The snow crunched beneath their hooves as four companions marched on. They were led by a unicorn, whose white coat made her nearly invisible in the snow. Only the pale blue light of her horn and the soft crunching of her hooves gave away her presence.

"She's crazy," one of the companions whispered to another. "How can she trot through this weather without barding?"

"She says it helps her when she's tracking. Something about being in tune with the Goddess."

The two of them quickly bowed their heads, and placed their hooves over their hearts at the mention of the word "Goddess."

"Speaking of being more in tune, ‘Chestra, maybe the two of us should take off our scarves and barding to get in tune with each other. I hear it's a great way of conserving body heat."

Despite her shivering, Orchestra couldn't help but blush. Thankfully, her companion couldn't see it underneath her scarf.

"My name is Orchestra. And if you want to be warm so badly then how about you shut your mouth, Joab. You let body heat escape every time you open it." I have no idea if that’s true or not, but hopefully it’ll get him to shut up.

"But I'm just so bored!" Joab whined. He threw his head back, and stuck his tongue out to catch a snowflake. The instant it touched his tongue he shivered, and pulled it back into his mouth. "But every time I try to do something I just get cold. Why can't this be easy?"

"Because if this were an easy task the Goddess would have not have bequeathed it to us."

Orchestra and Joab both bowed their heads, and touched their chests at the word Goddess. When Orchestra lifted her head she looked into the large brown eyes of Deacon. Despite the cold, she felt warm as she gazed upon the elderly stallion’s smile. Deacon turned to Joab, and Orchestra noticed a book levitating beside him.

"I can understand your impatience, my son. I was young once too, eager to prove that I was worthy to follow in the Holy Mother’s hooves. But that is why she tests us. Many have faith, but few will follow their faith into a storm. Remember, only those who will blindly follow can truly walk the path of piety."

"Amen," Orchestra whispered.

Deacon levitated the Book in front of him, and placed a hoof onto its crystal cover. "There will be hazards upon the path, my children. The disease of doubt may infect your mind. Devils, who have scorned our Goddess, will try and seduce you away from her. But you must not give into doubt. You must not be seduced. And you must purge the devils as if you were her own sword."

Orchestra instinctively lifted her right foreleg, and stared at the kirpan strapped to her boot. As she looked upon the blue handle she thought of a particular stallion. She thought of his azure coat, and how dirty it had been on the day he was born. She thought of his deep, yet gentle voice singing to keep her spirits up. Finally, she thought of the slash across his throat when he dared to protect the temptress who had stolen his very soul. The tears that washed down her face turned to crystals of ice as she thought of her little brother.

"You're right, Father. We must purge them all."

Especially that heathen wench!

Deacon chuckled lightly, and pointed towards their tracker. "It looks as if Purity will be giving us that chance soon enough."

Orchestra turned to see the white unicorn hunched over, prodding the snow with her hooves.

"Have you found anything, my child?" Deacon asked as he trotted towards Purity.

The tracker held up her hoof to signal silence, and he obliged. Orchestra silently approached Deacon’s side to observe her companion at work. She noticed multiple sets of hoofprints in the snow, which seemed to show the passing of five ponies. Purity touched her nose to the prints, and inhaled deeply. Orchestra looked over at Deacon with a raised eyebrow, but the old stallion merely shook his head with a smile.

"There are five of them," Purity finally said.

"Did you tell that from sniffing the snow?" Joab had joined them, and was standing in front of Purity with a sneer on his face.

Purity raised her head, but her eyes were focused on Deacon. "From the size of the tracks I can tell we're following three full grown stallions, one fully grown mare, and a foal." Without looking she pointed to the three largest tracks. "Judging from how deep the impressions are, I believe two of the stallions are crystal earth ponies."

"What of the third?" Deacon asked.

Purity shook her head. "I can't tell. His tracks are so erratic I can't tell if the impressions are due to being a crystal pony, a regular earth pony, or an idiot who enjoys stomping through the snow."

"You can tell all that just from their tracks. That's amazing, Purity!" Orchestra said.

Joab snorted, and rolled his green eyes. "Oh yes, this is so very interesting. What's next? Are you going to tell me the color of his mane?"

"Joab, why don't you just calm down?” Orchestra snapped. “We have to know if these are the right ponies or not. And if they are, it's best to know how many we're dealing with,"

"But do you really care how many there are, and what type of pony they are, ‘Chestra? We’ll purge them all regardless of their numbers or types."

"Black," Purity said suddenly.

"What?" Joab asked, looking down at her.

Purity sighed, and turned to him. "You asked for the color of his mane, and there's your answer. It's black."

Joab's sneer slowly melted from his face, and was replaced by a large grin. He began to chuckle lightly, but after a few moments it evolved into a full taunting cackle. "Black! Black she says! Can you two believe this crazy mare? She's so good she can tell the color of his mane from smelling his hoof prints." Joab threw his head back as his laughter grew more intense. "Did Nero give us a good tracker or what?"

Purity ignored him, and continued her assessment. "Since I use hoof size to determine gender, I can't be sure as to whether the foal is a colt or filly. Its tracks aren’t yet big enough for that distinction. Though I can say with certainty it is a crystal pegasus."

"A pegasus? Really?" Orchestra asked.

"How can you tell?" Deacon added.

Purity looked at the smaller set of tracks, and levitated a small crystalized feather.

"Common sense," she answered with a small smile.

"And what about the mare? Can you tell me if she's hot from her prints?" Joab asked, finally finished with his laughter.

Purity's blue eyes hardened, and her voice turned as cold as the snow. "She's the infidel Orchestra has been searching for."

Despite the cold, Orchestra felt a warmth inside her gut. Almost as if the Holy Mother had lit a holy fire within her soul. She felt even warmer when Deacon touched his hoof to her shoulder.

"Are you certain of this, Purity? I don't want Orchestra to get excited over a false alarm."

