Silence filled the ramshackle church. The only sounds I heard were the shallow breaths of the ponies around me. While I did not hear it, I could feel my heart beating quickly. With each second it seemed to beat faster. Faster. Faster! But I was unsure as to why. Was I happy to see my sister? Glad to know that my final memory of her would no longer be of her screaming in agony and rage? Or was I feeling my own rage boiling within me. Orchestra had tried to kill Lyra once, and had maimed me in the process. The odds were effectively one hundred percent in favor of this being her True Cadanite hunting party. Perhaps the real reason my heart was beating so quickly was because of an emotion different from joy or anger.

It was because I was afraid of my sister.

A lone gunshot echoed throughout the church. I did not know who fired the shot, or who it was aimed at. Though I did know one thing. The period of silence was over. Before this night was over, somepony was going to die.

I dove behind the pews for cover. Parts of the pews were being blasted apart around me. Again, I was unaware of who was firing the bullets. I should have been paying attention to the battle around me, but how could I? On one side were my friends. No, we may have been more than that by now. I was Carbine’s crystal brother, and possibly even a surrogate father to Missile. I may not have always liked the two of them, but there was no denying we shared a bond. Not to mention that fighting beside them meant fighting beside Lyra. The mare whom I had literally risked my neck for. The mare whom I hoped to make my wife, and start a life with across the border.

Could I really fight against my sister, though? Telebrah and his companions had been nameless enemies to me. Two of them technically still were. This was different. The white mare, Purity I believe her name was, had been relatively friendly towards me. Joab was an old friend of mine, a far cry from the stranger I faced in the convenience store. As for Orchestra… how could I fight my own flesh and blood? I felt my scar beginning to burn, but I ignored it. No. Attacking her for revenge would feel as if I were forsaking everything else about her.

I loved my sister. I loved my Lyra. I drew my knife, uncertain of whom I should use it against. If at all.

A hoof roughly tapped me on the shoulder, as I felt a pony’s tail brush up beside me. I nearly jumped out of my coat. I whipped around, clutching the knife tightly.

Carbine flashed me a friendly grin. “You doing okay, Symphy?”

My immediate reaction was to snort. Symphy. I really hated that nickname. Though, I did follow up my snort with a small smile. His nickname was beyond stupid, but it had managed to take my mind off of things. Even for a brief moment. I was thankful for that. Still, I was unsure of how to answer his question. Regardless of what I did I would be fighting against a pony I loved. I was pretty far from okay.

Ouch! Carbine hit me in the head. I rubbed the injured spot, as my smile melted into a frown. Funny how that seemed to happen around Carbine. I narrowed my eyes at him. What was that for?

“I know this probably sucks major dick for you right now. Ya know, firefight in a church and all that.” He raised his head, and popped off a few rounds from each of his guns. “And for what it’s worth, I’m actually kinda sorry.” He lowered his head so that his whole body was behind cover. He hugged his guns close to him, and cocked Tenacity with his magic. He sighed, and his grin lost some of its usual mania. “I know you’re still pissed at me for what I did at that church. I know Somby would be. And I’ll be honest, I don’t really feel all that bad about it.”

There were a few shots of return fire, which punched holes in the pews. Carbine lay flat on his belly to avoid being struck. One bullet just missed his head, while two others grazed the edges of his tail. He motioned for me to get moving with his hoof, and I obeyed. As the two of crawled forward, he continued talking.

“But just because I don’t feel bad doesn’t mean it wasn’t wrong.” He rose from his belly into a crouching position. He looked at his guns for a moment, almost as if he were avoiding my gaze. He closed his eyes, sighed, and then looked at me with a bemused half-smile. “Symphony, I don’t know what the fuck I’m trying to say exactly. But I think I’m sorry. If not for then, then for doing this now. That make sense?”

I nodded. This outburst of emotion was unexpected to say the least. Not to say I did not appreciate it. I had shown faith in Carbine back at Camp Terminus. Perhaps this was the result. I was still not ready to put the events of Hospitality behind me, but maybe I could find it in my heart to forgive him. Someday.

“Good. Glad to hear it. Er, you know what I mean.” He stood up, and began to fire both of his guns. “And when we get out of this, because of course we fucking will!, I’m so go—” Click. Carbine stopped talking. He looked down at his guns, and tried to fire them again. Click. Click. Click. Click. “Out of ammo? Motherfuck—”

Similar to a few moments ago the pews were struck with a short barrage of bullets. The bullets tore through the wood like termites. Pieces of shrapnel exploded towards us in a dusty haze. I closed my eyes, and covered my face with my front hooves. I felt a few pieces cut me, but nothing too serious. Luckily, none of the bullets had touched me either. Then I lowered my hooves and opened my eyes to check on Carbine.

He stood tall despite his wounds. I saw one wound in his shoulder, and another in his side. Blood dripped from his wounds, and some even trickled from his mouth. Slowly, he turned his head towards me. The left side of his face had been damaged by shrapnel. His ear was nicked, and his cheek had a few scratches. As for his eye, what eye? A large splinter had lodged itself in Carbine’s left eye socket. His right eye blinked a few times, and I could not help but wonder if his left eye was trying the same.

He chuckled weakly, so very weakly, and a maniacal grin found its way onto his face. “—er,” he coughed.

Carbine collapsed onto his right side. His hooves and twitched, but other than that I saw no signs of life. If he was breathing, his breaths were too shallow for me to hear or observe. I could check him; I should check him. But what if my instincts were right? What if Carbine was gone? As long as I didn’t confirm his death then he was still alive. I did not want him to die; I didn’t! Certainly not by ‘Chestra, or her friends. This wasn’t my fault. But I couldn’t deny my involvement. They were here because of me. Carbine was injured, most likely dead, because of them. He was right. This did suck major dick.

“Bro!”

Oh Goddess, no. Tell me he didn’t see. Please, tell me he didn’t see. I watched as Missile fluttered towards us. Not, not us. Towards his fallen Bro. How long had it been since Sombra died? Four days? Why did he have to go through this again so soon? Holy Mother, I believe that you love all your children but I don’t understand why you would do this to a child.

