The Last Crystal Unicorn

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue

Chapter 1

“Oh my! This is so tiring!”

A lone white unicorn mare with a pristine purple mane was using her magic to lift rocks from the ground and cracking them open, some of them rewarding her with the treasures they held within. Rarity was well known for being a fashionista and beautician for other ponies and herself, though few actually knew that her talent relied on finding gems and crystals with her unique magic.

“This one looks good,” she said as she cracked the rock and out came tiny diamonds. Rarity’s eyes glistened and she rubbed her hooves together in glee. “This is absolutely fabulous!”

Little did she know, her horn started sparkling out magic with each rock she was cracking. With her tenth rock, her ears perked to an unusual sound.

“Huh?” she turned her head in all directions, she could have sworn she heard a foal’s voice. Crying? “Hello? Is there anypony there?” She was met with the wind blowing through her mane and the sound of dirt traveling across the ground.

Rarity shrugged and went back to her work. “I must be going out of my mind...” she told herself as focused on the rocks again. “A shame I can’t dig as well as Spike could... not that I want to get my hooves dirty,” she laughed at this and sighed. Spike wasn’t much of a digger ever since he became a pony. Not having any form of help with her was proving to be very hard on her work, and lonesome for her. The sun was starting to set on the horizon as she looked up and she finished cracking the last rock she held.

“Hmmm...” Rarity inspected her haul and gave a nod as she smiled broadly. “This will do. A shame Spike isn’t here to help me anymore...” she lamented when she levitated the gems in a bag she brought, a rather exquisite bag studded with diamonds. She was walking to the direction of Ponyville, until she stopped and tapped her chin in thought.

“I suppose I can find a little bit more. A lady can never have enough gems!” she said to herself as she focused her magic, and her horn shined brightly. “There seems to be something here, something hu-” she was cut off when she was suddenly dragged by her magic, something that has not happened to her since she was very young. “Oh my! What is this!?” she shouted as she couldn’t stop and her magic kept on dragging her further and further away.

She was being lead to a trench, and she was becoming sore as her hooves collided with rocks on the ground she was skidding on thanks to her sudden magical surge. She looked on to the side of the trench she was in right now, fearing that the Diamond Dogs might target her again.

“Magic, please listen to me and just stop!” She yelled out and stopped abruptly, catapulted forward and somersaulting once until she landed on her haunches. She groaned as she rubbed her flank when she got up and her eyes fell upon what was before her.

Her eyes widened as she looked from bottom to top at the size of the boulder that lay before her. Memories of her childhood came flooding to her as she remembered how she found her first gems inside a large rock.

A grin formed slowly on her muzzle and she stood closer to the boulder, touching it lightly. She took a step back and looked behind her as she heard the same noise again. Her brow arched slightly until there was nothing but silence. She turned back to the boulder and concentrated on her magic again.

“Alright, let’s see what we got here.” Her magic covered the boulder and tried to crack it. The boulder began to rock in place, and gave off slight tremors. Her eyes never left it and she poured more magic in it, until the boulder started cracking and the covers of the boulder began to peel off as though it were old paint from a building. Where once a boulder stood, a giant crystal was now before Rarity.

Her eyes went as wide as saucers and her mouth agape. She placed her hooves to her mouth and let out a high pitch scream. “Oh my word! This is so precious!” she got a closer inspection of the crystal and tapped it once, feeling it to be real. Rarity started jumping around in joy and pulling her own hair as though she was mad, mad from ecstasy.

She stopped and cleared her throat, walking closer to the crystal. “Now... since that’s over, how will I get this back home?” she asked herself and began to feel the crystal again. “What?” she squinted her eyes and in the middle of the crystal, she saw something. Something that had no earthly business inside a crystal.

“A pony?!”

As she exclaimed, white lines began to form from her hoof and started covering the entire crystal. Rarity stepped back and saw the white enveloping the crystal that was before her. The crystal was now white as though it were a giant egg, and before she could react to the changes, it shattered into a million pieces of crystal debris. She covered her eyes as crystal dust came flying to her, and once the smoke cleared, she gazed in awe at what lay before her.

Where the crystal once was, a pony lay motionless in its place. By what Rarity could tell, the body was that of a foal’s. The body color was silver and the mane was aquamarine blue. She walked in closer and saw that it was a colt, but what she saw made her eyes nearly pop out.

“A crystal pony!?” she shouted out, immediately covering her mouth as she saw the body moving slightly. She also got a look at his head, revealing it to have a horn. A crystal unicorn? Weren’t all crystal ponies like earth ponies?

