Crusaders of Harmony: Tales of Pure Heart

In the Vale Forest close to Canterlot, there was a building, hidden between the trees and pines, hidden from plain sight. Following a dirt road deep into the forest, a small temple could be found. It had a small exterior wall with a single fence entrance. The temple seemed made of rock bricks, with a big base and a single cylindrical tower that took to an observatory.

Entering the fence, there were a few nuns and monks doing their chores, all wearing their distinctive white robes with the symbol of harmony in their chest, a circle with petals, each a different color, each with a meaning yet to be learned for these followers. The ponies tended the yard, flowers and grass to keep the temple always in pristine condition.

Once entering the double wooden doors, the first scene is a large room, filled with lines of benches, big and rectangular windows on the sides, 10 marble pillars on each side holding the structure, and at the end and full center was the stand, where the lecture table was, where the pony chosen would speak or read to those on the benches. And behind it is a circular floor filled with patterns, made of ceramic-colored tiles.

And finally in the center of it, lied over her belly and hooves, was a young-looking earth pony mare, of pure white fur and green mint hair, wearing her respective priest robes, white as her fur and with a small pattern in red in the borders, and the very symbol of harmony on the chest. She seemed to be practicing for something.

"Hi! I am Pure-" she stopped. "No, um. Hello!- Ugh, no... 'Hey~' UGH! What am I thinking?" The mare seemed troubled, practicing on what could be a presentation and already lacking on the start.

Soon, Agora heard a noise and opened her soft blue eyes to see one unicorn mare enter the room from one of the many side doors that took to the rest of the temple. This mare, shaved in the head and covered of symbols and tattoos wherever you could see in her white body, that being her hooves and head, saw the other priestess struggling. With her cold and unshaken face, she walked to the mare.

"Is anything wrong, Mother Pure Heart?" said the tattooed mare with an unexpressive but respectful tone.

"No, everything is fine, Canvas," Pure Heart said, a bit exasperated.

"I can tell you are not. Is it about the meeting with those heretics of the Church of Celestia?" Priestess Canvas said with a bit of disgust on the last part.

Pure Hear sighed and stood up. "Canvas, you know what I said about calling them that," she said with a motherly tone.

Priestess Canvas would look down. "Sorry, Mother Pure Heart."

"And no need for the title. You know I don't force you."

"And you know I will keep doing it no matter what," Priestess Canvas said with a smirk, a rare sigh on her face.

Pure Hear walked around the room, walking to the reading table and leaning on her rear legs to stand straight, and looked over the empty room except for them two and the guarding nun in the entrance, who wouldn't talk or interrupt unless necessary.

"This talk could be the chance we have to be left alone, to stop being harassed and grow as a religion. And I am worried I will fail. Cross Heart is not one who likes failure, and being the leader of the Church of Celestia, she has complete decision," said Pure Heart with a hint of worry.

Priestess Canvas looked at her high priestess with a calculating glare. "Cross Heart and her cult are just a bunch of freaks. I am sure you will succeed, Mother Pure Heart; you always do."

Pure Heart sighed. "I can't even start my stupid talk."

"Be yourself. If you try to talk and move as someone you aren't, you will only make them think you are a liar. And even if you fail, we sisters and brothers and Harmony herself will keep on fighting for you," said Priestess Canvas with a determinate face, enhanced by the markings all over her face.

Pure Heart looked at her priestess with a smile. "I know Canvas. No matter what, you won't leave me alone, and neither will I leave any of you behind."

Priestess Canvas nodded. "I will leave you now, Mother Pure Heart. If you need me, you know how to call me." Canvas bowed before turning and walking away.

Pure Heart waited for the priestess to leave, and when the mare went through a door, she retook her four-leg standing position. Soon, a voice in her head would speak with a soft noise but with a strong aura.

"She is still as loyal as always."

Pure Hear nodded. "Yes... Anyway, I should keep practicing."

At Manehattan, where the main temple from the Church of Celestia resides, Pure Heart reached with two of her followers, her closest priests, more specifically. Priestess Canvas on her right; And on her left, Priestess Flash Spark, a pegasus mare with orange fur and Dark Teal hair, wearing her own black robes and a pair of sunglasses, a smug smile on her face.

They stood in front of the temple, way bigger and more well-built than theirs, showing the monetary power of the religion. It was in the middle of the city, taking up a whole street block.

"Hah~ They seem to try to compensate something, huh?~" said Priestess Flash Spark with a mocking tone, fixing the sunglasses on her face and looking at the other two to see their reaction.

Pure Heart's lips slightly went upwards before going down, while Priestess Canvas was as serious and cold as before.

"Sister, this is not the time." Said Priestess Canvas

"Come on, Canvy!~ You know it's true! They try to force their power over us with stupid and powerless shows as this stupid building!" Flash Spark said excitedly.

"I told you many times not to call me that." Said Priestess Canvas, wrinkling her snout in annoyance.

"Sisters, please. Not the time. You know your job; simply keep an eye out in case anything happens. Canvas, you have the teleportation spell ready?" Pure Heart said with a bit of nervousness.