I stepped towards Carbine’s motionless body. Yes, motionless body. It wasn’t yet a lifeless one. I didn’t know how I would try to comfort Missile when he reached the body. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to hold him silently. It had worked before when Sombra died. Maybe now it could work with Carbine’s injury.

Missile never made it to the body. As he fluttered towards us, he was struck by a spell. The priest fired a thin beam of energy at Missile, which struck his wings. It burned a hole through both of them, and sent him skidding to the ground. Missile raised his head, tears in his eyes, as he reached out towards me.

“Symph!” he called.

The next sound I heard was the shooting of a rifle. And the next sight I saw was a hollow point round shattering Missile’s eye. His body went limp immediately. His head slumped to the ground, resting between his front hooves. This… this was wrong. I had watched Sombra die, but it was different. He had died with dignity. The battle had already been won when he left us. He had enough time to give us each a goodbye. Missile didn’t even have time to finish the last comic! NO! This wasn’t supposed to happen.

I dropped the knife, and tried to walk towards Missile. But a pair of hooves kept me in place.

“It’s alright, little brother. Sis has got you. And I won’t let them hurt you anymore.”

What in the Holy Mother’s name was she talking about? I wasn’t being hurt. My friends were. Carbine was badly injured, Missile was dead! I hadn’t heard a peep out of Doctor Zimri, but I spotted him cowering behind a set of pews as I had. Where was Lyra? Where was Lyra! I had to find Lyra!

“Get away from him you cunt!” A mint-green unicorn mare galloped towards me. Her golden eyes were narrow and vicious. Her previously well-kept white mane was disheveled and knotted. Even her mouth was snarling so violently she looked more like a monster than a pony. Yes, that was exactly correct. This was not Lyra. This was a demon who had taken the form of Lyra Heartstrings XIII for the sole purpose of saving me from Orchestra.

May the Goddess have mercy upon my sister, because Lyra would show her none.

“Symphony, take cover,” Orchestra whispered in my ear.

She pushed me away from the galloping demon, and met her head on. Orchestra hooked her front hooves around Lyra’s neck. Immediately after, Orchestra shifted her weight onto her backlegs, and pivoted. Using Lyra’s momentum against her, Orchestra tossed Lyra aside. Lyra landed on her side, but managed to roll onto her hooves. She drew Faith from its holster, and rapidly squeezed the trigger. As she did so, a horrible thought appeared in my mind. Three shots in the black dog, one in Russet, and two in Caesar Xing. And I never saw Lyra reload.

Click. Click. Click.

Lyra swore loudly, and holstered Faith. She had no time to reload. Orchestra had hopped over the pews after she had thrown Lyra. She had likely anticipated Lyra would shoot. Now that she knew Lyra was out of ammunition, she could try closing the gap with her kirpan. Lyra had known this, and decided taking time to load Faith was risky. Instead, the golden lyre was quickly levitated out of her bag.

Now it was Orchestra’s turn to appear possessed. As she leapt towards Lyra, my sister looked almost feral. From the way she held her kirpan, in addition to the blade’s large curve, Orchestra seemed to have an enlarged fang. If anything, Orchestra seemed more demonic than Lyra. May the Holy Mother have mercy upon Lyra’s soul, because Orchestra would have none.

Wait, whose side was I on? I… I didn’t know. I didn’t want either of them to die. I couldn’t let either of them die. Not like Missile, not like Carbine! I was the only pony who could stop this. I had done it once before, and all it had cost me was my voice. My cutie mark. My dream.
It was a fair price to pay for their lives.

I tried to move towards them, but was unable. I continued to move my hooves, but found myself floating in place. Wait a moment. Floating? I gazed downward, and noticed I was floating slightly off the ground. Upon closer inspection, I also noticed my body was enveloped in a blue aura. This was a magic aura I had not seen before, which meant it was none of my companion’s or Joab’s. I had seen the priest’s color when he levitated a book earlier. It had been brown. Therefore, this magic could only belong to Purity.

I heard her hoofsteps behind me, as she slowly approached. Our eyes met, yet she did not flinch upon my glare. She simply switched her gaze to the dueling mares. “I’m sorry, but I cannot let you interfere, Symphony. For her sake.”

I continued to struggle, but my efforts were gradually growing weaker. I was exhausted. Today had been a long day. Topping that off with witnessing Carbine, and Missile… -I was too fatigued to continue resisting Purity. Instead, I performed the only task I could. I watched the two mares I loved most attempt to kill each other.

Kirpan met lyre, again and again. The two mares clashed with each other, but neither seemed to be gaining an advantage. From where I was standing—er floating, it almost seemed as if they were aiming for the weapons rather than each other. That would explain their stalemate. Almost as if she were trying to disprove my theory, Lyra aimed for the bottom of Orchestra’s chin. My sister groaned, and landed on her back. Lyra held the lyre above her head, and slammed it down. Orchestra rolled away just as the lyre smashed the rotten wood below. Before Lyra could ready herself, ‘Chestra rammed the kirpan into her side. Lyra bit her lip, but I could see the pain in her eyes.

I heard my sister snicker around her weapon. “That was for my face, harlot.” She ripped the kirpan out of Lyra, and used the blunt end to block an oncoming strike from Lyra’s hoof. ‘Chestra opened her mouth, and used her tongue to spin the kirpan. She closed her mouth around the handle, and slashed the bottom of Lyra’s hoof. ‘Chestra’s momentum led her towards the ground, but she placed her front hooves in front of her to catch herself. Without even looking Orchestra bucked her back legs, and connected with Lyra’s horn.

I watched in horror as Lyra clutched her horn, screaming. It did not break, thank the Holy Mother for that, but I noticed a definite crack at the base. I was not wholly familiar with how magic worked, but I was quite sure a cracked horn significantly weakened Lyra’s ability to use magic. If not outright nullifying it. She had no bullets, no magic, and was already wounded. Not long ago I had watched Orchestra try to kill her. Would I now watch her finish the job? I struggled again in Purity’s hold, but was still unable to break free. Please, Holy Mother, do something! Take something else from me. Take my legs, my mind, my life! Please, I can’t lose her too…

Orchestra laughed again. “How does it feel, harlot? How does it feel to know that you won’t lay another hoof on my brother?” Orchestra turned her head towards me, disgust in her eyes. “Seriously, Symphony. You can do so much better than that.”

