"Did… did he just call us goddesses?" Applejack asked.

Pinkie shook her head. "Worse, there was definitely a capital ‘G’ in there."

Sunset groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Great. Just great. How the hell are we supposed to deal with this?"

"That's up to you," Simms replied. "Make no mistake though, this is your mess. I'll be holding you girls personally responsible for any trouble those crazies cause, so try to keep them under control, alright?"

"Whoa, that ain't fair!" Applejack butted in. "Ah get that we screwed up, but you can't blame us just because those weirdos got their wires crossed!"

"No, the Sheriff is right," Sunset said firmly. "Those people must have put a lot of effort into building that temple, not to mention a fair few caps; the least we can do is take responsibility for that."

Applejack grumbled under her breath, but she relented with a muttered, "Ah guess."

"You're all fucking crazy!" Sunset frowned and looked over the railing at the shout. It took her a moment to spot who had shouted; a shaven-headed drunk wearing all black leather and clutching a bottle of beer.

"That's Jericho," Simms said with a huff, scowling at the drunkard below. "He's a good shot, when he ain't blind drunk, and he helps keep Megaton safe, but he has a habit of causing more problems than he solves."

Sunset grimaced as Jericho hurled more obscenities at the Disciples, but several members of the crowd got him to shut up, so she put him to the back of her mind. "I guess we'll wait until the service is over, then go down and tell them the truth and hope that they don't take it badly."

"If they even believe us this time," Fluttershy noted.

Twilight sighed and shook her head. "It's a shame. That temple would have served as a decent base of operations while we searched through the wastes."

"Maybe they'll still let us use it after we've told them the truth?" Pinkie said hopefully. "I mean, they've already built the thing, so…"

"I doubt it," Adam said quietly.

"Not to mention that such a situation would feel… wrong," Rarity added.

Sunset nodded. "This whole issue is an ethical minefield."

Simms gave her a searching look, then turned and jerked his chin towards Joshua. "Just speak to them. If they're fine letting you stay there after you've told the truth, and you don't try and turn them into your own private army or something, then you may as well set up shop in there. It'll beat sleeping in the common house."

"Good point." Sunset crossed her arms and frowned thoughtfully. "Whatever happens, it'll be best if we're subtle about it. Going down there in front of that crowd will just cause havoc, so I think we should wait until the crowd has dispersed and find a side door."

Even as she said it, Sunset saw something glinting out of the corner of her eye. Jericho had apparently finished his beer and was reaching back to throw it at the Disciples. Sunset leaned forward, about to shout a warning as the bottle arced towards Joshua's head, when she felt a gust of wind and a multicolored blur shot forward.

Rainbow caught the bottle just at the last second before it struck Joshua. She straightened up, armor sparkling in the light, and turned to glare at Jericho. "Not cool, asshole."

The crowd went wild at Rainbow's dramatic entrance. Even the people who had been listening to the Disciples with skeptical expressions were now very clearly rethinking their stance, while the Disciples themselves looked as if they were on the verge of passing out from sheer shock and joy.

Sunset groaned and crouched behind the railings, hoping that no-one below would think to look up.

"So much for subtlety," Applejack huffed.

"She was only trying to stop Joshua from getting hurt," Fluttershy protested quietly.

Applejack sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ah get that, and Ah ain't sayin' she shouldn't have done it, but it's made our job one heck of a lot harder."

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to deal with it, now," Simms said bluntly. "But, whatever you do, make sure that you're nice to those folks. They may be crazy, but they've done a whole lot of good for this town."

Sunset nodded slowly. "We'll be as gentle as we can." She straightened up a little and peeked over the railings. The crowd was still going nuts, half of the people cheering and half chattering in surprise, while the Disciples were fawning over Rainbow, who was blatantly embarrassed and trying desperately to hide it. "I suppose we'd better get down there and give her a hand. Is there a quick way down from here?"

"Sure is, just around the corner." Simms gestured for the group to follow. "Come on, it's this way."

Still reeling from the shock of what had happened in their absence, the group followed Simms along silently. They encountered a handful of people, most of whom reacted with shock or tried to call out to the girls, but Simms made sure to brush them aside and send them on their way with a warning to keep quiet. Soon enough the group arrived at a narrow, winding staircase.

The noise of the crowd only increased as the team descended. A hundred different thoughts and ideas whizzed through Sunset's head, but no easy answer to the current predicament came to mind. Rounding the last corner, the girls hesitated as the crowd came fully into view.

Fortunately, no-one was looking in the Rainbooms' direction. All of the crowd's, and the Disciples', attention was focused on Rainbow Dash.

"Come on, I'll see if I can get you through this crowd," Simms said as he pressed forward.

"I'll bring up the rear," Adam offered. "That should keep people from pressing in."

Sunset took a deep breath to calm herself and glanced back at the others. She almost smiled as Fluttershy hurriedly ensconced herself in the middle of the group, and gave them what she hoped was a reassuring nod before turning and following after Simms.