The colt’s eyes opened warily, revealing it to be sky-blue. He saw white hooves before him and looked up to whom they belonged to. His eyes landed on Rarity’s face, though his vision was a blur. He could see her moving her mouth but he could only hear a buzz, follow by “alright”. His vision became clearer and when he could see Rarity clearly, his eyes released tears before falling unconscious.

Rarity gasped and rushed towards him. “Oh no! Are you alright?!” she asked, but no answer came seeing as he was not awake. She lifted him up to her back and started rushing out of the trench, until her ears perked again to the sound of laughter.

She turned her head sharply and saw three familiar figures standing right behind her. The three Diamond Dogs, leering at Rarity as they came in closer for a better look.

“Well, well, well... what’s wees gots here?” A slender Diamond Dog in the middle asked as he walked forward to Rarity, licking his lips slightly.

“Uh, lost pony in our home.”

They stopped and grinned maliciously. “We remembers yous, how yous makes us miserable and take our gems!”

The smallest one looked at Rarity’s back and started chuckling. “What a shiny pony! Looks like it made of gem!”

The leader looked to the colt and nodded. “He will be a fine slave, that one!”

Rarity glared as her brow furrowed and she clenched her teeth. “You ruffians! Haven’t you learned your lesson yet!?”

The three dogs began snicker as they marched on forward to Rarity. “Oh wees learn, learns that wees must do one thing to ponies.”

The largest dog smashed his fists together growling. “Smash!”

Rarity grimaced as she jerked her head back, scrunching her lips. “You wouldn’t dare hurt a lady!”

“Wees would. Then we can have that little pony as slave!”

The three dogs slowly marched forward, snickering in glee at the Rarity’s scared face. They licked their lips, and whilst the large one pounded his fists, the other two retracted the claws from their paws.

Rarity’s eyes darted from every corner, desperately looking for a way out. She turned back to the foal on her back, noticing his weaken state. Her eyes landed on her bag of gems, and her eyes widened as an idea popped in her mind. A second later, she bit her lower lip and started crying a little.

I can’t do it... I can’t do it! But I must!

She grabbed hold of the bag and held it before her, shaking it roughly to the dogs before her. She saw their eyes staring awe at the bag, and their short tails started wagging wildly as they jumped around with their mouths drooling.

“Who wants the gems!?” Rarity shouted out, and heard a chorus of ‘me’ from all the dogs. She shaked it some before before bracing her hooves slightly.

“Then go get it!”

With much force, she threw the bag into the distance, and the dogs scurried after it. Her lips began to quiver and she sniffed slightly as a tear fell from her eye, waving goodbye to her diamond bag. Rarity checked to see that the colt on her back and noticed he was not awake. She ran towards Ponyville, not paying attention to the blisters that were forming on her hooves.

So soft...

That was the first thought that entered the little colt’s mind when he opened his weary blue eyes. His vision was a blur until he blinked, finding himself in a rather large room on a queen-sized bed. In front of him were three pony mannequins and a work station, with a knitting apparatus and materials of different colours.

The colt pushed away the large red duvet cover that was covering him and found his body cleaned, save for a few patches of band-aid here and there. He reached for the side of the bed, wanting to stand on his four hooves.

Once his hooves touched the ground, he found his legs shaking a little before getting a sense of balance again. He walked over to the window and looked out to see the sun shining in midday, with ponies outside walking by and socializing. His eyes dilated as confusion ran through his head, as he looked outside again.

As he turned around, he saw the door left open and he trotted towards it slowly. Opening it slightly, he heard a melodious hum coming from downstairs. He walked out of the room he was in, only to gasp when he heard the angry spit of a cat that crossed his way. The cat looked at him with venomous eyes, showing off its claws as it waved a paw at the colt. He stepped away cautiously, giving the cat enough space to walk away. He blinked and shook his head slightly, turning back to the stairs that lead downstairs.

Every step he took, the humming could be heard clearer. The colt felt a sense of nostalgia as the voice became clearer. He reached the ground floor, and found himself in a circular room that was covered in lavish colours.

A boutique?

His thoughts were cut off when he heard the humming again, this time it was nearer and was clear as crystal. He walked up to the corner and stood behind the one who was singing it, and he froze in place.

“I hope that he is ok when he wakes up...”

Rarity sighed, as she took a sip of her tea whilst she was sitting in the kitchen thinking. Why was a crystal pony all the way here? Why was the colt a crystal unicorn? Why was he crying? Her thoughts were cut of when she felt fur on her hind leg, and the sound of purring caught her attention.

