Fallout Equestria: The Wake of Discord

Twisted found it strangely ironic, that she was brought to what was once the principal's office for this meeting. It reminded her when she would be scolded as a child in the sanctuary, though right now it was nothing to be laughed about. The wake was throwing a problem in her direction, and she prayed silently she would be able to overcome the issues that had risen. Those issues, primarily, being Summer Breeze. She was dissatisfied with what Twisted had done, and, less knowingly to the rest of the group, had said something which bothered Twisted. At least, it bothered Lily Grove, which in turn bothered Twisted.

"Now, I seem to have forgotten my manners. Miss, my name is Ink Well. I'm the... Leader, of this group, and I apologize your arrival started with us needing to settle an issue, but that is what we try to do here," Ink Well explained, sitting down. The other two ponies sat down similarly, but Twisted remained standing. She knew she was far too gangly and long to look dignified by any means if she sat down. Not that it would help the height issue.

"Of course, my name is Twisted Visions. I am a Priestess of the Followers of Discord," Twisted responded, getting a nod from the old man.

"Yes, I figured Discord had something to do with your faith when I saw the wings on your amulet. Though, your faith isn't really the problem right now, nor do I see it being an actual problem in the future. I still look forward to conversing with you about it, but right now, Summer seems to have an issue with you, that I would like to get resolved as quickly as possible," Ink explained, not commenting on Twisted's failure to sit along with everyone else.

"Look," Summer started, turning to look up at Twisted, who met her gaze easily. "I appreciate you helping us back there, but I really think you overstepped your bounds by giving Lily that weapon and filling her head with delusions that she will somehow become a Paladin. It's hard enough getting her to do her chores as it is, I don't need her swinging around a weapon and hurting someone with it, let along, Celestia forbid, accidentally kill someone!"

Twisted waited a moment, looking to Ink and Plank to see if they had anything to say. It seemed they didn't. Good. "Where you see a childish filly with delusions, I see a filly with aspirations and potential. Though, first I would like to demonstrate something. Do you have the weapon?" She asked, to which Summer presented it.

The tall mare drew the blade from its sheath, and pressed it against her arm, drawing it across. Nothing happened. She did it again, and again, the fourth time drawing it along her neck, before placing it on the desk. "It's effectively a paperweight. I would never give a child a live, ready to use blade without knowing her. It's a decorative knife I found in a town a few months ago," She explained, before turning to Summer. "More importantly, it is a symbol. Your neice wants to be a Paladin. Even I think that to be high hopes, but it is what she wants. I, do not think you see the potential of such a dream, as even if she fails, she will be a better pony for it. Paladins are people of honour and piety, which brings with it a level of humility. They strive to be fair and just in all things, and protect the weak when they are not capable of helping themselves. Something, I did for you not too long ago," Twisted continued, her tone taking on a harder edge as her tone went from defensive to scolding.

"Someday, somewhere, your niece may find herself in the same position I was in not hours before. If her wanting to be a Paladin gets her to save the life of even one innocent pony, or helps her make the wasteland a better place, then I see absolutely no issue in doing a simple, small act to help give her the motivation to do as such," She sighed, looking at the two stallions in the room.

"Third, before I gave her it, I made it very clear that she is not to draw that blade unless she needs to. Unless her or the life of another who is innocent is in danger, she doesn't need it. While you saw a filly being irresponsible with a weapon, I saw an excited filly, doing exactly what she was told to the letter, but let her excitement get the best of her. I saw a child showing more self-control than most children I have met in my life, and while I was impressed, you were upset... Why? Because someone gave her a dull knife? Because someone saw potential? Passion? A young filly who should be raised with making Equestria a better place in mind?" Twisted asked, losing a touch of her composure. A scowl had taken her features, and her gaze had grown very hard, locked on Summer.

"Finally, and most importantly, how dare you..." The priestess hissed, leaning down. "When you corrected me... After I called you Lily's mother... Did you not care about the flash of pain that swept her face? I don't need to know what happened to her mother, but I can only imagine how much that filly looks up to you as her mother, and I can only imagine how often you correct her regardless of the pain it inflicts," She whispered.