Purity pointed to the final set of tracks with a nod. "These tracks don't sink into the snow nearly as much as the stallions’. Even if she were light on her hooves, they would sink more if she were a crystal pony. And I can prove to you she's a unicorn."

"How?" Joab asked.

Purity smirked at him, cocking her head towards the last set of tracks. "Because when I do this." She paused as the light around her horn went out. As soon as her magic faded one set of tracks disappeared. "They vanish. Only a unicorn could use magic to hide their tracks."

"That sneaky cunt." Joab spat. He then looked up at Deacon, and bowed his head. "Forgive my language, Father."

Deacon levitated out the Book, and placed one of his hooves on it. "By the power vested in me from our Goddess divine, I forgive you, my child." His lips then curled into a grimace as he added, "Although I do believe your word choice was accurate in this instance."

Orchestra nodded, and placed her own hoof where the infidel’s had been. The print was slightly bigger than her own, which matched the mare she was looking for. "Are they fresh?"

Purity shrugged. "It depends on how you define fresh. These tracks are at least thirty-six hours old, but that's being generous. I'd say they're closer to sixty."

"Then we better get moving." Orchestra began walking when she felt Joab's hoof on her shoulder.

"Come on, 'Chestra. I know you want to catch her, but we should probably try and rest for the night. We're only a couple days behind, and the sun should be setting soon. Remember what Deacon was saying earlier about patience?"

Orchestra pulled down her scarf as she rounded on Joab. The force of her movement knocked him onto the snow. He rubbed his flank, and narrowed his eyes.

"What did you do that fo—"

The look on Orchestra's face silenced him. Her eyes bore into him like the knife she wore in her boot, and her lips were twisted into a snarl that would make even an Ursa Major cower. She pointed to a series of stitches across her dull yellow temple.

"That harlot hit me in the head with a lyre. A solid. Gold. Lyre. And when she did she split my head open. Had it not been for Deacon's surgical prowess I'd probably be a vegetable right now. Not to mention this is the same harlot who made me slash my own brother's throat." Orchestra took a step towards Joab, and bent down to meet him at eye level. "If you want to rest then you go right ahead. You're already sitting on your flank. But the sun hasn't set yet; I know I have a few more hours left in me. I'm not going to waste them, not while that harlot is still trotting around."

Orchestra glanced at Purity after fixing her scarf. "Which way?"

Purity stood up, and looked towards the south. "It's the only direction they could have gone if they want to the leave the Crystal Wasteland."

"And what in their tracks told you they want to leave?" Joab asked as Deacon helped him to his hooves.

Purity shook her head as if the answer was obvious. "Nothing. It only took common sense. She's an infidel in a small party. Odds are she found a few disenchanted believers, and seduced them to leave with her." She then smiled at Orchestra, and gave her a small nudge with her rump. "Besides, where else could she go, after angering the most ferocious of the True Cadanites?"

Despite her anxiety, Orchestra couldn't help but smile as she watched Purity walked by. She has such a great flank. The spyglass cutie mark is weird though. It's the only part of her body that isn't white. Well, except for those baby blues.

Suddenly Purity stopped moving. "Oh, and Joab."

He glanced at her as she levitated a thin strand of hair in front of his eyes. It was black.

"I don't need to smell hoofprints to tell mane color. All it takes is a little common sense," she said as she sauntered away.

That made Orchestra laugh even harder, and even Deacon couldn't resist a chuckle. And although she couldn't see his face under his scarf, Orchestra was sure Joab's cheeks were red and puffy as he followed after the white unicorn.

Orchestra's body ached with every step she took. She had been right about having a few more hours left in her tank, but that tank was running on fumes. The sun had started setting roughly twenty minutes ago, and it would be getting dark soon. She lethargically raised her hoof to take another step, but set it back down in place.

"What's the matter, 'Chestra; you tired already? I can go another ten miles without even breaking a sweat."

Orchestra took a gander behind her to see Joab barely trudging along. His head was low, and his movements were even slower than hers. Maybe we should have rested earlier.

She took a few steps backwards, and pressed her face into his neck. "Keep your head up, Joab. A Cadanite never looks down in the face of adversity."

"But it gives me such a perfect view of your rump."

Orchestra flushed; she lashed out at Joab's legs with her tail. He tripped and landed on his belly, while she walked away.

"The view's even better from down here."

She slapped her face with her hoof, and prayed Purity would find something soon.

"I've found something."

Goddess be praised!

Purity was standing upon a rock with a spyglass levitating in front of her eye. Deacon stood next to her using his own magic to hold a pair of binoculars.

"Is that smoke?" he rasped.

Orchestra flinched at the sound of his voice. He sounds even worse than me and Joab. If we don’t stop soon he mi—Wait a second? Smoke?! She felt the adrenaline kick in as she raced towards the two of them.

"You found smoke? Is it the infidel?"

"Just a moment." Purity paused as she twisted her spyglass with her hoof. Orchestra noticed the unicorn's frown, and braced herself for bad news.

"Well, I've got good news and bad news," she said as she levitated the spyglass over to Orchestra.

Orchestra stood on her back legs, clasped the spyglass in-between her forelegs, and took a peek.

"The good news is I've found us some shelter for the night. There's a cottage less than a league away, well within Deacon's teleport range."

She calls this a cottage? That’s nicer than my place!

Most houses in the Crystal Wasteland had been constructed using wood, stone, metal, or some combination of the three. The house Orchestra used to share with her brother had been made of stone, but had wooden floors. While some houses were built using actual gems, garnet was by far the most prominent. But this was the first time Orchestra had ever seen a house made of quartz.

The quartz reflected the colors of the sky, and looked as if the house had been kissed by the sunset. The bottom of the house was a fiery red, but the color grew progressively lighter, and more orange, further up. Like some blocks of quartz, there were spikes coming out of the sides of the house.