“Oh Opal,” she mused as she picked up her cat and stroked the feline affectionately. “Are you hungry?” she asked the cat and received a single nod from it. She placed the cat on the floor and made her way to the cupboard, reaching out for the cat food and pouring in a bowl for Opal.

Once she placed the bowl on the ground, the cat immediately went on to devour all of it rather quickly. With its task done, Opal merely walked away leaving Rarity alone again.

Rarity blinked and went back to her cup of tea, finishing it slowly as she was still thinking of the colt who was asleep upstairs in her bed. She tapped her hoof to the table, feeling anxiety and nervousness collide in her mind as she scrunched her lips and stared at the cup of cold tea.

Her eyes widened and a smile spread her face as she finished the tea in one go. “Idea!~” she sang to herself and made her way to the second workstation near her three life-sized mirrors. She took a dress that was hanging from one of the other mannequins and unveiled it before her, flinching at the hole that was torn into it.

“Oh no! Such a crime it is to tear something so magnificent!” she shouted out to herself and immediately began to work on it, humming a melody that she knew since she was young.

As she was busy working on the dress, she continued the melody for the duration of the stitching. She was, in her own words, in the zone. Nothing could disturb her from her zen when she was in it.

“And... done!” she shouted out and hovered the dress before her, placing it on the mannequin again. She gave a thorough look at it, smiling proudly at the work she had accomplished. Rarity turned around and was surprised to find the colt behind her.

“Oh my! You gave me a fright there!” she told the colt, who only stood still as though he was frozen. Rarity smiled softly as she calmed herself down. “I hope you are feeling better? I took the liberty of treating your wounds and-”

Her words came to a halt when she saw the foal’s eyes releasing a river of tears, though he stood still in place looking directly in Rarity’s eyes. “Oh no! Are you alright!?” she rushed over to the colt, who never stopped crying. “Please, tell me what’s wrong?” she begged him as she took hold of him, holding him close to her being. She felt his body going limp, causing her to look at his face. He was out cold.

“So yer sayin’ ya found this here colt inside a giant bona fide crystal?”

“Yes, Applejack,” Rarity replied dryly,sighing as she repeated the story to her friends who had arrived. “I know this sounds crazy, but that’s what happened.”

Twilight was busy taking down notes on Rarity’s story. “Where is he?” she asked curiously, wanting to see him with her own eyes.

“In my bedroom, sleeping. But please don’t-” she couldn’t finish her sentence, with Pinkie rushing off to the bedroom. “Pinkie Pie!” Rarity hissed and galloped to catch up with her friend. The others shrugged and followed the two friends.

When Pinkie opened the door, she saw the form of a foal in the bed. A broad smile presented itself on her muzzle, and she pulled out a cannon out of nowhere. Before she could do anything else though, a magical aura surrounded her and dragged her away from the bed. She was about to protest, but was silenced by a stern look on Rarity.

“None of that now, you hear!?” Rarity ordered Pinkie, who vigorously nodded keeping her mouth shut. “Good,” she dropped her unceremoniously to the floor. The others walked inside the room and gasped at the colt.

Rainbow, floating just above him, looked down upon the little colt in awe. “Woah... what’s a crystal pony doing all the way here?”

Twilight’s studious eye gazed upon the little colt, and she saw something that caught her attention. “A necklace?” She said out loud, and took hold of it with her magic. When she tugged on it, the owner of the necklace began to stir into awakeness.

The foal opened his eyes warily and saw six figures overshadowing him, one of them pulling on his possession. He opened his eyes wide and gasped, taking a hold of the locket and shying away from the mares as far he could on the bed.

Rarity pulled Twilight aside with a stern look and turned her attention to the little colt. “Please, don’t be afraid. We’re not going to hurt you,” she whispered as softly as she could, surprised as she was in control of not going ballistic on how shining his coat was.

The blue eyes of the colt turned moist as he continued to stare into Rarity’s, but returned to normal when he blinked. He removed the blanket shielding his face, and started to breath normally as Rarity backed away from him.

Pinkie’s lips pursed, as it looked like she was about to burst. She so wanted to know who the colt was and wanted to throw a party f or him. The look on Applejack’s face however told her to be as quiet as she could.

“My name is Rarity,” Rarity pointed out, with a warm smile. “What is your name, dear?” she asked the colt politely.

