The stallion stumbled out through the hotel's front doors, his head still pounding. Bright daylight flooded down from the blue sky above, stinging his bloodshot eyes, and he cursed the sun before taking a long drink from the bottle in his brown bag. That took the edge off, as it always did. He made sure the doors were firmly shut, then slumped against the wall next to them. A smile slowly crawled over his lips. It had been a night for the records, one well worth the headache. Good times, good smokes, good vibrations. The stallion had followed his inner spark and indulged in the pleasant things of life. This pain was just his body purging out the poisonous lies that They had been cramming into him since birth. He took another sip from the bottle.

Next to him, the old hotel's main doors were boarded over with thick sheets of wood. It was a solid job, he had even reinforced the hinges to make sure they would hold the extra weight. Nopony was getting through those doors unless they had a tank or a cargo lorry. A tank. Heh, wouldn't mind one of those. Boom-boom-boom, run down all those rich scumsuckers who put me here. He was on guard duty today, having pulled the short straw. If he saw anything, he just had to grab the warning rune in the front pocket of his leather apron and bite down on it. The stallion knew he would not have to use the chunk of technosorcery, which was really little more advanced than a child's tin cans and string. Its other end was held by whatever guard was on duty, but he was probably asleep. They had dealt with the local gangers. Nopony was going to mess with the Fellowship. Two ponies hurried down the other side of the street, glancing warily about. He sighed at the sight. This used to be a nice part of town. Now... he yawned again as he looked at other nearby buildings and saw only the ruins of prosperity. Some were burned out factories, others empty warehouses. About two blocks away was an apartment tower where he had lived before They cut his job.

He waved at the two ponies, but they only hurried faster. They're afraid. That was okay, though. The Fellowship was going to make sure nopony had to fear, ever again. Fear was just what They wanted, it kept you down. The stallion took a long swig from his bottle. "Got everypony afraid," he rasped to himself, holding up a hoof to shield his eyes from the sunlight. "Afraid to follow their inner spark an' be happy." His inner spark had done him right last night... well, mostly. The earth pony pressed his front hooves against his face and moaned as the headache pounded harder. No regrets, though. Regret was for when you did not party hard enough!

And I didn't. The stallion scratched his head for a moment, then tried to remember last night. That he could was a bad sign, but worse was the fact that he had woken up cold and alone. He kicked at the ground. I did what the Daughter preached, followed my inner spark until I was almost burned out, but none of those girls gave me the time of night. She said the Great Glow guides us all toward perfect pleasure... what'd I do wrong?

Once again, he found himself taking solace in the knowledge that he had done a good job rebuilding the hotel. Thanks to his hard work, along with others', this place was a fortress. An army couldn't take this sanctuary from the Faithful. Everything would go according to the Daughter's will, and when it was all finally ready... well, he would get even with all the big suits who had burned him. The stallion nodded happily. Yeah, there were a few holes here and there, service entrances and the like, but he had boarded them over. Even if you had the blueprints, you could not fit through one of those chokepoints before the Faithful cut you down. The gangers had tried to drive them out, sent in their ragged armies, and paid in blood. He coughed hard, his lungs still filled with the poison They had filled him with, and indulged his inner spark with another drink. As he tilted his head back, a ray of sunlight stung his eye, and he spilled a bit as winced in pain. The shabby sentry cursed the sun once more, and daubed at the liquid on the front of his leather apron.

It had been close to two hours since the sun rose. He had stepped back inside for another bottle once, but aside from that nothing of note had happened. A few pegasi had flown overhead, shepherding the city's clouds back and forth into hilarious shapes. He wondered sometimes what it would be like to sleep on one of those clouds, they certainly looked comfortable enough. The earth pony sighed, boredom was the greatest of all evils, it dimmed one's inner spark. He was a worker, used to the feeling of something in his hooves that he could change. Sitting here, looking for a threat that would never come with only his pain as company, was not why he had joined the Fellowship. Still, he kept his eyes as wide as he could. No threat would breach his fortress on his watch. His inner spark would keep his senses keen, and forewarn him of any threat his eyes missed. The Great Glow guided all of its enlightened.

