Tears of Harmony

"It is the moral obligation of those in positions of responsibility to continue their service to the state in times of hardship, grief, and loss. To settle for anything less would pose a threat to the very fabric of society, and my cabinet mate knows quite a bit about fabric!"

It was another few weeks before I recovered and was healthy again. I'd learned I'd been in the care of the monks a few days before I'd first awakened and learned where I was, and in the time since then, I'd learned the monks had no idea who I really was. I was safe and well taken care of, and I'd learned a bit about my caretaker. Her name was Indigo Blizzard, and she was a Recovery Priestess in the Order of Moonlight. I'd remembered how we'd intercepted and stolen their shipment of a soul gem, and wondered just what they'd been planning to do with it.

Outside of that, my days had been spent in misery. I threw up all the time, I'd had diarrhea, I'd been exhausted constantly. It had been a horrible few weeks as I recovered from radiation sickness, but I was grateful that I hadn't gotten a bigger dose. Indigo was who I saw the most, and I'd had no complaints about her, but she hadn't told me much about herself, save for that she'd been born on the planet Ascension.

Once I'd recovered I began to see more and more of the temple. It was a quaint affair, not particularly large at all. There was a modest main hall and two wings, all one story. The West wing(when facing the front door) contained the dorms, communal showers, and dining room. The East wing, I'd been told, had the labs for practicing spells and conducting experiments. I hadn't been offered the chance to see the East wing, so I spent most of my time in the West, speaking with Indigo.

"I'm curious as to how you found me" I said to her over lunch. We'd been in the dining hall alone, the Unicorn mare having been basically my guide and only friend in the temple thus far. I'd caught her off guard, about to take a bite of her lettuce and tomato sandwich(I assume they had their food imported), when I'd asked her the question.

"There's nothing exciting about it. One of our order had been in the area, visiting the markets, when he'd seen you lying in the street. The Dome is not friendly to Equestrians, especially not...mares. He saw you were passed out and thought something awful had happened to you, and brought you here. It was a fair bit of luck, I tell you."

Something awful happened to me alright I thought, but remained silent as she continued.

"When you were brought back here to me, I was devastated. You looked mighty awful, no offense, and I set to work immediately. You'd torn the muscles in your leg, you had a concussion, you were bruised and bloody, and, curiously, you had radiation poisoning. I understand you don't want to talk about it, but I'm very sorry this happened to you. I'm sure it was those Minotaurs, damn barbarians. I'm just happy there were no signs of, well...sexual abuse."

In truth, I was happy about that too, and I was happy the monks had found me first, and not any of The Dome's other inhabitants. It would've been very easy for someone to take advantage of me in the state I'd been in.

"But, thankfully, you're here with us now. A Great One, I'd been so excited to see you wake, even if... Well, believe me, it's brought some much needed excitement to the temple. We never thought in a million years we'd ever have a Great One in our care. It's long been thought only one of your kind exists anymore, and that's that Jezebel bitch, Empress Twilight" Indigo spat.

I smiled warmly. "Not a fan of the Empress?" I asked, interested in gauging her reaction.

"Hardly, and if you are, you'd best keep it to yourself. I'm here on this forsaken Tartarus pit because of her, and the fucking Royal Hunter. If it weren't for the Order of Moonlight, I'd probably be a slave to the Griffon mercs or in a Minotaur rape dungeon about now."

I nodded. "It seems every creature who comes here owes it to Empress Twilight. I'm no exception, really, and I certainly don't have a care for her. She'll rot for her crimes one day, I'm sure of it" I said.

"Mmm. Empress Twilight told the galaxy she was the last living Great One. That's just one more lie to add to her list, I guess, but if you're here because of her I'm sure that's a mighty interesting story. Maybe you'll tell me some time" Indigo said.

If I come to trust everypony in your order, then absolutely. Perhaps you'll all one day stand by my side. it was a long shot, admittedly, but more allies were better than fewer. I'd just have to figure out exactly who these monks were and what they practiced. I could've potentially come across a powerful ally, though I'd have to keep hidden the fact that I stole one of their soul gems and killed a few of their members.

"So you were born on Ascension? What was it like?" I asked, making casual conversation.

"Oh yes, I was born on one of the Garden Worlds. I don't know if you've ever been to one, but I guess not, otherwise why would you be here? It was a beautiful place. Very mountainous, but that meant the countryside was all lush, rolling hills. I'd give anything to go back" Indigo said.

"And now you're here."

Indigo hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with talking about it, but I had to know just who i was dealing with, and if they could be trusted. I didn't distrust Indigo, necessarily, but a pony didn't live in The Dome without very good reason.