“M-my name is…” The colt began to speak, in a soft voice that would rival Fluttershy’s. “Amethyst…” The colt named Amethyst gulped as he finished his sentence. “Amethyst Craft.”

Chapter 2

Six mares were now sitting in the kitchen of Rarity’s home, having tea and discussing the future of the colt who was resting upstairs in Rarity’s main bedroom.

“Ah don’t know about y’all, but Ah think that there colt needs to head to the empire,” Applejack suggested, taking a bite of a biscuit.

Rarity was strangely vocal against any notion of sending him away. “You mean just take a colt who is still recovering and throw him out in the open?!”

“Woah, Nelly! Ah didn’t mean it like that. Of course that there colt needs to rest up and get himself acquainted with what’s happened…”

Rainbow nodded as she looked to Applejack. “Got that right. You know what the kid said, a thousand years can be a lot to catch up on.”

“I do have a book for just that, gave it to Luna when she visited during Nightmare Night,” Twilight suggested as she finished her cup of tea and refilled it. “I’m just concerned if he will be alright with catching up to today’s culture.”

Pinkie Pie was silent the whole conversation, taking in what her friends had to say about Amethyst and what choices had to be made for him. Until. “Well, the first thing we do is throw him a party when he gets well! A Gotten-Well-and-Welcome-to-Ponyville Party!”

Rarity sighed as she planted her hoof to her face. “Pinkie, I don’t think a party is the top priority for that poor colt right now.”

“Um, I think we should talk about where he is going to stay,” Fluttershy mentioned to the group of friends, but was met with silence.

Twilight sighed as she took a bite of a cookie. “Well, my library is out of the question at the moment, there are some renovations being performed now.” She said as she sipped her tea. “And I don’t think Blaze is an option unfortunately.”

“Well, my house a no-go, I live up in the clouds,” Rainbow told her friends and thought that even with a cloud-walking spell, her house was already filled with her daughter Scootaloo and her father Spectrum who moved in about half a year ago.

“He’ll stay here.”

Everypony turned to Rarity, who stared into her tea with her eyes narrowed in thought and determination. “Amethyst will stay here with me until further notice.”

“Are ya sure about that, Rarity? What about Sweetie Belle?”
Rarity waved her hoof dismissively and smiled to her friend. “She and Amethyst will get along just fine.”

“I’ve always wondered,” Twilight said, a little slowly, “why does Sweetie never stay with her parents?”

Rarity got quiet for a moment, looking down in her tea. “She does, but they travel a lot.” Rarity’s tone was half anger being directed toward her parents, and half a clear statement that Twilight shouldn’t press the subject any further.

After a tense moment, Applejack spoke. “Well, it’s probably fer th’ best he’s already got his cutie mark, the foals woulda had him in pieces draggin’ him ‘round tryin’ to get it.”

“Yes...” Twilight said, in thought. “What is his special talent? Maybe I can get him a book on it, too.”

“I can gemcraft.”

The six mares jumped slightly at the noise, their ears perking up. They turned to see Amethyst, standing nervously at the foot of the stairway.

“Darling, you shouldn’t be up,” Rarity said gently, immediately rising to her hooves and trotting over to him. “You should be resting...”

“I’m hungry,” he said, blushing. “I... I wanted to get something...”

“Of course, of course,” Rarity said, lifting the colt up with her magic and placing him in her now empty chair. “You wait here, I’ll make you something.”

Rarity went right to work, and Applejack and Fluttershy rose to help her. Meanwhile, Twilight spoke to Amethyst.

“You said you can gemcraft? Does that mean you can sculpt gems?”

He nodded.

“Why don’t I go get one of Rarity’s and you can show...”

“No need,” he said when he spotted a few flawed gems on the table. With that, he furrowed his brow and concentrated hard. With a flash, a meter-long gem appeared on the table.

Twilight jumped. “You just created that... that’s a rare talent.”

“I can only make one a day...” he said slowly. He wiped away a sweat from his forehead as he was catching his breath. “It’s not easy, but if I had other materials… I could try and make something better next time.”

Just as Rarity came back with a plate of hay sandwiches and some juice, she gently placed the food before Amethyst whose mouth was watering.

“I hope you like this, I’m sorry I couldn’t make you something a little more satisfying.” She said, remembering she still had to do weekly groceries.

But Amethyst was eating the sandwiches anyway, with a light smile on his face. “They’re delicious, thank you,” he told her as he turned to her and took a sip of his juice.

