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                                            =BiE 36=
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                                            3.
                                            >The carriage bounced and bobbed along the road and into the forest.
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                                            4.
                                            >Being crammed inside with four other ponies made the ride...interesting.
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                                            5.
                                            >Eventually, the carriage stopped.
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                                            6.
                                            >But not before the riders inside had been dropped into a pile.
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                                            7.
                                            >"Whoever's hoof that is has five seconds to remove it before I do."
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                                            8.
                                            >The offending hoof is removed as you all climb your way out of the carriage.
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                                            9.
                                            >Before you are erected a good couple hundred tents of varying sizes.
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                                            10.
                                            >Ponies of all shapes and sizes roam around the makeshift town.
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                                            11.
                                            >No...not just ponies.
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                                            12.
                                            >Your eyes make out several pairs of griffins as well as several unicorns. You even see a minotaur.
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                                            13.
                                            >"Impressed, human?"
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                                            14.
                                            >You turn to your side and spot Trixie beaming over her collection of cultists.
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                                            15.
                                            >You grunt.
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                                            16.
                                            >"Seems pretty organized for a religion supposedly based around the concept of Chaos..."
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                                            17.
                                            >Trixie harrumphs. "We will not have a hired mercenary, and even worse, an -outsider- critique our methods. Now, come along. I want you to sit in on a meeting."
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                                            18.
                                            First a camp and now a meeting? Is it a Chaos meeting?
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                                            19.
                                            >She's a hypocrite, who cares?
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                                            20.
                                            >Just follow along until you get what you need.
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                                            21.
                                            
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                                            22.
                                            >The meeting was exactly as bureaucratic as you thought.
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                                            23.
                                            >Long table.
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                                            24.
                                            >Dozen or so high ranking cult officials.
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                                            25.
                                            >The Holy Mother at the end, flanked by Trixie and some pegasus in red armor.
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                                            26.
                                            >And you. Crammed between a griffin and an earth pony who smelled like he hadn't bathed in a week.
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                                            27.
                                            >Trixie was using her illusionary magic to place markers over a map of Equestria and the surrounding countries.
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                                            28.
                                            >"I will re-iterate our plan for those of you who are unaware." she says as she throws a glance at you.
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                                            29.
                                            Fuck you too, Trixie.
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                                            30.
                                            >"As you all know, Chaos is a state of things. One that is imprinted throughout the entire world almost as much as magic itself."
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                                            31.
                                            >Four markers appeared over the map. Two to the North and two to the South.
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                                            32.
                                            >"Our goal, is to collect four items that either caused mass Chaos, or are the direct result of it. Using these artifacts, we will tear open a portal and free our lord Discord." she says with a manic grin.
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                                            33.
                                            >Everyone else at the table was wearing the same grin.
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                                            34.
                                            >You sigh and raise your hand. "What, human?" Trixie asks.
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                                            35.
                                            >"Why are we doing this? I mean, I know you want to free Discord, but isn't he a statue in Canterlot? Shouldn't the first task be getting that statue?"
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                                            36.
                                            >The rest of the members of this idiot council all moaned like you had just asked why the sky was blue.
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                                            37.
                                            >"Discord is not mere flesh, human, He is a spirit. A spirit that is currently trapped in the Tartarian plains. We will use these artifacts to open a portal to Tartarus and allow him re-entry into our world."
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                                            38.
                                            
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                                            >"Isn't Discord supposed to be as powerful as Celestia? Shouldn't he be able to open a portal himself?"
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                                            >You hear a sigh from the earth pony next you. "I have a question, why are we even entertaining this ape? He is no true believer, and I fail to see why our plans hinge on him."
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                                            41.
                                            >You shoot him a glare. "What, ape? You think you can frighten me? I have fought worse then you in my-"
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                                            42.
                                            >He gets no further as you grab his head and slam it onto the table.
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                                            43.
                                            >You pull David out of his sheathe and stab him into the table barely a hairsbreadth away from the earth pony's neck.
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                                            44.
                                            >"You ponies need to learn that I'm a lot scarier then you are."
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                                            45.
                                            >Any traces of arrogance in the ponies eyes had evaporated as he eyed the blade at his throat.
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                                            46.
                                            >A flash of light erupts from behind you and splinters over the back of your head.
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                                            47.
                                            >You turn to see Trixie standing on the table, her horn still glowing. "That is why we need him. I have word from one of my sources that both this human and the other from P0nyville are entirely immune to magic. We can't overlook that advantage."
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                                            48.
                                            >The only time that ever came up was when you first got here and saw Celestia.
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                                            49.
                                            >She has spies in the palace?
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                                            50.
                                            >Trixie continues to glare at you while the rest of the room looks on edge, the pegasus on the other side of Her Holiness looked ready to jump you.
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                                            51.
                                            >"Now, release him human."
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                                            52.
                                            >You stare down Trixie for what feels like hours.
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                                            53.
                                            >Should just wreck these idiots...
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                                            54.
                                            Easy. Remember the plan. We need them.
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                                            55.
                                            >Yeah...but they don't need us here.
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                                            56.
                                            