"It was a load of garbage. I just happened to have been practicing illegal magic, but I was a student at Ascension's most prestigious academy for Unicorns, the Academic Institution of the Arcane, so of course I was curious. We were taught by our instructors to push the boundaries, to explore the unknown. If I'd hurt a lesser, no one would have cared, but because I hurt a few ponies it was a big deal. It didn't help that I ran, but I guess I was kinda freaked out. I didn't know the fucking Royal Hunter would come after me!" she explained.

"The Royal Hunter? Who's that?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"This stupid lackey that Empress Twilight sends out to do whatever she wants, so long as it benefits the Empire. Her name was Disc Jockey or something like that. When the police reported what I'd done to the triple-eye Twilight sent the fucking Hunter after me, and I knew I was screwed. I spent a month on the run, and lucked across a group of ponies who were heading here to Draconequus. I knew the Hunter wouldn't follow me to The Dome, so I signed on. That was a few years ago, and I've lived here ever since."

"The triple-eye?"

"The Imperial Investigations Institute. They're big on Equus as like the top cops, tasked with investigating all the big-time threats to society. Normally a pony like the Royal Hunter only bothers with stamping out threats to the Empire from the other species, but my case was deemed too dangerous for the triple-eye, and so the Hunter was sent out instead. She probably would've killed me the moment she found me, so it was definitely some kind of luck that I managed to escape to here" Indigo said.

"Must've been a terrifying ordeal" I commented.

Indigo scoffed. "You don't know the half of it, hun. That's what I get for 'pushing the boundaries.' But, like I said, ending up here was better than ending up dead, or in the clutches of the Griffons or Minotaurs. I don't even really have a problem with either species, but of course try telling one of them that. At least on a Garden World all they'd do is spit at you or flip you off. Here, I'd have wished the Hunter found me."

"Mmm. When I first came here I saw a thestral, a bat pony, in a Griffon bar, serving drinks. I remember she kept glancing at me. I can only imagine what she thought. She seemed like one of the luckier ones, if what you've told me is true" I said.

"Gee, a thestral? I've never seen one, except in like pictures. You were lucky those Griffons didn't try anything with you. Well, maybe they did?"

I shook my head. "Nah, they were an alright sort. I just wish they didn't hate us all so much. I too don't have any problem with the other species, but it's like you said...they'd never trust one of us. Maybe one day that will change." If I get my way, it will.

"Maybe. Hard to believe, with somepony like Empress Twilight in charge. She's been around for hundreds of years, so I doubt she'll be going anywhere any time soon" Indigo said.

Before I could say any more the door to the dining hall opened, and in stepped a tall grey Unicorn stallion, his body wrapped tightly in a black cloak. Indigo turned to wave at him and he smiled. He approached the table and sat next to her, and I patiently waited to hear who he was.

"I trust our Great One has been doing well? She seems healthy" the stallion commented, smiling warmly. He seemed charming enough, but I had to remind myself he couldn't be trusted. Not yet.

"She's alright. She hasn't complained about any lasting issues, and I've been making sure she's been drinking lots of water. She's thrown up a number of times, but as long as she stays hydrated I think she'll be OK. Might be a good idea to take her to an actual doctor, though" Indigo said.

"If you say she'll be alright then I'm sure she will, though of course I will do as you suggest, should her condition happen to worsen" the stallion replied. "Forgive me for talking about you in your presence, Great One. I am Mortis, and I'm the director of this fine Order."

"Flurry Heart."

"A beautiful name, to be sure, though I wonder what it signifies. I suppose that's a personal matter, however, and I know better than to pry into the personal affairs of a Great One. While you're here we'll endeavor to satisfy your every desire, and maintain your comfort. Indigo tells me that you've been through a terrible ordeal, but you'll be safe here. We're far removed from the rest of The Dome's unsavory characters" Mortis explained.

Sounded great, but I knew better than to accept it at face value. "Thank you" I said. I was certainly grateful enough that they'd taken care of me. I couldn't help but feel a little nervous, being that I knew so little about the situation I was in, but I decided to play along for the time. Best case scenario, I could just ask to leave. Worst case, I'd have to sneak or fight my way out.

"Of course. Indigo, why don't you get back to your studies? I'm sure the Great One would like to know more about our Order, and I'm certain she'd appreciate the opportunity to stretch her legs a bit" Mortis said. Indigo nodded, wished me well, and trotted out of the dining hall, leaving me alone with Mortis. He looked fairly young, maybe in his 50's(given that the average lifespan of an Equestrian was triple that), with silver mane slicked back against his head and a long snout. He might've even been attractive, had I cared about that sort of thing.

"Shall we take that tour, Great One? I'm sure it'll be nice to see more rooms beside the dining hall and your sickroom" he said. I nodded, stood, and gestured for him to lead the way.

It was time to learn just where I'd ended up.