“’Chestra, look out!” Joab cried.

“Huh?” She returned to face Lyra just in time for a spin kick to connect with the side of her head. The same side with the stitches.

Orchestra screamed, and dropped her kirpan. It wasn’t nearly as bloodcurdling as the last time, but it still sounded so wrong coming from her. Her legs buckled beneath her, and clutched her head with a hoof. Lyra took this opportunity to pounce. She pinned Orchestra, and smashed her head into my sister’s.

“How does this feel, bitch?” Lyra head butted again. When she raised her head, I noticed the crack on her horn had grown slightly. “How does it feel to get your ass beat a second time?” Before Orchestra could say anything, Lyra punched her across the face with her bleeding hoof. “How does it feel to know that you nearly killed your own brother?” She punched the other side of Orchestra’s face. “You maimed him. Took away his voice. And you think killing me will make all of that go away?” Two more punches, followed by another head butt, and the crack on her horn grew ever larger.

This was horrible. As happy as I was to see Lyra alive, it pained me to see her beating my sister. I was unable to see Orchestra’s face, and I was glad for it. I didn’t want to imagine the hurt in her eyes. If this continued then she would lose. Once again, she would be forced to watch her enemy leave with her beloved brother. And, yes, I did intend on leaving with Lyra, but I didn’t want to hurt my sister either. I closed my eyes, and turned away. I couldn’t watch this. Not anymore.

“Where’s your Goddess now, Orchestra? Where’s your Holy Mother when yo—”

“That’s quite enough.”

There was a sound. I was unsure of how to describe it. It was quite, and eerie. Yet, I heard it echo sharply throughout the rickety church. The sound was quickly followed by a familiar one. The sound of an object clattering onto the floor. There was a brief silence, followed by the sound of a flame coming to life. That wasn’t a good sound.

I opened my eyes.

Tears streamed down Lyra’s cheeks. Her face twitched, and I could hear her sputtered breaths. Whether it was a result of the pain or the shock, I was unsure. Her bleeding hoof was pressed against her horn. Or, what remained of her horn. The rest of her horn, the majority of it, rolled on the ground beside her. Lyra stared at the priest, who took his time trotting towards her. A lit match levitating beside him.

“My deepest apologies, Orchestra. I know you wanted to handle this one on your own. But I cannot stand idly by and watch one of my children be insulted. Let alone the Holy Mother.” He had reached Lyra. Any trace of the friendly smile was completely gone at this point. Instead, his face was decorated with a baleful frown. He pushed Lyra off of Orchestra, and helped my sister to her hooves. “For your sake, Orchestra, it will be a pleasure to watch her burn.”

‘Chestra bowed her head, and placed a hoof over her heart. “Thank you, Father. But, if I may be so bold, may I be the one to burn this heathen?”

Now the smile returned to his face. It sent a chill down my spine. “Of course, my child.”

The match levitated towards Orchestra, and my sister took it in her mouth. She bowed once more, and returned her focus to Lyra. Lyra had still not recovered from the shock of losing her horn. I saw her muttering to herself, but was unable to hear what she was saying. She made no effort resist as Orchestra turned her over. My sister placed one of her front hooves on Lyra’s chest, and sneered down at her.

“Any last words?”

Lyra for the last time, and my final memory would be of her burning. But then her eyes found me. And all of a sudden I noticed a mischievous twinkle. Something I never thought I would be happy to see.

“As if there could ever be something hotter than my flank.”

Orchestra’s face scrunched up in confusion. It was slight hesitation, but it was enough. Lyra inhaled deeply, and let out a powerful breath. The match went out. Lyra followed her action by standing, and knocked Orchestra off balance. My sister staggered backwards, giving Lyra enough time to retrieve her horn. She held it in her mouth, similar to how Orchestra held her kirpan. Orchestra noticed this, and glowered. She spat out the match, and picked the kirpan from off the ground.

“Father, permission to kill her without fire,” she asked without taking her eyes off of Lyra.

The priest sighed. “Yes, my child. I will allow it. After all, Joab killed the child without any fire.” There was an edge to his voice as he said that. I may have imagined it, but I was sure I saw Joab flinch in my peripheral vision.

“Thank you, Father. I promise, this time I—”

“FLASH!”

All heads turned towards the source of the sound. Standing in the doorway was a vaguely familiar pony. His body was well-muscled, and the veins in his legs were clearly visible. Similar to his overly large legs, his eyes were enlarged. Almost as if he had taken Cat-Eye. No, it was impossible. This pony was too large. Yet, it made sense. He had a white coat, a messy brown mane, and orange eyes. There was no mistaking it. This was Doctor Zimri.

He raised his hoof, and stomped on an empty syringe next to him. The syringe was crushed into smithereens, and the veins in his legs pulsated at the action. Ah, that was it. He had injected himself with a substance. Likely Buck. Wait, but I thought Buck was a tablet. Why would he inject himself with a tablet? And why was there a pin levitating next to him?

He pointed to something in the air above us. I titled my head back, and observed. A cylindrical canister flew through the air towards us. The bottom part was painted pale yellow, while the top was blue. Ah. That explained the pin.

A smirk appeared on Lyra’s face. She closed her eyes, and covered her ears with her hooves. Her horn fell from her mouth, as she said one word. “Bang.”

I was not familiar with flash bangs, so I had not closed my eyes or plugged my ears. I had expected the canister to be full of a gas, which would have hopefully knocked out Orchestra and her companions. Or, if it had been an explosive, the Doctor would have thrown it in a precise spot where neither Lyra or I would be hurt. What actually happened was my senses were brutally assaulted. The sensory overload, coupled with my physical and emotional fatigue, had rendered me unconscious. When I came to, I was lying on one of the pews. Thankfully, one which had not been splintered. Yet, I found myself still able to complain. These were as uncomfortable as ever.