The room went silent before Summer Breeze managed to get her wits about her. She looked down and muttered a soft apology, before walking out of the room, leaving only Plank, Twisted and Ink. Twisted watched her leave, then took a breath, plucking up the knife and storing it in her bag. "I will have to return this to Lily. I apologize for losing my composure, but, when it comes to children I have a difficult time letting things go."

Plank let out a whistle. "While, I can't say you're exactly wrong, did you have to be that harsh about it?" He asked.

"Sometimes, a firm hand is what's required. Though I'm unsure if it was a benefit or not that it came from you, Priestess Visions," Ink responded, shaking his head. "Though, something is unsurprising about a holy pony being so blunt about such a thing. Despite my shock that a mare who worships Discord has such a reasonable view of the world. That brings me to my next question. Followers of Discord, can you explain that to me?" Ink asked, turning his attention to Twisted once again.

"We are a religion, that has sworn itself to maintaining the will of the Wake and not allowing anyone to believe they can assist Discord in creating chaos. The Wake does what the Wake will, but there are those who go too far. Cultists, heretics, the like, who take the act of creating chaos and manipulate it. They kill, torture, maim, rape, pillage, and any number of other terrible things all for the purpose of wreaking as much chaos as they can," Twisted explained. "My order has been fighting against them for hundreds of years, and they have always manifested themselves differently. Sometimes, they are deliberate and open. Other times they are blinded to what they are doing. The only thing that is consistent, is they lack remorse, or a willingness to change," She finished.

"Would explain why you call raiders cultists," Ink said simply.

"Yeah, and why you seemed to lack any form of remorse yourself cutting down those raiders from before," Plank added. "That was actually intense. I haven't met a pony yet who was sane and could kill with such effectiveness. It was like you weren't afraid of them, or of losing for that matter," He added, standing up.

"On the contrary, I was terrified," Twisted said, looking at Plank. "I was terrified I would lose, I was terrified that I would die. My faith steadied my blade. As for lacking remorse, I don't. I have those poor souls in my prayers, and I will likely never forget them. I will pray that Discord forgives them of their wrongdoings, and allows them the opportunity in the afterlife to make amends, as I hope he will for the atrocities I commit in his name."

The room was silent, once again, and once again it was Twisted who made it such. Ink Well was the one who ended it. "That certainly explains why I remember mixed feelings about that pendant. Discord being the spirit of chaos, I thought your order would be one that exhibited a similar mentality as him. Though, on the contrary, you seem vehemently against such an idea. It would seem I mistook you and your religion, as a religion based on what you would call cultists. While I am not sold on the religion, I don't feel there are any grounds to be worried about you, or what you may teach. So, you are free to stay here so long as you help out. I think, by saving my daughter and granddaughter, as well as my son in law, and one of our other citizens, you have earned time to relax. Feel free to roam around as you wish, abiding by peoples privacy, and I will see if there is room for you to sleep. Though, I may not be able to provide you with a bed that is suitable for your... Size."

Twisted smiled. "I thank you for your generosity, and I do apologize once again if I caused any problems. I feel Summer may need some time before she is ready to be around me again, but please tell her I think that I believe she can be a good caretaker," She said, taking a step back. "Now, I think I will take you up on that offer to roam around. If you need anything from me, then all you need to do is ask," She finished, leaving the two ponies to themselves. Now she had another thing on her list. Find Lily.

I didn't take Twisted much time to find Lily sitting at the edge of the community garden, looking at the various food plants that grew in it. She seemed down, which was something to expect, given the recent turn of events. Twisted had already assumed many things, and while that was dangerous, pieces of the puzzle could be flipped around easier. Still, she felt bad for Lily and her current predicament, and seeing the filly so down in the dumps made her feel a tad bit worse.

She didn't say anything at first, choosing instead to lay down, keeping her eyes on the filly. Lily's ears twitched at the sound, but otherwise, she didn't move. Good. While Twisted wasn't expecting the worst, it relieved her to know that Lily wasn't completely out of whack. So, she pulled the dagger out of her bag. "Lily, can I speak with you for a little bit?"

