad news. The reports on this band of raiders on Bell Island have started to grow, and they've started taking ponies by force. No one knows what they are up too on that island, but something tells me, it's nothing good. Keep safe, and if our local Paladin is listening, I don't like to make it a habit of asking for people to do things on the radio, but something tells me ponies in these parts are in need of some faith. My offer to come down is still open, and you know, if you can help us I will be indebted to you. Until then, up next, a personal favourite of mine, and a reminder that I will never give up on you all. Spirit of the Radio!
"It sounds like he really wants to talk to you Priestess," Lilly said, as the two sat under the shade the school provided them. Books and the like were scattered all over, and the two were listening to music while Twisted was teaching her how to read and write.
"It does. I have been thinking about the initial invitation for a while, but I didn't think much of it. This time, I am considering it even more," Twisted responded, looking at the radio.
"I think you should go. You may not be able to solve everyone's problems, but maybe your perspective can help? At the very least, maybe you can offer help similar to the help you have given us here?" Lily offered as a suggestion, which Twisted took. She was a child, and often pointed out things that were obvious, but sometimes perspective made you forget the obvious options.
"I think you are right Lily. I think I will go and meet this DJ," She said with a smile. "And you, are going to come with me, Summer Breeze permitting of course," Twisted smiled, standing up. "After all, what is a Paladin, without her squire?"
Lily's jaw nearly hit the floor at the mentioning of squire. She jumped up, bristling with energy. "You! You really mean it! I can be your squire?!" She shouted, starting to hop up and down. "Does that mean you'll teach me how to be a Paladin! For real!"
"Summer Breeze allowing, yes. I will teach you to be a Warrior of Discord. You have already been learning so much already, so I may as well make it official, shouldn't I?" Twisted asked, the filly running around in excitement. The excitement had just turned whatever Lily was trying to say into excited squeals of laughter before she ran off. She had no idea where the filly went when she got like this, but it was somewhere to squee herself out. She, on the other hand, had a mare to go find.
It didn't take long for Twisted to find Summer Breeze, who was with Plank. The two were together and seemingly married. They did a good job not flaunting it in public, but Twisted had made a fool of herself once or twice, walking into their room at a bad time, completely unused to the idea of privacy from all of her previous places of living. All for various reasons. Lack of care, attempted celibacy, or, a flat-out lack of anyone else around. This time, she knocked.
"Summer Breeze, Pank? It is Twisted Visions, I was wondering if it was okay for me to come in? I would like to talk too you," She said simply, the door being opened by Summer Breeze. Her sunny yellow coat was impossible to miss even a mile away, and even now it was just as striking coupled with her red mane.
"Oh, yes? What is it you need?" The mare asked, stepping to the side. Twisted had noticed that Summer seemed more comfortable allowing Twisted into her room when she wasn't wearing her armour. Probably, because Twisted always looked ready to kill someone, or, just didn't seem like a typical pony. Whatever the reason, it was hers, and it didn't bother the priestess as she stepped inside to allow Summer to close the door.
"It is about Lily. I have come to ask you permission if I may take her with me to Prince John's," Twisted offered, and already she could see there was discomfort in Summer Breeze's eyes. There was something on her mind.
"Oh, yes, I suppose that would be alright," Summer said, nodding her head. Plank was on the other side of the room, and walked over to Summer, leaning up against her comfortingly.
Twisted paused to see if the other two had anything to say, before continuing. "I'm glad. I was also wondering, as I know this cause something of a problem between us previously if you would mind I started teaching Lily about being a warrior. How to fight, how to maintain equipment, as well as the reading, writing, and math I have been working on teaching her over this past while," She said, and she saw the discomfort grow even more.
There was silence as the three ponies stood, Summer, having chosen to avoid eye contact with Twisted, and Plank seeking to comfort her, before looking at the patient mare. "I don't know how to say this Twisted, but we have something... Pretty big we wanted to ask you." Plank said simply, taking a breath.
"We... We want you to adopt Lily..." Summer whispered, seeming to flinch as if Twisted was going to hit her. The Mare made no such movement. She stood, looking at the two, and her mouth was open as she tried to formulate a coherent response to the sudden question. All she managed to get out was a weak, "I'm sorry?"
Plank stepped up. "Me and Summer have wanted a foal of our own for a very long time, but taking care of Lily... We never really felt confident we would have the time to give Lily the attention she deserved, as well as take care of a newborn of our own. We figured, Lily spends so much time with you, and you seemed so keen on teaching her, that you could maybe take over her guardianship. We would really appreciate it if you did," Plank said with a sigh. "I know we haven't given you much, and you've actually helped us and the town so much... I promise, after this, we would never ask you for anything else again. We just want to start a family of our own..." He finished.
Twisted pursed her lips, frowning. It was a difficult question to be asked. Was she even capable of taking care of children? Was she capable of taking care of a child, as a parent should, as well as a protector? She took a deep breath, adjusting herself a little. "That is not my decision to make. While Lily and I are on our way to Prince John's, I will ask her what she thinks of the idea of me adopting her. If she says no, so will I. I will not force a child into a situation she does not want." Twisted said, firmly. She wanted to be clear and concise with this conversation, to make sure there was no confusion.
Plank went to say something when Twisted silenced him with a raise of her hoof. "However, if she says she is okay with that, then we won't come back. I have stayed here, for as long as I have, largely due to her. If I am her guardian, then you will no longer have anything to do with what she does, and her life will be solely my responsibility. You give her up completely because I will not have backseat guardians interfering with what I think is best for the child, should they be mine to raise," She finished. Hypocritical of her, given how the conversation with Lily's grandfather went when Twisted first arrived, but this was a completely different situation. This was a situation where as of now, there was only one outcome that would be best for the parties that mattered.
Twisted prayed to Discord, the Wake, she even threw a request to the sisters for safe measure, that Lily Grove said yes. She wasn't going to lie, she had grown fond of Lily Grove, and while Twisted was worried that she may not understand how to be a parent properly, there wasn't a filly she could think of in Equestria, she would rather find out if she could than Lily.
Summer Breeze nodded. "You have our word. Lily looks up to you more than she ever did me, and I already know I wasn't the best parent to her. I want her to be happy, and if anyone has a chance to do that, it's clearly you Priestess Visions," Summer Breeze said, hanging her head.
Twisted nodded. "Well, then I suppose that is the end of this conversation, isn't it?" She asked, turning to the door. "If it's any consolation, I hope she says yes," She added, turning and leaving the two alone. Now she had one other stop to make, purely to pay respects. Part of her hoped Lily would be there and this could be made so much easier.
Part of Twisted was still wondering if she would be a capable guardian for a child. By definition, a warrior priestess often got into trouble. Even the Lord permitting, his wake could end her life in a snap, leaving Lily alone in the wasteland to fend for herself. Worse yet, this option could open Lily up to the wake ending her life far to soon to be reasonably fair.
But that was the nature of the wake, and of chaos. It did not worry about things such as fair or unfair. Good or evil. The wake simply was, and all were caught in it, left to play the hand they were dealt. One could not reasonably be angry at it, and even if they were, what good would it do?
All one could do, was making the decisions they thought were right, and as of the moment, Lily agreeing to have Twisted as her guardian was by far the best course of action, for most parties. Now was the simple act of speaking with her grandfather. The man was old, and while she had told Summer that she would be asking Lily on the way to Prince John's, she was not cruel enough to do such a thing to the old man who clearly cared for the filly so much. No. He had to know. The wake did not care for fair or unfair, but Twisted did, when she could afford it.
So, she eventually found him, and Lily. The filly was speaking to the man rapidly, barraging him with the information she had received. This must have been what Lily did when she ran off in excitement. How Twisted didn't realize this sooner was beyond her, and made her feel a tad dull in her age.
It only took the pair a moment to notice Twisted standing there. She had made a detour to don her armour, and gather up enough supplies for the both of them, as well as a saddle bag for the filly.
The way Ink Well looked at her spoke volumes. It was a look that only age or experience could muster. Acceptance. Twisted stepped closer, Lily having gone quiet as she looked at the two.
"I suppose Summer and Plank already spoke to you?" The mare asked.
"Who do you think gave the suggestion?" He asked in return, giving a smile. "It's been hard on them all, and I've just grown too old to help much anymore. I couldn't have hoped for a better pony to take it on."
"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, looking between the two. Couldn't be a better time.
Twisted kneeled down, looking at Lily. "Little one, I have a very large question to ask you, and I need you to think very hard about it. More than you have thought about anything before. Do you understand?"
Lily nodded slowly. Twisted thought about how asking a filly, no more than 8 years old, to make such a decision, was cruel in its own way. A child often didn't know what was best for them, that was the job of the guardian, to a degree. Just such a degree was valid in this situation, and yet Twisted was still providing the option.
"I was wondering," Twisted started, taking the route that allowed Lily to focus on her, rather than all the other variables that could potentially cause upset. "If you would like me to become your guardian. I have spoken with Summer Breeze and Plank, and your Grandfather, but I didn't know when to ask you." Twisted said, keeping her tone level.
Lily tilted her head. "You... Want to be my parent?" She asked, her voice unsure. Twisted just nodded, staying silent. Lily furrowed her brow in thought. "Do Summer Breeze and Plank not want me anymore?" She asked. Twisted's plan clearly didn't work.
"It's not that sweetheart. They just want what makes you happy, we all do," Ink Well stepped in, looking down at Lily. "We see you around Twisted every waking hour, and you've been so much happier and alive spending time with her than we have seen you in a long time," He added, kneeling down next to the filly in turn.
"Though, the question is bigger than that. As I told your family, much of the reason I have stayed around so long is because of you, but I can't stay here forever. Even now, I am being asked to go to Prince John's, and from there who knows where. The wasteland is a big place, and it is by no means glamorous, but after being alone so long, I would love the company if you were willing, and I could even teach you how to be a Paladin even better than I could here," The mare added. Unfair. Twisted felt terrible how unfair she was being, using the filly's hopes and dreams to push her into joining her.
"You do want to be a Paladin, don't you?" Ink Well piped in, catching Twisted by surprise. It seemed she wasn't alone in her thoughts because she could see how fake the smile was. The two of them wanted what was best for Lily, and Lily's supposed guardians wanted their own life. No one could be blamed, as this was the hand everyone was dealt, but there had to be harm in trading cards in just such a way.
Lily frowned, rubbing her hoof into the dirt. It was a slow action as she drew imaginary circles. Then she looked up. "Could I call you Mom?" She asked. It was such a simple question, but it hit Twisted like a rifle shot to the chest. She never had a foal of her own. No lack of trying, but it turned out she simply couldn't. A side effect of her life before the Followers.
"Lily, I..." Twisted started. This moment seemed a little too... Perfect. Too picturesque. It was strange. "Why?" Twisted didn't want this to be a hollow question, for both of their sake.
"Well... Mom's are supposed to teach you things and take care of you. They make the world a better place, and, well... They love you..." The filly said, looking away at this point.
Twisted was speechless, jaw working, but sound failing to exit. How? She didn't understand, how a child, could say what was quite possibly the most perfect thing to say, to such a difficult question. Ink Well came to her rescue, once again, as she rubbed at her eye.
"I think, Twisted liked your answer Lily," Ink Well said, a real smile taking his features as Twisted just nodded.
"So... I can?" Lily asked, looking at Twisted now.
Twisted nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yes, my dear, I could not, and would not dare, come up with a reason as to why that would ever be a problem," She said, pulling the filly close. "Especially if that would make you happy," Twisted added, placing a meaningful, but slightly hesitant kiss on her head. Not out of not wanting to do it, but out of a confused fear. Twisted found herself lacking knowledge of what to do. New territory. She was not unaccustomed to children, but she had never really taken this much time with them. Sure, she could teach them how to fight, or, as she said before, teach them how to take care of their equipment and the like, but those were hardly children, and required a basic understanding that you do not hand dangerous objects willy-nilly to people who lack experience. She barely skirted the line there with Lily's dagger, but... It didn't matter now.
"Right, I think I will leave you two alone now," Ink Well chuckled, starting for the door, before Twisted stopped him.
"Wait. I think I should leave you and Lily alone. Her and I will have plenty of alone time once we leave." Twisted said simply. "It may be some time before we come back around here. Perhaps even years, but I promise we will return the Wake allowing," She said, standing up and smiling at the two. "I have more things I need to do, and honestly I wasn't quite expecting well... Exactly how this conversation went. I will be outside waiting," She said, leaving the two along. She didn't want to intrude on the two for this, as while that moment was quite special, Twisted had a long way before she felt she deserved.
The two ponies, Twisted, and Lily, had been walking for about a day. A lot had happened the day previous, but the world was ever in motion, and as much as Twisted personally wanted that moment to last forever, the Wake would not allow such things to happen. However, it would always be a fond memory, and it reminded her of her conversation with Lily. She appreciated the moment so much more because now, it was gone.
"P, R, I, N, C, E. Prince!" Lily said, answering Twisted's question to her. They were once again working on reading and writing, and Twisted had been drilling Lily on spelling for the past few hours.
"Very good my dear. Though, I think that is enough spelling for today. As eager as you may be to learn, we all need time to rest," Twisted said, pulling the radio out of her saddlebag. Ink Well had let them keep it, which was a thoughtful gift. It provided them both silence, without there actually being silence, something Twisted had been teaching Lily to savour passively. She let the music play, and they both walked, letting it fill the void so they didn't have too.
Hello hello hello, people of Prince John's! It's me, your DJ, Talon Scratch! I hope you are all having a wonderful day in the wasteland. This just in, raiders have been found camped out in Sunshine park. If you were looking to head in that direction, I would say don't. To all you travellers, I deticate this song too you! Life is a highway!
"Have you noticed, he doesn't talk about you very often. You would think, for someone who wants to talk too you so much, he would try to get your attention as much as possible," Lily commented, making Twisted smile. The silence was good, thought-provoking questions were better.
"Well, think about it. He is a pony of position, Lily. Like me, if you will. How would you feel, if I sounded like I always needed someone else's help?" Twisted asked, looking down at her now adopted daughter.
"Well, I guess I would be scared... Or I would try to help you, but probably scared," Lily replied, looking at her hooves.
"Yes, you would likely be scared my dear, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. Though, tell me. What do you think would happen to everyone in the area, if he always sounded scared?" Twisted asked, chuckling. "They would also be scared," She continued. "And if people are scared, people do brash things. If lots of people are scared, any semblance of society can be lost. Riots, most predominantly. His job is to stop that, which is why he is selective of when he asks for me," The mare finished.