I raised my head, and briefly observed my surroundings. There were no signs of my companions. Any of them. The bodies of Missile and Carbine had been removed. I prayed they had been taken by Lyra and the Doctor. If there was any possibility that Carbine was still alive, then maybe Doctor Zimri had a chance at saving him. If not, then at least they would be buried with the respect they deserved. Something they would not receive here. Ironic, given that I was in a church.

I rubbed my head. How long had I been out? Moonlight streamed through the windows and holes in the roof. We had come to the church at twilight, so I had not been out long. Maybe I had not been asleep long enough to dream. I was thankful for that. Given the absurd scenario my mind had conjured up when I was poisoned, I dreaded to consider what guilt could create. I shook my head. No, it happened was not my fault. It was theirs.

Orchestra’s companions sat in the lane between the pews. They were sitting in a triangle. The priest sat at the tip of the triangle, while Joab and Purity sat across from each other. There was something eerily familiar about the way they were sitting. This was how Lyra, Carbine, and Sombra had been sitting when I had woken up in the convenience store. Joab even had his rifle resting against his shoulder, just like Anarchy. The only pony missing was Missile sleeping on Carbine’s lap. Oh, and Orchestra.

Actually, where was she? I had not seen her in my brief sweep of the area. Then again, I had neglected to look behind me. I glanced behind me, and stared into my sister’s grey glare. Her front hooves were crossed, and I could hear tapping her back hooves on the creaky wood. This was a familiar scene from my childhood. Whenever ‘Chestra was angry with me she would cross her hooves, and start tapping. Usually she would keep this up for a few minutes without saying anything. Even now as an adult her glare sent chills up my spine.

“You’re a jerk, Symphony.”

O-kay. I was unsure of where was this conversation was going. She spoke up much quicker than usual, but she called me a jerk. So, was she mad?

Before I could decide if I should be wary of my sister or not, she hugged me. It was more than a little awkward, given that the pews in-between us were digging into my chest, but it was nice. Really nice. For the past few days I had been wondering what I was supposed to think of Orchestra. Was she the monster who had maimed me, or the sister who loved me? When I saw her earlier I had found my answer. As she hugged me I could feel any remaining shadows of doubt fading away.

This was my sister, and I would always love her.

I nearly returned the hug, but she pushed me away before I had the chance to return it. Her glare had softened, but it was still there. She was no longer crossing her hooves. It was almost a plus, except she was now using them to slap me. I personally preferred the crossing. “You’re alive! You’re alive, and you didn’t tell me.” The left half of her face scrunched up. “You made your big sister worry for nothing.”

Now that I had a reply for. I did not see my bag around me, so I mouthed my one word response. “Whoops.” I even added a shrug for extra apology.

Now the right half of her face scrunched up too. She raised another hoof. I closed my eyes, and braced myself for the oncoming assault… -that did not come. I opened one eye to see a brown glow around her hoof.

“Forgive me, Orchestra. I know I shouldn’t interfere with family matters, but perhaps you should offer your brother a meal before you discipline him further. I'm sure he would appreciate one."

I recognized that voice. I turned back around. The priest smiled at me, and even offered a friendly wink. I forced a smile in return. This was the pony who had hurt Missile, and severed Lyra’s horn. I knew it would be safer to play along than to rebuke him, but I wanted to. I really wanted to.

The glow disappeared, and Orchestra gently rubbed her hoof. I heard her mumble something about “stupid unicorn magic,” as we approached the group. Orchestra sat in-between Purity and Joab. When the blue stallion saw me approach, he tapped his hoof against the space next to him. I pretended not to notice, and sat on the side with Purity. Joab was just as guilty as the priest, if not more so. He was the one who actually killed Missile. I barely had an appetite as it was. There was no way I could stomach anything if I sat next to him.

Joab sulked, and sighed loudly. “Rude as ever I see.” Orchestra punched him on the shoulder for that.

“I don’t think he’s rude at all.” Purity cupped a steaming thermos in her hooves, and took a long sip. She passed it to me with a smile. “It’s only common sense he’d sit next to a mare.”

I had been drinking when she added the second remark. Hot water. Her comment caught me by surprise, and my reaction was to gulp. Steaming liquid gushed down my throat, burning it from the inside. I tried to ignore the pain by focusing on what she had said. I took a good look at her. She was right; she was most definitely a mare. She had a pretty face, a nice mane, and gorgeous blue eyes. They could rival Lyra’s in terms of beauty. My eyes slowly made their way down to her flank. To discover her cutie mark, of course. It happened to be a spyglass. What I would give to have a spyglass right no—ugh. I had been around Carbine too long.

She chuckled lightly. “Well, you and your sister are certainly alike.”

I could feel my cheeks burning, and I saw my sister’s do the same. I tore my eyes away from Purity, with admittedly quite a bit of effort, and passed the thermos to my sister. She took it, and immediately passed it to Joab. Oh, seems she was not thirsty. Joab took a large gulp, and passed it to the priest, who packed it in a satchel.

He stared into the contents of his satchel with a furrowed brow. “Hmmm. What to choose, what to choose. Ah.” He faced me, smiling that same friendly smile. The same smile that made me incredibly uncomfortable. “Symphony. As our guest of honor, why don’t you decide our main course for the evening. We have daisy and cucumber sandwiches, topped with a hint of rosemary, and drizzled with roasted almonds. Or, quesadillas stuffed with cherry.”

Quesadillas? I hated those things. There was so much cheese…-the sandwiches sounded quite good though. I held up one hoof to signify the first option.

“Splendid choice.” Five plastic bags with sandwiches and napkins levitated out of the satchel, and into our laps. “Now, let us close our eyes and bow our heads.”

Everypony did so, while also holding hooves. I had been so long since I had said grace in a group that this ritual seemed almost foreign to me. Wow. I really had spent too much time with Carbine. I held hooves with Orchestra and Purity, and could not help but notice the latter’s hooves were unusually cold.

“Holy Mother, we thank you for this food, and pray you will bless it to our bodies. That it will give us the strength to do your work and will. And we also pray for those less fortunate, and pray you will watch over them as you do us.”