What’s with the spikes? Maybe they prevent attackers from flanking the house? Or maybe they’re just there to look cool. In addition to the spikes, she noticed a large tower jutting up from the corner of the shingled roof. Similar to the rest of the building, the color changed the closer it got to the top. The tower started as an orange hue, but subtly changed into gold. And at the very top was smoke! Oh Goddess, is the house on fire? Is that why it’s so orange and red? And that golden flame…

"And pray tell, what would the bad news be?" Deacon asked.

"The smoke is coming from the cottage."

"I noticed. It’s a lovely chimney," he mused.

Oh. Orchestra sighed in relief, and muttered a quick prayer of thanks to the Goddess that her potential shelter wasn’t on fire.

"So what's the problem then?" Joab barked, sounding more annoyed than usual.

"If the fire was not coming from the cabin then it could give us an idea of where they were located. Unless they could find some shelter further along, they would most likely need to build a fire to survive the cold. However, the fire is coming from the cottage and the infidel should be past this point by now. Use your common sense, Joab."

Orchestra's ears drooped, and she looked away from the spyglass. "And you’re sure they’re not at the cottage?"

Orchestra felt the weight of the spyglass leave her hooves as it was levitated back to its owner, and promptly stuffed into a saddlebag.

"Not one hundred percent, no. More like eighty-five. I estimate those tracks to be a couple days old, yet even without teleportation we could reach the cottage in a couple hours. Unless the infidel has decided to stay there for the last couple days she should be long gone."

Orchestra hung her head with a sigh. "I suppose it could be worse. At least we have an idea of how far behind we are. I say we go there now, and stay the night. Anypony have any objections?"

Purity and Joab shook their heads, while Deacon simply sighed.

"I need a moment to gather myself before I can perform the spell."

"Of course, Father," Orchestra replied with a bow of her head.

Deacon gave her a weak smile before putting the binoculars into his saddlebags. In their place retrieved his Book. He placed a hoof on its cover, and beckoned the others to do the same. Orchestra and the other two approached the book, and each reverently placed a hoof on the crystal cover. They closed their eyes and bowed their heads, as Deacon began to pray.

"Holy Mother, I pray you will listen to your servant's humble prayer. I ask first that you would find it in your heart to forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us."

Orchestra touched a hoof to her chest in silent agreement.

"I also pray you would look upon me with favor, and grant me some of your divine energy, so that I may use it to give my companions shelter for the night." Brown light enveloped Deacon's horn as he began to cast the spell. "May your light shine forever, and may the Crystal Heart be ever pure. In the holy name of Cadance I pray, Amen.”

"Amen," the other three echoed, and disappeared in a brown flash.

After a second flash of light, the companions arrived at their destination. Orchestra took her hoof off of the Book and used it to rub her head. "Everypony make it?" she asked.

"I should hope so. I don't believe I have the energy for a second trip."

Orchestra opened her eyes, and gasped at the sight of Deacon. The elderly stallion was hunched over and panting. The blood that trickled from his lips started to drip onto the snow covered ground.

"Deacon!" Orchestra lunged towards him, and leaned her shoulder under his chest for support. "Are you alright?"

Deacon smiled at her. "Of course, my child. I would not be ordained in the Church of Cadance if—" He was forced to stop talking as a fit of coughing overtook him. He pressed a hoof against his mouth to contain the coughing. But it wasn't enough. Orchestra heard a gagging noise, and a thick glob of blood was sprayed onto the ground.

"I've got a healing potion, ‘Chestra!" Joab cradled a small round bottle of liquid in his hooves. He ripped the cork out with his mouth, and shoved the bottle into Deacon's mouth. Deacon happily gulped down the potion, and spat out the bottle once he had finished.

"May the Goddess.” He paused to start coughing, but thankfully no blood came up. “May she bless you both for helping me."

"And may she damn Purity for ignoring you," Joab muttered.

Deacon eyes hardened; he slapped Joab with his hoof, tearing away part of Joab's scarf. The younger male took a step back, and massaged his dark blue cheek.

"We do not, I repeat, do not damn our fellow Cadanites, Joab. It is our duty to support one another, just as the two of you have just done for me. If we begin to turn on each other then we are no better than the infidels.”

He’s right, we Cadanites need to look after each other. But why isn’t Purity helping us with Deacon?

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the white unicorn knocking on the door of the house.

"Hello?” Purity called. “Is there anypony in there?"

Orchestra heard hoofsteps move towards the door, and the creaking of the door opening.

"May I help you?"

The speaker was out of her line of sight, but the voice sounded like a mare's. She was most likely a teenager or young adult. And if Joab's expression was anything to go by, she was a cute one too.

"Yes." That was Purity talking. "My companions and I have been making a pilgrimage. We've been walking all day, and could use some shelter for the night. We'd hate to be a burden, but would greatly appreciate your hospitality."

"Of course. Any Cadanite is welcome into our home. Your timing is perfect since we just started din—Oh my! What happened to him?"

"Father Deacon's age has made him more susceptible to fatigue."

The snow crunched as the mare made her way to Deacon. Orchestra’s guess had been right; she was cute. She had freckles, large brown eyes, and both her mane and tail were tied in a ponytail. Orchestra wasn't a big fan of the mare's green coat, nor the white streaks in her otherwise aqua ponytails, but at least she was a crystal mare.

The green mare lowered her head onto Deacon's chest, and held it there for a few seconds. "Your heart rate seems stable, but I need to check your lungs. Could you take a deep breath for me, sir?”

Deacon attempted to oblige, but another fit of coughing overcame him.

The mare grimaced. “Oh dear, I need to get you inside.” She looked at Joab. “I’m going to need you to help support him.” She then looked at Orchestra. “And if you have any healing potions left he could certainly use them.”

Deacon chuckled dryly. “Do I really look so bad, Doctor?”

