//------------------------------// // Seek Peace // Story: He's a Vampire // by Gormless Wheaton //------------------------------// Celestia contemplated my story with her eyes closed and an angry scowl that hadn't left since she heard about Grogar's connection to Quilt. We'd met her at the gate of Ramstead and now gathered in the throne room around a long table Graggle had installed following my departure. The new Mayors of Woollachia had also been gathered once we'd gotten the Diamond Dogs back in order. In fact, the castle had never been so crowded. Most of the country's population had evacuated to the tunnels and then to the mountain Ramstead sat upon. Now sheep were setting up basic camps in the courtyard and the lower halls, waiting on their leaders to reassure them. A common topic I heard whispered was relief at my return, but that did little to put my mind at ease. "And where is Quilt now?" Celestia finally asked. "She finally fell asleep, princess," Sunbeam replied, and Celestia nodded and opened her eyes to look at us. "Esteemed Governors of Woollachia, I ask you to offer your sheep comfort and allow them to remain in or near Ramstead for the time being. There should be space to accommodate them. Until we know for certain what Grogar intends to do, we must remain vigilant and-" "HA-HA! HA-HA!" Ernie cackled and leaped up on the table. "Ernie going to pick out his room!" He hurdled over Graggle and galloped towards the door. Velvet rubbed her forehead and Celestia blinked before nodding. "Remain vigilant and keep in close contact." "What are we supposed to tell the public?" Silk asked. "The truth: Grogar has fled, and the Coalition shall now turn its efforts towards destroying him," Celestia replied with a severe look. "For that is precisely what I intend to do." She rose from her seat and looked at Graggle. "Administrator, I believe you still have the candle to contact Canterlot, yes?" At Graggle's accenting nod, she continued. "Please contact my sister and inform her of what has happened. Then request that she forward this information to Twilight and the hunting team. I would like them to meet us here at Ramstead." "Certainly," Graggle sighed, rubbing his temples. "But what of that wicked changeling?" I reached over and patted his back. "I pinged her with my Evil Eye. She's miles away now, I'm pretty sure." "Thank heavens," he replied and hopped from his seat. "With your leave, I shall see to that letter now." He bowed to us all and shuffled out. Celestia turned to Sunbeam and the rest of my friends. "Please gather your things and be ready to leave at a moment's notice," she ordered, and they quickly scurried out of the room to obey. Except for Frill, who remained curled up in my lap with her head resting on my arm and her sad eyes on the princess. Celestia regarded her for a moment before turning to the mayors. "I guess we'd better address the public," Shawl huffed and turned to leave. "Thank you for everything, Peter." Silk gave me a subdued smile and nod and followed him out. Velvet meanwhile ignored me completely. I paid her no mind and locked my arms around Frill. Silence held the room, and I could feel Celestia's eyes on me. "What happened at the Catican, Peter?" "They took Frill," I replied and squeezed Frill gently. I looked up at Celestia with trepidation. She tilted her head back and scanned the table, before looking at Frill. "They attacked Ruffleton during our festival," Frill added, averting her eyes and nuzzling my sleeve. "They hurt some sheep and scared everywooly very badly." She huffed and scowled. "Then they stuffed me in a sack of salt and dragged me to the Catican. All to lure Peter out." Celestia furrowed her brow and stared at the table again. I ran my fingers through Frill's wool and sighed. "And what did you do in response?" I looked over and met her eyes and severe expression. I winced and grumbled. "I wanted to make sure they wouldn't try something like that again." "And how did you accomplish that?" I avoided her eyes and grimaced. She hummed in response. "Who cares what he did?" Frill groused and sat up. "They wanted and still intend to kill Peter! They abducted his ewe-friend to hold her hostage to do it! Who cares when they're so abjectly awful?" "Because I believe Peter is better than that," Celestia replied with a slightly sad tone. She looked from Frill to me, but I still avoided her eyes. "I choose to believe your story, Peter, because I met the administrator of the Catican and believe he would attempt something of the sort. I can understand your motivations and sympathize. I do not condemn you for targeting the ones directly responsible, but nearly a hundred? And to twist them in undeath." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "For that, I must demand that you be willing to enter peace talks with the Catican." I jolted and Frill shot up with an indignant squeal, but Celestia silenced us with a firm, even glare. "Violence begets violence, justified or not. We cannot afford to be lost in its bottomless spiral now. I have no intention of turning you over to them or abandoning you. I will mediate to a reasonable conclusion for both you and them. But I accept no argument in this, Peter." I wilted under her gaze for a minute before finding the nerve to speak. "You really think they're going to go for anything less than me dead? Even before I killed most of their guys, they abducted my girlfriend to get at me." She regarded me sadly for a moment before adopting a more even expression. "Did I ever convey to you the story of Nightmare Moon?" I frowned and shook my head, looking at Frill as I did. She seemed just as lost. Celestia nodded. "One thousand years ago, due to my own negligence, my sister Luna fell to despair. She perceived, perhaps rightly so, that she was not as beloved among our ponies as I was. This consumed her and drove her to madness." She rose from her seat and began slowly approaching us. "She adopted the persona of Nightmare Moon and declared that she would rule Equestria alone, and plunge it into eternal night. I was forced to employ the Elements of Harmony against her, and sealed her away within the moon," she stood over us and looked into my eyes. "For a thousand years, I was haunted by that day. I was certain I would never see my sister again, and as the Elements no longer responded to my call, I feared that if she ever did return, I would be forced to take more