“Amen,” Joab muttered.

“Also, we thank you for Symphony. We thank you for keeping him safe in the clutches of the enemy, and for returning him to us unharmed. It is a true miracle that only you can provide. And we pray that his time away did not turn his heart against you, and your holy name. And in that name we pray, Amen.”

“Amen,” the others echoed.

I did not. Not even in my thoughts. When I opened my eyes I noticed a glint in the priest’s. There was a crack in his friendly façade. What had he said, “clutches of the enemy?” No doubt they believed I was kidnapped, or at least Orchestra had said so while I was unconscious. He did not believe it, though. Somehow he knew that I had willingly gone with Lyra. That had not been a prayer; it had been a warning. I was only alive right now for Orchestra’s sake. If I showed any indication of how I thoroughly despised the True Cadanites, my sister notwithstanding, there would be Tartarus to pay. The most likely price being my life.

He turned to face Orchestra, and the glint disappeared. “I’m truly happy you have been able to find your brother. Perhaps it's not too late for me to find mine." He sighed sadly, but regained his composure as he continued. "And now that he’s here, I think it would be best for you to have some time alone.”

“No, that’s no—”

“Nonsense, my child.” He waved a hoof, and shook his head. “Joab and Purity can join me in the backroom for supper. Please, enjoy your time together.” He picked up his sandwich bag in his mouth and satchel with his magic, and stood up. He dipped his head politely, and made his way to the backroom.

The other two followed suit. Joab retained his sulky expression, and even slouched as he walked. When our eyes, unfortunately, met he flashed me a wry smile and waved. I managed to return his wave without glaring at him. It was not an enthusiastic wave, but it was good enough for Joab. Hopefully it was also enough to not arouse anypony’s suspicions.

In contrast, Purity walked with elegance and fantastic posture. She caught me star—admiring her grace, and smiled at me. I did not return her smile; I was too busy averting my shameful eyes.

I was a little sad she had to go, but I did enjoy watching her leave. Oh no. I was getting worse by the second. I half-expected Orchestra to tease me, but then I remembered she was not Lyra. Also, she was too busy watching Purity leave to say anything. That left it up to me to break the ice. I waited till Purity and Joab had disappeared behind the door to tap my sister on the shoulder.

“Hmm?”

I pointed to her, batted my eyes, and then pointed to the door. In the process, I discovered a new shade of red on my sister’s face.

“Nnnnno. Purity’s my friend. That’s it.”

Just like Joab?

“No, I don’t like him either!” She roughly shoved me onto my side. “Especially not him.”

She knew what I was thinking without me even having to communicate it. This was my big sister for sure. I simply grinned at her, and removed the sandwich from the bag. She rolled her eyes at me, and began muttering something about her “stupid baby brother.” But aside from ‘Chestra’s mumbling we ate our supper in silence. It was a strange silence. I could not call it comfortable, but not yet awkward. I had the impression both of us wanted to speak, but were unsure of what to actually say. Light teasing can only carry a conversation so far. Though I supposed it was possible we were simply silent because we were eating. To the priest’s credit, this was a good sandwich. The roasted almonds sold it.

“Hey, Symph?”

I took one last bite out of the sandwich, and raised my head. Orchestra was staring at the ground. Her hooves were tapping again, but the rhythm was different. Her pace was far less aggressive, almost melancholic.

“This is real, right? I mean.” She bit her lower lip, and angled her eyes towards me. “You’re really here? I’m not dreaming again?”

My first response was to write down a joke. “I can pinch you if you want.” Chuckle worthy, and would hopefully be able to put a smile back on my sister’s face. Then I saw it on her face. Something that I knew could answer her question better than any joke could. I picked up a napkin, and gently dabbed some cucumber off the corner of her mouth. There. Did that answer her question?

Half of her face scrunched up, as she smacked my hoof away. “I could’ve gotten that myself. Thank you very much,” she huffed. She crossed her front hooves, and turned her head away with a “hmph.”

You are very welcome.

There was another bout of silence, but it was certainly not awkward. Rather, it was more of an understanding. Three… two… one…

The two of us broke out in laughter. There was just something inherently funny about Orchestra’s indignation. I placed a hoof on her head, and ruffled the top of her mane.

“Hey, cut it out.” She elbowed me in the gut. I retracted my hoof, with a grunt. She snickered, and ruffled my mane. “You might be a bit bigger than me, but I’m still older. That gives me certain privileges.”

Like slitting your little brother’s throat?

I winced at my own harsh words. I would have loved to blame them on a random aggressive thought, but that would be a lie. Being reunited with my sister felt great. I was happy to know she was doing well. No matter what, I would always love her. That being said, she did maim me. I had every right to be bitter about it. She and I could work through this, and I was still happy to spend time with her now. But I supposed I was still not ready to fully forgive her. So much for eliminating any shadows of doubt.

So, with all that being said, she picked the worst possible moment to touch my scar.

I rounded on Orchestra, and slapped away her hoof with more force than intended. I glared at her, and began to breathe heavily. She did not flinch, though I did notice her rubbing her wrist. The bitter part of me was gloating about me injuring my sister. Even if it was incredibly minor. The rest of me called him a jerk and other more colorful synonyms. My glare gradually eased until there was no animosity. I placed a hoof on my chest, and made a circle.

“Um, are you having indigestion?”

Indigestion? Is that wh—ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I began to laugh on the outside as well. It was just so funny. So much so that I barely noticed the disgusting noise I was making. The last time I had done this gesture Missile thought I was trying to say I had heartburn. It was funny, absolutely hilarious. Orchestra and her companions hated non-crystal ponies and their affiliates. These so called “heathens.” But other than texture and an immunity to radiation, what was the difference? There was none! My sister’s whole crusade was completely pointless. I had lost my throat, Carbine likely lost his eye, and Missile had lost his life because of this joke. Not just Missile, but Sombra too. It was so absurd it was funny.

So funny I was crying. There was no laughter anymore. Just the tears splashing against my crystal coat. I wanted to stop; I hated crying. “If there was time to cry then there was time to act.” Uziel had always said that. I had no idea what my action should be, but it had to be better than this? Please, Symphony, stop.

