Never gone

For the first few hours, Pinkie had talked at length about cherry pie, and by extension Applejack’s rivalry with her neighbors. Her grade scale of fruit pies had interested Luna to no end, and during the entirety of their trip across Equestria had taken notes. For the first time in Pinkie’s life she found someone who hung on her every word. Luna’s hoof had begun to cramp after a time and had asked for quiet. Now knowing Luna’s excitable emotions during “quiet time” she had tried to sit still. Underneath the carriage, an atoll flew behind them. She decided that Luna’s “quiet time” didn’t mean that the guards had one as well and began to regale the port side pony about how atolls didn’t mean one had to pay to cross them. Her initial whispering had turned quickly into excitable chirping in very little time. From her left, Luna spoke up over her.

“We require you to end yourself. Be quiet or I will do so for you.”
Pinkie’s surprise lasted less time than the last Luna-issued death threat. She leaned aside and draped her arm over her shoulder.

“Oh, you know you love it! What’cha thinkin’ about huh? Are you nervous?” Her question stretched on; elongating the u for longer than neccessary.

“We are thinking about pies. Perhaps We should have thought to bring a peace offering. You wouldn’t by any chance have a way to make some would you? Perhaps when we land you can make one for her.”
Pinkie smiled and said “Well I can’t make one there, because I already have one here!”

“Hmm, and what kind would it be?”

“Well we don’t even know what changelings like so I brought one that tastes like a little of everything!”

“Everything? Such as what, exactly?”

“Some apples, some wheat, some earthworms, some banana peels and a heapful of some green stuff I found under the sink.”

“What! That sounds like poison, not pie. Why would you make such a thing?”

“Oh don’t worry, I serve it in ponyville all the time!”

“We will have to revoke your restaurant’s business liscence then. We will not let you poison Our ponies.”

“Ponies? Oh, no. I give them to the chickens at Fluttershy’s! They love it!”

“Why would you bring something as a peace offering that you wouldn’t eat?”

“Hmm? Oh I eat these all the time! I would never serve something that wasn’t safe to eat.”
Luna stared at Pinkie for a while, then shook her head. ‘What a strange one’ she thought. She was already making plans for disposing of it secretly when Corporal Angel Dust spoke up.

“We are nearing the Changeling Isles. Should we go in slow or make an entrance?”

“We have nothing to hide. We are here on a peace mission, not the invasions of old. Come in casually and land near...” She looked around until she saw a cliffside full of holes. “There. We will find the most of them We are sure in there.”

Landing, they exited slowly. Even Pinkie’s usual bouncing was more subdued in her own effort to be less threatening.

“Hear Us! We are Princess Luna! Come out! You have nothing to fear from Us!”
Nothing. The wind whistled through the mountain caves. The scent of the bare earth below the only thing noteworthy. No one came to greet them after almost a half-hour. Pinkie spoke to the guards.

“Where is everychangeling? So weird, right? I thought they’d be all around us. I’m gonna go find them, tell Luna I’ll be back later.” With that she winked and ran behind them.
Angel and Molly didn’t know what to say as she bounced off. Their orders were to keep watch on Luna at all times. That her consort had disappeared finally relieved their nerves. Angel bowed his head and spoke to try and grab Luna’s attention.

“Luna, Ms. Pie has fled.”

“We are aware. Corporal Molly, you follow from behind. Don’t let her leave your sight. That is an order.”
She left wordlessly after leaving a salute. Angel began to shift around on his hooves. “Princess Luna, what are you going to do?”

“We will go into the caves themselves. Wherever they have gone I trust your mate to handle the situation. Stay on guard and follow me. That is an order.” The cliffside hung above. They hiked up around the mountain to reach the mouths by hoof. They walked inside and began to travel inside one. It was nothing like what she expected. Coming in from the hot air outside she was greeted by the homely furniture and carpets. They all appeared to be hoof made. The design of the place, while utterly alien in color and appearance, was very welcoming in its own way. In the corner of the rounded room lay a liquid blue pool with a bed stand by it. The room itself was empty except for the adjoining door, presumably the bedroom. Using her magic to enter, Luna found the inside to be completely dark.

“Angel, wait outside.”

“Princess there may be danger. I can’t leave with you in here alone.”

“You may be right.”

“May I ask why, your highness?”
Luna saw what was in the room already on account of her having flawless night vision as well as her batpony guard. She waited for Luna to step aside and stopped in the door as she walked in. Seconds later Luna heard her faithful guard dry-heaving outside. She surveyed the scene below her. On a perfectly kempt bed lay what appeared to be a family unit. She did not know how to tell their genders, but two adults lay curled around a youngling protectively. Their faces already did not lend well to expression but she could see their love in death. Luna levitated a nearby blanket to cover the family, it becoming quickly stained with the not yet dry green blood of the family leaking out over the bedframe.
Her hoof falls stayed regular as she stepped outside. Angel was coming out of her shock and saluted her princess.

“Your Highness, I am sorry I reacted like that. I thought they were all evil. They still are, right?”

“Am I still evil? A thousand years since my banishment? Do you think of your princess that way?”

“No, but I-”
Her words caught in her throat.
Luna stretched her wings and began to fly around the cliffside checking every hole she came across. After a fashion Angel looked at the Princesses face. So solid and unmoving. She could tell just by looking that every house was the same