Rarity blushed lightly before turning her attention to the rod Amethyst had just created. “Oh my!” She took a glance at this and recognized the gem that he had just created. “This is an amethyst!” She squeed as she looked at the gem in appreciation. “Where did this come from?”

“I made it, Miss Rarity,” Amethyst said as he finished his meal. “Although I can only do it once a day, uses too much magic and depending on the material I have available.”

“Hold on,” Twilight raised her hoof interrupting the colt. “When you say material, what do you mean exactly?”

“Well, I can’t just create a gem out of nothing. I need material to make something out of them. Equivalent Trade, is what my mother called it…” he trailed off, looking down with his eyes slightly moist.

Rarity reached out to Amethyst and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Why don’t you go rest up now? You must be very tired,” she told him as she looked in his eyes, his clear blue eyes.

Amethyst nodded before getting off the table and making his way out of the room, before turning back to the mares. “Tis’ a pleasure meeting you all. Adieu.” He gave a slight bow before exiting the room.

“What a well-mannered colt,” Rarity remarked, smiling fondly to where Amethyst was just now.

“Wait!” Pinkie shot her head up, confusion on her face. “What does ‘Adieu’ mean?” she asked her friends.

Twilight shook her head, rolling her eyes as she smiled. “It’s another word for saying ‘good day’ or ‘good night’.”

“Oooooh!”

Sweetie Belle entered the front door of Carousel Boutique, giving a loud “I’m home!”

“Shhh, Sweetie!” Rarity said, rushing to her younger sister. “You need to be quiet. We have a guest who’s trying to get some sleep.

Sweetie perked up. “Somepony’s here?” she brightened. “Is it Mom or Dad?”

Pain showed across Rarity’s face for split second, but she quickly regained her composure. “I’m afraid not, Sweetie. There’s a colt upstairs I found when I was out gem-hunting today. He’s going to be staying with us for awhile.”

Sweetie blinked. “A colt?”

“That’s right...”

“DoeshehavehisCutieMar--”

“Yes, yes!” Rarity said quickly. “And a very nice special talent.”

Sweetie began dashing for the stairs, but Rarity cut her off using her magic to freeze her sister when she was about to take the first step on the staircase. “Now see here, that colt’s been trapped in crystal for a thousand years, I think he could benefit from rest more than any shenanigans.”

Sweetie blinked. “Huh?”

Rarity took her to the kitchen, made some tea, and told her the whole story. Sweetie waited until it was over before continuing. “So how long is he going to be here?”

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Hopefully, not too long. Princess Cadance should be able to find his family and he’ll be safe and happy with them.”

“What if they don’t find them?”

She sighed. “Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, as they say. In the meantime, the best we can do is offer him love and support.” She took a sip of tea. “I’m hoping you and your friends won’t mind having another along?”

She shook her head. “No, I think it’ll be fun! Maybe he’ll like my singing as much as the others do!”

Rarity smiled fondly at her little sister’s enthusiasm. “I am certain that he would enjoy your singing. Everypony does.”

“So when can I meet him?” Sweetie Belle bounced in place, even more curious about their new guest.

Before Rarity could answer her, the sound of hoof steps coming from the stairs alerted the two sisters to the presence of the crystal unicorn guest.

Amethyst looked to Rarity and to Sweetie Belle, feeling a little out of place. “Am I disturbing you?” he asked nervously, shuffling his hooves.

Sweetie’s eyes dilated to the size of plates as her jaw dropped. She let out a ear piercing squeal and galloped towards a startled Amethyst. “Oh my gosh! A real crystal pony is here in my house! A crystal unicorn! Yay! Yay!” She jumped around a confused Amethyst. “My name is Sweetie Belle! What is your name?”

“A-Amethyst, Amethyst Craft.”

“I’m Sweetie Belle! Nice to meet you!” She greeted him and looked to his flank and gasped. “What does your cutie mark represent? Please tell me!”

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity called out and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Honestly, give the poor colt some breathing room, please.” She sighed before she turned back to Amethyst and gave him a tender smile. “Anything you need, Amethyst?”

Amethyst merely nodded, still boggled at Sweetie Belle’s greeting. “I awoke not long ago…” he trailed off and looked down on the floor guiltily. “Thank you.”

Rarity gasped, placing a hoof to her mouth before removing it and smiling to the colt. “Well, I imagine it must be boring lying in bed the whole day if you are well rested.”

Sweetie Belle leaned into the conversation the two were having now, feeling a little left out. “Is it true you were stuck in a crystal!? For a thousand years?”