"Yes, Mother Pure Heart. If anything happens, we will be back at the temple in a blink," said Priestess Canvas, returning to her serious and professional demeanor.

"Bah~ If anything happens, that stupid Cross Heart will eat a fiery hoof-"

Priestess Canvas interrupts Flash Spark, "Shush, she is coming."

Just in time, the massive doors would open, and a big group of followers, monks and nuns, dozens of them appeared walking down the stairs, only to give way to another mare, the leader of the Church of Harmony, Cross Heart, a Unicorn mare with dusky purple fur and crimson mane and eyes, wearing a whole black high priest robe on her, and wearing a golden diadem on her head to hold her hair. She looked around her 30s, with almost invisible wrinkles under her eyes.

Cross Heart looked at the three mares from the top stairs with a cold and unsettling glare. "So, you finally came. What kind of madness could make you come here to talk after all our conflict?" said Cross Heart with a mature and deep tone, as if she had everything under control.

Pure Heart looked at Cross Heart with a serious glare, the light of the sun shining over her and her priests, while Cross Heart and her followers were covered by the shadow of her own temple.

"Is it really madness, wanting to reach peace for my followers' protection?" Pure Heart said with a slightly defiant but respectful tone.

Cross Heart snorted and walked down the stairs to face Pure Heart face-to-face, being slightly taller. "You are just a coward, Pure Heart. Not like I can't blame you. How foolish of you, thinking your little cult could face the wrath of Celestia's followers."

Pure Heart put a frown on her face. "Don't think for a moment you ever scared us. This is just simple and plain politics. And it is better we go on with this."

Cross Heart didn't have shame showing her face of hate and annoyance to Pure Heart, her red crimson eyes glaring daggers of poison to the high priest. But she had an image to maintain and turned to walk into the temple.

"Don't take long." Cross Heart said with a grave tone, almost threatening.

Priestess Canvas turned to Pure Heart. "You got this, Mother Pure Heart."

"We got your sides!~" Flash Spark said with her sunglasses shining against the sun and a wide smile.

With a deep breath, Pure Heart walked into the temple.

Once inside, Pure Heart took the center of the temple, surrounded by hundreds of ponies, nuns, monks and priests, including the very Cross Heart, who looked down at her from her balcony. Pure Heart was supposed to make a talk to try to ease the tensions between their religions with a peaceful and explanatory tone.

Priestess Canvas and Flash Spark stood by the sides of Pure Heart, but at a distance to give her the space of the stand.

"Ok, Pure Heart. You got this." Pure Heart said to herself while taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The followers of Celestia look at Pure Heart with different glares; some are neutral; a few more curious, cover more their faces with the hoods to look from behind, so no one saw their interest; a greater number than Pure Heart would have liked, looked at her angry or annoyed, as they only saw her as a heretic.

Pure Heart took a deep breath and started as herself, with a smile. "Hi everypony! I'm Pure Heart! Head Priestess of the Crusaders of Harmony!"

Instantly, a knife flew and landed next to her as the nuns and priestesses took out many sharp-edged weapons.

Pure Heart looked at them with a sigh, more than used to these hostilities. "Can't I first make my talk before starting the fight?"

The followers looked between them, questioning it deeply, but slowly they sat down and took the weapons under the robes.

"Right," Pure Heart continued. "As I said, I am the head of the Crusaders, a group vowed to protect the innocents, maintain stability in Harmony, and fight evil beings across Equestria and maybe the world. But I know how many things you heard from me."

Pure Heart walked forward to be closer to the followers. "I know you heard I am a heretic because I don't consider Celestia a true Goddess... It's true."

The followers gasped and raised their weapons again.

"But, but! It doesn't mean I take down her job. You see, have you ever heard of Harmony?"

The nuns and monks looked between them in questioning and curious glares.

Pure Heart put on a poker face and rolled her eyes. "The Elements of Harmony?"

The ponies now perked up and started nodding and confirming they knew.

"Oh yeah!"

"Yes, I know them."

"Heard of them."

Pure Heart sighed. "So, as the name says, the Elements of Harmony are powered, oh surprise, by Harmony. But, what is harmony? Who created it?"

A mare nun raised her hoof. "Celestia?"

"Nope!~ Nothing created Harmony as a thing, because Harmony is someone."

The followers looked at Pure Heart in confusion.

"I know, but listen. In my studies and experience, I have found and spoken with this Harmony. She is the true goddess of stability and peace. Anypony can find it if they search long and well enough. We, as the Crusaders, are not a group that searches to conflict with you. We only want our space, peace, and respect to practice our religion as we like, as we respect yours. Our ideas may be different, but even Celestia knows of something all beings want. Respect."

The followers started looking more calm and looked at Pure Heart more warmed.

"This conflict, created by your stupid and arrogant leader," Pure Heart pointed at Cross Heart, "Is nothing more than a conflict of interests. That is why I came here, with the opportunity of making not a friendship, but a truce. Come on, you all want peace, and simply go on by the day. I must admit, of course we fought back, but can you blame us?"

Some followers nodded and hummed in acceptance and confirmation.

"So, I offer you all Peace... So, what do you say?~"

Then, another knife flew next to her.