The mare shook her head as she and Joab trudged towards the door, each with one of Deacon’s forelegs around their shoulders. “No, you actually don’t. But I’d rather you take some potions to prevent a possible chest infection. After all, nopony has ever died from too many healing potions, right?” The mare’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she added, “And I’m no doctor. That would be my mother.”

And she has the cutest blush. Honestly, why did Symphony have to fall for a heathen harlot when there are mares like this in the congregation? She seems so nice. As she and Joab walked by, Orchestra noticed the mare’s healing potion cutie mark. She's so nice her special talent is helping ponies. She would have been perfect for my brother.

Orchestra trotted behind them, fished a healing potion out of her saddlebag. Joab and the mare stopped walking as Deacon gulped down the potion, and continued on once he spat it out.

The mare's horn glowed brown as she swung open the door. She and Joab trudged into the house with Deacon, who was now in the middle of another fit of coughing.

"Mom, I'm going to need some help here!"

"What fo—Oh my, Cecelia! What happened to him?"

"Heavy fatigue, and his lungs don't sound too good."

"His lungs you say? I have a poultice for that. Take him upstairs to the recovery room while I brew it."

Orchestra could hear the mother running into another room, while Joab and Cecelia carried Deacon out of the doorframe. Cecelia. Even her name is beautiful. Damnit, Symphony. Why couldn't you have just ignored that heathen?

Orchestra was about to follow them into the house when she noticed Purity staring at something in the snow. "Find anything interesting?"

"Hmm?" Purity raised her head, and looked curiously at Orchestra.

"I asked if you found anything interesting. You looked like you were staring pretty intently."

Purity shook her head, and shuffled towards the door. "Nothing I feel I should share."

Nothing I feel I should share? That's a suspicious choice of words. Orchestra raised an eyebrow at Purity, but the white unicorn simply walked on by. Orchestra rolled her eyes, and followed. She would have sighed as well if the interior of the house hadn't taken her breath away.

Like the outside, most of the inside was made of sunset-colored crystal. The floors, walls, ceiling, and even the stairs. Each individual step had its own color, with red being at the bottom and the top step being gold. From where Orchestra was standing it looked like most of the second floor’s walls were gold as well.

"I'm going up to check on Deacon," Purity said as she began to climb the stairs.

"Alright, I'll see you in a little bit," Orchestra replied as she took off her boots. Now what should I do? I should go help Cecelia's Mother make the poultice, but I want to explore this room first. It's gorgeous!

She looked down at the floor. What wasn’t crystal was covered by one of the twin rugs. The first was directly in front of the door, and depicted the Crystal Palace. At each of the Palace's dormers stood one of the High Priests. She recognized most of them, especially the black unicorn with the pale eyes standing on the balcony: Nero.

The second rug was located in the center of the room. Orchestra trotted up to it, and noticed the design was of the Crystal Heart hovering over the High Priests. They stood in a circle around the Heart, and each of them was holding a book. It was the same book Deacon had in his possession: The Book of Cadance. Orchestra placed a hoof on her heart, and bowed her head. Even if it is just a rug design I should still show my reverence.

When she lifted her head, she observed the area around the rug. It had been placed near a small brown sofa that looked like it could only fit two ponies comfortably. Opposite the sofa was a crackling fire within a stone fireplace. Huh. Something that isn't actually made of crystal. Neither was the sofa, but the fireplace had been carved into the wall so it was strange to see it made of a different material. Odd design choice. Maybe it makes up for it by burning crystal instead of wood. Upon further inspection, however, Orchestra discovered there was in fact wood in the fireplace. Well that's no fun.

She turned away from the fireplace, and gazed upon the last two sets of furniture in the room. The first was a varnished red table with a similarly varnished chair on each side. I guess it’s just Cecelia and her mother living here. I can relate to that.

A couple steps away from the table stood an armoire. Behind its transparent doors were sparkling dishes and utensils crafted from crystal. It’s sparkling? The crystal must have been irradiated then. She raised one of her hooves to her face, grimacing at the dull yellow color. I could use a dip in some rads myself. My complexion is terrible. As she lowered her hoof, she noticed a picture on top of the armoire. In order to see it better she took a few steps back.

It was of three crystal ponies, a unicorn stallion and filly with an earth pony mare standing in front of the Crystal Palace. The stallion had a hoof around each of the mares, and a massive smile on his face. His body was the same shade of green as Cecelia’s, who coincidentally was standing on his right. She was just a foal in this picture, yet her smile was almost as big as his. And it was complete with braces. Now that’s adorable.

The mare on the left was gorgeous and pink. She was wearing a nurse’s outfit, which contrasted well against her long black mane. It didn’t do her flank any disservice either. The uniform clearly had not been designed to cover flanks like hers. In fact, it seemed to accentuate her stethoscope cutie mark. That outfit was practically inviting Orchestra to stare, which she did.

“Her eyes are up there.”

Orchestra jumped at Purity’s voice. The powdery-white unicorn was standing next to her, and looking at the picture with a knowing smirk on her face.

Orchestra was thankful she was still wearing her scarf so Purity wouldn’t see her blush.

“How did yo… not that I was… uh… it’s a nice picture.”

Purity raised an eyebrow. “Really? I find it to be quite sad.”

Orchestra looked back at the smiling faces. “And why’s that?”

Purity gently levitated the picture in front of Orchestra. “Common sense, Orchestra. Tell me, what do you notice about the stallion?”

Orchestra rubbed her chin with her hoof for a few moments. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she shrugged. “He looks happy.”

“And?”

“And he’s green.”

Purity rolled her eyes, and shook her head. “Do you not see the scar above his heart?”

Orchestra kept her shrug. “So what? My foalsitter’s husband had one too. He said it caused other drunks to think twice.”

“You’re not seeing the big picture here, Orchestra. Yes, he looks happy; he also shares his coat color with Cecelia. This would imply he’s a close relative. Given the presence of the pink unicorn, I would assume he would be Cecelia’s father and this would be her mother. Do you follow?”