"So, do you think he expects you to show up?" Lily asked. "Like, he asked for you, and offered a reward and everything!"
"I take him for a smart griffon. That means I don't believe he thinks I will show up. I am sure, actually, that if he mentions me at all, it will only be a few more times before he gives up. He has enough listeners, and I am distinct enough, that he likely doesn't need to actually call for me over the radio all the time. Someone is bound to see me, recognize me, and through conversation, tell me he wants me for something and will offer me a reward. He doesn't need to work hard to get people's attention, which means he also won't work hard to do it, because he has so much else to do. Thus, if I don't show up, he will lose hope and carry on with life," Twisted explained.
Lily was quiet as she thought about what was said. "So, we are going to surprise him?"
"I hope. It would be nice to make a typical day exciting for someone, don't you think?" Twisted asked, chuckling. "Part of me thinks it would be funny if we interrupted him during a segment. Put on some flair, do something holier than thou, or some such act. what do you think?"
"I like you how you are, mom. I don't think you should act. It might make ponies think you're just one of the regular preachers who yell out on the streets, rather than an actually important and smart pony," The filly answered, shocking Twisted with how dry the comment was.
"My, I wouldn't say those ponies are unimportant... Just... Maybe misguided?" Twisted offered.
"They yell at ponies telling them they will all burn in Tatarus if they don't take their point of view," Lily answered dryly.
"Fair point," Twisted smiled, shaking her head. She didn't think the child would be that dry about things, but of course, everyone had their moments. The uneventful part of their journey was, however, coming to an end. Twisted could see a city on the skyline. It wouldn't be long until they arrived. Twisted simply smiled. "Well then Lily, the first stretch of our adventure is almost over. Now, we get to the fun part."
"I can't wait! Though, I was meaning to ask you, what do you want me to call you when dealing with ponies we don't know?" Lily asked.
"What do you mean?" Twisted said, confused by the question.
"Well, you're a High Priestess of Discord, and a Paladin! It would be weird to have a little filly calling you mom all the time. Would take away from... the... the... awe-inspiring presence you have!" Lily said, trying out some of her new vocabularies.
"Hmm, do you think so? I figured being viewed as a mother would make me seem more personable. I'll tell you what, know that you can refer to me however you wish, at any moment. You choose when it would be appropriate. How does that sound," Twisted asked, before smiling slyly. "Or, is this just because you want to be called a squire?"
"Hey! That's not fair! I know I'm still your squire! But... Sort of... I am still really excited for being your squire, and while being your kid is even more amazing, I still kind of want to live that squire title..." She sighed.
"I can understand that. Well, if you would like, I can refer to you as my squire for impersonal social situations, and as my daughter for personal ones."
"Deal!" The filly squeaked out, causing Twisted to shake her head. Children. So adorable sometimes.
The streets in Prince John's were certainly, and far more noticeable active than the actual wasteland. As Twisted and Lily walked along, they saw quite a few ponies walking around, scavenging for supplies in the various buildings. Twisted wouldn't have called Prince John's a large city, but it certainly had its qualities, and it was, as far as she knew, the largest city in the area. Most of the ponies they ran into just looked at them in passing, but none so far stopping to bother them. The mare, however, could see that there was the faint glint of recognition in the eyes of many who saw them.
It didn't take long for someone to have the courage to approach her, a young colt running up to them. "Oh my Celestia! It's you!" He shouted from a building, marking his presence to the two ponies as they walked down the road, scrambling out. "They said you weren't going to come!"
Twisted smiled, remarking on the giggle Lily let out as the scrawny colt got closer. "Yes my little pony, how can I help you?" She asked, stopping.
"Help?! I no ma'am! I personally don't need any help, but you have to be Twisted Visions! DJ Talon Scratch talked about you! Are you here to talk to him?" The colt asked.
"It seems my reputation precedes me far more than I had expected," Twisted said coyly, looking at Lily.
"I think you had a feeling someone would talk to you High Priestess, don't lie," Lily giggled, covering her mouth with a hoof.
"Now now, I am fully capable of being wrong!" Twisted defended with a laugh, turning back to the Colt. An earth pony. rather plain, all things considered. His colouration reminded her of Plank.
"Wow... When they said you wore armour, I kinda thought it would be something a little more... thrown together, but wow was I wrong! It's so cool!" The colt exclaimed, walking around Twisted to take her in. "And you're so tall too! I wish I was that tall!"
"Being tall is more of a detriment, than a benefit, all things considered," Twisted replied simply. "Makes you easier to see, and provides fewer places you can adequately hide should you need too. Though, I suppose my armour does end any chance of hiding. I figure if I am going to be visible, might as well make a statement in doing so," She explained.
"So, did you really kill a group of raiders using just your sword? Freeing a bunch of prisoners? I heard you almost got cut open, and you still managed to kill them, free their prisoners, and heal yourself with divine powers!" The Colt asked, giving Twisted some insight on what it was people said about her. Divine powers. something she wanted to avoid the impression of.
"I remember the exchange you're speaking of. I will say that what actually happened was far less flattering than that. I got stabbed, yes, but unfortunately, no holy powers or divine intervention. The Wake does not work in as direct a way as ponies might believe," Twisted responded, hoping she ended the rumour of divine powers right there, without crushing the colts hopes.
"Then how did you get away if you didn't heal?" the colt asked, tilting his head.
"Good ponies helped her out after she freed them," Lily stepped in with a smile. "We came here to answer the DJ, actually. He said yesterday he wanted to see the High Priestess yesterday on the radio."
"Oh, that's awesome! Can I take you to him? He's up at the old University. Ponies turned it into a settlement, and it's pretty hard to get into, but I'm sure the guards will let you past! Not every day someone is invited to go see Talon Scratch!" The colt offered, looking hopeful.
Twisted shrugged. "I see no reason why not. The wake brought us together, so it seems only fitting. By all means, lead the way."
"Right away Ma'am! I'm Tempo by the way! At least, that's what people around here call me!" Tempo said, before walking off. "Follow me!"
"Wow, you were right, mom. Someone did come to point you in the right direction," Lily said once Tempo was out of immediate earshot.
"Well, the Wake may be unpredictable, but ponies are not. When you meet them is just often a surprise," Twisted said, looking down at Lily. "So, as a lesson, I want you to be my eyes, alright Lily? I can't be looking around all over the place, but you can without getting suspicious stares. Remember, nothing is too small to tell me about. If there is something of interest, or, something that makes you nervous, let me know. It's an important job Lily," Twisted smiled.
"I won't let you down!" Lily smiled back, following along.
It didn't take long at all for the group of ponies to reach the university. Walls had been erected out of wood and sheet metal, and Twisted could only wonder how much in the way of resources went into building it. Even to her, it was massive. Of course, it was still a deterrent, rather than an actual wall. She didn't doubt someone could get through it with enough effort. It was a wall, but it was no fortress wall.
The three walked up to an opening, guards armed and wearing old military gear. Nothing like the Steel Rangers, but enough. It had a more modern look than her own armour, which she could also appreciate. One thing she appreciated greatly, were the rifles pointed at them all of a sudden. This was a strange turn of events.
"Memorial City is closed! No new entries until further notice, now get back!" The guard closest to them ordered. They weren't playing games.
Twisted was about to turn when the colt took another step forward. He was either an idiot or, was used to dealing with this.
"Woah, Woah, Woah! Don't you know who this is?" The colt asked, his voice laying on the 'I'm offended' tone very thick. "Don't you see who you are pointing a gun at? Do you realize what it is that you're possibly putting at risk right now?"
Twisted stared at the colt, as did Lily, both in a state of confused shock. "That is certainly... Dramatic, Tempo, but is it really necessary?" Twisted asked, tilting her head.
Tempo turned around, gasping loudly. "Oh, I am so sorry!" He started, the guards slowly lowering their rifles in their own confusion. "I honestly did not expect such... such... Disrespect!" He shouted, giving Twisted a wink with his back turned to the guards.
""Oh, that's his game," Twisted thought, giving Lily an unsure look. The filly seemed to catch onto the game as well, as she stepped forward, similarly indignant look on her face.
"How dare you!" She shouted, scowling. How children could act like this was beyond Twisted's comprehension, as she had met many an actor who, even with cutie marks in the skill, lacked the convincing nature of these two. "This is High Priestess Twisted Visions! Paladin of Discord! DJ Talon Scratch personally asked for her to visit him and you point guns at her?!" She continued, voice pitching like a tea kettle.
Twisted brought a hoof to her forehead. Act or no, this seemed far too over the top. "Seriously, this isn't necessary. I'm su-"
"Your modesty is wasted on these two plebians Priestess! I guess the uncultured rabble they have guarding the door has jeopardized the wasteland!" Tempo cut off, earning him a glare.
"Uh, wait. What?" The second guard asked, looking at the first. "I wasn't informed of any meetings. There was a meeting today? What do we do? Do we let her in?"
"Dude, you're buying the act of two children?" The First asked, looking at the second.
"At least I'm not the only one" Twisted sighed internally.
"Look at her! Sword, fancy suit of armour, legs for days?" The second argued.
"I am right here!" Twisted exclaimed, throwing up a hoof.
"Yeah, you got a point..." The first guard agreed, ignoring Twisted and turning back to the trio. "Fine, we'll let you past, but cause any trouble and you'll wish you just walked away now, got it?"
"I already wish I just walked away," Twisted dead-panned, rolling her eyes. That was an experience she didn't want to relive.
"Oh, and tell your brat if he calls me a plebian again I'll make him eat dirt!" The guard shouted at them as they were walking into the university.
"Quite honestly... Never mind. I'll be sure to relay the order," Twisted sighed, having many things to say, along the lines of 'Have him.' Still, it got them in. The University wasn't particularly grand, anything that was left was only the most rugged of the buildings. Still, it was quaint. Ponies walked around and went about their days, only giving Twisted glances as she walked through.
Wandering around, it wasn't hard to find the radio station. It was a door, with a large banner reading "DJ Talon Scratch" on it. Twisted looked down at Lily, then smiled. "Well, after that show, I would rather not have another spectacle, so why don't we turn on the radio, shall we?" She asked. It only took a moment, before the DJ's voice started filtering through.
-wait any longer. Reports are coming in all over the region of raiders. I don't even think I could call them that. I've never seen anything this bad. The reports keep getting more and more violent. Stay safe, stay inside, and if you see anyone who looks like a raider... Do what you have to do to stay safe. Enough with the depressing. How about a local classic for today? Up next, Ordinary Day!
The three stood silently as the upbeat song started playing. Tempo was out of the loop Lily and Twisted had, but he could stay that way.
"I think panic has started to set in..." Lily said softly.
"I'm starting to think I'm more familiar with this issue than I thought," Twisted responded, before raising a hoof and knocking on the door. There was a commotion on the other side, muffled shouting, growing louder.
"What did I say about bothe-" The griffon's face fell as he looked at Twisted, "During... Work..."
The first thing the mare noticed, was that he was comically small. He wasn't much larger than the colt. Child, or proportionate dwarf. Either or, she towered over him.
"Holy Celestia..." Talon said, stepping back. "I-I didn't think you would actually show up," He continued, taking in the Priestess fully. "Okay, this is going to need an interview. This is totally going to need an interview! Oh my Celestia you actually showed up!"
"Yes. I heard your request the first time, contemplating it but passed it off as you desire me to be here as a novelty. Then I heard your second request had more... Something more of a plea for help. One that I want about to ignore without serious consideration as to why. Though, I would rather not yet another spectacle being made of my presence. These two just worked together to make me sound rather pretentious to your guards after they refused us entry," Twisted sighed, looking down at the two, then back at the griffon.
"Yeah, well, if it got you in then good on them. They look tough but our guards aren't the brightest lot. Though, probably because no one wants to be the first one shot at," Talon sighed, shaking his head. "Interview though. Are you okay with getting on the air with me?"
Twisted frowned at this idea, looking at Lily. "I would like to find someplace safe for my squire to stay before I make any decisions."
"Squire? She can sit in if it would make you more comfortable. Plus, your like a knight, so why not have the squire tag along. Maybe I'll have some questions for her, but your the focus." Talon responded, before looking at Tempo. "You with them?'
Tempo shook his head. "Nope, just lead them here."
"Nice! Thanks for the help, feel free to wander around, just don't mess around," Talon offered, nodding his head to get Twisted and Lily to follow.
"Hello hello hello, people of Prince John's! This is your DJ, Talon Scratch and boy do I have a treat for you!" Talon started, getting right into the action. He wasn't just sitting behind a mic, shouting, he was animated. The confident grin on his face bled into his voice well.
"Now you all may remember me talking about a story of a mare wearing armour, killing raiders with a sword, and doing it all in the name of chaos. Well, after a couple tries, and some looking, I finally have her right here in my studio, and I have to say she is not what I was expecting at all. Before I get her on the mic, let me just paint up a picture for all you good fillies and colts."
"Let me just start by saying, she's the tallest pony I have ever seen with my own two eyes. She is tall. I'm talking standing in a crowd and most of you would probably come up to her shoulder. Maroon coat, black mane, and some of the prettiest blue eyes I have ever seen, I just have to say,' He said, shooting Twisted a wink. He was cocky behind a mic, and Twisted was quite flattered, but she was left wondering how much was showmanship, and how much of it was genuine.
"Then, the armour. So, I made the comment that this mare is crazy for taking on bullets wearing it. I need to redact that statement and provide an adjustment. This mare is crazy for just wearing it. Forget the bullets. This stuff is thick, with a capital T H I C K! It is gorgeous though. I like the purple and the dark grey hue it has. Very flattering."
"Thank you, Talon Scratch," Twisted smiled, shaking her head.
"Now, Twisted Visions, if I may call you that of course. You are a Follower of Discord. Not a lot of ponies would admit to following the spirit and lord of chaos himself. It sets ponies off, makes them uncomfortable. You're in a Celestia State here I must say, and most cringe when they hear mention of Discord. So why don't you tell me a little bit about that? You have this faith, why don't you help my audience figure it out and make their own conclusions."
"First, yes, I suppose you may call me Twisted Visions. Second, I am a Follower of Discord. I am a High Priestess and warrior from a Sanctuary much further to the North, in the mountains. However, what my faith is, is strange. See, we use the term 'Follower' quite literally in describing ourselves. We follow in his wake, so to speak," Twisted started, Talon raising a hand.
"Like the wake of a boat?"
"Exactly like the wake of a boat."