The filly nodded her head softly, rubbing her eye with a hoof. She didn't say anything, but Twisted didn't need her to talk. She wanted her to talk, but Lily talking would come on its own. "I understand, how it is you may be feeling right now. It's never easy to look up to someone the way you do Summer, and not have the feelings returned. Sometimes it happens," Twisted explained, shifting up beside the filly, looking down at her.

"People say my mom turned into a bad pony... That mom and dad became raiders and ran off..." Lily said softly, looking at the ground. "Summer has taken care of me since they ran off, since I was a foal..." She said, looking back at the gardens. "Sometimes I think Summer doesn't like me..."

That was information Twisted didn't have previously, and would actually explain a lot. Having a foal forced onto you often cause resentment, no matter how you were related to them. She herself knew how that felt, all too well. "I wasn't raised by my parents either... Not properly, at least," Twisted said. "But see, sometimes the Wake brings us such cruelty, and the only thing we can do is become stronger with it."

"Who were you raised by, Miss?" Lily asked, looking up at Twisted.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to be scared?" Twisted asked, giving a smile. Lily nodded.

"See, I wasn't born in my people's sanctuary. I was born into a group of cultists. My view of the world was wrong, twisted, and vile. Then, when I was about your age, the Followers came and attacked my village," Twisted explained, the mentioning of cultists grabbing Lily's attention.

"You were a cultist?" She asked, turning to face Twisted better. "But... You said there were evil! Why didn't they kill you like everyone else?"

Twisted laughed. "Yes, I was born a cultist, and yes the Followers will often kill cultists, but we will show mercy when we are able too. A mercy they provided me."

"So... What happened?" Lily asked.

"The followers stormed my village if you could call it that. It was a terrible place. I still sometimes dream that I am there. It was terrifying. We didn't have guns, but neither did the followers. Everyone fought, including me, but I was defeated," Twisted said simply.

"You?! But... You're so strong!" Lily exclaimed.

"I wasn't always. The one who defeated me was a Griffon named Bedlam. A very large griffon. Larger than myself, actually. Swatted me to the side as if I were nothing more than a doll. Of course, I was a large bit smaller than I am now. When I had come out of my daze, they had rounded those of us who were still alive up, tied us, and Bedlam walked to each of us. She would ask a question, and immediately after, kill who she was talking too," Twisted said, looking off across the wastelands. "It would have been terrifying, but I... Hated these people. I grew up hating them, thinking that they, instead of I, were the ones with the perverse idea of chaos. That they sought to stifle it, destroy it, while we wanted it to prosper and consume the world. We thought they made a mockery of Discord."

"So... What happened when Bedlam got to you? What did she ask?" Lily asked.

Twisted was silent for a moment, then she sighed. "She asked me, if I regretted the pain and the mutilation I had committed against other ponies. If I regretted all the terrible things I had done..." She whispered, then laughed. "She asked me if I would accept forgiveness, and that if I was forgiven, would I strive to make up for those wrongdoings."

"And... Did you?"

"I spat in her face," Twisted chuckled, shaking her head. "Bedlam didn't like that, but, I was a child. I was a child, and I was scared. I thought I was supposed to hate these people, and it is so hard to turn away from that, but Bedlam saw this. She didn't see this terrible monster of a pony who was out of reach of saving. I was dirty, scarred, lord knows how many infections I had," She continued, the amusement from before vanishing. "The Followers try not to kill children. In the moment, when they pose a threat, often times we don't have the choice. They will attack, and they will try to kill us, often to prove themselves to the others. Though, when subdued, we will try. We will try to help them, and steer them in the right direction."

"So what did Bedlam do?" Lily asked.

"She hit me harder than I had ever been hit before," Twisted said, the smile returning. "And even to this day I still thank her for that. We joked that she hit me hard enough to knock some sense into my head, hard enough to shake loose the beliefs I had that was seemingly set in stone. After that, I woke up in the sanctuary, tied to a bed, covered in bandages."

"And you were better?"

