Fact or Fiction

by Mocha Star

27) Princess' Night

It was a warm spring evening in Canterlot; the ponies moved from store to store on the well cared for cobblestone streets. There was an air of carelessness and contentment in the fortified town. In the Princess' castle, however, there was anything but the joyful bliss the ponies outside felt.

Princesses Celestia, Cadence, and Luna were talking with Twilight Sparkle and Volm in the throne room. The topic was about the missing mares that had accompanied Pea Gravel.

While Twilight wanted to begin a search party since Rainbow Dash had left; Volm was more concerned with what would happen when they returned.

"We have no idea what she has been through," Twilight pleaded," She may be sick or in danger, why haven't you lifted a hoof to help?" she asked openly to the princess council.

Celestia sighed, letting her regal smile fade. "It's best we wait. Pea Gravel told me she'd be gone for eighteen months. It's been almost six now, and we can’t locate them outside our borders."

"But, that's so long," Cadence added in Twilight’s defense, "Shouldn't we, at the very least, try to contact her?"

The two sisters were quiet for a moment... The blue creature slid up between Cadence and Twilight," You must realize, your Highness, that it is nearly impossible. What we should do is prepare for when they return."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked confused, "Like throw a party? This is serious!"

Volm frowned. "I am very serious. When they come back do you have any idea what might be following them?" Cadence and Twilight gulped, afraid to answer. Volm stood up and began pacing, "Princess Twilight, I don't think you realize what sending your subject out there will entail."

Twilight frowned back, "I don't care, my friend is missing! What's so wrong with me trying to find her?"

"Nothing. There's nothing wrong with that," Volm said compliantly, "It's just that there are some things your 'scouts' wouldn't be able to handle out there."

"Then I'll go myself," Twilight said standing up, "If I bring the rest of my friends then the Elements of Harmony will protect us."

Cadence and the celestial sisters gave the lilac mare disappointed glances. Volm hid a smile, "That's very brave, Princess Twilight. Foolish, naive, and poorly thought out, but brave."

He fixed his gaze to Twilight, "What the mare Pea Gravel said is true, there are all sorts of dangerous things that would swallow up your little ponies without a thought or challenge. It's simply irrational to endanger them so."

"If it's so dangerous why don't you go find them?" Twilight asked with an pointing hoof at him.

The other princesses looked to Volm for his answer. He was in the spotlight and it wasn't a comfortable one, "It's possible I can send one of my subordinates. Friday is much quicker then Wednesday and a better swimmer," Volm said casually," When shall he depart?"

"Tonight," Twilight said firmly, "Pea Gravel can continue on her quest but Rainbow Dash and Daring Do will come home."

Volm nodded respectfully, "As you wish. I will see myself out to tell him..."

Celestia straightened up her and returned her regal posture. "Why are you not going along with him?"

Volm stopped. A tiny thought, a plan formed in his mind. It made him sigh happily," I must stay in case a foreign threat comes. It'd be terrible to have your royal guard find some centaur scouting parties..." He backed away with a bow and vanished in a wisp of smoke.

Twilight looked up at her mentor with teary eyes. "How did all of this happen? It can't get any worse can it?"

Celestia glared at the empty space in the table between them." It's Pea Gravel’s fault. If she hadn't shown up then Rainbow Dash would never have ran away on this foolish adventure beyond our safe borders."

Twilight took a moment to absorb that while silence took the room.

---

Once alone she felt different entirely. There was a strange feeling in her chest, a hot and angry feeling. She thought about that grey mare, Pea Gravel. When that mare came she was nothing but mystery and a short fuse.

Even though she seemed dangerous, Pea Gravel acted very friendly toward Twilight. Even though Twilight was a princess Pea had never met, she was very open. Oddly open… as if to sucker her into something.

As far as anypony knew, Volm hadn't done anything violent; sure he was sketchy looking and his tar black friends didn't help, but anyone would look suspicious if they were a being from a whole different world. Unlike Pea Gravel he hadn't murdered anyone.