Talon nodded. "So, keeping with the boat analogy, what would be the water? Discord was trapped in stone over a thousand years ago by the elements of harmony. He isn't going anywhere, and some say his statue is still out there, Celestia only knows where. So what is he moving through?"
"We don't know," Twisted responded simply. "The easiest way of visualizing it, is that he is moving through time, just as we are, but with time being a dimension of this physical wor-"
"Woah there! Stop. Dimensions? Are we talking other world stuff here?" Talon asked quickly.
"No. Dimensions of Reality. How we observe the world around us. A picture is viewed only in two dimensions. Length and height. We visualize, in three. Length, height, and depth. We experience, in four. Length, height, depth, and time. After four is where we get into some weird stuff, but this was all fairly widely accepted pre-war as far as the scientific community went," Twisted smiled, shaking her head.
"Oh, alright, I can get that. So, Discord flies through our... Experiences?"
"He flies in the dimension that allows us to experience, yes."
"Alright. You're sounding pretty book smart, and there aren't a lot of books out in the wastelands so I wanted to make sure everyone understood that. Please, carry on," Talon said, leaning back in his chair.
"Yes, so, Discord flies through Dimensional Time, which we can't see but can experience. As he does so, like a boat creating waves in the water, he creates waves in reality. These waves, are in essence, what causes things to happen." Twisted continued.
"Now, I'm sure there are a few Celestia loving ponies out there who just had a stroke. Celestia and Luna are Gods, they choose what happens through divinity and all that. What do you have to say to that?" Talon asked.
Twisted laughed lightly. "Funny you should mention that. Celestia and Luna knew we existed for some time, and were highly respected by our order. We called them the Guardians of reality. They brought with them rules, and the order ponies require to function and survive. They did not however dictate everything that was to happen at any given time. The amount of things that are happening all over Equestria at any given time is just far too varied. I doubt the Princess's would spend the time choosing every persons name, the colour of their coat, the sound of their voice, what they are particularly good at, who their friends and enemies were and so on. I don't think they would choose our personalities, likes, dislikes, just as much as I don't think they would choose how each ripple in a puddle acts, where every animal eats, and who lives and who dies. They have more important things to see too, like protecting us from the Physical Discord."
Talon was silent for a moment, trying to take all that in. Then he shook his head. "What?! I'm sorry, but did you just say protect us from the physical version of your main deity? You want protection from the god you worship?!"
"Yes. So much so that a thousand years ago when he turned Equestria upside down, quite literally in many cases, we the Followers were on Celestia's side. We did the research, we provided safe haven to those in need, and gave the Princesses a place where they could plan and coordinate against him. We didn't quite have time to mobilize the second time he appeared, but we were prepared to act again," Twisted confirmed.
"Kay, but why though?"
Twisted smiled. "Discord, is a being of chaos. When the world becomes too chaotic, people can no longer survive. His presence in our physical reality is a sign of our destruction, and the only way to stop that is to tip the scales in favour of order. If order is getting out of hand, which we have no actual proof of happening, then we will tip the scales in favour of chaos. In reality, what I believe in my faith, is just a different way of looking at the world. I do not look to the princesses to dictate my life, as I am the one who dictates my life. I make my choices, but the Wake, which is actually what we worship, to clarify that now, gives me obstacles that I must overcome. I have no control over anything, but what I myself do at any given time, and it does what faith is meant to do. Provide comfort."
"That is some pretty heavy stuff there Twisted Visions. I see where you're coming from, and I gotta say, it makes a lot of sense. Though, let's get onto the here and now for a moment. Before anything else, I want to know. What are your plans in the area? Like, why are you here? Going to preach to everyone?" Talon asked.
"No, Preaching is a waste of time, and only serves to be a burden on society. Not only that, but we do not like preaching. The Wake will bring you to us, and we will react how we can. My very squire became such not because I came to her, but because she came to me. Instead, I will simply do what I can to help people in the area, and try to increase the overall quality of life." Twisted explained.
"Damn, okay, I gotta give the followers that, if nothing else. Thou Shall not preach upon ponies who could give less a damn! Well, I'm sure the area could use plenty of help. You sound like a smart mare coming from a place with far more resources than most the wastland, so I strongly advise those of you listening, if this mare is talking, listen. She may say something religious at times, but I'm sure she's got a lot of useful information in that head of hers, ain't that right Lily?"
Lily gasped loudly, having been sitting quietly the entire time next to Twisted, looking very much like she wanted to say something. "Oh my gosh! Yes! She taught my settlement how to fight, hide, the basics of literacy and math, and even how to build a latrine that also doubles as a compost bin! She fought raiders, and all sorts of cool stuff!" The little filly said, her voice pitching in her excitement.
"Sounds like she has a lot to offer, but regarding that killing raiders bit. Before we wrap this up, I have two final questions. Number one. We are amassing a raider problem real fast. If I offered you caps to deal with problems as they come up, would you and how many caps would be required? That's one question by the way," Talon chuckled.
"I see no problems in that. I'm not here for fame and riches, so I suppose enough to survive off of? Realistically my only requirements would be a safe place to sleep, and food to eat," Twisted said
"Alright, then how about this. I will personally, provide you with a house in Memorial City, so long as you are reasonable in following directions. Starting right now. On top of that, every raider you kill will get you five caps. Enough to get a couple good meals around here. What do you say?"
"Sounds like a reasonable offer I suppose."
"Great, second question. Are you single?"
Twisted just laughed at that. "Yes, I am, but no, I am not looking," She sighed.
"Well, that answers that for anyone who might be listening. Alright, everyone, this has been a blast, but all good things must come to an end. You see this mare, lend her a hand. Don't ask her to marry you, and I pray for your sake, don't be a raider. That ends that, and today I'm feeling a little selfish, so I'm going to end this off, with I want it my way!" Talon shouted, pulling a record from a shoving unit and placing it onto a turntable, the music starting to play. Twisted blinked, wondering what she should do.
"You can talk now hun, mics are off, it plays through the turntable," Talon Scratch smiled, standing up and letting Twisted walkout, followed by Lily, coming out last himself. Nothing had changed outside, no one was waiting, not many people seemed to care.
"Strange. The way you made it sound, people actually... Cared about what I had to say, not that I particularly have an issue with the distinct lack of anyone trying to talk to me, but..." Twisted said, arching an eyebrow.
"That's cause of two reasons. No one in Memorial City actually listens to my show, and those who do, won't care unless you affect Memorial city. I am a voice for the people outside the city. I've got enough pull and such in here to get people inside, and my show brings plenty of trade opportunities to us, but other than that? They like the music and wish I wouldn't talk as much," Talon chuckled, running a claw through the plume of feathers on his head. "Honestly, people are likely freaking out further away from the city you get, especially knowing you're going to be taking missions from me to deal with some raider problems. I'll have your first one in a few hours, till then, I'mma drop you off at your new pad."
Lily and Twisted sat in a small shack, quietly listening to the radio. Twisted had removed her armour and sword, and the two were currently working on maintaining the two items. The armour, being less dangerous and requiring the least amount of fine work was the only think Twisted was allowing her to deal with. She was rubbing a tallow-like fat into the scratches with a dowel covered in soft leather, while Twisted worked on sharpening her sword.
It was tough work, work which Twisted often spent thinking, and was trying to teach Lily to do the same. Twisted was specifically trying to think of ways to keep Lily safe. Ideally, she wanted something akin to her own armour, but that was unlikely. She thought about contacting the Followers and requesting a training set, but she was unsure if she would get it. It would take pulling griffons from the sanctuary to even get it here, and who knew if the griffon would make it.
So she continued thinking. The sun had set a while ago, and the two were working on horn light. The grind of a stone on metal, and the huffs of a filly trying to get into harder to reach crevices. Twisted was sure she could find some barding for the filly that would do something. Or, perhaps, it would be better to teach the filly how to avoid being seen... She was small, and Twisted pulled enough attention that filly would have no shortage of opportunities. Then there was the matter of arming her.
So, she stood up. There was probably someone still awake, it was early evening and while it was dark, it got dark early in the north. "Lily, I'm going for a walk. I would like you to stay here please," She said simply, heading to the door. "Do not let anyone in, don't answer the door unless you are sure it's me, and keep it locked. I'll return shortly," She added, before walking out. Lily had just nodded, going back to her work. This was good, it kept her occupied.
She walked through Memorial City. Talon had left them with a short explanation of where everything was in general, and it didn't take her long to find where all the shops were. She walked into the one with sign advertising weapons. It was a simple shop, a grey stallion standing at the counter. "Welcome to Gun Grey's, no funny business," He said, his voice gruff and unamused. How welcoming.
Twisted looked at what was on display. All very large, all very fancy looking. Some of these guns made her head spin. "I'm looking for something small and simple. Something a child could use," Twisted said, turning her attention from the guns, to the pony selling them.
"Something small? Child? I actually think I have something you would like," He said, pulling a very small rifle out from under the counter. "Savage Rascal. It is a .22 rifle, which is mind-numbingly common, made with children in mind, and because it's a bolt action, it's safer than anything else you could get. Great for kids and beginners," He explained, laying it down on the counter.
Twisted frowned. "That is a little long. This is meant to be a last-ditch sort of thing. Do you have anything smaller?"
"I have a colt scout? .22 and a revolver. Single action. It's small and light, and while not what I would want to use, better than nothing in a pinch, but not as easy to use," He offered, pulling out the revolver and laying it on the table.
"That is much more within what I was kinda thinking," Twisted said, leaning down to look at the gun. Now she had a problem. "How do you use it?"
The owner's jaw dropped at the question. "I'm sorry, did you just ask how to use a gun?"
Twisted nodded. "Yes. I understand how they work, but that was simply by watching others. I've never actually held one before, let alone used it."
"And you survive in the wastes how?" Gun Grey asked.
"Sword and armour," Twisted replied simply.
"Oh, you're that mare Talon had on the radio today, aren't you? That religious pony?" Gun asked, placing the rifle under the counter again.
"That would be me, yes. So, how would I go about teaching a child how to use this? I know about weapon safety, bu-"
"No offence lady, but if you're giving this to a child, you are not the one I would have teach them. This is for that little filly right? Your squire? Yeah, if you want a gun for her, I'm going to tell you what you want, because you don't know what you want," Gun stated firmly, standing up and pulling the rifle back out from under the counter. "Look. Do not give a child a pistol. They aren't easy to use, and most people who come in here thinking pistols are for beginners because they are small, wind up shooting themselves," He added, chastising the mare.
Twisted admittedly, felt quite silly. It probably was a terrible idea, and perhaps her pride got in the way of her appropriate thought process. That, and wanting to be the one to teach Lily something new. She sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "I see your point. Alright, I can respect that. What will it cost?"
"Well... There is something I need done. I can part with some time and a decent weapon if you complete the job. Otherwise, 90 caps," Gun offered.
"Hmm... I don't have any caps. I guess I will take your job then," Twisted said, chuckling. "I am not used to life in the wastelands, at least when it comes to dealing with other ponies I suppose."
"I'm not judging. I was supposed to get a shipment of weapons and armour a few days ago, but it hasn't shown up. My best idea is that there are some bandits out there. Not as bad as raiders, but equally as expendable in my eyes," Gun grumbled. "There was a particular rifle in there. You can't miss it. A .50 cal rifle, massive gun. Get it for me, and you'll be fine. Anything else you grab, I'll buy for caps or trade."
"Alright, sounds like a direction at least. Where was the shipment suppose to come in?" Twisted asked, brushing her mane from her face.
"Best guess is that it was intercepted east side of the city. Head out there, but be careful. Bandits and slavers are out there in droves. Mare like you and a filly? You'd all fetch a mighty fine price for them, so be careful," Gun warned.
Twisted smiled. "Depends on if they can resell damaged goods. Anyway, I will be sure to complete that job. If everything goes well, you should have your weapon back in a day or two," Twisted said, turning and leaving. Now she had a direction. Part of her wondered why she didn't do something like this before, but in hindsight, if she had, she wouldn't be here right now. So for now, she was contempt.
There were two ways to the east side of the city. Twisted had to go back to Gun Grey the next day to ask. The highway, all the way, or, the highway until it went east, and then follow two main roads. Each one had its issues. Bandits and thugs were all over the city, and likely watched those routes closely. The highway, however, led past the airport, which was said to be a total no-go zone. Decisions, decisions. Twisted, opted for the highway. Maybe foolishness on her part, but no matter what they were in danger. She preferred knowing where the danger would likely come from rather than being paranoid the entire walk.
And so here they were, walking along the highway. It was empty, aside from the occasional car, many of which had been scavenged long ago. The silence of the highway was pervasive. The spark batteries in their radio had died an hour ago, and given the open nature of the highway, Twisted was far more preoccupied with focusing on their surroundings than she could be on teaching or otherwise occupying the little filly that trot along next to her.
She had decided to follow the highway past the airport. So long as they didn’t go inside, she was told they would be relatively safe. It just took much longer to get to where they were going and there was a small chance they could run into a problem. She didn’t want to run into a problem. But she didn’t want to have to deal with all of the bandits in Prince John’s either.
“How much longer do we have to walk?” Lilly Grove asked Twisted for the 37th time since the radio died. Are we there yet was 42, and Lilly had needed to stop to pee at least 4 times. Twisted had written the mental note to never run out of batteries so many times, she felt it was burned into her skull at this point. She was starting to understand why the caregivers of the children of the sanctuary were so… strange when not dealing with their charges.
“No Lilly,” Twisted sighed, feeling her patience wearing thin, but this was a moment she could teach! Every moment could be a learning moment! “Though, my dear little one,” The mare said, honeying her words as much as she can. “There will be times in your life where you will make walks like these and have nothing but your thoughts and the wasteland to occupy you,” She said, enjoying the genius of her plan. “So, why don’t we practice occupying ourselves for the remainder of the walk?” She asked, going back to scanning the horizon.
Lilly was silent for a moment, then looked back up at Twisted. “If I’m practicing for when you’re not here… Could I sing a song?” She asked.
Twisted thought about the request. She could deal with a filly singing, certainly. Sure, it would likely be childish nursery rhymes, but those were at least manageable. "I don't see anything wrong with it. Feel free to sing Lilly,” Twisted said, sighing with relief. Moderate peace.
“... This is the song that never ends…”
An hour had past, and Twisted Visions could feel her eye starting to twitch. This had been the billionth time Lilly had sung the song that never ends, and she had begun to regret this far more than she felt natural. This was a tortuous experience. Not in the agonizing pain sort of way, no. That never bothered her much, because she could at least take enjoyment out of the idea that if her torturer didn’t kill her, she would kill them.