Orchestra nodded. “Which would make them a happy family. Hence, nice picture.” Where was Purity going with this?

“So, I put it to you. If they’re a happy family, then where’s the father now?”

Oh.

“I haven’t heard his voice, so I assume he’s not in the house. Nor did I see the tracks of a crystal unicorn outside. The only logical conclusion is that he’s dead.”

Orchestra’s went wide, and her mouth gaped open. “Whoa, what? Why does that automatically mean he’s dead? He could be out on business and his tracks disappeared, or out visiting somewhere, or… something!”

“Because of that scar.” Purity levitated the picture back into place. As she did so, a sad smile took hold of her face. “My mother had one just like it. It was given to her when her doctor operated on her heart. She survived the initial operation, but died of complications a few months later. There's a good chance he underwent a similar surgery; I can tell by the incision. It's too thin and precise to be a regular scar. Common sense tells me it was made by a scalpel. I saw one upstairs when I checked on Deacon, and the cut matches the type of blade."

"How is he by the way?"

Purity shrugged. "I'm not a medical pony, so I can't say for sure. Cecelia doesn't seem too worried though. Hopefully he makes a swift recovery."

"I'll pray that he does." Orchestra closed her eyes, and bowed her head. Holy Mother, I humbly beseech you to look after my friend, Deacon. I know he's a strong pony, and with your blessing he's sure to recover soon. Please grant his body rest and his mind ease during this process. In your name I pray, Amen. She lifted her head. "It's in her hooves now."

"Hers and mine."

The mare who trotted beside Orchestra nearly made her gasp; it was the same pink mare from the picture. There were a few differences though between her in pony and in the picture. First, the flattering nurse's outfit had been swapped for a dull apron. That's disappointing. She also looked older now, and a few wrinkles had appeared around her face. Orchestra also noticed her flowing black mane was shorter and done up in a bun, but the front was still long enough to veil her eyes. She whipped her head sideways, and her hair practically danced out of her eyes to reveal their lilac color.

"Would you mind carrying this for me? I'm afraid of dropping it."

Orchestra stopped gawking long enough to notice the tray atop the mare's head. On it was a steaming bowl of soup with a spoon, one of the shining crystal bowls no less, and a piece of cloth drenched in leaves and oil. Guessing that's the poultice.

"I'll take it," Orchestra offered. The mare dipped her head, and Orchestra picked up the tray with her front hooves. "Alright. I've got it."

"Thank you, Miss..."

"Orchestra." She cocked her heads towards Purity. "That's Purity. Deacon is our priest, and the moron is Joab."

The mare curtsied. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Teresa. Now, Orchestra, would you kindly take that up the stairs?"

Orchestra nodded, and made her way to the stairs. She wasn't used to walking on her backlegs but she could use the practice. You never know when a skill might come in handy. Her steps were slow, but she was making progress. Now comes the hard part. Stairs. Orchestra couldn't see where her hooves were due to the tray, making every step a risk. Alright. Here I go.

She was about to take a step when she felt a weight lift off her hooves. A blue glow surrounded the tray, and it levitated above her head.

"Purity, I got this," she huffed.

"As true as that may be, this will get done much quicker if I use my magic." Purity nudged past Orchestra, and climbed the stairs with Cecelia's mother going behind her. At least I get a good view from here.

After making her way up the stairs, Orchestra followed the two down a hallway. They passed by two doors Orchestra had been sure led to Deacon's room. Guess not. One thing she had been right about was her deduction about the walls. Up here they were all gold, as was the tapestry she spotted at the end of the hallway. Its design made her nearly collapse in reverence.

Embroidered onto the tapestry was the Holy Mother herself. She was standing on her backlegs, with her forelegs stretched out horizontally and her wings unfurled. In her left hoof she was holding the Crystal Heart, while The Book of Cadance was in her right.

"That is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life," Orchestra gasped.

"My husband made it. He may have been useless with a broom or dustpan, but he could work magic with a needle or a knife."

"A knife? Was he a good cook as well?" Purity asked.

A large smile appeared on Teresa's face. She started to laugh, but put a hoof on her lips in an attempt to stifle it. It didn't work.

"Please, forgive me, dear. But..." Her hoof dropped as she let out her laughter. "But my husband was the poorest excuse for a chef in all of the Crystal Wasteland. One time he... he..." She was crying with how hard she was laughing. She wiped her eyes with her hoof before continuing. "One year, for our anniversary, he surprised me with breakfast in bed. But he burnt everything. He even burnt the juice!" She laughed the hardest at that, before grimacing and clutching her side. "I think I laughed a bit too hard."

Orchestra and Purity shared a glance before commenting.

"What?"

"I didn't know you could burn juice."

"Neither did I, but he managed to do it. So to answer your question, no. My husband was not a cook, but a crystal smith. He crafted everything in that armoire downstairs by himself. And he did a lot of the work on this house, though he did have some friends help him with it.

"A smith and a weaver. He sounds like quite a catch," Orchestra commented. Especially compared to somepony like Joab.

The laughter had left Teresa’s eyes, and had been replaced with a sense of resignation.

"That he was. That he was."

She pulled back the tapestry, and revealed a bedroom. On the opposite side of the room were Joab and Cecelia. Joab was sitting down on a nightstand. He had removed his scarf and barding, allowing Orchestra to get a good look at him for the first time in almost a day. The dark blue stallion was impressively muscled, yet his face looked haggard from the journey. I'm sorry, Joab. She also noticed despite his build, his face resembled that of a colt's. The bright green eyes, and messy black mane were the biggest reasons why. Still he is handsome. I'll give him that.

Joab caught her gaze, and then darted his eyes down to the rifle on his flank and then back to hers. Almost as if he was saying, "My flank is down there," or "You can fire my rifle any day." Ugh!