Twisted gave a bit of a face. "Eh, not right away. She hit me hard enough to break everything free, not completely change me. I was still rather violent, very aggressive, snapped at those who tried to help me all through about a year or so. I was a black sheep. Then, the elders decided if I were to stay with them, after failing at teaching me through love and compassion, they would let the Griffons deal with me. I learned very quickly after that..."

"You were raised by griffons?!"

"I was! Sort of. The griffons are often our warriors. They wear massive, thick armours, far thicker and heavier than my own, and they gave me a run for my money on the aggression when I showed it. Bedlam took a very large part of raising me, and was none too happy to do it, which she in turn took out on me. It was hard, and I spent most of my early teens hating her, to the point where I said I would do anything to go back and be with everyone else in the sanctuary proper," Twisted said, shrugging. "There I was taught the ways of the Followers, and over time I started seeing things there way. I started to understand what the world was like. I started to understand the important role chaos played in the world, and how what we the cultists did were wrong. By the time I was in my twenties, I became an acolyte, deticating myself to absorbing every bit of information they gave me. I wanted to learn even more how the world worked, and the more I learned, the more I understood everything."

The two sat in silence for a a minute as Lily absorbed what Twisted was saying. then she looked up. "Miss Visions... How old are you?" It was a simple question. The simplicity, and the directness took Twisted off guard.

"Hmm... I would say, I am... In my fourties? Mid to late fourties, maybe fifty years old?" Twisted asked, as if trying to remember herself. "Time just... Blends together at a certain point. Years pass by faster than you think they do the older you get. At your age, the days seem to drag along. You feel like you have all the time in the world. Then, as you grow up, you don't even realize the day is over until the sun rises to tell you the new one has begun."

"So if you were a bad pony, and then became a good pony... Do you think the followers could make my mom a good pony again?" Lily asked.

Twisted didn't fully know how to answer that. "I couldn't tell you Lily. My age saved me, but perhaps if asked the same question I was, your mother would say yes. If she did, then there would be hope for her."

"When I find my mom, I'm going to ask her that... I'm going to ask if she regrets what she did..." Lily whispered.

"And if your mother says no?" Twisted asked.

"Then I'll hit her, like Bedlam hit you. I won't stop until I break her beliefs..." Lily stated firmly.

Twisted laughed. "Well, maybe that will work, but you have a long way to go before you can do anything like that little one."

"Then help me? Help me like Bedlam helped you?" Lily asked.

"I don't know Lily, I wouldn't want to lead you down a path you might regret in the future," Twisted said simply, looking the filly over.

"You said the Wake made those decisions! You said a pony makes the choice on what path they want to take. What their destiny is meant to be, and they take whatever the Wake throws at them!" Lily snapped back, anger showing in the child for the first time. "I want to choose my destiny, and you're the only one who'll let me! So let me!"

Twisted frowned, then stood up, all under the furious glare of the child before her. "As you wish, I suppose. I did tell you that, it would be wrong of me to go against that. Though, not everything I teach you, or tell you to do, may seem like it is preparing you to meet your mother. Do you understand that?" Twisted asked, looking down on the filly, standing their in resolution. She nodded, almost as if to defy the doubt everyone had in her.

"I do."

Twisted nodded. "Good. Now, run along. I have some things I must prepare before anything else can happen. However, I do have one task for you to complete. It will be hard, but you will feel better for it."

"What is it Miss?" Lily asked, tilting her head.

"Go to Summer Breeze, give her a hug, and tell her you forgive her. Tell her that, and mean it. She tries her best, i'm sure, but sometimes a ponies best isn't enough. We cannot hold that against them," The mare smiled.

Lily frowned, sighing loudly as she looked to the side. "I guess..." She groaned. "Maybe if I hit her really hard..?" She asked, looking at Twisted hopefully. The mare couldn't help but laugh loudly at the suggestion.

"No no, your aunt doesn't need a reality check. She needs to know that you're willing to give her another chance. Of course, I could hit you really hard if you don't think you can do th-" Twisted started, but the filly had already bolted off, shouting about how she would do it. Twisted let out the last of her laugh in a relieved sigh, looking at the rest of the settlement. The Wake certainly did have a weird way of working, but what did she expect from chaos? Normality? Maybe, but that was an existential question for another day.