drastic measures." She held a wing under my chin and smiled with tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "And yet, you've seen her. Against even my foresight and wisdom, against all odds, she was returned to me and allowed me a chance to make up for past mistakes," she wiped her tears with her wing and nodded at me. Frill tightened her grip on my arm while I sat bewildered. "So yes, I do believe there may have been a chance for you and the paladins to move beyond their prejudice. It may still be possible." She frowned and looked to the side. I stammered and scanned the room. Celestia took a breath and nodded. "If they are not willing, that is one thing. I insist you be open to the possibility," she smiled at me and brushed my shoulder. "For my sake at least." I frowned and averted my eyes. Frill bowed her head and squeezed my arm. "Now, you two should get ready as well. We'll be leaving as soon as Twilight arrives," she turned and made for the door. Neither of us said anything as she slipped out and vanished. "Fuckin' hell," I sighed. "No kidding," Frill added. He'd be home soon. He wouldn't find her though, and so, she wouldn't get in trouble. The door to the cottage opened and the heavy set of hooves clacked against the floor. "Quilt," Grandpa called. "Come out from under the bed, young lady." Scruff. She uncovered her eyes and winced at the sight of his hooves right at the edge of her bed. She pouted, slowly crawled out, and stood up. She shuffled her hooves and looked up at Grandpa, who had a tired expression under a raised eyebrow. "Why'd you punch Mr. Curtain in the mouth?" She looked off to the side. "I dunno." "Did he say something that made you mad?" She looked down and kicked the floor. "I dunno." Grandpa hummed and sat down. "What'd he say?" Quilt whimpered and laid down. "He said we was gonna do a storytime about our parents, and I only got you." "Is that all?" Grandpa laughed. "You've got lots of stories about me to share! Like remember last week-" Quilt shook her head hard and hiccuped. "He said it had to be about our mamas and papas," she sniffled and rubbed her eyes. Grandpa frowned and tilted his head. "He knows what happened, though. Did he really say you couldn't talk about me?" Quilt sobbed and slowly shook her head. "No, but-" "But what?" "I don't rember 'em at all," she squeaked, tucking her legs in under herself. "Even though they was my Mama and Papa. Don't that make me a bad sheep?" She sniffled as Grandpa lay right next to her and pulled her into a hug. "Quili-lily, you're little, and you were littler when they passed, so of course you don't remember things," he squeezed her gently and nuzzled the top of her head. "And that doesn't make you a bad sheep," Quilt looked up at Grandpa with tears dropping from her cheeks, and he smiled. "Really?" She desperately squeaked. Grandpa laughed. "'Really' she says! C'mon now!" He nuzzled her again and looked her in the eyes. "Would I lie to you?" With a final tug of her teeth, she pulled her bow free and released it in the wind. With wide eyes, she looked over the horizon and the fields around Ramstead as the red ribbon fluttered away. It took some effort, but she managed to avoid looking at the stars. She reared up on the short wall of the highest balcony in the castle and peered down to where she'd hurled her bell. Far below in the courtyard, the moon's light caused the shattered fragments to glitter against the stone. She studied the mess for a moment before gripping the wall and heaving herself up onto it. She balanced on the narrow ledge and peered down again. She scanned the drop to make certain it was a clear path to the courtyard. Satisfied, she took a breath and closed her eyes. "It's quite a long way down." She flinched and turned to stare wide-eyed at Celestia, who sat staring into the horizon where her ribbon had flown. Quilt looked her up and down before turning back to the drop. "It sure is," she replied evenly. "I cannot with words convey my condolences for all you have endured," Celestia said. "So, shut up." "Fine, but at least hear this one thing?" Quilt scowled and looked back at her. "Peter needs you." The wind blew through her wool and she narrowed her eyes to fight off her tears. "He's got Frill." "And that lessens your value to him?" Celestia retorted with a tilted head. Quilt blinked and shook her head before turning away. "He loves you, you know that." "So what?" Quilt croaked, tears now streaming and falling to the courtyard below. "I'm supposed to live like this? Live with that scruffing bastard in my head? Because the other bastard in my head loves me and he actually means it?" She whipped around and scowled. "Am I just supposed to live with all this because other creatures need me?" "No," Celestia said immediately and evenly, causing Quilt to recoil. Celestia scooted closer and nodded. "You live for yourself. Not for Peter. Not for me. And not for him." Her wings stretched towards Quilt. "Live for yourself and embrace the love you know is genuine. Because you deserve at least that much." Quilt shook as she breathed, her face slowly screwing up as she fought with all her might, before finally wailing and throwing herself into Celestia's wings. Chrysalis pressed against the stony wall and crouched to the ground. She watched the cave mouth with dread, scanning the pitch darkness just outside. Despite having no light in her cave, the shadows outside were somehow darker. Of course, she understood exactly how that was possible and what it meant, but that only terrified her more. "Why did you follow me?" She quivered. A pair of yellow eyes suddenly and instantly lit up in the dark. "For a laugh or two," Grogar replied. "I was thinking of scaring you half to death to top myself off, then just killing you." The shadow crept towards her like a legion of grasping claws, and she wilted at the sight. Suddenly, the claws reached towards each other and pulled back the shadow like a curtain through which Grogar trotted. "Now that I've got a look at you though, I'm disappointed at how easy it was to spook you," he said with a singular chortle. He tilted his head with a hum. "Kinda making me rethink the whole plan. You want a job?" Chrysalis shuddered and furrowed her brow. "What? You.." She stammered and raised her head. "Propose an alliance?" Grogar pursed his lips and looked up in thought, rattling his head left and right. "Yeah, sure, why not?"