Cecelia was huddled next to the bed in the middle of the room. Deacon was in the bed, apparently asleep. His body was still and his eyes were closed, but the rising and falling of his chest let Orchestra know he was still alive.

His scarf had also been removed, and she assumed his barding was as well. Orchestra grimaced when she looked upon her companion's scarred face. There were scorch marks on his forehead, and cigarette burns on the sides of his neck. The remnants of acid burns could be found on his cheeks, as well as a set of stitches near his right eye. One of his ears was nicked at the top, while the other was torn at the bottom.

"My goodness, what did you do to this poor pony?!" Teresa demanded as she ran to the other side of the bed.

She shooed Joab off the nightstand, and drew closer to her patient. He looked ready to start yelling, but a hard look from Purity silenced him.

"He's looked like that for as long as I've known him. From what I’ve been told he grew up in a home that was... less than kind." Purity levitated the tray over to Teresa, and set it on the nightstand. "When he was discovered, one of the High Priests took him in and raised him. He was schooled in the gospel of the Goddess, and has been a respected preacher for at least two decades."

Orchestra bowed her head and placed a hoof over her heart, and Joab followed suit. However, Teresa and Cecelia had not. Instead, the two were applying the poultice to Deacon's chest. I can't be mad at them for that.

She approached Deacon from her side of the bed, and gently stroked his white mane.

"Get well soon, Father."

The old stallion opened his eyes, and his lips curled in a smile. "Well, look at this. Young and beautiful mares everywhere I look. I knew it would happen someday." He tried to chuckle, but ended up coughing instead.

"That's enough out of you, young man." Teresa picked up the bowl of soup, and Cecelia used her magic to feed Deacon.

He shivered as he swallowed. "And now one of these lovely mares is feeding me.” He winked at Joab. “Remember, Joab, patience. Then maybe one day when you're sick Orchestra will feed you soup."

Orchestra and Joab shared a quick glance before looking away. Deacon's resulting laugh was cut short by another spoonful of soup, but Purity's smirk was burned into Orchestra's mind.

"This room is getting too crowded. It's late, so how about the three of you go to bed while Cecelia and I watch over Deacon. Orchestra and Purity can share my room, while Joab can have Cecelia's."

Cecelia turned red, and shuffled her hooves. "Hey! Why is there always a boy in my room?"

Teresa pulled a stethoscope out from the nightstand drawer. She grinned, as she plugged it into her ears. "Is that such a bad thing? When I was your age I was happy to have boys in my room." The grin faded when she looked at Orchestra. Her lilac eyes hardened, and for a moment Orchestra feared for her life. "I thought I told you to leave."

"Right, sorry!" Note to self, always follow a doctor's orders immediately.

The three companions left the room, and walked down the hallway until they reached the two doors. Joab peeked into the first one. "I'm pretty sure this is Cecelia's room. Guess this is where I leave you ladies."

"Goodnight, Joab. Rest well," Purity offered.

"Yeah. What she said," Orchestra added.

Joab chuckled. "Night, 'Chestra." As he slipped into the door, he slapped her rump with his tail and immediately closed it.

"Joab!" Orchestra was blushing harder than she ever had in her life. She tried opening the door, but found he had already locked it. "I'll get you for that."

"Totally worth it!"

Asshole.

Orchestra huffed as she followed Purity into Teresa's room, slamming the door behind her. This room was about twice the size of the one behind the tapestry. In addition to having a Princess size bed, there was also a walk-in closet and a bathroom. Beside the bed was a dresser with a mirror on top. I wonder how I look after walking all day.

Orchestra undid her scarf as she approached the mirror. Her short brown bangs bounced as she walked, finally free. I feel so exposed now after wearing it for so long. She looked at her haggard reflection with a sigh.

"What would Symph say if he saw me like this?" She grinned, and deepened her voice. "Wow, Orchestra, that no food, no sleep diet is sure doing wonders for your complexion. Maybe you should stop breathing too. All that air is going right to your thighs." She frowned, and looked down at her flank. They're not that big are they?

She took off her black barding to get a better look at the glass flute on her flank. "I don't think they're too big. Purity, what do you think?"

No response.

"Purity?" Orchestra tilted her head, and saw the white unicorn was already in the bed. She had the bright red blankets wrapped around her like a cocoon, and was snoring softly. Just like Symphony.

Orchestra turned back to the mirror; this time she stared at the stitches on her temple. So much for true beauty is never tarnished. She touched a hoof to her face, but flinched. "Ow." I didn't think it was still so sensitive. I should be over the pain by now. I should be over the pain...

She quickly grabbed her scarf to wipe away the falling tears.

"It's been a week already. A whole fucking week! He's with Cadance now; he's in a better place. I should be fine with that, and just focus on my mission.”

So why do I feel like crying every time I think about him? She felt her head start to hurt, specifically her stitched temple.

"I'll kill her; I swear to the Holy Mother on my very soul. I'll kill that heathen harlot, and all her friends for what she did to my brother." A smile crept onto Orchestra's face. I didn't know how wonderful those three little words could sound until just now. "I'll kill her."

She made her way to the bed, and got comfortable under the blankets. She then closed her eyes, and placed both her front hooves over her heart.

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray Holy Mother my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, bless me Mother my soul to take. If I should live another day, I pray the Mother to guide my way. Amen."

She opened her eyes before closing them again and adding, “And Holy Mother, I pray you will give me the strength and opportunity to do your works, and to accomplish my mission. With you by my side, I’ll kill her. In your name I pray, Amen.”

The smell of breakfast woke Orchestra up. She rubbed her eyes, and sat up in the bed.

“Morning, Purity.” She paused to yawn, and give her neck a good crack. “Sleep well?”

No response.

“Purity?”

Orchestra reached a hoof towards her companion, but felt nothing except blankets and sheets. Sure enough, when she looked to her side there was no sign of the white unicorn. She’s probably having breakfast. Her stomach growled. And that’s my cue to have some too.

