Pea was shaking. Every muscle in her body and every carbon fiber tendon strained and tensed. She wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and tear his head off. Relief herself by ripping out his still beating black heart. The stranger smiled up at her with crooked, wedge teeth as if nothing was wrong.
"Hmmm...I can tell you aren't too happy to see me," He mused, "I wonder why..."
"Volm… how did you get here?" Pea gritted her teeth.
"It's easy really, just slip the princesses awareness and poof! A paradise island! You did it too," He looked up at the lack of light dreamily.
"I came here to keep my nephew safe, you're probably here to rape mares or eat children," Pea spat at the creature's demonic smile.
"Only the naughty ones," Volm chuckled, "Speaking of children, I saw yours. Tuff was it?"
Pea lurched forward and grabbed his neck, Smashing him against the wall. She fumed,"If you touched him I'll rip your fucking guts out!"
Volm smiled besides the bone crunching strength of Pea's cybernetic hands. The mare squeezed tighter still, a few veins bulged on his head and neck but not a single note of pain shown on Volm's face. Pea's thought became clouded with rage to the creature.
"Quite the sadist these days," Volm wheezed, "Don't stress your pretty little head, I helped him find his filly friends. That's all," He looked from Pea's tensed arms to her eyes, "It must suck hard, not being able to kill me. I don't think you can do it yet," His smile was still plastered on his face.
Pea threw him to the ground. Her weight toppled him over and she sat a top of his chest, fists clenched in deadly steel bludgeons. Volm rose a hand up casually ,"Calm down lady, I didn't even bring a condom!"
The mare had enough. Her left fist swung down and cratered into the creature's face, knocking out several teeth. He licked his lips with a dark blue tongue as inky black blood oozed from his mouth. He was about to make another remark but a fist kept his mouth from moving again. Each blow lifted the mare's spirit disturbingly. The mare kept swinging her fist's into Volm's head, inky splats covered the ground and Pea Gravel. She kept battering as Volm's head again and again. All too soon, it turned into wet black mush and her fists hit rock. She stopped eventually while the blue green creature's legs twitched the last bit of life out of the still warm corpse.
She leaned back, breathing heavily. She looked down at her hands stained by Volm's blood, her cloak was ruined by the black ooze. Her breath was uneven and timid. In her euphoric state she didn't notice that the world was still frozen in time. Pea's shoulders shivered with a sick pleasure. Her mint eyes were fixed on the tranquil cavern space. Her cybernetic fingers twitched randomly, unable to detect what the mare wanted to do with them. Minutes, hours passed? She couldn't tell. The fact that he was dead, smashed into mush left the mare with a unequaled elation. Her breath steadied and she finally looked around carefully at where she was.
"I need to find a way out of here, I just hope he didn't take me out of Equestria..." She stood up shakily and grabbed the lantern handle with her jaw. Pea began tracking down the cavern in hopes it would lead to the surface. Noticing the incline motivated the mare, she tread on through the darkness of the cave.
"What did he want? If someone like him can sneak in this kingdom, then maybe others have..."
Pea's thought's spiraled dangerously as she ventured alone. Around a corner ahead, a hint of light could be seen. She moved cautiously around the corner, she shrunk back. An opening in the cave was where the sun's light was coming from, but was it a trap? Pea shook her head, Volm was dead, his tricks were all but gone. She marched to the exit way, squinting her eyes in the sudden bright light. Once her eyes adjusted she found a dry desert mountain range overlooking a small town. She blinked in surprise,"Is this some kind of joke?"
She scaled down the rocky outcropping easily with her cyber fingers, she decided it'd be best to explore the town and see if she could find a way back. Off the rocks she made her way to the town and a sigh came into view; "Appleloosa"
"Sounds like an Equine town," Pea smiled to herself,"I guess he didn't drag me too far… for once he did something generous."
Pea was near the town and as a cowpony walked by she realized how much of herself was stained. She knew it was blood, but he didn't.
"Say there missy, did y’all just strike oil?" He asked with a booming voice.
Pea felt relieved,"Yessir Ah did!" the mare said with a convincing Applejack impression, "Ah need tah tell mah friends in Ponyville the good news, it there a way Ah can contact 'em?"
"Sure is," He pointed down the wide main street to a small building, "Ya can get a train ticket. It's a very reliable thing, I'd say you'd be there by tomarrah."
Pea nodded a thank you and made her way to the building casually. She saw a few ponies waiting for a train. Realizing she had no money on her she decided to bum a ride on the next train. The grey mare sat out of view next to the ticket post and waited like the others for the next train. The sun lowered over the mountains she scaled down earlier.
"A proper tomb," she thought to herself, "I still can't believe he's really gone… and I did it..."