It took a few tries for Simms to get the attention of the people at the back of the crowd, and it was a few seconds longer before they realized what he wanted and why, but when they did, the response was electric. The knowledge that the rest of the Rainbooms were there spread through the crowd in a heartbeat and suddenly every eye and voice in the crater was directed at the girls.

Sunset had been in front of crowds before, usually as part of a band, but even so; the sheer intensity of the crowd was intimidating. She didn't let it show on her face, though. Sunset just kept her eyes on the back of Simms' neck, and maintained a carefully composed expression as she walked. Thankfully, the crowd parted like water before them, and no-one was foolish enough to attempt to touch any of the girls.

Simms stopped at the base of the temple steps and turned around. "Alright, this is your stop. And remember, be nice."

"We will." Determinedly avoiding looking up at the Disciples, Sunset held out a hand. "Thanks so much for dropping this in our laps the second we get back."

Simms snorted and shook her hand. "Call it payback for dumping this shit in my lap the moment you left."

"Touché." Sunset braced herself, stepped around the Sheriff, and finally looked up at the Disciples. To her surprise, all of them were kneeling with their heads bowed and their eyes closed.

Rainbow rubbed her neck awkwardly as the group climbed the steps. "So, uh, I'm sorry about-"

"It's fine, Rainbow," Sunset cut in, clapping a hand to her shoulder. "It's better than letting someone crack this guy's skull for no reason." She looked down at the people kneeling before her. "Er, please... stand up."

The Disciples hurriedly got to their feet. The ones at the back kept their eyes down, but Joshua bowed and looked up at Sunset. "Your Graces, we had hoped that you would one day honor our temple with your presence, but we didn't dare hope that you would arrive for the opening. Truly, you bless us more than words can say."

"R-right." Sunset glanced awkwardly back at the crowd still staring at them. "Uh, do you mind if we talk somewhere more private."

"Of course." Joshua looked over his shoulder at the other Disciples and gave them some hushed instructions before turning back and bowing again to the Rainbooms. "My fellow worshippers will show you inside. I shall follow in but a moment."

Sunset quietly thanked him and followed the other Disciples into the temple. Inside, the group found themselves in a wide antechamber with mismatched chairs and tables dotted along the walls. Multi-colored light flickered through the cracks in a set of double doors just ahead. Sunset heard Joshua begin to address the crowd just as the temple doors closed, muting the sounds from outside.

"Huh, that's neat," Applejack said, glancing back at the doors. "How do you keep the sound out like that? Thick doors, or…?"

"It's magic," Sunset replied. "This place is full of it." Indeed, she could sense Equestrian magic pulsing all around her, and she could feel a massive quantity emanating from the room ahead, as surely as a blind man could feel the heat of the sun.

"This is our welcome room," one of the priestesses said quietly. She had short light-brown hair, mousy features, and couldn't have been any older than the Rainbooms. She flinched as the Rainbooms all looked at her, but spoke a little louder as she explained, "It's for those who simply wish to come in and rest for a while." She glanced anxiously at Adam. "I hate to put you on the spot, but would you mind waiting here? We aren't really supposed to let anyone except the Disciples or the Children of Atom in until the temple is officially open."

Adam just shrugged and pulled his helmet off. "Sure thing. At least I'm not getting asked to irradiate myself this time."

The Disciples all stared at him quizzically, but let it slide without comment. "Er, anyway…" The priestess turned back to the girls and bowed. "This way, please."

Muttering quick apologies to Adam, which he brushed aside with a smile and a wave, the Rainbooms followed as the Disciples opened up the doors and led them further into the temple. As soon as they entered the next room, the girls stopped and gasped, looking around in awe.

The room beyond was clearly the main place of worship. A tall pedestal crafted from scrap metal, half again as tall as Sunset and twice as wide, dominated the room. Sitting on top of it was a huge, wide-rimmed cauldron. A roaring, multi-colored inferno blazed inside it, the flickering tips of the flame rising six feet into the air.

"This is the Hearth." The Rainbooms looked back to see Joshua entering the room. "The first embers of it came from the Church of Atom, who generously shared it with us, and we have added more over time."

"It's beautiful," Sunset said honestly. Dragging her eyes away from the Hearth, she saw that the room they were in was wide and tall, with staircases on either side of the room that led up to walkways and doors to other parts of the temple. A small number of priests and priestesses were hurrying around carrying out chores, though each of them stopped in their tracks and bowed low the instant they saw the girls.

Sunset was impressed, but she couldn't help but feel concerned at the tiny wisps of magic she saw flitting around the room. "I have to ask, where did you get the magic from? And the Church of Atom, for that matter."

Joshua smiled brightly, as if he had been hoping that she would ask. Sunset listened intently as he explained how, when Three-Dog had first played the Rainbooms' music over the radio, it had somehow activated the residual magic she and Rainbow had left in the Church of Atom when they had ponied up. Every one of their songs that Three-Dog played grew the magic even further. The Church of Atom had shared it with the Temple of Harmony, and both had added to their stockpiles using any magic that came their way, either through the explosions that had spread it across the wastes, or through crystals bought or donated from travellers.

When Joshua's explanation was finished, Sunset found that she couldn't look him in the eye. A tremendous amount of time and effort had been put into building the temple, not to mention a considerable quantity of caps, all thanks to a colossal misunderstanding.