The tears only started to slow down when I felt a hoof wrap around my shoulders. My sister leaned my head against her shoulder, and used her tail to gently rub my back. “Shhh. It’s okay, Symphony. You’re big sister is here. There’s no need to cry.”
I nodded, despite the tears continuing to fall.

Orchestra did not say anything. She just held me, and let me cry. Almost like a parent would. A parent. That reminded me of something. I gently broke away from her, and searched for my bag. I spotted it near the pews where I had fallen unconscious. I held up a hoof to tell her to wait a moment. She nodded coolly, and watched as I retrieved my effects.

I wrote down a question. I had to write it a few times because my tears were interfering with the ink. I tried wiping my face, and eventually the tears had subsided enough to write coherently.

“Orchestra, what were Mom and Dad like?”

“Mom and Dad?” Her voice was wistful, if also melancholic. “I don’t remember much. I was only six when they passed.” Now her eyes were beginning to water. “I do remember Dad’s voice. It was a strong voice, but I remember him being soft spoken. There was this one time, though.” She paused to chuckle and sniffle. “I was running around, and I knocked over his favorite vase.” She shook her head, and let out a soft whistle. “Dad yelling was the most terrifying thing I’d ever heard.

“Mom was very affectionate. She was always hugging us, and reading to us. She used to sing to you every night. I do remember that.” She wiped away a few tears. She then held her hoof in front of her face, and sighed. “I look a little like them. I have Dad’s silver eyes, and Mom’s yellow coat. I’m glad that’s what I got. Dad was a really dark purple, and Mom’s eyes were pink.” She shook her head, and smiled at me. “Can you imagine having pink eyes?”

I was too busy staring at my own hoof to answer. She said they were yellow and purple? Yet I was azure. Silver and pink eyes, yet mine were green. I liked my colors fine enough, but this was a bit disheartening. It would have been nice to have at least known I shared some of their attributes. It was possible we had similar faces, but I could never know. I was only two when they died. In my memories my parents’ faces were hazy at best.

Something hard hit me in the shoulder. Ow. I rubbed my shoulder, and caught ‘Chestra’s grin. “Guess there’s no point hiding the truth anymore little brother. You were adopted.”

Not a very funny joke. I rolled my eyes at her, and mimed a fake laugh. I tried turning away, but I felt her hooves wrap around my waist.

“Not that it would matter. Adopted or not, you’re my little brother. And I swear to the Holy Mother that I will do everything in my power to make things right between us.”

I winced. So she was aware of my bitterness towards her. It made sense; she was not stupid. That did not stop me from feeling bad about her noticing though. I lightly tapped my hooves against hers, and nodded. I honestly was not sure what I was trying to communicate with that. Something along the lines of, “do not worry about it,’ I believe.

She let go, and walked around to my front. She sat down on her haunches, and looked me in the eye. “Do you hate me, Symphony?”
I shook my head. She opened her mouth to say something, but I immediately held up a hoof. She closed her mouth, and I got to writing. “I considered it, but I just could not commit.”

She grinned from ear to ear as she laughed. “That’s right, you did have an issue with commitment. I think Starfall said something about that to me once.”

Really? This was the first I was hearing of this. I thought I had committed to her just fine. I had dated her, among other things, for a good few months before deciding it would not work out. Where was the lack of commitment in that? And who can say I have commitment issues when I was going to propose to Lyra? Heavens above, I left my home to start a family with her. If that is not commitment, then what is? Under my previous statement I wrote, “I have no problems committing to Lyra.”

The grin on my sister’s face gradually began to shrink. It went from ear to ear, to barely reaching her cheeks, and finally into a scowl. The laughter in her eyes had been replaced with a cool rage. Her tail brushed against her kirpan’s sheathe. “Lyra,” she growled.
“Why do you hate her so much?”

I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear her say it. Lyra was born a heathen, and non-crystal ponies were the servants of the Shadow Goddess. They started the war, and sent the bombs to kill the Holy Mother. Therefore, they need to be exterminated before the Holy Mother could return to us. That was more or less the dogma of the True Cadanites. Naturally Orchestra would respond in kind. When she did, I would counterattack with the verse Reverend Bones had read the other day. Regardless of how much respect she had for Nero, Orchestra could not deny that the Holy Mother’s words superseded his.

“She’s the heathen temptress who tried to take my family away. What’s to like?”

But according to The Boo—what? This was unexpected. I had always thought her hatred of Lyra stemmed from Nero’s mantra. Did she really think my relationship with Lyra would drive us apart? That was ludicrous. There was no way that could…-oh. I hung my head, and avoided her gaze. What followed was a genuinely awkward silence. I could not dispel my sister’s beliefs from any place of authenticity. She knew that, and had nothing to say to me. And I did not have the courage to look her in the eye.

Our silence was interrupted by a loud whistling. At first I assumed it was the wind, but on second thought the sound seemed to be coming from inside. It was followed by another whistle, and then a few more. Almost like notes. I chuckled internally. Of course it sounded like music notes. I nodded my head in rhythm with ‘Chestra’s flute. It took longer than it should have, but I was able to recognize the song she was playing. “The Starlight Sonata.”

Most ponies knew it as the cadence to the first movement of Octavia Melody’s third symphony. Well, most cultured ponies did. In truth, most ponies I knew were unaware of its existence. Especially considering it was made by a non-crystal. A true pity. I, however, knew “The Starlight Sonata,” as the song Orchestra played when I was having nightmares. The nocturne’s soothing notes held a special place in my heart, and never failed to bring a smile to my face.

Sadly, it was a short piece. Orchestra played her final note, and sighed. “You probably wouldn't know this, but I used to play this when you had nightmares. It never failed to calm you down."

I replied in the only appropriate way. I clopped my hooves together. It was slow and soft, but would crescendo into loud applause. I faced Orchestra with a bright smile on my face. Of course I knew.

She flushed a little, and hit my shoulder again. Thankfully without actually hurting me this time. “Thanks, but I’m not all that great. I’ve been out of practice for a while.”