No. She was not so lucky. She did not want to kill her tormentor. She rather liked Lilly, but she was also acutely aware why new parents very often looked dead. Because their brains were constantly being boiled in frustration they could do nothing about. Twisted also realized, very quickly after this waking, child induced nightmare began, that she couldn’t right well tell her to stop, because she was practicing for the inevitability she would be walking without Twisted there. The poius pony had cursed herself this time.
No matter, she could at least ask for a different song, right? Just to give her bare frayed nerves a modicum of a break. with a defeated sigh, Twisted looked down at Lilly. “My dear. Your singing is wonderful, but could you sing another song?” She asked, giving a weak smile to the filly.
Lilly blinked, then frowned. “I don’t know many songs mom… Sorry…” She said.
Twisted fought back a whine. “You don’t know any other song?” She asked, worried about the answer.
“Well,” Lilly said, perking up a little. “I I know a song that gets on everyones nerves!” She smiled.
“Everybodies nerves?” Twisted asked, a glimmer of hope appearing. She would accept anything at this point.
“Yep!” Lilly nodded. “Everyones nerves!”
“So you know a song that gets one everyone’s nerves, hmm?” Twisted asked, looking back out at the horizon.
“Yeah!” Lilly said. “And this is how it goes, bum bum bum,” She said musically, before repeating their conversation as a song. Twisted felt what was left of her last nerve get severed as if with a jagged dull knife when she realized what she had just walked into, and rage built up inside her.
“Would you, STOP!” Twisted snapped, her head lowering quickly as she barked at the filly. Just as she did, the concrete median they were walking next too exploded violently, jerking Twisted out of her fury, a loud but distant “boom” echoing across the highway. Whatever just shot the median would have taken Twisted’s head off if she had not in that moment snapped at Lilly. The wake had a bittersweet way of working at times.
Twisted used her magic and flung Lilly back over the median, diving behind it herself just as another round planted itself into the concrete barrier where Twisted had once occupied. Lilly was laying on the ground in confused shock at what was happening, and Twisted had to push the filly’s head down to stop her from standing up.
“We’re going to be alright Lilly,” Twisted said, looking around. They were trapped, and Twisted could feel the Wake would not act in their favor for much longer if they continued to test it by standing in sight of whoever was shooting at them, and given how much damage it did to the concrete, the mare was not of the opinion she or Lilly could survive if either of them got hit. With how open the highway had gotten, she couldn’t think of much more to do than to either go back or wait for the cover of darkness. Either way, the wait was going to be a long one.
Twisted and Lilly had laid behind the median long enough that the sun was starting to go down, but neither of them had really said much. Twisted knew Lilly was upset she was snapped at, but this wasn’t exactly the best time to deal with that whole issue. Not to mention, they really couldn’t move. They had tried crawling down the median but it ended before they were out of sight of whoever was shooting at them, and they made sure the two ponies taking cover knew that. Twisted had tried her magic, but it was next to ineffective. Not something she would trust with her, or Lilly’s life at the very least.
So they had waited, and the bullets had stopped. Twisted knew they were being pinned down until someone could come and collect them. She knew there were more people coming. She only hoped that they would not make it here until the sun went down. She was not so lucky.
“Oh lay off Punji,” An irritated voice grumbled, Twisted Visions’ ears flicking towards the sound of two ponies walking. “Red ain’t come over the radio and told us they got away, so they should be right round this bend.”
“I’m just saying Box,” said another, who Twisted assumed was Punji. “I think Red’s losing his touch. He never misses!” Punji continued, sounding uncomfortable. “I bet you it's because of that time he spent with those crazy fuckers from the island.” This caught Twisted’s attention. They knew the ponies on the island. They really were spreading, as from what she knew, they weren’t very close to the shoreline here. They must really be moving out.
“He’s using that new .50 cal!” Box defended. “So he was a few inches off a shot where the target was moving and a kilometer away, and he said we needed to come out here and capture the tall one! Our lives have been pretty good since those island ponies started helping us out. Who cares if they’re crazy,” He muttered, the sound of equipment hitting the floor.
Twisted put that aside. She didn’t like the position she and Lilly were in, and she didn’t even realize she had put a hoof over Lilly’s mouth to stop her from making any sound. She had to think, and she had to think quickly. They wanted her alive. She got a sinking feeling in her gut.
“Lilly…” Twisted said, preparing for the worst. “You need to remain silent, and no matter what happens, do not bring attention to yourself,” She said simply, looking Lilly in the eye. “When you get back to Memorial, tell Scratch to say The wake has swept me away, Send a feather to my aid,” She said, looking Lilly in the eye. “Remember that if you want to help. That is the only way you can,” She added, drawing her sword and slowly standing up. Seeing Lilly’s wide, watering eyes staring back up at her in fear hurt her more than the prospect of what was about to happen, but one of them needed to get help, and one of them needed to be the… Distraction.
Punji and Box looked at Twisted with their weapons up, keeping them trained on her as she hopped over the median. “You want me alive?” Twisted asked, before tossing her sword to the ground. “Then you may have me…” The look of confusion as the two raiders tried to figure out what angle Twisted was playing at gave her a small measure of satisfaction.
“Where’s the filly!” Punji asked, keeping his pipe rifle trained on Twisted while Box slowly approached to subdue her. She didn’t resist.
“Gone…” Twisted said dryly, keeping her eyes on Punji as she felt the inhibitor slip over her horn, and her hooves get bound. “I went to one side of the wall, she went to the other. When your shooter shot at me, she scrambled to the other median and crawled away,” She said, looking at Box. “But really, what does it matter? You have me captured, do not waste my precious time looking for a filly your superior doesn’t care about, unless you think he likes to be left waiting,” She asked with a coy smile.
Next thing she knew she was face first in the dirt and her nose hurt a lot. She rolled onto her side and snorted out blood, coughing. “If you're leader’s who I think he is,” Twisted gasped, trying to get back onto her feet. “You’re going to want to keep my face intact,” She groaned, looking at Box, who had yanked her leg out from under her. “Cultists like faces,” She hissed. Her nose was definitely broken.
“Shut your fucking mouth,” Box snapped, making Twisted stick her tongue out at the raider.
“Neither of you little whelps scare me,” Twisted said, holding herself high again. “Take me to your commander so I may stop wasting my time,” She sighed impatiently. She could take whatever beating she got. She wanted to pull the attention away from Lilly. “Even if I may not live the night, I certainly don’t want it to consist of your childish mewling.”
“Hey,” Box shouted, pointing his pistol at her. The act lost some of its punch as he had to use his magic to lift the weapon much higher than he was tall. “What makes you fucking think I’m not the leader huh?” He asked. “I could kill you right now and nothing bad would happen, cause I call the fucking shots!”
Twisted looked wide eyed at Box, before letting out a painful, but amused snort. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I promise you, that would have been intimidating if… well, you know, you were intimidating,” Twisted laughed.
“Are you fucking mocking me!?” Box asked looking at Punji, then back at Twisted.
“Oh, no no no,” Twisted replied, lightening up her voice as if trying to soothe a bruised ego. “Well actually yes, but that’s not the po-” She was interrupted by her muzzle being filled with the barrel of a gun.
“What did I say? I could kill you withou-” The concrete median right next to Box’s head exploded making him jump and scream like a filly, dropping the gun. Twisted didn’t flinch, simply lowered her head and spat the gun out, then spitting out the blood from the front post cutting up her mouth.
“As I was saying before I was interrupted,” Twisted remarked dryly, turning to Punji. “Thank you for not being one of the horrendously obnoxious raiders like your friend here. Should we start walking before the next shot hits someone?”
Punji looked at Box with a hint of concern. “Stop toying with her, let’s go,” He said, starting to walk. Twisted let out an internal sigh of relief, but noticed Box was starting to walk over towards where Lilly was hiding.
“Box~!” Twisted called out like a mother calling her foal for dinner. “You’re not going to leave me alone with your friend here are you? Would be a shame if I somehow escaped no?”
Box stopped, and Twisted could hear him growl in frustration before starting to walk back towards the two. Good pony. Stay away from Lilly. She could only hope her message was heard by other followers.
Twisted Visions and her captors had been walking for some time. She could tell Punji was the skittish one. Likely part of the group out of necessity rather than any actual desire. An outcast. She looked at his cutie mark and could tell why. He was talented in making traps. Not exactly useful when it came to day to day life, and a gristly outcome since Punji Traps were quite horrific.
She didn’t understand Box. His cutie mark was just a box with a leather belt around it. Nothing to go off, which made her a little concerned. Box wasn’t exactly the kind of name that a raider would have, and she knew most changed their names if their original names weren’t intimidating enough.
She would have to focus on Punji, if she ever got time alone with him. Shake his resolve, appeal to his better nature. Remind him, that death and destruction were not his only options. He could have peace if he wanted it.
They came upon the airport, and suddenly Twisted felt a calming connection with Discord. She had chosen the path to take, specifically to find the rifle with the least amount of problems. While she found herself in quite the problematic situation, if she had gone the short way, she would have had to deal with far more bandits without any success, and then walk into this very situation regardless.
All things considered, she had avoided a lot of trouble. Not that she was particularly fond of the situation she was in now. On the contrary, as they got closer, she could see on a large tower, the wings of Discord painted in blood. Her heart grew cold. So the Cult of Discord did make it out here. It didn’t surprise her as much as it should have, this place was rather isolated from the Followers, it was the perfect breeding ground. If the Cult had set up a camp on the Island Talon Scratch had been speaking of on the radio, then she was all the more concerned. They likely had a large community.
She was reminded of her childhood, but forced those thoughts out of her head. She was a better mare now. She had been saved. Those memories only served to remind her why she did what she did.
“You’re going to love the boss,”” Box said with a grin, walking backwards to look at her as they stepped onto the tarmac. “He saw you and almost creamed himself, so he might not kill you right away,” He said, turning back to face where they were going. Twisted could only imagine how excited this heretic was to have captured a Follower. She mentally prepared herself for what was to come. This heretic was a convert from what she gathered. Was a regular Raider, spent some time with the Cultists, and had become one. He would likely be all the worse to deal with, to try and prove himself to the ones who had converted him.
She certainly hoped 90 caps was worth all this trouble…
Twisted Visions was eventually left in a room. The decor of the raider outpost was quite typical for cultists, and given how incomplete it was, the design change was new. Death and destruction. Instilling fear and chaos in the most horrific ways possible, how unoriginal. She lay on the ground, trying to calm down. regain control of herself so she was better able to withstand the wake. Better able to navigate it as it tried to drown her in this moment. The bittersweet reality of the wake. It did not care for your personal comfort.
She was pulled out of her meditation by the sound of someone screaming. She could only assume it was Red, excitedly rushing to see his new prisoner. She took a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh as she stood up. She mustered up all her pride, presenting herself in nobility.
“What do you mean you didn’t take her sword with you!” She heard someone scream in rage. She couldn’t hear the response. “You cost me what would have been my prized posession you useless insect!” They sound delightful, Twisted thought to herself.
The door finally opened, and Twisted looked upon the unicorn she assumed was red. A cultists from the bottom of his hooves to the tip of his horn. He was well groomed, in a grosteque way. His robes, a patchwork of black and grey, with a broach around his neck with the sign of the Cult. The wings and skull of Discord. She wondered if they asked themselves if they were the bad guys. The bad guys always had a skull as their symbol, like chocolate and banana, only it was rotten and would turn your stomach something fierce if you ate it.
“You,” Red said, looking at Twisted with giddy awe on his face. “Are beautiful…” He said, moving to circle her, taking her in. “An honest to god Warrior of the Followers, here in this part of Equestria?” He asked, laughing darkly getting a little too close to her for comfort.
“Priestess,” Twisted said, her tone stern. “I am a priestess. Though, if you would like to see if I am a warrior, untie me and allow me to demonstrate,” She growled, looking down at Red who just laughed.
“Oh I know you would be a handful if I did that,” Red said, letting out a stuttered breath as his horn lit up. The clasps of her armour quickly came undone, and her armour was removed. Twisted didn’t flinch. Red didn’t stop however, using the knife on his side to cut away her body suit. “Quite the warrior you are,” He said, looking her scarred body over. “Or you’ve been captured before. I’ll assume the latter given how pretty your face is,” He sneered, running his muzzle up the inside of her back leg.
Twisted scowled and jumped forward slightly, lifting her legs and bucking him in the face hard, sending him sprawling to the ground. “You could at least dine me before getting frisky,” Twisted scolded, looking down at Red.
The cultist got up, holding his muzzle sternly cursing quietly. “You must be a feisty one…”
“And you must do children’s parties,” Twisted snapped back, visibly confusing Red.
“And why would you say that Priestess?” Red asked.
“Because you’re a clown,” Twisted said with a coy, mocking smile. “Obviously.”
The derranged amusement vanished from Red’s face when she said that, and he spat at her. Twisted didn’t react. “You need tobe taught some manners it seems,” He growled, walking out of the room. “Box! Teach our guest some manners,” He ordered, leaving the room.
Moments later, Box walking in, dragging a very large, oddly shaped box in behind him and closed the doors. “I get it,” He said, setting the box down. “You think you’re too good for us hmm?” He asked, opening the box and pulling out several thick leather straps and tools. “Well, maybe after some time in my invention, you’ll learn your place,” He smiled, looking at Twisted, “I call it the Syrian Box.
Twisted sighed, now understanding where “Box” got his name. She was not going to like this…
Tempo wandered around just outside of Memorial City, looking to see if he could find anything useful. He had been pretty bored the last few days since he escorted the Paladin and her squire to DJ Talon Scratch. He was hoping to see them again, only to find out they had left the morning before. He looked at the late afternoon sun. Maybe he would see them again.
He was about to head back home for the night when he heard the high pitched sound of metal being dragged on concrete. Her turned his head and could see a filly dragging something in her teeth, when he realized it was Lilly Grove. He ran over.
“Lilly!” He shouted as she got close. She looked like death warmed over, her fur and mane matted with sweat, eyes bloodshot and she dropped the sword. “What happened to y-”
“We need to help her!” Lilly screamed, panic building up her her voice. “She was taken, we need to help her, please we need to help her!” Lilly begged before breaking down into hysterics. Tempo didn’t know what to do, so he ran back to Memorial yelling for help.