The sun left a parade of orange and purple across the clouds in the sky as it finally sank behind the mountains, letting the blanket of night cast over the sky. A faint train whistle could be heard and all of the passengers-to-be stood up for the train. In the commotion of the conductor calling, steam hissing and ponies moving; Pea crept silently to the top of the caboose car. It had roofing that was easy to grip onto and few prying eyes. Crawling over to the front edge she locked her forefingers in a clamp over the roof's edge.
The train's whistle blew and the vessel trudged off into the night. Once at full speed, the wind from it flew around Pea. Her hands didn't release their grip and for once… she felt relaxed. She thought up wild plans and ideas;
"Now that he's gone, I can look for the others. Tuff will be safe here and he's got the princess to look after him. Everyone's going to be so excited! I know, what if I brought my friends here, then we wouldn't have to fight for food and noooo holy wars," The idea felt like a message on Pea's stressed mind. She became so comfortable she began to fall asleep.
She awoke a few hours later with a late night sky above her and the train was still racing down it's course. Her confused mind was calmed by the idea of seeing Tuff and her Ponyville friends again. With Twilight's castle towering over the quaint huts the train approached the town quickly without signs of slowing. As the train rattled on the grey mare realized she had to jump off the train. She targeted a grassy knoll with a tree next to the station and released her grip on the caboose roof. She flew off to the right and hit the ground, rolling back several feet she stopped in front of the tree.
She looked down at her brown and black stained cloak,"Rarity is going to have a cow when she sees what I've done with this," she chuckled to herself.
She looked around at the quiet night in Ponyville with the castle looming over the roof tops. She slipped the hood over her head and walked quickly through the streets, avoiding lit windows and open doors. She wasn't really sure where she was going, Twilight's maybe? She continued walking and she came to a street corner, around it Pea spotted the sight of a panicked golden pegasus with a deep red colt next to her. They were looking, searching for someone. Pea walked out in front of them, the now stained cloak and hood made a menacing look.
They stared wide eyed at her for a moment, then she threw back her hood. Both Daring and Tuff rushed to Pea and hugged the grey mare tightly. All three were happy, though one felt more comforted then the others.
"Did you miss me?" Pea joked.
"Of course we did!" Daring Do said still hugging Pea, "We didn't know where you were, we looked everywhere!"
Tuff sniffled, "I thought you had forgotten me!"
Pea knelt down and hugged the colt,"I'd never forget you, ever. You can always count on your Auntie G."
Daring Do shed a tear at the sweet sight,"It's getting late...well it's been late and I'm sure we're all tired."
Pea and Tuff simultaneously yawned in agreement. Daring laughed,"Well then, let's get you two back to the Castle."
Tuff looked extremely tired, stressed from several hours away from his aunt. Pea waited for him to catch up then lifted him onto her back and after a few steps he was snoring quietly. The two mares walked through the remainder of the streets until they were faced with the castle's doors. Daring stepped forward and knocked.
Twilight answered the door after a moment or so of waiting,"Ah Daring Do, you're back!" She looked over at Pea with an elated smile,"And you found our Boatswain! Come in, both...er all three of you." Twilight corrected herself when she was the sleeping colt.
Daring Do and Pea followed Twilight inside and the princess led them to her guest rooms Pea had used before. The princess looked at the two sleepy mares,"Pea, you take Tuff in this one over here," She motioned to the left door with a nod," And Daring you can stay in this other one if you like," She blinked sleepily,"I'm very tired too, so until tomorrow… or later today, goodnight!"
Daring Do placed a wing over Pea's shoulder before the grey mare could work her way to the guest room. Pea looked to the pegasus with puzzled eyes. The cyber mare noticed that the tan pegasus was wearing nothing except the sea blue necklace that Pea had given her earlier.
"Yes Daring?" She paused thoughtfully for a moment,"You're probably wondering what happened to me, eh?"
"And how you got your new cloak so filthy!" Daring Do teased.
Pea grinned,"I was just playing in the dirt! Let me put Tuff here to bed then I'll catch up with you in your room, okay?"
Daring Do yawned and nodded. She went left for her room and Pea went right for her's. Pea pushed the door open gently and made her way for the cushy bed. She pulled up next to it like a train at a station.
"Choo choo," She whispered playfully as she rolled Tuff of her back carefully. Once on the bed Pea pulled up the blanket up to his little chin.
"Night, little bolder," Pea said placing a kiss on the top of his head. Before leaving the room she looked back on him one more time, she smiled at how peacefully he slept.
She closed the bedroom door behind her and tip toed across the all to Daring's room. Her eyes lit up when she saw the cyber mare, patting a part of the bed next to her she smiled. She opened her's and found Daring, sitting on her legs, at the head of the bed. The air seemed comforting and still with a small lamp warmly lighting the room.
"Take that off before you sit here," Daring said, "You've gotta tell me what happened to you today."
Pea slid off her cloak and left it on the floor, it was already dirty anyway. Pea walked to the foot of the bed and rolled the covers on her back over. Pea sighed at how relaxing it felt, Daring looked at her intently, "Well?"