If so I was unable to tell. She was as talented as ever. I cast an angry glance at the door to the church’s backroom. The True Cadanites were disgusting in concept, and then they had the nerve to waste my sister’s talent. She should have been playing concerts at the Crystal Palace in Haven. At worst she should have been touring with the CDF choir as part of the band.

“It’s not their fault.” I flicked my gaze back at her. She smiled sadly, but was not looking at me. Rather, she was staring at the black flute in her hooves. “I just haven’t had it in me to practice. Not since…-well, you know.”

Before another awkward silence could follow, Orchestra stood up. She stowed away her flute, and yawned. “I’m getting tired. I think I’m going to bed. Are you going to stay up?”

I nodded. It would be a while before I felt tired.

“Alright. Well, there are mats in the backroom when you want to sleep. You can sleep in here with me if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it. These pews are awful.” She arched her back, and grimaced.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Because they’re uncomfortable I sleep light. If we were in a safe place I’d happily sleep on my mat. But this place isn’t safe at all. And I need to be alert in case something happens.”

I flicked my eyes towards the window.

She shrugged. “Sure, somepony will keep watch. But what use is a watch if nopony is alert to a distress call?”

I supposed she had a point. Not that I was happy about it. I was not comfortable with sleeping anywhere near Joab or the priest. But if I slept in here with my sister then it would have to be on a pew. Ugh.

She laughed at the scowl on my face, and kissed me on the cheek. “Goodnight, little brother.”

Goodnight.

She trotted towards the pews in front of the altar, but stopped. She turned her head back with a slight frown. “You’ll be here when I wake up, right?”

I wrote my response in larger letters so she could read it. “I can always pinch you if you need it.” Turns out I got to use my joke after all.

“That’s not what I’m asking, Symphony.”

Oh. From the sharpness in her tone I was able to infer what she was really asking.

In all likelihood I would be here when she woke up. It was doubtful my companions would come for me after barely escaping with their lives. The lucky ones, at least. I had no clue where they had gone, and I was not the one with the map. True, I had Savage and my knife, but what good would they do me? I was unable to kill a rabid dog. I was nothing more than a target without my companions with me.

The obvious answer to Orchestra’s question was yes. The most probable outcome was also yes. All it took was to write down one little word. Instead, I found myself writing three. “I love you.”

There was no mistaking the hurt on her face as she read those three words. She understood what I was really saying to her. She faced front without a reply, and stormed off. She lay down on the pews without so much as looking in my direction.

Great. Just great. I slapped my face with my hoof. Good job, Symphony. I sighed internally, and trotted towards the door. I needed some fresh air. And hopefully the night sky would offer me some tranquility. I gently pushed open the door. It creaked, as any dilapidated door would, but the sound was surprisingly subtle. I hoped I would not disturb my sister.

I stepped outside into the cold. It could have been worse; I had traveled in worse. My first couple days on the road with Lyra were during a snowstorm. Still, I was not a fan of the cold breeze. I sat down on the edge of the platform. I rubbed my front hooves together, and blew on them. It was more of a placebo than an actual remedy, which could explain why I felt no warmer.

“If you’re cold you could always come inside. I don’t think Purity would mind the company.”

Hello, Joab.

I said nothing, obviously, as he sat down beside me. He was grinning like an idiot, which he was, and extended a hoof towards me. “I have no idea what you said to your sister, but she looked pissed when I walked past her.” He closed his eyes, and whistled. “And there is nothing hotter than a huffy Orchestra.”

I eyed his hoof with unmitigated disgust. First off, the last thing I wanted to hear anypony speaking of was how my sister aroused them. Second, bro hoofing was not a gesture I was overly fond of. Third, and most importantly, there was only one pony I shared a bro hoof with. And Joab possibly killed him.

He shrank back when he noticed my expression. “Okay, okay. Huffy Orchestra isn’t your thing.”

Did he just say…-amazing. Truly, this was amazing. I had managed to find a pony who actually managed to be dumber than Carbine. How had I not noticed this in our previous encounters? A smile found its way onto my lips. Oh yes, I could smile at Joab now. He would be none the wiser that each smile was a silent taunt.

He smiled back, and punched me on the shoulder. “Ha ha. Now there’s that smile I’ve been longing to see.”

Perhaps it was ironic that his actions caused me to frown. I would have done it to spite him, but I was frowning before he started talking. Orchestra was the only pony who I allowed to punch my shoulder. It was one of those older sibling privileges she had mentioned. Joab had no right to do so. It was a matter of principle, and had nothing to do with how hard he punched.

I massaged my shoulder, and he guffawed. “Oh, Symphony. Believe it or not I missed you.”

My belief in it was irrelevant since I could not care less about what he thought. Not after what he did. I made no attempt to reply to Joab. I barely even looked at him. He seemed to catch on to my sentiments. He scooted away from me until there was a large space between us. A space large enough for a colt to sit comfortably.

Joab rubbed the side of his face, as he looked at the stars. “I get it. You’ve been away from civilized ponies so long that we seem weird to you. It makes sense. I guess.” He moved his hoof from his face onto the platform, and drummed his hoof against it. “And this really sucks. I mean, I was ready to ask your permission to date your sister. But I guess I’ll just have to wait.” He grinned at me again.

There were so many things wrong with that statement it was hard to know where to begin. Not all of my companions were uncivilized. Sombra had not been exactly gentle, but he was no heathen. Neither was Doctor Zimri. As for the other three…-no comment. But where did this foal killer get off calling other ponies “uncivilized.” The last time I checked, murdering an innocent child was not an act the Holy Mother approved of.

I was still able to love my sister despite her crimes against me. Joab would never be so lucky. Speaking of my sister, how dare he have the gall to ask my permission to date her. He was unworthy of her. He was unworthy of even saying her name. He di—Oh. Was this how Orchestra felt when she saw me with Lyra? Did she want to hurt Lyra as much as I wanted to hurt Joab? Of all the emotions I expected to feel at this revelation, the one I did not expect was impressed. Orchestra had held in her rage for months. I was still furious she had snapped at all, but at the very least I could give her some credit. Especially given how Lyra was not exactly blameless either.