It had been several days since Lilly had made it back to Memorial City, and DJ Talon Scratch had taken it upon himself to help the filly get back to her regular self. She had run all day and night dragging Twisted Visions sword behind her in her mouth and it took him and a few of the town nurses a good amount of time to calm her well enough to get any information out of her. Between sets, he sat at his desk thinking about what she had said, and it made him feel uneasy. On one hand, he barely knew Twisted Visions. Sure, what he did know about her made her seem like a competent pony, on the other claw that all could have been luck and she really was just a deluded pony.
Then again, if what Lilly had said was true, then Prince Johns and the surrounding areas were in a significant amount of danger. She had been babbling on about Cultists, and eveil ponies. When they asked if she was talking about raiders, she said worse. He could push the fact that he was shaken. Thinking about what Lilly begged him over and over to say over the radio. The wake has swept me away, send a feather to my aid. It sounded like a nursery rhyme, but what was the worst that would come of him saying it a handful of times? The last song of the intermission finished, and his next set began.
“Hello hello hello, People of the Prince Johns!” He said, putting the smile on his face, putting on his act. “It’s your DJ, Talon Scratch! Not much news in the wasteland today, but I would like to remind everyone to stay well away from the Airport once again. The raiders there are a different breed, and we have confirmed eyewitness reports of them being there. Honestly, the wasteland is becoming a more and more dangerous place everyday, but we can have strength in numbers! Memorial City has opened its gates to ponies in need of a safe place to stay. All you need to do to enter is bring something to help strengthen our walls,” He said, looking over his list of required PSA’s. “Finally, a message to anyone that is listening. The wake has swept us away, send a feather to our aid,” He added, finally letting out a sigh. “Things are looking grim, but we can weather this storm if we work together. Anyway, let's brighten things up with this wonderful hit. The Night Pat Murphy Died!” He said, hitting the play button on his system and sitting back down in his chair.
He rubbed his face and let out a long groan. Part of him hoped the cryptic message he had been announcing was heard by someone who understood its meaning. Maybe there were more ponies like Twisted Visions. They could use some ponies who knew how to fight. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a commotion outside, and decided he needed to go and break it up. Fighting wasn’t going to help anyone at a time like this.
“This is not the time for fight-” Talon scratch said as he exited his DJ booth, only to be stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in the front courtyard were three absolutely colossus griffons. All of them wore armour, but the largest of the three’s armour was covered in golden regalia. He fell back on his haunches trying to take in the scene.
One of the ‘smaller’ griffons held an earth pony stallion clear off the ground by his neck with a single talon, while several other guards leveled rifles at the other two, who seemed unbothered. Given how thick their armour was, he doubted any of these weapons even worried them.
“I tire of your blatant disrespect,” The griffon holding the stallion growled, the bass of his voice enough to rumble in Talon’s chest. “The Battle Priestess asked you a question, now tell us where the Priestess of this settlement is!” He ordered, kicking Talon out of his stupor. These griffons were looking for Twisted!
“Woah!” Talon quickly shouted, rushing over as fast as his little legs could carry him. “Guys! I think we got off on the wrong foot, why don’t you put him down and we can talk!” He said, waving one of his claws up at the three griffons. He barely came up to their knees, they were enormous.
The other lesser Griffon looked down at Talon, looking at their leader. “Priestess Bedlam, this child with the voice of an adult speaks to you,” She said, and Bedlam looked down at Talon.
“So he does,” Bedlam said, looking at the more aggressive male. “Put him down, Leyin. The Priestess of this settlement will suffer our wrath for failing to teach her flock properly,” She said, and Leyin dropped the pony who quickly scrambled away. “Speak little one,” Bedlam ordered. “Your settlement declared an emergency, we do not take kindly to our time being wasted.”
Talon struggled to do what he was told. Between the hurt of their words towards his stature and how absolutely terrifying this woman was, his brain was having a difficult time forming coherent thoughts. “Twisted Visions…” He started, but he didn’t get to finish before he too was hauled off the ground, eye to eye with the monstrous Griffon.
“Where… Is she…” Beldam snarled.
“Captured!” Talon shrieked, shaking. “Captured near the airport! Her squire! Brought her sword back and told us to say that message over the radio, I swear to Celestia I don’t know anything else!” He pleaded.
Bedlam dropped him, but he couldn’t tell what her expression was under the predatory helmet she wore. She just looked angry. “This is not the flock of Priestess Visions. She is better than this, so giving them the message must have been an act of desperation. The situation is worse than I anticipated, she has not called for help once in the ten years she has been on mission,” She said, looking to the other female. “Take flight, scan the surroundings and return at the moon's peak. Both of you,” She ordered, and the two griffons splayed out their wings and launched themselves into the air, the force of their wings being enough to topple over a few unsuspecting ponies.
“As for you little one,” Bedlam continued, looking down at Talon Scratch. “Bring me to the Acolyte. I wish to know whom Twisted deemed worthy of such a title without consulting the Elders.”
“Uh,” Talon said, quickly getting up. “She’s actually a squi-”
“You shall not correct me again, puny thing,” Bedlam barked, her eyes boring a hole through Talon. “I know precisely what I said, and I know what failed words you use. Do not pretend to know our faith as a non-believer or I shall send you into the wake without second thought. Now, lead,” She ordered and Talon decided it was best to not argue with the giant griffon who could eat him without chewing.
Lilly laid in bed, while Tempo sat next to her telling her about all the cool things he had found in Prince Johns. His enthusiasm kept her from falling into a depressive spiral, but it wasn’t enough to make her excited about anything.
“And then I found this hook and some old jigging line!” Tempo explained, pulling a very large hook from his bag and some thick plastic string. “One of the older ponies in Memorial told me this is what the fishing ponies before the spells fell used to fish with! They could catch sharks with it!” He smiled, looking at Lilly. His enthusiasm dropped a little when he saw she wasn’t smiling, but she was paying attention so he forced himself to go on. “I just use it to grab things in buildings I can’t reach. It’s probably my favorite find ever,” He said, wrapping it up and putting it back into his bag.
Lilly was about to tell Tempo he could go if he wanted too, when Talon Scratch walked into the room, looking at the two. He look like he had seen a ghost, so Lilly stood up. “Are you alright Mr Scratch?” She asked, still frowning.
“Yeah kid,” Talon said, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, uh, your message worked. There are some gri-” He started, but Lilly had already shot past him, running as fast as her little legs could carry her, leaving Tempo and Talon alone in the room. Talon was about to say something, but Tempo shot past him just as fast, leaving him alone in the room. “You know,” He muttered, turning around and walking out, “There are people who actually give a shit about listening to me finish talking!”
Lilly continued to run down the hallway, turning a corner and running headlong into a metal post, flattening her out across the ground. She groaned, rubbing her face as she got up, looking at what she ran into and her eyes lit up with excitement. It was a Follower Griffon!
The griffon looked down at her and scowled. “So you must be the Acolyte of Twisted Vi-”
“You’re here!” Lilly screamed in excitement, start to run and hop around the Griffon, repeating herself over and over again. The griffon tried moving so as to look at the little thing, awkwardly trying not to step on Lilly as she would not stop moving.
Bedlam grew frustrated, lifting a claw up and slamming it down onto Lilly Grove, pinning her to the floor. “Carry yourself with dignity Acolyte, or I shall take your punishment in my own talons,” She barked, but Lilly’s happiness did not even scratch as she looked up at Bedlam with awe. “Speak. Each moment you spent uselessly prancing is another moment Priestess Visions is at the mercy of Heretics,” She said, snapping Lilly out of her happiness.
Then the Filly turned into a metaphorical tsuname of information, weaving a story so disjointed Bedlam was struggling to make heads or tails of it. .50 cal, Highway, Cultists, that was enough for Bedlam to make a decision. She grabbed the filly and placed her onto her back, beginning to walk towards the gates. “Hold on as if your life depends on it, as it will,” Bedlam ordered, spreading her wings once she could see the sky and pushing herself off the ground.
Lilly clung to Bedlam’s armour with all her might, terror filling her as they got higher and higher off the ground. Unicorns weren’t meant to fly, and she didn’t realize how much she hated heights until she was very high in the sky. Bedlam let out a screech, and less than a minute later, two more griffons appeared, taking up position on either side of Bedlam.
One signalled to Bedlam, pointing of into the distance, and the three banked in that direction. Lilly didn’t understand what was happening, her vision was almost entirely taken up by the massive armoured figure she rode on, but they were only flying for a few minutes when the Griffon on the left screeched out in pain and started tumbling to the ground below. Lilly didn’t understand the meaning of absolute terror until the moment Bedlam rolled and dived, the second splitting off. With the angle of their dive, she could see the third tumbling through the air, its wings flailing out to trying and correct. Lilly saw its wings finally flair out with some control, but it hit the ground moments later and was still, filling Lilly’s heart with dread.
Then the filly was pressed into the back of Bedlam as she pulled up, and landed heavily on the ground. “Arinell! Get Leyin into the trees!” Bedlam ordered, rushing to the fallen griffon’s side, covering him with her body, dirt exploding to the right of them. “We are just at the edge of their reach! Hurry!” She added, another shot landing a few feet on front of them, dirt flying up into the air. It was the same weapon Lilly and Twisted had been shot at by. Arinell worked her way under Leyin’s still form, heaving him onto her back before running towards the trees. Bedlam backpedalled with them, before sprinting herself into the forest. Once they were in the cover of the trees, Lilly gasped in the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. That was possibly the most intense string of events she had ever experinced.
“How is Leyin,” Bedlam asked, keeping her eyes towards the airport.
“Alive but badly hurt,” Arinell responded, working to pull the thick armour plates off of Leyin so she could get at him. “I can help ease his pain, but he will be grounded for many weeks. The weapon he was hit with punched through his armour and embedded itself in his lower shoulder, and his wings are broken,” She explained.
Bedlam cursed, looking around. While they were in a similar position as before, Lilly felt much safer this time. Twisted Visions was amazing, and she loved her adoptive mother, but she did not have the same… Sense of strength these griffons had. Lilly carefully climbed off Bedlam, trotting to look at Leyin. Without his armour making him look so scary, he looked… Young. His feathers were bright and clean, and his face was soft and angular despite his large size.
“Dig him a pit,” Bedlam ordered, turning to look at Arinell. “We cannot take him on our assault, bury him,” She said dryly.
Lilly heard that and bounced up, scowling at Bedlam. “Hey! She said he’s still alive!” She said, her voice tea kettling in her anger. “You can’t just bury him like he’s dead! He needs medical help, not a grave!” She snapped with anger.
Bedlam slowly turned to look down at Lilly and her courage faltered. Every instinct her brain had in regards to such predatory creatures screamed for her to run, but she doubled down on that, stepping forward. “You can’t bury him! I won’t let you!” She squeaked.
Arinell opened her mouth to speak, but Bedlam silenced her with a glare. Then Bedlam turned back to Lilly. “What would you do to stop me, little pony foal?” She asked, narrowing her eyes.
Lilly thought about that for a second. If Lilly wasn’t being fueled by terror induced defiance, she might have actually backed down realizing there was literally nothing she could actually do to stop the griffon. “I’ll hit you!” Lilly said instead, falling back on autopilot. “And I’lll keep hitting you until I knock some sense in you, like Twisted’s mom did her!” She shouted.
Bedlam stared at Lilly for a long moment, then started to laugh. Lilly felt her jaw drop at this reaction, and even Arinell was confused. Bedlam finished, shaking her head. “I was never her mother,” She said, looking down at Lilly. “And we are not burying Leyin alive to die. We are doing it to make him harder to find while we assult the Airport,” She added, looking at Arinell. “I can see why Twisted liked this Filly. She has a similar idiotic courage about her. Dig the pit, I will scout the airfield,” Bedlam said, leaving Lilly with her jaw practically on the floor, and Arinell to continue looking after Leyin.
“That’s Bedlam..?” Lilly finally asked, turning to look at Arinell.
“She likes you,” Arinell said back, getting Leyin out of his armour and beginning to dig. “I have never once seen a pony stand so unflinchingly towards Bedlam when they have caught her ire, let alone a filly,” She said, taking off her helmet. She also looked quite young. “You will be a capable follower Acolyte. You are young and brash, but discipline will come with age,” She said, going back to her work.
Lilly frowned. “I’m a squire…” She muttered indignitly, walking over to Arinell’s helmet and looking it over. The metal was at least a quarter inch thick and curved. Lilly didn’t know much about armour, but it had to be heavy. “How do you guys fly with all that armour on?” She finally asked, looking at Arinell.
“Lots of training,” Arinell answered. “If you have questions, allow me to finish what I am doing and I will answer them all,” She said, not turning away from her work.
“Mind if I sing a song?” Lilly asked with a smile.
“Whatever helps you fend off bordom,” Arinell replied.
“This is the song that never ends…”
When Bedlam returned, she was surprised to see that Leyin was covered, and Arinell and Lilly were sitting next to a heat lamp talking. Arinell had taken off her armour and was showing it too Lilly, which irritated Bedlam. They were on the skirts of the enemy zone of control, and Arinell did not look ready for combat. So she cleared her throat.
Arinell bolted upright, turning to look at Bedlam. “Priestess, I-”
“Was getting complacent,” Bedlam said, not wanting to hear the excuse. “You finished digging the pit and hiding Leyin’s armour already?” She asked, checking how effective it was.
“The Acolyte has a way of… Motivating one to complete tasks,” Arinell said, putting her armour back on.
“You know,” Lilly said, walking up to Bedlam. “You’re really quiet for one so fat,” She said with a frown.
Arinell snorted but covered her face fast enough to stiffle the sound while Bedlam stared in shock at how brash the filly had become. “Excuse me?” She finally asked. “I am not fat.”
“What are you talking about?” Lilly asked, getting up on her hind legs and spreading out her arms. “You’re huge! You’re almost as big as a tract-” The filly was sent rolling across the ground as Bedlam swatted her away.
“Priestess Visions has failed to teach you basic respect it seems,” Bedlam growled, shooting a glare at Arinell who was trying to stiffle her own laughter. “Mayhaps I need to fill in for her,” She added, narrowing her eyes. “Maybe Arinell would care to join you, as you two appear to have become close in the hour I have been gone,” She said.
Arinell sighed. “Priestess, she is a simple child,” She said, helping the dazed Lilly up with a claw. “And has only been with Priestess Visions for a few days. From the stories you have told me of Twisted Visions, Lilly Grove is a darling in comparison,” She said.
“And what makes you think that?” Bedlam asked. “I taught Twisted Visions discipline perfectly,” She argued.
“I remember you saying she spat in your face multiple times,” Arinell smiled.
Bedlam’s scowl deepend. “You walk a thin line Arinell. Slip and I will have you fly the mountain range when we return to the Sanctuary.”