Ahuizotl, as word eventually got around, was dead and buried.

Her thoughts were churning in her mind as she walked through her castle. Spike had greeted her but she was too lost in her thoughts to pay attention to him past a nod. After some time she had arrived to her bedroom.

On the nightstand was a copy of Pea Gravel's book 'Forces'. She sighed looking at it. Very few ponies talked about the book in recent days. She, and they, were more concerned with rumors of the missing ponies.

In her mind she saw Pea Gravel's face. Her smile stoic and her eyes like a calm timberwolf's, the image of her strange metal limbs added to her picture. She was tough, nice, and cared for Tough. Yet she terrified everypony that got close to her. Was she worth the energy to be a friend?

Twilight was the Princess of Friendship for Celestia's sake, of course she wanted to keep a friend. Even if that friend was a stone cold killer... but something in her heart stopped her, something new. Twilight put a hoof to her chest with a pained look and wet eyes, she was certain this was something similar to what Moon Dancer felt when they reunited; Betrayal.

---

It was a clear spring night and Luna was perched on top of tower, lost in thought. Volm hadn't been seen since he had left the meeting between the four princesses and the night princess was beginning worry. She had been skeptical of Volm since she had heard about him.

Even though he had a charming personality and had been more than generous with his wealth, there was something familiar about him.

Luna heard a small scraping, like a squirrel, on shingles behind her. She turned to look and saw Volm sitting there on the tower roof behind her, a grin was on his face from ear to ear. Luna grimaced at the eerie sight.

"What is it you want?" She asked.

"Oh, just did some reading," Volm said breathing in the warm night air, “it's a lovely night for it."

"If that is all then leave me be," Luna turned back to her watching the sky, “I am quite busy with my own personal affairs."

Volm looked up at the sky. Volm stayed at a comfortable distance but continued talking. “Amazing isn't it? So Majestically lonely… up there."

Luna's spine tingled. “Volm. Everypony knows I am the only one who has ever been banished to the moon."

"That would be nice to believe. "The blue creature chuckled, "but, we know better, don't we?"

Luna looked back to Volm. He had eyes glossy with tears. The princess rose an eyebrow, "You are attempting to gain pity from me?"

"Remember them?" Volm asked tenderly, "the flowing figures of smoke up on the dark side of the moon?"

Luna's eyes widened slightly. “Rarity had been consumed in the past by the same thing that consumed me a thousand years ago; beings that granted power to those who have hit their absolute lowest that had the lust for power they fed on.

“Not a hoof to pull you out of the dark hole you are in but a heavy hoof to break through the bedrock and drag you to tartarus. They turn you into a monster, a nightmare.”

"They give you so much… but take more," Volm shivered in his blue skin.

"I suppose you are aware of my past as Nightmare Moon?" Luna asked quietly.

"Aware? I've lived it," Volm said quietly. He pursed his lips, "Excuse me your Highness… I'm rambling. I'll leave you," He began to back away, "Thank you for your time."

"Stop!" Luna commanded loudly," I-I mean wait. I was depressed from the admiration my sister and the shadow she cast on me," She glanced around as if afraid to ask, “what made you need their help."

Volm was silent for a moment. Luna knew she had struck a cord or hit some repressed nerve. The blue creature rose on his back legs as he looked up at the night sky, a chilling sight to behold.

"You look up at this… expanse every night. You have been up there. Doesn't that make you feel trapped, now that your hooves have touched soil again? You are a carbon based equine living in this atmosphere atop a thin layer of rock on this insignificant blue speck inside the infinite sea of space..."

He clenched his hands tightly, "Before I became this I was nothing, less than nothing! I was property, a minuscule cog in the cruel wheel of Fate. Now..."

Luna was afraid and curious at the same moment. “Now? What does fate have in store for you?"

Volm closed his eyes and smiled, "Nothing. Fate has nothing for me because I changed that."