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                                            57.
                                            >You pry David out of the table and re-sheathe him as you walk out.
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                                            58.
                                            >"Human! We are not done here!" you hear Trixie shout from behind you.
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                                            59.
                                            >You stop and look at Trixie over your shoulder.
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                                            60.
                                            >"Four artifacts to summon Discord. I help you get them and then I get what I want. I'm going to assume you aren't a moron and have some way of crossing that ocean on your map, so I'm leaving until you twits come up with a plan."
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                                            61.
                                            >You continue walking out of the tent.
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                                            62.
                                            >"Come find me when you have something, and not a minute before."
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                                            63.
                                            >That went well, what now?
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                                            64.
                                            We need food. And a place to sleep.
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                                            >You wander around the camp looking.
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                                            66.
                                            >Dammit, where is the cafeteria tent, or whatever?
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                                            67.
                                            There has to be one with this many cultists.
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                                            68.
                                            >Maybe they catch their own food?
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                                            69.
                                            >You're interrupted by a trio of colts running past you chasing a ball.
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                                            70.
                                            >Shit, they had kids in this mess?
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                                            71.
                                            Fucked up.
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                                            72.
                                            >"Hey. Kids."
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                                            73.
                                            >They all turn to look at you.
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                                            >"What are you doing here?"
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                                            75.
                                            >The three of them glance at each other. "Uhh...our parents all brought us here, who are you?"
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                                            76.
                                            Parents dragging their kids into a doomsday cult?
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                                            77.
                                            >It's either that or pay for college...
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                                            78.
                                            >"Nevermind, where do I get something to eat?"
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                                            79.
                                            >The colts all point to a particularly large tent over on the other side of camp.
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                                            80.
                                            >"Yeah. Thanks."
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                                            81.
                                            >You can feel them stare at you as you walk away.
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                                            84.
                                            >Dinner consisted of some bread and water.
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                                            85.
                                            >Can't get too fancy when you're feeding this many mouths in the middle of nowhere.
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                                            86.
                                            >At least you were used to the diet.
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                                            87.
                                            >It was night, late, the events of the day were beginning to catch up to you.
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                                            88.
                                            >Apparently, tents were for actual members of the Cult, so you had to fend for yourself.
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                                            89.
                                            >Deciding against sleeping near the outskirts of a camp in the middle of the Everfree Forest, you lean back against a tree next to the conference tent you stormed out of earlier.
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                                            90.
                                            >Your mind begins to replay the events of the day.
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                                            91.
                                            >You still remember Anon's face when you announced you were working with Trixie, he looked confused.
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                                            92.
                                            >Anon always saw the world a bit more black and white then you.
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                                            93.
                                            >Contrast to Rainbow's face; the rage of your betrayal was practically carved into it.
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                                            94.
                                            >Still, you hope they're okay.
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                                            95.
                                            >You didn't stick around to see the aftermath of the smokescreen.
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                                            96.
                                            >And then with what happened with Lotus...
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                                            >You felt a pang in the middle of your chest.
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                                            98.
                                            >Why did she have to be there?
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                                            99.
                                            >She better be safe.
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                                            100.
                                            >Is she worried about you? Or did she do what you said?
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                                            101.
                                            >Maybe you shou-
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                                            102.
                                            No.
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                                            103.
                                            We can't.
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                                            104.
                                            The job is too important.
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                                            105.
                                            >You sigh as you remember why you rolled in with Trixie in the first place.
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                                            106.
                                            Mind like ice. Let nothing get in your way.
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                                            107.
                                            >You take some deep breaths as you center yourself.
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                                            108.
                                            >Anon, Rainbow, and Lotus would be fine.
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                                            109.
                                            >Whatever they do after this, you're not going to be around to help.
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                                            110.
                                            >You eventually succeed in banishing those thoughts and drifting off to sleep.
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                                            111.
                                            >Whatever the council came up with, tomorrow would be an interesting day.
 
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                         by Mandroid
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                         by Mandroid
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