“Yes Warrior Priestess,” Arinell said, hefting her armour back onto her body. Lilly finally came out of her daze, rubbing her head.
“You used to do that to Twisted?” Lilly asked, getting onto her hooves. “She must have a hard head if she managed dealing with that all the time,” She sighed. “So, when are we gonna go kick the raider butts and free mom?” Lilly asked, looking up at Bedlam.
Bedlam looked at Lilly for a long moment, before looking back out to the Airfield. “We, will be assaulting the airfield close to dawn. You, will be staying here and looking after Leyin until we come to retrieve you,” She said. “The battlefield is no place for a filly, even if she is the unofficial acolyte of a Priestess. I do not wish to babysit you,” She growled.
“She’s my mom,” Lilly said defensively, stomping her foot defiantly. “I’m gonna have to deal with whatever is in there someday! I’ve been shot at, I’ve seen mom kill people! She even gave me a knife!” She added, scrunching up her face.
“Where is you knife?” Bedlam asked, looking Lilly over.
Lilly blushed. “I left it… in… my room…” She said, looking at the ground quietly. “But that’s only because you didn’t give me time to go back and get it!” She quickly added in, defiance back on her face.
“There is no excuse for a warrior to not have their weapon on them Acolyte,” Bedlam dryly remarked, laying down next to the heating lamp. “HAve you ever seen Twisted leave her room without her sword?” She asked.
“Yes!” Lilly quickly shot. “In my old village. Mom didn’t even wear her armor! Just weird suit!” She muttered.
“I would chalk that up to her being a far better magician than she is swordsmare,” Bedlam said, looking at Lilly. “No matter. You have not a single weapon, and I doubt your magic is strong enough to do any but the most simple magic. You stay here, end of discussion.”
“Let her come Priestess,” Arinell said, looking at Bedlam who shot the younger griffon a glare. “Were she a griffon you would happily accept her joining us.”
“Yes, but we have our claws and beaks,” Bedlam said. “She has neither of those, and I’m sure a kick from her would be a minor distraction.”
“I am just saying,” Arinell smiled. “She may surprise us both. Also, I am sure we will be the center of the heretics attention. A little filly will likely go completely unnoticed, giving us a set of eyes to find Priestess Visions,” She added coyly.
Bedlam growled, sensing the point. “Fine,” She relented. “But the moment the battle starts to turn awry for us, she is on her own,” Bedlam said. “I will not babysit. You wish to be treated as an adult Acolyte, you may accept the consequences. Now sleep. You will need your rest, as we all will,” She finished.
Lilly nodded her head, looking around for a place to sleep. “Bedlam,” She asked, walking up to the large griffon. “If Twisted Visions is my mom… Does that make you my grandma?” She asked.
Bedlam let out a long groan, looking down at Lilly. “I sense you have a point. Get to it,” She growled.
“Can I sleep with you?” Lilly asked, giving the best attempt she could at Puppydog eyes.
“No.”
“But!”
“I said no,” Bedlam said harshly. “I was not Priestess Visions’ mother, I am not your grandmother!”
Lilly frowned, letting out a sigh. Then she walked up and bugged Bedlam’s armoured leg. “It’s okay. I forgive you,” She said.
Bedlam shook her head. “Forgive me for what!? I have done nothing wrong!”
Lilly shrugged, “My aunt said I wasn’t her daughter, and it made me upset, but Mom told me that sometimes ponies are grouchy and say mean things they don’t mean. They try their best, but sometimes that just isn’t good enough,” She smiled at Bedlam.
Arinell has started laughing as Bedlam scowled at Lilly in a mix of offence and confusion. “Are you saying I am not good enough!?” She asked, falling into the trap Arinell could see Lilly was setting up.
“It’s not a bad thing,” Lilly said with a shrug. “Maybe you should ask someone else to be Twisted’s mom if you can’t do it,” She smiled. “Nothing wrong with admitting defeat.”
Bedlam was practically steaming in rage. “Fine! Lay with me if it will silence your ignorant muzzle!” She snapped. “But do not cry to me if I crush you!”
Lilly nodded and curled up against Bedlam, falling asleep quickly. Sometime later, Arinell shook her head with a big smile on her face.
“What are you grinning at,” Bedlam asked accusatorily.
“You,” Arinell said. “You know Mother, she played you like a fiddle. If only brother could see you cuddling with a filly,” She said, looking at Lilly. “She will be quite the Priestess if she continues like this, and an honour to have as a neice,” She added in as a playful jab.
“You will do best to silence your tongue child,” Bedlam growled. “You have long since lost your childish charms, and I will not hesitate to beat you back into line.”
“I know,” Arinell said, laying her head down. “Wake me up for my watch, enjoy the childish charm a little while longer.” She said, leaving Bedlam alone with her thoughts to guard the camp.
Lilly Grove was woken with a start. Bedlam had stood up, and in the dark she could hear Arinell moving around. She got up, rubbing her eyes, trying to get used to the darkness. She felt like she had just gone to sleep.
“Check on Leyin’s breathing, make sure his nostrils were not covered in the night,” Bedlam said, grabbing Lilly roughly and setting her on her armoured back. “Once you are done, we will get some altitude. come in with the moon to our front,” She said, spreading her wings in preparation. “We will fly away to get distance, then glide over, dive down,” Bedlam added as Arinell spread her wings as well. “Hold on Acolyte,” Was the last thing Bedlam said before they both took off.
Lilly was terrified. She was aware she was no longer on the ground. She was aware they were moving, but she did not know where they were or how high they were. She knew nothing important, and she couldn’t see where they were. It was now she made the decision that she hated flying, and would avoid it as much as she could. On the other hand, they were going to save her mom, so she had to be brave. She couldn’t let herself lock up when they hit the ground.
Before she knew it, they were falling. It took everything Lilly had to avoid screaming in terror She felt herself press into Bedlam hard as the griffon opened her wings, the two griffons screaming loudly as they landed. Gunfire started, magic flew, and Lilly jumped off Bedlam to get as far away as possible. They were the distraction, she had to find Twisted Visions!
When she fell, she landed in something wet, and someone beneath her started screaming, making her scream and scramble getting tied up in slimy ropes. She didn’t think about it. She didn’t want to think about what she landed on as she kicked her hooves and scrambled away from the pony she landed upon. She didn’t think it was going to be like this! She could hear agonized screams from where Bedlam and Arinell were, but she didn’t look. She just started running away from the fight as lights started to turn on all through the airfield. Everyone was running towards the two armoured Griffons wreaking havoc in the main terminal. She just needed to get away and into the airport. Bedlam and Arinell could handle the cultists, she was sure of it. They had to be able to.
She managed to get her way inside, hiding behind a counter as she heard yelling from further down the terminal building.
“What the fuck do you mean no one saw them!” An angry voice shouted, a group of ponies walking away from the fight quickly.
“I’m so sorry Master Red Mist,” A unicorn mare said, sounding worried. “I-I’ll have the guards punished! We’ll deal with the Followers!”
“You’re useless!” Red Mist shouted, turning around and hoofing her across the face, snarling. “You will do nothing of the sort. I’m grabbing my rifle, and you will wait for my return!” He snapped, leaving the mare alone.
The mare stood there for a moment, turning around suddenly. Lilly had tried to back away and kicked a can. “Who’s there!” The mare shouted, looking around and starting to search for the sound of the can. Lilly looked around frantically, picking up an old pen that was laying under the counter, not that she knew what she would do with it. It made her feel better though.
“Come out you heretic!” The mare growled, wandering around, her horn lighting up and drawing a pistol from the holster on her hip. Her dirty brown coat and pale yellow hair are the most noticeable aspects about her. “Come out and I might make your death a quick one,” She added, continuing to walk around.
Lilly crawled from one counter to the other, freezing as she saw the mare’s head poke around the corner. She was looking the wrong way, but Lilly could still feel her heart beating a powerful and fast tattoo in her throat. The mare started walking away again, and Lilly started to crawl away.
“Got ya you little bi- Lilly gro-?” The mare shouted, her face going from a sadistic smile to a shocked gasp. The mare didn’t finish what she said though as Lilly jammed the pen in her eye, the mare screaming out in agony and falling away. Lilly ran as fast as her legs would allow her, changing directions as often as she could before crashing into a room and slamming the door behind her.
She sat there, breathing heavily before breaking down into tears. Why did she argue! Why didn’t she just listen! Why did that mare know her name?! She couldn’t handle this, she should be back in memorial city listening to Tempo talk about the things he found while on the hunt, or practicing her math and reading! Not in the middle of an airport filled with murderous psychopaths while Bedlam and Arinell fought for their lives!
Bedlam and Arinell. That got her to stop crying. They were counting on her, and she couldn’t let them down. She couldn’t let her mom down! She took a couple deep, ragged breaths, before opening the door and slinking out of the room, looking around.
“You think I am going to believe that?!” She heard Red Mist’s voice from back where she came. “You stabbed yourself in the eye! You must think I’m an idiot! Get whoever is not fighting those fucking feathered fuckers and have them search the fucking terminal! Now, before I take your other eye you bitch!”
Lilly continued away from that, and thought about where they would keep Twisted. She had no idea where to go to find her. She wandered around, hiding in dark corners and behind counters as a few of the cultists searched the terminal. They were barely looking, just happy to not be fighting the griffons. They only kept a good enough eye out for someone attacking them, and the Filly melted out from their vision. It was like she wasn’t even there.
“I swear to whatever god we’re supposed to believe in,” One of the raiders said to another as they walked. “If I’m told to go fight those tanks, I’m gonna go down to security and fuck that preistess bitch to death before I fight that shit,” He growled.
“Hey,” The other said, giving the first a grin. “Why aren’t we doing that right now?” He asked, stopping mere feet from the overturned table Lilly was hiding behind. “I mean, who the fuck is he gonna blame? He can’t kill all of us you know,” He said, starting to walk away.
“Oi!” The first said, running to catch up. “wait for me!”
Lilly knew they were talking about Twisted, and she quickly ran to keep up with them without getting caught. She hid when she needed too, but she inevitably lost them. She looked around, wondering where they could have gone.
“Only Red Mist can see the pris-BANG!”
Lilly jerked her head in the direction of the gun. That must be where they went, but why did they shoot someone? She was scared. A large part of her wanted to wait for Bedlam and Arinell, but a part of her knew they were planning on killing Twisted. She whined, frowning before trotting towards the gunshot.
She poked her head around a corner and could see a pony laying on the ground, a growing pool of blood forming around him. She slowly approached, and as she got closer she could hear whimpering. She didn’t want to think about it. She was NOT going to think about it. She could see the dead pony had a knife, and she knew what her target was.
“We don’t have time to take turns!” She heard one of the stallions say.
“Shut the fuck up,” The other snapped. “This bitch had a smart mouth when me and Punji grabbed her, I wanna hear the bitch!” He snapped.
“Get fucked!” The first said. “I ain’t waiting cause you want reve-” Another gunshot, and Lilly’s ears rang. She couldn’t stop now, she had to save Twisted. She took the knife with her magic, and poked her head in the room.
The scene before her made her sick to her stomach, and the look on Twisted’s face made something snap in the filly. “That’s my MOM!” She screeched, running into the cell, stabbing the knife at the stallion. In a panic he lifted his front hoof, catching the edge making him scream just as the filly careened into him at full gallop, the two crashing to the ground in a huddle. Lilly didn’t stop though, stabbing the stallion again, eliciting another scream from him as she jumped on him. “YOU DON’T TOUCH HER!” She screamed, punctuating each word with a new stab, before she devolved into unintelligible screams of rage she didn’t think was possible. She kept stabbing the pony until her horn fizzled and she didn’t have the strength to keep up the act, weakly punching the bloodied corpse. Then she felt everything roil inside her and she let out a wail, covering her head and rocking back and forth. “I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE!” She screamed hysterically. She had never felt so alone and helpless as she started to cry loudly. She could feel the blood in her fur and on her face. She could even taste it causing her to retch violently, which made her cry even louder.
She felt a leg wrap around her, and looked up to see a hollow faced Twisted standing shakily over her. The mare collapsed shortly after though, weakly pulling Lilly towards her.
Lilly threw herself into Twisted, burying her face into the mares neck and sobbed uncontrollably. “I’ll never argue with you ever again!” She cried. “I promise if you tell me to stay I’ll do it just please get me out of her!” She begged but Twisted didn’t move, making Lilly cry even more.
Bedlam screamed in triumph as yet another heretic died underfoot, one of her wings shooting out and tossing another into a heap several feet away. She and Arinell had been fighting for several minutes now, and they had amassed quite the trail of bodies as they moved towards the terminal opposite of the side Lilly had entered, though she didn’t know that. She had lost track of Lilly the second the battle had started.
This was not the amount of resistance they had expected in this battle, but the cultists had poured out of buildings like angry ants from a disturbed hill. She could feel bullets pinging off her armor, and while none of them penetrated, she knew each shot was going to leave a hefty bruise. It hurt, but she didn’t mind that. It reminded her she was still alive and fighting. She heard Arinell scream in pain, turning to look at her. A cultist had managed to get a spear between the plates joining her belly armour and her back armor. Arinell swatted the pony away hard, snapping his neck in the process. She pulled the spear out of her side and launched it and skewered a cultist right through. Arinell was near lost in her rage, but that was fine for the moment.
Bedlam looked around the runway. The horde of ponies was starting to subside, but she could still see the flashes of gunfire from various points of the airport, and feel the thwap as they whizzed off her armour. Then she found herself thrown to the ground by a strike and a deafening boom filled her ears. Her breath left her lungs, and she scrambled to get back onto her feet before the cultists with spears could crowd her up, when Arinell plowed through an entire line, swiping away their spears, keeping them away long enough for Bedlam to get back to her feet.
“Get in the terminal!” Bedlam shouted, favoring her left side. She was still struggling to breathe. “They are using the weapon that took down Leyin!” She said, digging her feet in and beginning her sprint, charging through whatever cultist was dumb enough to try and get in front of the mass of angry feathers and metal. Arinell followed suit, letting out a screech of challenge as she did, and the two slammed through the floor to ceiling windows of the terminal like trucks. Inside they got a moment to breathe, and Bedlam groaned. She was getting too old for this. “I was hit,” She hissed, and Arinell quickly checked Bedlam over.