"Excuse me, darlings, quick question, what happened to the houses that used to be here?" Rarity asked.

"Regrettably, they were taken down to provide space and materials for the temple," Joshua replied. "Worry not, your Graces, no-one was forced out of their homes. Most of them were either empty, or belonged to members of either the Church or the Temple, who were happy to offer up their lodgings as tribute. The few who were less happy were at least willing to trade for houses elsewhere in Megaton."

The knowledge that people had given up their homes, even willingly, to help build this temple was like a further twist of the knife to Sunset. A small part of her wanted to simply walk away and leave the Disciples to their delusions, at least they would be happy that way, but she couldn't do it. They had to know the truth. "Look, Joshua, there's something we have to tell you."

Joshua smiled sadly. "If I may, is this the part where you tell us that you are not goddesses?"

A jolt ran through Sunset's body. "You knew?!" She spat incredulously.

Joshua chuckled softly. "Knew? No. But we suspected that you might say so." He looked up at the magical flames, the necklace he wore glowing faintly. "The arrival of your Graces changed everything in this world. Hope and friendship have taken root in the most barren of places, and your Graces have set in motion changes to the world that will be more dramatic, and absolute, than even the Great War."

"That's stretchin' things a bit, ain't it?" Applejack asked.

"Is it? We have heard from Three-Dog of how Rivet City has grown, and how the wastes are evolving," Joshua countered. "Given time, we have no doubt that the changes set in motion here will one day spread across the world." He bowed low. "Many people do not believe in your divine nature, even your Graces yourselves may not believe, but we do; and we are here to spread your message of harmony across the wastes."

"We have a message?" Rainbow muttered.

Pinkie shrugged. "We did help broker peace between the Enclave and Brotherhood."

"And we imagine that there is much more that your Graces wish to accomplish," Joshua continued. "We also took the liberty, though we don't wish to impose, of furnishing rooms for each of you, should you wish to rest between your journeys around the wastes."

Sunset winced internally. "That's very thoughtful, but…"

"Actually, would you mind if we could just discuss things amongst ourselves for a moment?" Twilight cut in.

Joshua nodded. "Of course, your Grace. We shall wait over here."

As Joshua and the other Disciples stepped out of immediate earshot, Sunset turned a baleful glare on Twilight. "You had better not be about to suggest what I think you're about to suggest."

Twilight met her glare evenly. "I know that this is an ethical mess, but this temple would make a good base of operations while we explore the wasteland."

"I hate to say it, but she has a point," Rainbow put in.

Fluttershy shook her head. "Maybe, but we can't take advantage of their hospitality like that."

"Hear hear," Rarity added.

Sunset scowled and crossed her arms. "AJ, Pinkie, what do you think?"

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Ah don't know. Using the temple as a base sounds temptin', but takin' advantage of their faith like that just don't feel right." Pinkie just nodded in agreement.

"There is another benefit to us staying here," Twilight said quietly. "The Disciples aren't going to accept that we aren't gods no matter what we say or do-"

"That's the truth," Applejack grumbled.

"-so if we stay here we can at least keep an eye on them," Twilight continued. "We've already seen what religious fanaticism can do in this world, thanks to the Apostles of the Eternal Light. Staying here means we can nip any dangerous zealotry in the bud before it can do any damage."

Sunset hummed thoughtfully. "That's not a bad point," she admitted. "Still, these people seem reasonable enough. I doubt they'll cause any problems if we leave them alone."

"And their magic?" Twilight asked pointedly.

Sunset looked up at the magical flames blazing merrily away. As much as she hated to admit it, Twilight made a good point. The Brotherhood of Steel had even given them the task of reporting on, and keeping an eye on, any new magic in the wastes. Sunset still had reservations, though. "There's no way that staying here is ethical."

"It's a moral quagmire, I admit," Twilight replied. "Honestly, I don't like this any more than you do, but we have to look at this practically. The Disciples are going to keep this temple running either way, they have a huge amount of magic that we're going to have to keep an eye on, and we need a safe place to stay when we're away from the Citadel or Rivet City. Staying here checks every box."

An annoyed huff was Sunset's only response. She kept her gaze firmly on the Hearth, trying to puzzle out what the best option was. Finally, she gave up and looked around at the others. "We'll vote on it. Do you think we should stay here?"

The others shared looks, some resigned, some worried, but one by one they all nodded. "Ah don't reckon we have much of a choice," Applejack said in a resigned tone. "Ah don't like it, but there's way too much magic here for us to just leave alone, and we can't exactly just take it away from them."

Sunset sighed and shook her head. "I guess that settles it." With the decision made, she turned and walked back to the Disciples, who all lowered their heads as she approached. "I guess we're staying, for now."

Even with their heads lowered, the ecstatic expressions on the Disciples' faces were clear. "You honor us!" Joshua exclaimed loudly, looking up. "Please, come! We shall show you to your rooms."

Next Chapter: Chapter 107 - Ups and Downs Estimated time remaining: 20 Hours, 35 Minutes