He had watched several other ponies scurrying through the street this morning, and so paid little mind to a lone mare with a worried expression making her way down the opposite sidewalk. She picked her steps carefully, mindful of the oddly-shaped black case on her back, and seemed to be favoring her left hind leg ever so slightly. The stallion waved, as he had done to all the other passersby, but she seemed not to notice him. His eyes turned back to the clouds after a moment, and he noticed what might have been a waterpipe molded out of puffy white floating in the blue sky... or perhaps it was just his imagination. Did those pegasi make shapes on purpose just to ease the boredom, or were clouds as unruly as sheep? Hmmm... He pondered, then something moved in the corner of his vision, and he whipped his head to the side to see-

"Hi..." said a mare with dirty grey fur and a mussed black mane. She wore on her back a cello case that looked like it had seen much in its travels. "I... do you know what streets I might follow to find the Educarchy mission?" She kept her eyes on his hooves, only daring to glance up at his face when he began to reply.

"Th' hades do you wanna go to those book-thumpers for?" He yawned once, then rubbed his puffy eyes. "All they're gonna do is preach at ya about making something of your life." The stallion grunted. Makin' yourself a slave of the rich was more like it. Get smart, work hard, watch somepony else waddle off and leave you with nothing.

"I know, but-" A distinct gurgling grumble interrupted her. The grey mare's eyes widened in embarrassment, and she looked down at the sidewalk. Her mane fell over her face, hiding part of it from his view. "I... I can stand a sermon if I can get something to eat."

"Oh." He peered a little closer at the mare. That's what the Educarchy does. They prey on the weak, those who ain't got anywhere to turn. Clean you up, doll you up, snuff out your inner spark and stuff you with clockwork. The stallion coughed once, then said simply, "you're desperate."

She looked away from him, cheeks a fierce pink to match the well-worn bow-tie around her neck. The mare fiddled with it as she turned her gaze toward the shiny skyscrapers that rose from the more prosperous part of town. "I was not always like this... I used to be somepony. I used to be respected! I made music, beautiful, beautiful music." A happy smile crossed her muzzle, then slowly wilted away. "But... but then they decided that they did not want to hear me anymore."

The cultist nodded in understanding. "You were just a cog to 'em. When something new comes along, toss out the old, in with the new." He took a swig from the brown bag. "I used to be somepony too. Factory worker, see the lathe on my flank? Worked hard every day, the best in the plant." She had a pretty nice flank, and that purple clef had fine curves.

She nodded in sad sympathy, seeming not to notice where his eyes roamed.

"Oh, but then in comes this unicorn with an enchanted lathe! Why keep an earth pony on when anypony can just drop a block of metal into this contraption, and pow! Out comes something great." He snarled, then spat into a gutter. "An' you... you fell out of style, didn't ya?" He wiped his mouth. "They replaced you with a record player, eh?"

"N-no! No, you cannot replace live music, they just..." The mare protested feebly. He could see that she was still clinging to some hope that They cared about her. "I... the ones who listened just... lost interest. I still..." She closed her eyes, and shifted the cello case on her back. "I worked... I practiced so very hard to be the best." The mare took a deep breath. "I was happy. Why did things have to change? That night was so beautiful, the whole orchestra around me, but..."

"But when you think back, it's like another life, ain't it?" He grinned. "And it hurts, don't it?"

"Like a claw through the heart," the grey mare replied with misty eyes. "I was no more, and nopony mourned my passing. Another quickly became the vogue."

She talks pretty, and that's from the heart. He could tell, you could not fake the kind of pain that he saw in her eyes. The factory worker straightened his spine. "They don't care about you. Nopony up there does. It's all a power game, who's the rich and beautiful pony everypony should know." His eyes ran over the grimy mare's body, stopping on the well-worn bow-tie around her neck. "That's all you got left, ain't it?" He pointed with a hoof to her beloved accessory. "All the ruling classes let you keep when they cast you outta paradise."