“It left a good dent, but it bounced,” Arinell said, looking around their surroundings quickly. “There are too many of them, Priestess! Even we cannot keep this up! We must hurry!” She added, and Bedlam had to reluctantly agree. She did not like running, but she was starting to see little choice. There were just too many ponies in too many places. They needed support. They needed Twisted and her magic and she was why they were even here!
Bedlam felt actual fear clutch at her chest as she thought of ways out. The Tower. That was where the weapon had to be if the weapon had hit her at the right angle to not only throw her to the ground but bounce. If they could deal with it, they could fly away without much concern but for their wings. She watched Arinell rip the spear out of the mouth of a pony and snap it across the former wielder's jaw, spinning him like a top. “To the tower! Cut off the head, the body will die,” Bedlam ordered, and the two began their charge again.
They met little relevant resistance. Nuisances without the support of their weapon, and the griffons slaughtered them like insects. By the time they reached the base of the tower, the purples and golds of their armor were dripping red. They saw a mare standing at the door, and she immediately fell back. “He’s still in the tower,” she screamed, trying to crawl away. Bedlam could see she had freshly lost an eye somehow, but she had no weapons. Another situation, she might have killed her just to be sure she didn’t stab them in the back somehow, but that was excessive for the moment.
They needed the weapon, they needed Twisted Visions and Lilly, and they needed to leave. “Arinell!” Bedlam said, turning around. “You get the weapon, kill the wielder, and leave! I’ll hunt down Priestess Visions,” She ordered, turning her gaze to the mare who was cowering in the corner. “You… Are going to lead me there or I will gut you,” She snarled.
Arinell went to argue, but Bedlam silently cut her off with a glare. “Follow your orders, warrior! Your comrade will need one of us when he awakes, and if I fail you will need to alert the Elders. GO!” She yelled, and Arinell reluctantly turned and started up the tower stairs.
Bedlam turned back to the mare. “Where were we?” She asked ominously, and the mare just nodded her head, running deeper into the terminal. Bedlam followed close behind. The gunfire ended once they were in the hallway, or was too faint for her to hear through her helmet. Still, she kept her eyes sharp as she followed the mare, until she heard a scream in the distance. “I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE!”
It was Lilly Grove. She barrelled past her guide, slamming her into the wall as she went by. A mercy, as she had planned to kill her, but Lilly was in trouble. She ran until she came to a dead pony, and could hear sobbing in a room. She took a moment to brace herself for what she would see, and looked into the cell. Two other ponies lay dead, and Lilly was sobbing into a motionless Twisted Visions. Bedlam’s heart sank, and she slammed her body into the bars of the cell, forcing her way in and checking on the mare.
She was alive, if not catatonic. She was thin and had plenty of fresh wounds to add to the collage of scars that covered her body. The sight had always fueled the fire of hatred Bedlam felt towards the cultists. The griffon pulled Lilly Grove away from Twisted and shoved her down between her breast and her barding. She wasn’t going to be flying out of this with Twisted, and her barding would protect Lilly from the movement of her armor, even if it would be uncomfortable. Not ideal, but Bedlam was without options as she dragged Twisted out of the cell, hoisting her onto her back and beginning her extraction.
She prayed to Discord, something she did not do often despite the strength of her faith. She prayed he would shift the wake to let them breathe. To give her the strength to control herself long enough to get her head over the water with her charges. She just ran, charging any pony dumb enough to get in her way. The fighting had grown sporratic, but she could hear heavy gunfire at the far side of the airport. Bedlam couldn’t stop to think of helping Arinell and Leyin. She just galloped across the runway at full tilt, then through the surrounding fields and finally into the forest.
The battle was a disaster, but, all things considered, Bedlam counted it as a victory.
Bedlam stood on a ridge overlooking the airfield. The sun had come up, and she could tell that it was like an anthill that had just been stepped on. She could only assume that Arinell finished her task, or else they would have been shot by the weapon. That was a dangerous thought however.
Paranoia had started to settle into the large warrior. It had been days since she got any kind of sleep, she was battle weary, and she didn’t know what happened to Arinell or Leyin. Twisted Visions hadn’t said a word, and neither had Lilly.
Hour previously, she had thought they won, but now? Now she was really starting to reconsider that idea. No matter. If Arinell and Leyin survived, they would head back to the city. She had given Lilly and Twisted enough time to rest, they needed to start moving. So she picked the two up onto her back, and began her hike back to Memorial City. Flying was a creature comfort that Bedlam was momentarily thankful she trained to not have, or this walk would be nightmarish.
The forced march was long, gruelly, but thankfully uneventful as they started to near Memorial City. Bedlam could hear a shout from the wall of the repurposed university, and the gate began to open. Several ponies ran out, and Bedlam instinctively prepared for a fight. When she saw the ponies were carrying bags, and two of them had a stretcher. She laid down, allowing the medicine ponies to take Twisted from her, and the group hurried her away.
The tiny griffon wasn’t far behind, slowing down to look at Twisted Visions as she passed them. A blind person could see the grimace cross his face as he continued to walk towards Bedlam. “Uh, Warrior Priestess Bedlam?” He asked, and Bedlam could hear that the words were uncomfortable on his tongue. “The other two griffons arrived about two hours ago. We have the hurt one in the medical ward, but the other won’t let our staff touch him, so we haven’t been able to do much for him. What the hell happened?” He asked as Bedlam stood up.
“There were more than we anticipated,” Bedlam said, exhaustion filling her voice. “We made it out, but the Cult will be angry. They will call for reinforcements soon enough, and by how quickly they got them the first time, they will nit be quiet, licking their wounds for long,” She said, walking through the gates. “I advise you prepare your forces for a seige. There is only one explaination for them taking that airfield, and it does not bode well for us at all.”
“Wait,” Talon said, standing in front of Bedlam. “How do you know they are going to attack? Sure, there may be a lot of them, but that doesn’t mean they are going to attack with any force,” He said.
“This is an island,” Bedlam explained. “An island that is perfect for rebuilding a society, given it’s enormous size and seemingly fertile soils,” She sighed. “That, and you have said they are primarily focused on the smaller island off the coast somewhere,” She pointed out, stepping over Talon Scratch. “The Airport is a rally point for the Cult to take over Prince Johns. If they take this city, with Memorial City, then they will hold the largest settlement on the island. From there, they can spread at their leisure, taking out communities, converting or killing ponies as they please,” She finished
Talon Scratch lost a little life from his eyes. “That’s not good…” He mumbled, rushing ahead to lead Bedlam to the Medical ward. The University had been a medical hospital, and Bedlam was quite impressed with their medical ward.
She could see Arinell standing between several ponies and Twisted Visions. She wasn’t wearing her armor but she was still a formidable force. Bedlam could see the exhaustion in the young griffons eyes, but she stood strong. Bedlam made a note to commend her to the Elders. Despite some little infractions, she had carried herself well. Bedlam was proud of her, but Arinell’s mission was not yet over.
“Stand down Arinell,” Bedlam said, getting a look from the griffon.
“But Preistess,” Arinell said, looking back to the ponies. “They intend to use their dr-”
“We do not have the luxery,” Bedlam cut Arinell off. “We are all hurt, and we have no time. We will have to take the risk,” She said, looking at one of the ponies. They hey a roll of gauze as their cutie mark. “What are the chances of addiction?” She asked.
“Painkillers?” The pony asked, looking at Bedlam. “Negligible if controlled and administered correctly. Addiction tends to happen when ponies use it against the advice of medical advice. As for healing potions, We have enough to give each of you one, and those aren’t addictive. All things considered, you should all be fine to let us look you over,” They said, and Bedlam turned to Arinell.
“See?” She asked, setting Lilly on a bed and draping a blanket over her. “As long as we remember to only take shortcuts when absolutely necessary, we should suffer no problems,” Bedlam said, starting to remove her armor. “Let the ponies do their job. I need you of all of us ready to fly,” She ordered. Arinell nodded, reluctantly moving and finally letting the medical staff through to treat Twisted and Leyin.
Arinell walked over to Bedlam, helping her with her armor. “What are you planning mother?” Arinell asked quietly, looking at the ponies busy at work. “What is our next step forward? The Cultists know we are on the island in enough force to be a problem, they are going to retaliate,” She said.
Bedlam nodded her head, letting out a soft sigh, relishing in not wearing her armor for a moment. “You are going to fly to other settlements on the island and you are going to warn them what is to come,” She said, looking at Leyin. He was already starting to move about. Even with the drugs, Bedlam could tell these ponies were talented. “Leyin, when he can, will fly back to the Sanctuary with a message. I will stay here and watch over Twisted Visions while she heals, while preparing every stallion and mare to deal with this infestation. We shall remind the Cult what happens when they draw too much attention to themselves,” She growled turning around.
The floor swayed beneath Rose Bed as she hefted the set of armor on her back. She wished she could wear it, it was heavy as fuck, but not only was it too big for her, but Red Mist had been pretty clear that she was not to wear it. She didn’t deserve it. Asshole.
The ferry ride was rough. The fact that someone had even gotten this thing running again was a miracle. Part of her wished she could have stomped their brains out through their eyes before they got the chance. Maybe then, the Cultists would have just moved on. Left them all alone. Not started this plan of taking over Prince Johns and the rest of the main island.
Red Mist walked back and forth, ignoring the swaying of the large ferry. “You better hope our Mistress believes your story Rose,” He said, finally stopping to look Rose Bed over harshly. “Last thing I need is for my favorite toy to be cut open and put on display,” He growled.
Rose Bed ignored him. She hated him. The giddy rush she got when he first talked her into running off and becoming bandits had worn off too long ago, but she liked living too much to try and do anything about it. Banditry had turned into raiding. Raiding had inevitably turned into this mess, and Red Mist’s drive for power had dropped him right into the mess of it all. There was no leaving at this point. He had ordered his troupe to hamstring her if she tried running.
She didn’t even want to do this anymore, but if she didn’t then she would be beaten. It was a no win situation. She kept her displeasure to herself as she felt the Ferry move to dock. She always kept her displeasure to herself. It took minutes of Red Mist whining for the boat to finally dock, the front cart ramp lowering and giving them a way off. Now for the worst part.
Bell Island was a small island off the coast of the main island Prince John’s was on, and Bell island was about 500 feet off the water, with a small harbour for boats on a low beach. It was inhabited before the war and during the war. In fact, it was an important aspect of the war, given the massive iron mine that was on the island.
Coal and Gems were what everyone thought fueled the war but Iron? Iron built the buildings, the vehicles, the armour, the weapons. Gems were a small fry compared to iron, and the Bell Island mines were the largest, most pure iron mine in equestria. Therefore it was well protected. That was what she could tell from the sea guns the littered the cliffs. She didn’t know if they worked, but she wouldn’t be surprised if someone could get them working with a bit of effort. That bothered her.
They walked off the boat, and Rose Bed was once again cursing the fact she had to carry that bitch’s armor. Walking up the hill was hard enough without a heavy load, but the armor had her sweating and panting. The sweat stung what was left of her eye, but she didn’t say anything. Mostly because she didn’t have the energy, the rest because it would either fall on deaf ears or worse.
The only benefit was that the island was beautiful. Prince Johns was never hit by the megaspells, and it showed once they got to the top of the island. The modest mountains of the cove could be seen all around and the air was clean. Wild flowers grew, there were even wild berries they could collect. She did when she was brought to the island, while Red Mist spoke to the Cultists.
“When I’m in control,” Red Mist said, irritation coating his voice as they passed a house with an elderly pony sitting outside. He waved, Red Mist paid them no mind, but Rose Bed waved as best she could.
Rose bed sighed as Red Mist continued. “Allowing these ponies to continue living their lives. Ponies who could be working the fields, or wielding spears instead of letting us die at the hands of these Follower Heretics. Instead, we let them continue their lives! It’s weakness!” He snapped. Rose wished he would keep his voice down. “Soon, this whole island will be a place of worship to Chaos, and it will all be used to bring Lord Discord back to Equestria so he may right this world. Just you wait Rose, I shall bring this order to new heights!” Red Mist grinned.
Rose Bed didn’t respond, watching a colt bolt by them. She could see the scars along his coat and her stomach started to turn into knots. The poor colt… She had often been adamant about leaving foals alone. This was exactly why. Let them have their childhood, and then suffer in adulthood like the rest of us. She wasn’t always listened to.
Still, seeing that colt run off towards the highschool made her blood run cold. Colts and Fillies running towards the highschool like that rarely meant anything good. They were heading that way, however, and that meant they would soon find out what all the concern. Or, well, Red Mist would find out. She would sit outside the highschool and wait.
They approached the building, and Rose couldn’t help but feel her skin grow cold as she looked at it. It wasn’t a highschool anymore. The Cultists had built walls, and she could tell someone in that highschool knew how to build walls because she couldn’t think of anyone who could breach them. From a distance, the walls looked a solid muddy red, but as they got closer she could see the lines in it as unicorns used magic to fuze the stone together to make them effectively solid.
They got closer to the highschool and Rose could start to see the tops of the walls. There were thick poles with glowing gems scattering the tops of the walls. Rose didn’t know what they did, but she assumed they were to help the guards with defending the structure. Rose Bed stood, several feet away from the door as it opened, waiting for Red Mist to take the armor from her and go in, but he was stopped by a guard.
The two stallions spoke for a moment, and all Rose Bed could hear was a loud “What?!” from Red Mist. Some more talk, and Red Mist looked to Rose. “You have been invited to meet our Mistress,” He said sourly. He always lorded being able to enter the Highschool over Rose Bed. She wasn’t worthy, and was merely a plaything. Now, she was worthy to participate in audience with the one who ran all this.
Rose was nervous. She had only ever witnessed the regular brand of Raiders, and was always threatened to be sent into the highschool. That they would do worse things to her. That what rose experinced with Red Mist was nothing compared to what born and bred Cultists would do to her. Maybe it was just an empty threat? Something he used to control her. Maybe he wasn’t lying?
She had no choice but to find out as she started walking towards the door. Red Mist walked in and Rose Bed followed, and what she saw was… Not right. Not right at all. The sound of the courtyard was awful, ponies screaming, moaning, begging, both in pain and in pleasure. There were stallions and mares alike fighting, many fucking, and a whole manner of other things. She was witnessing acts of the highest extremes from both ends.
She could see a stallion having his way with a mare who was weakly struggling to get away, and it made her heart sink. Then, the mare collapsed, and the Stallion quickly stopped to check on the mare. The mare was not enjoying herself from what Rose was able to see, and the Stallion didn’t seem to care… Until the mare stopped fighting? Then her ears were alerted to the sound of foals. Goddesses, Discord, whatever deity may exist she prayed too in the hopes that she was not about to witness the worst of equestria, but when she looked over all she saw were some colts and fillies participating in a rather violent version of soccer, with a couple older ponies “supervising” looking bored.