“Hey, did you hear that?”

Hear what? I pricked my ears. Oh glorious night, what sounds are you willing to bestow upon us? There was the creaking of wood. A classic. I could hear the whistling of the wind. No, wait. There was actual whistling as well. It blended in with the wind well enough, but the whistling was harsher than the sound of the wind. An uncultured pony like Joab would not be able to detect the cacophony. Therefore, this was obviously not a signal for him. Rather, it was one for me. One of my companions was brave enough to return for me! To save me from this nest of murderers. Orchestra and Purity were to be excluded, of course.

Or, somepony was passing by and just happened to be whistling. This was arguably a more likely scenario.

Joab readied his gun. He did not sound an alarm, likely because neither of us was certain if there was another pony at all. And if he disturbed my sister while she was sleeping, Goddess help him. Actually, on second thought, let him face ‘Chestra’s wrath. He deserved worse.

“See anything, buddy?”

No. Not that I would tell you if I did. Still, I was compelled by curiosity. I squinted in the hopes of seeing something in the distance. If only I had Carbine’s binoculars, or…-I silently crept inside the church. It seemed Orchestra was still sleeping. Good. It would make things less awkward if one of my companions truly had returned. I retrieved my bags, and took them outside. I could still hear the whistling, but visibility was still poor. Darkness and all that.

I set down my bag, ignoring Joab’s curious expression. I immediately reached in with my front legs, and retrieved Savage. It was still beyond uncomfortable to get set, but I eventually held the sniper rifle so that the scope was in front of my eye. If Lyra had been able to kill Telebrah’s companions in the dark, then I should be able to spot the whistler.

And spot her I did. A mint-green mare wearing tight black barding was slowly approaching us. Her lips were puckered together, confirming her identity as the source of the whistling. As she drew closer I noticed two things about her. One, she was holding a pair of binoculars to her eyes. That meant she could likely see us as well. Hopefully she was able to see Joab’s gun, and could sneak around him. I also noticed the white cloth tied around the base of her horn. Why? Was it so she could hide her damaged horn? I instinctively felt my throat start to burn. I could empathize.

“I see her!” Joab titled his body, so that the barrel of the gun was facing towards Lyra. “’Chestra’s gonna love me for this.”

But I would hate you for it.

I wrapped my front legs around Joab, and pressed Savage against his neck. My back legs went around his waist to keep him pinned. Before he could shoot at Lyra or use the gun against me, I slammed my head against his horn. It hurt, a lot, but it was enough to disrupt his magic. Joab’s gun fell onto the wooden floor. Thud. It was decently loud, but I had no idea if it was loud enough to wake up my sister. This provided me with a new sense of urgency.

I applied more pressure, and Joab fought back as valiantly as he could. His stretched his neck and bit me, but I had fared against worse. Thank you, Carbine. If he were still alive, I would have to thank him. Joab’s front hooves pounded against mine, but I did not let go. Come on, come on! How long did it take to choke a pony out? That was all I needed to do. Knock him out long enough for Lyra and I to escape. I did not want to kill him. I did not want to kill him. I did not…

For a split second I saw an image of Missile’s dead body in my mind. My front hooves twitched. Crack. The sound was sharper than the knife I had found in Starfall. It was not all that loud, but it reverberated in my ears. I could feel my heartbeat racing. With each successive beat I heard the noise again. Crack. Crack. Crack. It grew louder each time. It was as if I was hearing something break. A femur, a leg.

Or a neck.

I released my grip on Joab, and he crumpled to the floor. His head was twisted slightly, and was angled towards me. I met his eyes this time. I saw my reflection in his lifeless green eyes. I saw myself shake before I was aware I was doing it. My mouth was moving, but of course there was no sound. What was I saying? I could not read my lips in my reflection, nor was I aware of my words. But they kept coming. I felt my mouth move in three syllables.

For. Give. Me.

Forgive me.

Forgive me.

Forgive me.

Then I felt a hoof touch one of mine. My mouth did not stop moving as I locked eyes with another pony. I saw my reflection in her eyes as well. I was still shaking, and repeating those three syllables.

Forgive me.

Forgive me.

She pulled me to her chest, and hugged me tightly. So tightly I wondered if I would break the way Joab did. Crack. Crack. I felt her putting my bags on me, and felt as she packed away the murder weapon. She pulled away, and gently kissed me on the lips. I did not kiss her back. I was unworthy of her love. All I wanted was forgiveness. But she was not the mare who could give it to me.

Our lips parted, and she wrapped one of her hooves around mine. “I’ll always return to you, Symphony,” Lyra whispered barely above the wind. “I love you.” She kissed my cheek, and began to walk forward.

I followed, those three syllables not once leaving my lips. Without realizing it, I found myself staring at the church. As well as the lifeless body crumpled before it. I felt a deep shame welling up inside me.

Forgive me, Mother, for I have sinned.

Forgive me, Orchestra, for having to leave you again

Footnote: Level up!
New Perk: Murderer. Welcome to the Wasteland.
When you or somepony you love is in danger, chance for critical hits increase.

Author's Notes:

Hey, all. This is another day early chapter. I hope no one minds too much. It was just very convenient for me to post this today since one of my classes was out.

As always, I want to thank Kkat for creating the original story, other authors for their contributions, and my readers for caring about what I create. It means a lot.

You have may have noticed that there is finally some cover art! I want to thank Sw1tchbl4de for creating that awesome image. While the timing was not intentional, I think it's awesome that the first chapter to debut with the art is one featuring Orchestra given that she's the mare on the cover.

Just a few general notes on the chapter, One, the contractions in Symphony's narration were intentional. I felt since he was so highly emotional at the time that he wouldn't care to use contractions. But once he's calmed down his mind goes back to normal. Two, rest in peace Missile. I was originally going to kill much earlier in the story but he grew on me so I let him stick around. But all good things must come to an end. And three, this has easily been my favorite chapter to this point and was by far the easiest to write. I know it's been probably the darkest so far, but I hope you were all able to enjoy it.