The musician bit her lip. "Paradise was a bit much... but... at least I was getting by."

"You go to those Educarchy nutters, all they're going to do is clamp the chains back on." He took another sip from the bottle in the bag. "Me, I wised up when they threw me out and nopony in town wanted me. The Educarchy told me to move, find work somewhere else. The back of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute." The stallion laughed. "Yeah, find a new master, and lick their hooves clean for a few bits an hour. No thanks."

"What else am I to do?" the mare retorted with a hint of anger. "I have only what I carry on my back, I may as well be dead to those I once performed for, and nopony here will pay me for my musical talents." Her head dropped down. She stared at her fetlocks and whimpered softly for a moment, then cleared her throat. "Please... I do not mean to be a bother, I am just trying to find my way to the mission. They offer shelter, and food." Her stomach grumbled again.

The factory worker looked her over once more, his headache subsiding as he did. She was very pretty, even dressed in that ailing bow-tie and standing in mud. "What else?" He stood up. "You can do what I did. Fight." The stallion smiled. "Fight the rich, fight the hidden rulers of the world. Fight Celestia herself and this whole Harmony thing they shove down everypony's throat if you have to! You're your own mare, why should anyone else tell you what to do with your life? Why should the ruling classes oppress you, warn you it's a sin to fight back, when you know in your heart how right it is?"

While still looking at the ground, she asked, "but is the heart always right?"

The stallion blinked. "Uh... yeah!" He nodded vigorously. "There's a spark of passion in all of us, it's just like our cutie marks. If you listen to that spark, you'll never be untrue to yourself. That spark leads you to all the fun things that They keep for themselves. It's all a big system that keeps you down and them up." He took a final swig from the bottle, then set it on the ground. "What's one of those big CEOs ever done for you? They're all crooks and slime, not a one of 'em knows what it means to struggle for survival. They sit up there in their castles acting like kings and queens, but you'll never see one of 'em stick their neck out for you."

The grey mare was very quiet, and seemed to be fighting to keep her composure, which the stallion took as a sign that she was beginning to see the light. He pressed on, seeking to awaken her inner spark. When his had first ignited, he remembered how wonderful the feeling of freedom had been... yes, part of it had been the alcohol, but only a small part.

"They'd drive right by you in the street, leave you to die. I know, it happened to me. In went the enchanted lathe and out went the earth pony. I looked that scumbag manager in the eye, and I saw how black her heart was. Loyalty didn't mean a thing to them, just profit." The stallion leaned against the wall with a smug grin on his muzzle. "That's why I started fighting. Anypony who tries to take what should be mine, I'mma fight 'em, and I'm gonna get mine."

"And where has it gotten you?" The grey mare looked up, her eyes slightly blurry from what might be tears. "What have you accomplished? You are still poor, still without work, still alone-"

"Not alone. Not anymore, and never again." His eyes gleamed with an eerie light that did not come from the sun above. "I have the Fellowship now. We share, we care, we look out for one another, and one day we're gonna stand up and kick the rich right off their thrones." The stallion smiled. "I'm just a dumb old factory worker. Most of 'em are artists, musicians, philosophers... then there's Daughter Scoffing Song. She's something else." When she spoke, you understood. It was like she whispered right to your inner spark, touching it with her own. "You want food and a sermon? Go find the Educarchy yourself. I won't help you put the chains back on."

She bit her lip, then reached up and brushed the part of her mane that had fallen over her face back.

"But, if you want the truth... I think I can help you with that." He smiled. "So, what's it gonna be, truth or slavery, miss... ah?"

The mare shut her eyes for a moment, then turned to look up at the skyscrapers. She swallowed hard. "Victoria." Her stomach grumbled. "It is nice to meet you, but does your truth have anything to eat while I listen?"