She felt a small amount of relief. This was still no place for a child, but from what she was witnessing as it stood, what they were doing could have been a lot worse. She let out the breath she wasn’t aware she was holding, and continued walking behind Red Mist, into the actual highschool. The walls were painted in symbols and depictions of whom she could only assume was Discord, holding two alicorns in his hands. Luna and Celestia. Discord was to kill them, but they were already dead.
As they walked, there was an old pony curled up against the wall. Both of his eyes were gone, gouged out of his head giving him a ghoulish look, but he laughed as they grew near. It was a broken, strained laugh of someone who had been through a significant amount of truama. “There she is,” He said gleefully, turning his head to look at Rose Bed. She froze, his accuracy uncanny. “The catalyst! The one who will bring Discord upon this world, and end the conflict,” He cackled, rolling over onto his side. “I shall be free! Free of these voices finally!” He continued, practically screaming, but Red Mist paid him no mind.
“Old fool,” He grumbled, grabbing Rose Bed by the mane with his magic and pulling her past. “Ignore him, he knows not what he speaks of for his worthless position,” He hissed, kicking the old stallion in the side as they walked past, but he only kept laughing. Rose Bed decided she never wanted to return to this place if she had too, and she had only seen a small part of the large… Compound.
They were only walking for a minute more, before Red Mist walked through a double wide door, into a poorly lit room. The Auditorium, she recognized it from the place she had once called home, only this one was far larger. Fire lit the room, but it was focused on the middle where two Stallions fought. On the far side of the room, Rose could make out a large, but thin pony laying down, the sillouette watching the fight curiously.
The two stallions were noisy, bucking, biting, and butting each other, the rage clear on their faces, crazed looks in their eyes. Rose remained silent. She didn’t want to watch, but she was scared to look away. Red Mist was not bothered by the fight, and they were quite firmly in the gaze of the pony on the other side of the auditorium. The fight lasted for several minutes, before one finally got the advantage and started pounding the stallion mercilessly.
The was a sharp crack, and Rose watched Red Mist wince. Out of everything that they had seen on their way in, that made him wince? Not the rape, or the children fighting? Not the old stallion he had kicked or the grotesque, bloody murals painted over what had once been painted over the once bright and cheerful walls? A stallion being killed in a pit fight made him wince?
“Oh dear…” A mares voice spoke. It was low, smooth, and sent ice down Rose’s spine as the stallion panted heavily. “That… Was a mistake.” The final word she spoke quickly brought the pony out of whatever state he was in previously, and he scrambled off the body.
“I’m sorry Mistress Reflections!” He pleaded, crawling towards the relaxing mare. “I-I-I-”
“Silence, Entropy…” The Mare ordered, her tone both bored and annoyed at the same time. “You know what the punishment for your error is…” She said, lowering her head and tossing something into the lit ring. A knife clattered across the stained lenolium floor, resting next to the earth pony. “Murder within our temple… Especially one of our own? If you take one life, you must take two…” She growled, rearing her head up. She looked regal, tall, and her mane was long. “See yourself to Discord little pony, allow him to decide your fate.”
The stallion nodded his head slowly, his shaking hoof reaching out to the knife as he stood up. “I beg our lords forgiveness… And yours, Mistress,” He said, his voice low and lifeless.
“You shall have it once you accept your punishment Entropy,” The mare responded, her tone final. Rose knew nothing more would be said, and that was proven as the stallion fell upon the knife. Rose wanted to run to the pony, to help him, but she also didn’t want to be the next one to die. She just wanted to leave. She wanted nothing more than to just go and pray her nightmares would not keep her up too long. To not watch as the pony slowly died.
Once he finally did, the hidden mare sighed, rolling her head on her neck as if this was an inconvenience. “I knew that argument would get out of hand…” She muttered, a glint in the darkness telling Rose she was being stared at. “A gift? For me?” She asked, standing up.
Rose was terrified. The giant mare kept within the shadows of the gym, but the clicking of her hooves was all Rose needed to know that the mare was coming towards them. “How sweet of you Red Mist. Aren’t your a little brown noser.” The tone was mocking, rather than complimentary. “Enter the light my little pony, do not fear the fate those two before you did. Murder, is a most heinous crime within these walls,” The voice commended.
The words were comforting, as was the tone, but somehow that just made the terror in Rose grow all the more. The conflicting messages making it hard for her to refuse the order as she stepped into the light. The armor on her back glittered in the firelight, and Rose could hear the mare gasp in surprise.
“Brown nosing indeed,” She whispered. “Put it down, that armor must be dreadfully heavy,” She said, and Rose was glad to follow orders now, carefully setting the armor down and turning back to face Red Mist. She could barely see him, the light making it hard to see into the darkness. Though, she could make out the mare standing next to him.
“The armor of a Follower of Discord…” The mare spoke, a touch of awe in her voice. “A beautiful set at that. One I have envied for near twenty years…” She sighed. “I will contain my astonishment, what happened in the airfield. I was informed of an attack on your outpost. I gave you fifty of our soldiers, and only seven remain,” She said, ice once again filling her voice.
“The followers attacked us,” Red Mist said curtly. “Griffons. They fell from the sky. Though I still have over seventy mares and stallions. Our foothold is not lost, Memorial City will be ours soon,” He said, not looking the mare in the eye. Keeping his gaze on Rose. “More, if the lead of my watch had done her job appropriately…” He added darkly. Rose’s gut could not possibly tie itself up any more than it already had.
“Is this them?” The mare asked.
“Yes Mistress Reflections…” Red Mist answered.
This Mistress Reflections sighed deeply. “Red Mist… If the head of my watch had failed, leading to the death of fourty-three ponies under my command, who’s fault do you think it would be?” She asked simply. Red Mist didn’t answer. “It would be mine, because I am the one who made them such, which means our Elders would blame only me for that failure. Keep that close in your mind next time you try to shift blame to someone else,” She said, looking back at Rose, or at least, Rose felt she was being watched.
Rose also knew she was going to hate her life for the next few months. Red Mist had tried to scape goat her, and now that he failed he was going to take it out on her. A small part of her hoped the mare would kill her, just so she wouldn’t have to live through that torture. She didn’t think she would be able to bear the fury of Red’s bruised ego.
“What of the follower who’s armor you brought to me?” Reflections asked. “I recognize it. I have a… Personal interest in the one who wore it.”
“Escaped…” Red Mist said darkly. “She was the object of the attack. She had been in captivity for a we-”
“AND YOU DID NOT BRING HER HERE!” Reflections roared, and Rose could see the sillouette of her torso inflate a little, a ruffling of something familiar filling her ears. Red Mist had lowered his head, and was breathing heavily. “You had a Priestess of the Followers, in your hooves, and you let her escape!” Reflections continued, shaking her head. “Idiot. You are an IDIOT! LEt me guess, your small raider brain decided you would rape and torture her, with the plans to bring me a broken, lifeless husk of the mare, and expected to be congradulated, didn’t you!”
“Mistress I-”
“DIDN’T YOU!” Reflections screamed. Rose once again didn’t want to be here. Red Mist could do whatever he wanted for the next year if it meant she didn’t have to be around this pony any longer. She was not nice, she was just very good at hiding her insanity.
“You are no longer in control of our outpost,” Reflections snapped. “You shall await your replacement when you return to the airport, and you will do exactly as he orders you to do, do you understand me?” She asked.
“Yes Mistress…” Red Mist grumbled, not lifting her head. From the corner of her eye, Rose could see movement. The colt from earlier. poking his head a little into the light.
“Also, Red Mist,” Reflections asked, her voice relaxed and uin control once again. “Could you remind me what the punishment is for conspiring against an elders orders?” She asked. Rose couldn’t tell if the question was rhetorical or not.
“Death…” Red Mist said, his voice confused. “Why do you a-”
FWAP THUMP
Rose stared, her mouth open in shock as Red Mist’s head dropped to the ground, his body still standing, waiting for signals from the head now gone. That wasn’t what shocked her though. It was the wing that had removed it. If this mare had a horn, she could almost mistaken her for one of the goddesses.
“You are correct…” Reflections said, curling up her wing. “I hate executions,” She added, shaking herself off a little. “But a necessary evil. I cannot have ponies like him ruining our plans before they even begin, and he would certainly turn the locale against us,” She said, tipping the body over with a light hoof tap.
“Tell me,” Reflections started, pulling Rose from her stupor. “Rose Bed, is it?” She asked, stepping into the light. Rose quickly scurried a few steps backwards before landing on her flanks. The maroon coat, black mane with the red streak. The piercing blue eyes. She was looking at the spitting image of the Follower they had captured. “What happened the night you let my sister escape?"
Perfect Reflections. That was this mares name, and suddenly the similarities became normal. She had heard stories of earth ponies and unicorns giving birth to pegasi, even giving birth to twins of different types, which Perfect Reflections had inevitably claimed as why she was not a unicorn like her sister. The two just sat and talked, and for the first time in a while, Rose Bed felt comfortable.
“I know all too well what you went through,” Perfect Reflections said, looking down at Rose. She had insisted Rose lay with her, and while at first Rose was hesitant, this had been the first time she had experinced anything close to affection in almost a decade. She was putty in the insane mares hooves at this point. No pain, no abuse, just… Calm conversation. “I was a small filly when the Followers attacked my village. My sister was always the type to run into a fight. Rightous… She would be where I am today, if not highwer had the Followers not stolen her away from us,” She explained. Rose felt a pang of sadness. Sure, this mare was insane, and her beliefs weren’t anything to brag about but… She was still a pony? She was more of a pony than most raiders she had met at least.
“It’s…” Rose said, looking up at Perfect Reflections. “It’s not your fault they took her…” She said. “You were just a filly… And they…” She said, remembering how two griffons had slaughtered people she knew like a scythe slicing through blades of grass. She didn’t like them, but still. “Those griffons are terrifying…” She whispered.
Perfect Reflections nodded her head. “You are right, and they show no mercy. from under the remains of our parents hut I watched as one griffon stepped from pony to pony, forcing them to relenquish our beliefs, before slaughtering them like common cattle,” She said, and Rose could hear a hitch in her voice. “As you can see, we do not force anyone into our beliefs… Into our villages, into our ways of life. Many of the ponies you witnessed outside had come here of their own accord, tired of the ridged structure of their days. Wanting nothing more than a release into chaos, to give up control because we are not creatures of order like those aweful princesses these lost ponies thinkare our goddesses,” Pefect growled, rage bristling through her body, giving Rose a bit of a start.
Perfect Reflections calmed down quickly enough, hanging her head with a defeated sigh. “If it weren’t for watching my sister as she faced that monster down, I may not be here today,” She said, looking at Rose Bed. “She looked that griffon in the eye, and spat in her face. She was not going to be intimidated. She fought, bit, kicked, used what magic she had. Everything she could to stop them from taking her, but she was gone, and I was alone…” Perfect Reflections said, looking into the darkness. “I was alone for a long time, but I started following the raiding parties of the Heretics, collecting other colts and fillies. We grew older, and we found the very boat you used to get over here. A… Friend of mine,” Perfect said, frowning. “He fixed the boat, he was good at fixing things. He died, killed by raiders, but I forgive them for that. They did not understand what it was they did, and he is now where he wanted to be, with Discord, waiting for us to succeed,” She smiled.
Rose looked at Perfect Reflections, surprised. This mare ordered ponies to commit suicide. Slaughtered Red Mist. Lead the insanity that happened outside, but Rose was having a hard time proving this mare herself was evil. “What would you have done… If we still had Twisted Visions?” She asked. “Or even another Follower?”
“Rehabilitate them,” Perfect Reflections said as if it were the obvious answer. “Return them to the natural chaos of the world so that we may all be happy,” She said, looking down at Rose Bed. “That, is where you come in my dear.”
Rose bed shook her head in a start. “Me?” She asked, surprised. Red Mist was never quiet about how much he had to convince and coerce to be anything significant, or to even get this very mare, Rose could only assume, to give him even the time of day. Now here she was being told she was important to this mission.
Perfect Reflections stood up, walking over Rose like she was nothing more than a filly. “I regret the thought, but I do not think Twisted will be capable of being converted. The Followers got her as a child when her mind was still malliable,” She explained, looking at Rose, lifting her hoof. “But that wound you recieved… Tells me you might be able to get into their city and get close to her… Through the Filly…” She said darkly.
Rose’s blood turned to ice at this, and she was frozen in place. How did she know? Perfect’s smile immediately told her otherwise. She had been baited.
“I had my suspicions,” Perfect continued, figiting in the darkness with something on a table. “Twisted was seen with a Filly when she was captured, and while those two ponies who were sent out to collect her were idiots that fell into her ploy, Red Mist could see everything, and did not see a Filly run away. When he sent me the message informing me of this, I knew the followers would be following not far behind, and the radio pony did not fail to inform me my expectations were correct. Your eye was not self inflicted, but you would be dead if it were a grown pony who inflicted that. Your look just now told me everything else I needed. You know that filly,” PErfect explained.
“She is… Was my daughter,” Rose said, defeated. She was an idiot, and any lie at this point would just get her killed. Yet another reminder as to why she never tried to get away. She was not a smart pony. “She stabbed me in the eye cause she was scared, I thought what harm could she do, so I lied to keep Red Mist from getting his hooves on her cause… I didn’t want that for any filly, let alone Lily Grove.”
“Indeed,” Perfect said softly, walking back over and laying back down. “That is why you are going to go to Prince Johns. Say you escaped. Get close to Twisted Visions and Lily Grove. When the time comes, at the precipice of the battle that is inevitable, you will kill Twisted and that will shake the city into submission,” She said, her voice now telling her how this was going to go, rather than asking. Once again, Rose Bed had no choice. One tyrant over her life was replaced with another, more dangerous tyrant. “In return, I will make sure you, your filly, and any family you might have left are spared. My cultists will gloss over them as if they did not even exist, and we will leave their conversion to time, rather than demonstration…”
Rose Bed perked up at this. “So… You would let me and my family go? All I need to do is Kill Twisted Visions?” She asked, not believing what she was hearing.
“My word is my bond,” Perfect smiled, lowering her muzzle and intimately nibbling one of Rose’s ears. Rose’s face went hot with embarrassment. “But rest for tonight… Let me help you relieve the stress of the wastelands,” Perfect whispered. Rose knew what was about to happen, but for once, she was actually okay with it.