"Oh, oh right!" Pea rubbed her forehead,"I was looking for some food for us to eat and I got mixed up with this mare transporting oil-"
Daring scoffed,"Don't lie to me. I know what that is on your knuckles."
Pea shot a look at her hands, a faint stain of black was still there. Pea looked up at Daring with shocked eyes,"W-what do you mean? This is crude oil Daring, nothing more!"
Daring looked hurt,"It's blood. I may have not seen as much as you but I know what it smells like, and it's not crude oil. I could smell it off your cloak and now a bit from you," She leaned over the grey mare solemnly, "Who was it?"
Pea shoved her back in her old spot on the bed, "Quit being so uptight. We've got nothing to worry about."
Daring Do seemed confused,"Why, what's not to worry about?"
Pea folded her arms behind her head, "Someone's gone that was a BIG problem," she giggled.
"Like Ahuizotl?" Daring asked grimly.
"Worse than him," Pea waved a hand,"He's the reason for these."
Daring gasped,"You mean..."
Pea smiled, "Yep, Volm."
The pegasus grimaced, "If he's gone that means you can go back out there and look for your friends?"
Pea sat up exhilarated,"I know! I was planning on leaving in a few days, maybe less. Tuff's safe here so all I have to do is find them."
Daring was crestfallen. She stammered,"Oh… well I, um… I"
Pea leaned closer to her, "What? Aren't you happy? He's gone… that's a good thing!"
Daring patted the cyber mare's arm gently, "I know, I know. It's just that..."
Pea scooted up next to the pegasus and put an arm over her shoulder, "Just what? You can tell me, can't you?"
"Well, I was going back to my cottage this week and..." Daring's word were choked up with crushed tears," I was hoping you… and Tuff could come stay with me..."
Pea's hand shrunk back to it's owner,"Stay… with you?"
"It'd be great!" Daring looked over with desperation,"We'll finish writing your book, it's out of the way so ponies won't be frightened of your metal legs," her gaze almost begged Pea,"I have plenty of books we could read to Tuff and there's places near there he could explore and play in."
Pea was wide eyed and shaking. Here was a mare willing to share her home with her and her nephew, no questions asked. This mare who was opening her heart towards a foreigner. The mare who she had killed once for and who help her story become known.
On the other hand, the friends she had known for over twelve years and had killed countless times for, were missing still and she needed to find them, or at least give a proper burial to what would be left of them. Pea Gravel's heart was being tugged in two directions.
Pea's fingers twitched. Daring came over and tried to comfort the torn mare. Daring saw the look of utter confusion and guilt in Pea's emerald green eyes, the pegasus wasn't sure what to do. Pea sat like that for several moments until, with a shaky hand, she reached into an interior pocket of her vest and pulled out a small green fruit. Her favorite narcotic, Jade Cactus Fruit. Daring blinked in puzzlement as she watched Pea slip it into her mouth and chew softly. Her shocked eyes became much, much more relaxed. Her entire body slacked and her head flopped lazily on Daring's lap.
Her green eyes were half closed and her tongue stuck out through a ditzy smile, "I'll entertain your offer. You know how my day went, fly girl. How was yours?"
Daring's face went a little red, "Minus looking for you? There were a few more book-smart ponies that came by and talked about our book and the money we could make off it. About two hours after you left for grub I grabbed Rainbow Dash and put her in charge of sales. I checked on her around the fest's closing time… and she had to have Twilight make more copies!"
Pea raised an eyebrow,"But we had like… two hundred of them. No way we sold them all!"
Daring poked Pea's muzzle, "Yes way! We made over four thousand bits!"
Pea rubbed her hands together greedily, "Heh heh heh, we sure made a bundle! Think of the new typewriter we could get you."
"Or an upgrade for your metal parts?" Daring offered, "Or should we visit a mechanic to spruce them up?"
Pea held out a hand daintily, "I suppose. It's been awhile since I've seen anypony with skills for this kind of stuff. I've probably mangled up the carbon fiber muscle it 'em by now..."
Daring thought about the way her friend's legs worked. She was about to ask but heard a quiet snore from the mare, who lay passed out on her lap. Daring wasn't sure if she should leave Pea there and use her for a pillow or chance waking the cyber's much needed rest to lay down herself. She sat for a moment stroking the grey mare's sun-set orange mane thinking of how her life had been flipped upside down by this very strange mare.
Daring Do's heart was conflicted as well. With Ahuizotl gone, treasure hunting in Equestria just wouldn't be the same. From what Pea Gravel had told her, there was a whole world of adventure out there. Her mind toyed with the idea of all the ancient civilizations nopony ever heard of, forgetting the consequences. A closer look at Pea Gravel though, made her reconsider. Would she end up like her?
She laughed to herself, "How did I end up with you, Pea?"