She climbed out of the bed, and looked at her scarf and barding in front of the mirror. Do I really want to get changed? It’s not exactly inappropriate for a mare to not wear clothes. Joab’s grinning face flashed in her mind; Orchestra frowned. I’m getting changed.

She made her way down the stairs with her barding on, and her scarf wrapped around her neck. There wasn’t much need to wear it now, but not having it on made her feel naked. With Joab around that was a no go.

“Good morning, Orchestra. How did you sleep?” Cecelia greeted.

Four ponies sat around the table, each with a bowl of steaming hot soup in front of them. The couch had been moved to accommodate Joab and Purity, while Teresa and Cecelia sat in the chairs. There was an open spot on the couch next to Cecelia’s chair and Purity.

“I slept well. Actually, the best sleep I’ve had in about a week.” She took her spot at the table. “How did you sleep?”

“I slept like a marshmallow,” Cecelia beamed.

Never heard that one before. “That sounds great.” Orchestra took a whiff of her soup. “And that smells great. What’s in it?”

“It’s the same soup I gave Deacon last night.” Teresa sipped on a spoonful. “It should give you strength for your journey, and keep you full for at least half a day.”

“No hunger for half a day, huh?” Joab’s eyes gleamed, and he licked his lips. “So if I take seconds, then I won’t go hungry for a full day?”

Teresa shook her head. “No, eating too much will give you a massive stomach ache. The herbs are fickle that way.”

“Of course, things are just never that easy. Can’t cheat hunger, and I can’t see ‘Chestra without her barding. It’s just not fair.”

Orchestra looked down at her soup. I should throw this at him; I really should.

“You know, Orchestra, you shouldn’t sleep in your barding. You’ll wear it out quicker that way,” Teresa advised.

“Oh, I didn’t. I just put it on this morning to piss off Joab.”

He half-glared, half-pouted at her. “Well it worked.”

Orchestra smirked, and had a big helping of soup. When she finished she looked at Cecelia. “Speaking of Joab, Cecelia, you said something interesting last night.”

“Huh, what was that?”

“When your mother assigned Joab to your room you asked her, ‘Why is there always a boy in my room?’ Does that mean you get a lot of action?”

Cecelia turned redder than garnet. She shook her head, and waved her hooves. “No, that’s not it at all! What Mom meant was—”

"I believe I can answer that."

All heads turned to see Deacon walking down the stairs. He looked strong despite his age, and there was ferocity in his gaze. This soup must really work then.

He was levitating a book beside him, but not The Book of Cadance. He moved it towards the table, and dropped it in front of them. The cover was of a pale yellow pegasus with a spiky blue mane. He was holding a gun, one that looked more like a plastic children's toy than an actual firearm, in his mouth, and was aiming it at a zebra. The title of the book read: Flash! Savior of the Universe: Issue 117.

“What’s this?” Teresa asked.

“I’d like to ask you the same question.” Deacon trotted down the stairs slowly, never taking his eyes off Teresa. “When I awoke this morning, I found it sticking out from under the bed. I investigated, and nearly threw up reading it. What’s this nonsense about Goddesses when there is only one Goddess? Where are the crystal ponies if it takes place in the great Crystal Empire of old? And most intriguing, why do you allow such filth into your home?”

Teresa looked confused as she met Deacon’s gaze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never seen that book in my life.” Then her gaze hardened. “Though if I did, I don’t see why it would be your business.”

Deacon gestured towards his pulpit cutie mark. “It is my business because I am a priest. And under the order of High Priest Nero, you would normally be arrested for possessing contraband such as this.”

“High Priest Nero,” Teresa spat. “So you’re one of those Cadanites then.”

“Arrested? But that’s not even ours!” Cecelia was standing in front of Deacon, tears streaming down her cheeks. “It belonged to the pegasus colt, and his unicorn friend. You remember them right, Mom?”

Deacon was focused on Cecelia now. His eyes were wild, and he grasped her shoulders tightly. “A pegasus colt you say?” He looked at Purity, and then back at Cecelia. “This unicorn, what can you tell me about her? What did she look like?”

“It wasn’t a she—Well, there was a she. But the one with the pegasus was a stallion. He was dark red, maybe maroon. And he—”

“Did he have a black mane?” Joab asked.

“Yes, he did!”

“And the mare? Mint-green with golden eyes? Carried around a lyre?” Orchestra added.

“Yeah.” Cecelia’s brow creased as she looked from Joab to Orchestra. “How did you know that?”

“Infidels. You sheltered infidels.” Deacon’s lips contorted into a snarl, and he threw Cecelia to the side.

She stumbled and fell on her rump, looking about ready to cry. “Why are you so angry? We helped them just like we helped you? Isn’t that what Cadanites are supposed to do? Support each other?”

Deacon levitated the comic as he walked towards the fireplace.

“Purity, I would like you to go upstairs and collect our possessions. My barding and bags are in the room behind the tapestry; I believe Joab’s are in the other room.”

“Of course.” Purity got up from her seat, and stalked her way to the second floor.

“Orchestra, Joab. You know the procedure. Those who shelter heathens are no better themselves.”

“Yes, Father,” they replied.

Orchestra placed her hooves under the table, and heaved it upward. The table flipped, knocking Teresa over. Joab sprang from his spot on the couch and pinned her down, holding a hoof over her mouth. Teresa bit down; Joab screamed. He raised his hoof, along with Teresa’s head, and slammed it back onto the ground. Teresa’s head bounced, and she lost her grip. He wrapped his hooves around her throat, and raised his head.

“Secure.”

“Same.”

While Joab had been busy with Teresa, Orchestra had slithered towards the door to retrieve the kirpan from her boot. She then grabbed the stunned Cecelia, and wrapped her in a full nelson. Cecelia attempted to fight back, but promptly stopped when the blade was pressed against her throat.