Luna took a careful step closer. “Changed?"

"Yes, princess,” Volm said as he sat back down, "just as you and your sister paid a price for Equestria, I too, have made a deal."

"What was it?" Luna asked, now very worried.

Volm's lower torso began to whips away and his body faded into smoke. A whisper left his lips before he completely vanished, "Freedom."

Luna stared at the now empty space in astonishment. She breathed that word. “Freedom',” over and over again until it tasted like honey on her tongue.

Looking up at the moon she felt the eeriness of how empty it really was up there. The Nightmare kin were gone, purified by the Elements of Harmony. A stray thought in her mind crept forward; What if they some were still dark, still corrupting creatures.

Perhaps what Volm had visited corrupted the ones Luna knew in the first place. She thought about how Volm looked and how he acted when he spoke.

He had been charming and docile whenever he spoke, smiled like the sun and had a welcoming attitude around the ponies of Equestria.

When he spoke of them... she saw something. She saw a piece of Nightmare Moon and something more haunting. She had embraced their dark power for her own reasons, this newcomer seemed to be on a linear path.

Luna's head raced with questions and worries. After a moment she sighed and bottled up those thoughts. She would handle them all by her lonesome, just as she always had. With a tired eye she looked back up into space, smiling at the beauty of it.

---

Cadence sighed with relief being back in the Crystal Empire. She trotted through the castle halls, up to her bedroom. Shining Armor must be getting to bed by now. She approached her bedroom door with a giggle, the sound of her husband's snoring was loud from even there.

She carefully opened the door and went inside. Setting her royal regalia aside she slowly went to her side of the bed. So not to wake her husband she slipped in bed.

Shining eyes half opened groggily. "Hello there. I was wondering where you went."

Cadence climbed into bed and laid on her side to face Shining Armor. "I was talking with the other princesses. You know that guy I told you about, remember?"

"Yeah, that Volm?" Shining Armor recalled with a yawn, “what about him?"

"Well, Twilight had called all of us to the Canterlot Castle to arrange a search party for Rainbow Dash," Cadence said softly, "I'm not sure if it's going to happen..."

Shining Armor sat up with a worried look, "She really did run away with that mare? What's going to happen?"

"Volm said one of those tall friends of his is going to go out there and find them," Cadence said cautiously, "have you ever seen them?"

Shining lay back down, fully awake now. “No I haven't. I've heard that they are like nothing from Equestria."

Cadence nodded," That's what I've heard too. I hope they aren't as much trouble as her," she huffed thinking of Pea Gravel.

"Pea Gravel?" Shining Armor asked, "Twilight told me that that mare was just misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Cadence turned away with a snort. "Sure. That mare is nothing but trouble and I hope for Rainbow Dash's sake that Friday finds them soon."

Shining Armor was confused. His wife was the princess of love in a land of tolerance, yet here she was talking about the mare Pea Gravel like some kind of criminal. Shining Armor sighed and tried to go back to sleep. A seed of worry took root in the proud unicorn's heart.

---

Celestia lay awake in bed. She gazed up at the ceiling, feeling lonely. Distant buried memories floated into her consciousness. The alicorn was well over a thousand years old and it was difficult retaining so much to remember in one head, but somethings never leave. She closed her eyes and remembered.

Though a fuzzy memory, she remembered when she was an only child. She was walking alongside her parents in the short grass they grazed upon outside their cottage, the sun moved on its own and the world was so simple.

She remembered her parents; a unicorn and a pegasi, the forbidden union. As the three walked they saw Humans were guarding a caravan.

The caravan stopped and a human in shining armor came out, followed by two others.

A flash of what changed everything stabbed her chest. The soldiers that shouted in their human language, her parents shouting back. The fear she felt, and finally the humans drawing their swords and pointing at her.

That was where her memory ended, but she smiled. Whatever may have happened must have ended well because she felt the warmth of the sun inside her at that moment.