Palei Hantu
“...and those are the dreams of the Myinn, as I witnessed them.”
My companion in this dream sits quietly, contemplating what I have told her. She fares much better than I had expected, I had feared the tales would only serve to reinforce her stress.
Perhaps Littlemoth is simply too exhausted for even that.
“My Equish in the waking world is barely passable, based on what I could glean from Myinn dreams,” I continue. “I had hoped to converse with you here sooner, but...”
“...but this is the first real sleep I’ve had in days,” she finishes.
“I must acknowledge my part in that. You were terrified of me when we met. And then to hide me in your home at Dawn Patrol’s behest, with all of the harm my discovery would have caused you?”
She shrugs. “You did what you had to do. And it’s not as if things would have been better if you hadn’t.”
“The two of you provided me sanctuary, and in return I have led you both past the Mooken safely. A good bargain for all involved.”
“We were lucky,” she says. “We only got out because of the confusion caused by Peridot’s disappearance. I suppose we’ll never know what happened to her now.”
“Do you not have your answer?” I ask.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your military chief forced the Myinn into a hopeless battle against my people because he was certain that the culprit was a Mooken. I am the natural suspect.”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“Say you did it. No evasions, say the words 'I killed Peridot'.”
My silence is the only answer she needs.
Littlemoth stares me firmly in the eye. “That theory might be enough for Sunspot or Andi Quote. But I won't suspect you just because you're an outsider. I know how that feels and I won’t do the same to you.”
“Besides,” she says with a small chuckle. “It’s Zebra voodoo doctors who use sympathetic magic to kill innocent ponies. Sunspot can’t even keep his stereotypes straight.”
I nod in concession. “Then I must apologize Littlemoth, for attempting to deceive you. I had only hoped to prevent you from having to suspect your kin.”
She sighs. “I appreciate the thought. I realize that I haven’t exactly been emotionally stable. You don’t need to coddle me though. If you have a theory, I would like to know.”
“Nothing set in stone. But I can think of possibilities. A few probabilities.”
“Even still, anything would help,” she says, motioning for me to continue.
“Then it seems best to start with a clear point of confusion. Peridot was seen with another unicorn, presumably her murderer, at half past midnight on the night she disappeared. Shooting Star, as the only unicorn on the island whose dreams I could not witness, is the obvious suspect. It would be Peridot and him, alone at an isolated dock in the dead of night. But in her last moments, she could see the sun.”
“So Peridot must have died in the morning, before we started looking for her.”
“Hence the confusion. How could Peridot have survived for hours after her supposed murder?”
“Stressful situations make ponies get careless. I should know.”
“A trained Guard, talented enough to be hired despite the prejudice of his superiors? No, there is another explanation that better fits the facts. I think it likely that Peridot was not murdered at all.”
Her eyes widen. “If she wasn’t murdered, then what happened?”
“Cabotage’s dream bothered me as soon as I witnessed it. He was strangely confident that he knew the truth of that night. I had thought that it was only speculation, but what if it were a direct accounting?”
“So it was Cabotage who was with her at the docks?”
“They both had reason to be at the docks that late at night.”
“The scheduled trade boat you mean,” she answers.
“Yes. They had both resolved to meet the next boat as soon as it arrived in order to swiftly regain the lost income from the first disappearance.
“They waited together for a good while. Time passed, and it became clear the second boat had disappeared. Inevitably, the two being who they were, a heated argument would have broken out.
“At the peak of her rage, Peridot stumbled on the dock and fell. Unfortunately, the tide would not come in until morning that night, and her fall was severe.
“As soon as she was able, she immediately accused Cabotage of attempted murder, screaming at him in blind fury to stay away from her. Cabotage left in disgust, assuming that if she could still berate him that she must be alright.
“Peridot eventually attempted to escape from underneath the docks and discovered that her injuries from the fall were too great to do so. Unable to leave under her own power, she was trapped there until the tide came in with the day. Exhausted, she drowned while watching the morning sun.”
Littlemoth shakes her head. “Your theory has a massive problem. Peridot would have been calling for help as loudly as she could.”
“It is as you say,” I reply softly.
“Don’t you get it? Nocturne are nocturnal! At least one Nocturne would have passed within earshot before morning, there’s no way that no one heard her-”
She stops, and her face contorts with growing terror at her realization.
“We cannot know what truly happened,” I say. “It is possible that no Nocturne passed by her at all, or that Cabotage is right and she really did commit suicide-”
“Where are we going in the morning?” she says suddenly.
An abrupt subject change, but she clearly does not wish to discuss it further. I oblige, having nothing more to say. “A beach the Mooken used to frequent. Not so long ago, the we were a largely seafaring people. Now that the Myinn control the water, our boats for the most part lay unused on the shore. I will use one of them to make the crossing. The two of you should be able to make your own way to the mainland from there.”
Littlemoth frowns. “But what if the boats are damaged?”
“That is likely. It has been years, and they will have fallen into disrepair. No matter- there will be more than enough time and material to make a seaworthy vessel.”
She hesitates for moment, then pushes forward. “Do you need any help?”
Before I can react, she continues. “I’d just like the last thing that ponies do on this island to be something constructive.”
She looks up at me, hope in her eyes. How can I refuse?
“The assistance of two Myinn would more than offset the time it would take to show you what is to be done. And, truthfully… I would not mind good company.”
Littlemoth smiles at that. “Then I’ll rest until then. I’ll see you in the waking world, Palei Hantu.”
“And I you, Littlemoth.”
Together, we abandon lucidity, and the dream dissolves into mist.