He grinned, and stepped back toward the doors. "Yeah, Miss Victoria." The cultist hammered on the heavy wood with a hoof. "Hey, open up!"

Silence. The stallion glanced back toward the grey mare, who had taken a step away. Her eyes were wide, and she was looking at him curiously. "Ah... why is this place so... secure?"

"Bad neighborhood," he smiled, and waved toward a corner of the sidewalk some distance away. One pony had pulled open his trenchcoat to reveal a selection of watches, which another was perusing with a critical eye. "Open up in there!" The door remained firmly shut. He saw the grey mare take another step back, perhaps beginning to think better of seeking help from those who posted guards and fortified their front entrances. "Hey, uh... you like spaghetti?"

Her ears perked up, and another soft protest came from her stomach. Though it would not be polite to mention it, she looked as though she had not eaten a proper meal in a month. That was almost true, since a proper meal for the grey mare would stuff a buffalo.

"Our cook mixed up a huge batch last night. There's plenty left over." He hammered on the door again, then pulled out a blue crystal and slotted it into a hole on the front. The reinforced portal slid to one side, and he stepped through.

"Why did you not do that in the first place?" she asked.

"Not supposed to," the factory worker puffed out his front. "But I built all this. I always keep a copy of the key for m'self. Just... ah, don't mention it, okay?" He stood inside the building, and waved an invitation. "C'mon, Miss Victoria. Let your inner spark lead."

The musician took a deep breath, then stepped into the hotel. He slid the heavy door shut behind her, made sure it was locked, then nodded toward a corridor. Nopony would be stupid enough to try and come through those doors, certainly not while his inner spark was urging him to seize the opportunity that the Great Glow had provided. The cultist did not, could not, feel the crosshair settle right between his eyes as she met his gaze and smiled innocently.

Outside, silence hung over the street. Nothing moved. The watch-seller and his client had reached an accord, then parted ways. Overhead, the pegasi moved a few clouds, tucking them into jetstreams to be sent elsewhere in the sky. After a moment, four black-armored ponies crept from their hiding places. They trotted past where the sentry should have been sitting, and around to an unwatched service entrance. The building's surroundings had been fortified well, forcing intruders into clearly visible avenues of approach. If a sentry had been at the front, they would never have been able to reach the side door undetected. In addition, the cultists had barricaded the side entrance, going so far as to weld scraps of metal over it.

One of the black-armored ponies leaned up against the doorframe. With a glow of his horn, he held up a plastic bag filled with a gooey sludge. "Ivory-one to Wind-one. You sure this thermite paste is good, over?"

"You saw me mix it up, Ivory-one," crackled back over the communications link. "If you'd like, you can go ask the girls at the Educarchy for some of theirs, but I've talked to 'em enough for one day, over."

"Affirmative, sir." The sergeant snipped off the end of the bag and began squeezing out the paste like it was cake frosting. The Bon Hadescream Organization, he thought, we make candy and fight monsters.

Author's Notes:

So begins our next block of Bon Hadescream! The title of this chapter, although a very common word, is a nod to the opening part of The Carnival of the Animals, a musical suite by composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The next few chapter titles, and their story content, will also be references to selections of this musical suite. Why did I choose this particular piece? Its most famous movement, Le cygne (The Swan) is considered an excellent cello piece, and the entire suite has great parts for both strings and piano. I felt that we had enough Rock and Roll references, and the following chapters focus heavily on Octavia. What better time could there be to slip in a few bows to the classics?

One important thing to note, much of this chapter was narrated from the cultist's point of view. Since he is hardly the most reliable source of information, I do hope you'll take all of his comments with a healthy dose of salt!

Finally, I have the next few chapters near completion on my hard drive. All they need is a final bit of proofreading before I'm ready to publish them. That is why it has been so long since Bon Hadescream's last update! I hope to release these chapters in short order once my free time permits, and I do hope you will enjoy reading them.

I'd love to read your thoughts on this chapter. Did you enjoy the glance through a cultist's eyes, and what do you think is in store for our heroine?