“You have done well, my children.” Deacon levitated the comic above the fire. “In the Book of Cadance there is a particular passage I have memorized. It was actually a requirement for my ordainment. If there are no objections I would like to recite it for you.”

Both Teresa and Cecelia tried to scream, but started to choke when their captors increased the pressure on their throats.

“Very well, then.

“The path of the righteous is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish, and the tyranny of evil ponies. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper, and the finder of lost children.” The tip of the comic caught fire, and Deacon smirked. He walked away from the fireplace, with the burning book levitating next to him, as he continued reciting the passage.

“And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my aim is holy when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

Joab rolled off of Teresa as Deacon dropped the comic onto her mane. It combusted easily, and the mare began to scream and writhe.

"Orchestra. Your turn."

"Yes, Father." Orchestra released Cecelia from her hold, and kicked her towards her mother.

Once she was within range, Deacon's brow furrowed as he focused his magic. A brown barrier surrounded the duo. Cecelia frantically stamped on her mother's mane to put out the fire, but to no avail.

"Help us!" Cecelia began to bang on the walls of the barrier. "Please, let us out!" Smoke was beginning to fill the barrier, and Cecelia was coughing violently. "Please, we don't deserve this." More coughing. "We helped you…"

Orchestra approached the barrier, and placed one of her hooves on it. Cecelia looked at her with pleading eyes. She reached out with her own hoof, and touched the same spot as Orchestra.

"Please..."

Orchestra sneered as slid her hoof off the barrier. "We must purge them all." She turned her back, and walked up to the door to put on her boots. She heard a thud behind her; her sneer widened.

Including this heathen wench.

"Are you quite finished?" Purity trotted down the stairs, and floated Deacon and Joab their barding and bags.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Purity." The glow faded from Deacon's horn, and his face lost its edge. "Now, if you and Orchestra would be so kind as to give us some privacy. I know I've grown bolder with age, but I must admit I don't feel comfortable getting dressed with mares as lovely as yourselves in my presence."

Purity nodded. "Say no more. We're on our way out."

"Aw, poor 'Chestra. She's missing out on a truly wonderful sight," Joab joked.

Orchestra put her knife back into her boot, but didn't let go of the handle. I should throw this at him; I really should.

She stood up, and saw Purity looking back at the bodies.

"Such a shame. I was hoping to ask for the soup recipe." The white unicorn shook her head, sighing, and walked out the door.

Orchestra followed, and took her scarf off her neck. She started to wrap it around her face, but her hooves fumbled and were tied up. Damn, I’m bad at this. "Hey, Purity, could you help me with my scarf?"

"Sure thing.” Purity's horn glowed, and the scarf unwound until Orchestra's face and hooves were free. "There. Now, what you want to do is start with the forehead. It's easier to wrap the scarf going down than up."

As the scarf wound its way around Orchestra's forehead, her eyes darted off. She spotted a set of tracks a few steps away. That's where Purity was standing earlier. The scarf had finished wrapping, and was now covering all but her eyes and mouth. Eyes that stared hard at Purity.

"You never did tell me what you were looking at earlier."

For a moment it looked as if Purity flinched. But if she had, she recovered quickly and shook her head. "It doesn't matter now."

Doesn't matter now? That's a different answer than last time. "I'd still like to know. What didn't you feel like sharing with us?"

"What, is this an interrogation now? If I give the wrong answer, will you burn me alive too?"

Orchestra did flinch.

"There was nothing wrong with what we did, Purity. They housed infidels. Our infidel. They were heathens."

"They were ponies, Orchestra. You can spout whatever nonsense you want, but common sense says ponies are ponies." She took a few steps away from Orchestra, and levitated the spyglass out of her saddlebag. "I don't mind tracking for you. It's my special talent, so I might as well use it. Otherwise it's considered sloth. And if I have to kill in self-defense, I'll do it without a problem. But condemning ponies to being purged isn't in my job description."

"But what's the difference? You might not kill them, but without a tracker we can't find them. You're as guilty as we are. Assuming, of course, what we're doing is wrong.” Orchestra paused before adding, “Which is isn’t."

Purity put away her spyglass, and smiled mirthlessly at Orchestra. "Truth be told there isn't a difference. I just sleep better at night passing my guilt to somepony else." She cocked her head sideways. "I can see some tracks in the distance. I'll go scout ahead. You wait here until our stallions return."

Orchestra approached the spot where Purity had been standing to look at the tracks. As her unicorn companion walked away one set of tracks began to vanish. She could feel the wind pick up. It chilled her to the bone, but it was a good chill. It was as much from anxiety as it was from actual cold. Orchestra smirked as she stared at the fading tracks.

I'm coming for you, Heartstrings. And when I find you, I'll kill you.

Author's Notes:

First off, I want to thank you for reading this. It really means a lot whenever someone reads my work, and I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any suggestions or critiques please don't hesitate to share them in the comments below. I'm always looking for ways to improve both the story and my own writing in general. I hope to post a new chapter on the final day of every month until the story’s completion, and I hope you’ll stick with me until then.

I would also like to thank Kkat for writing the original Fallout: Equestria. While there are many other side stories, I'm only mentioning that one as Crystal Hearts will only follow the original's continuity. This to avoid conflicts with characters who I know have been used in other stories. And lastly, I should mention that seeing the sunset was not an oversight, and that the Enclave's cloud cover does not reach the Crystal Wasteland. In Friendship Is Magic, the Crystal Empire seems so far away from the rest of Equestria that I decided the Enclave did not have cities that far away. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Also, I would like to dedicate this chapter to Monty Oum. I never knew him personally, but I was familiar with his work. The news of his passing is sad, particularly because I was a big fan of RWBY. The Rooster Teeth team asked to honor him by submitting creative work, which is why I want to dedicate this chapter to him. From one creator to another. Rest In Peace, Monty.