“Tis true…” Amethyst answered to her, though he sighed and his eyes looked downwards as he sighed.

“Oh, don’t you worry, Darling,” Rarity ruffled his head. “All the other Crystal Ponies were sealed away for a thousand years as well. We shall find your family soon enough. Princess Cadance is already on the job, and I assure you she’s quite competent in those matters.

“The Empire?” he said. Suddenly, he got scared. “Sombra, is he--”

“He’s gone,” Rarity assured. “He was defeated a few months ago, I saw him myself. That beast no longer burdens the Empire.”

“Tis a relief,” Amethyst sighed. “But I am not certain about my kin.”

“Why?” Sweetie asked.

“Sombra was horrid. When he enslaved the Empire, he broke up so many families. I was taken from my mother and father and sent to work in the mines. And then... then Sombra started the Culling.”

“The... Culling?” Sweetie tilted her head. “What does that mean?”

Rarity gulped. She had an idea, but before she could stop him, Amethyst continued.

“Sombra was wary of any who challenged his power. So he began to execute any unicorn he could find, saying that they had committed treason. When he started killing pegasi too, everypony knew what he was truly planning. My mother knew I’d be killed before too long, so she decided to take a chance. She rescued me from the mines, and dragged me outside. Something was happening, but I had been down in the mines so long I couldn’t see anything in the bright light. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in front of Miss Rarity.”

“Oh my...” Rarity said. The worst case scenario flashed through her head, that this colt might truly be an orphan. She had seen no crystal unicorns, after all. Still...

“What did your parents do?”

“My mother was an advisor in the court before Sombra took over... I hardly remember my father.”

Rarity sighed. She saw it in his eyes, there was little hope of his parents still being among the living.

“Well, even if they aren’t found, Ponyville is a great place to live!” Sweetie said. She, too, had noticed his depression and was trying to cheer him up. “Tomorrow, you can meet my friends! You’ll love them!”

Amethyst blinked to Sweetie’s statement, remaining silent before answering. “Thank you.”

Rarity smiled again before reaching out to Amethyst. “Why don’t you relax for a moment whilst I prepare supper for the three of us?” She told him with a warm tone.

“Let me help, too!” Sweetie Belle insisted, marching to the kitchen. She was stopped though when a white aura surrounded her and placed her next to Amethyst.

“Why don’t you and Amethyst get acquainted more?” She suggested to Sweetie, not wanting to leave Amethyst alone and not wanting to have her sister utilize her dreadful culinary skills.

Sweetie only blinked before tilting her head sideways. She then turned to Amethyst, who remained neutral in his expression. “Okay!” Sweetie Belle replied and grabbed Amethyst’s hoof. “Come on! I’ll show you my room!”

Before Amethyst could reply, he was immediately yanked by Sweetie Belle and brought upstairs. Rarity chuckled and went straight to work in the kitchen. As she was preparing the meals, a thought suddenly ran through her mind.

I never asked him what he likes to eat!

“Tis very delicious. Thank you.”

Rarity sighed in relief with her eyes closed and a soft smile forming. “You’re most welcome, Amethyst,” she replied and collected all the plates off the table. “Who wants dessert? Chocolate Mousse.”

“I do!” Sweetie Belle raised her hoof in the air, happy that her sister made her favourite dessert. Even more surprised that she made it even when she knew Rarity was suppose to be on a diet.

“What is ‘Chocolate Mousse’?” Amethyst asked curiously, meeting the blank stare of Sweetie Belle. “What?”

Sweetie groaned shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Just bring it out, please Rarity.”

“I’ll be right back~”

When Rarity left the two foals alone, Sweetie Belle looked to Amethyst. “So what are your plans for tomorrow?” she asked curiously, knowing that tomorrow would be a Saturday.

“Miss Rarity told me that she wanted to guide me through your town.”

Sweetie beamed at his answer. “Me and my friends can help out, too! You’ll love it!”

“Really?”

Sweetie nodded. “We’re going to have to go to all the places. Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy’s animal habitats, Twilight’s library, Sweet Apple Acres. Maybe we can even see the edge of the Everfree Forest--”

“Absolutely not!” Rarity said, coming in with the three trays of mousse. “Sweetie, you know better than to go there.”

“Aw, Rarity, we weren’t going to go in, we were just going to see the edge--”

“Need I remind you that the Timberwolves can be bold enough to attack ponies that get even that close? Or that a cockatrice can turn you to stone even at a distance?”

“But Twilight goes in all the time.”

“Twilight knows more magic than every other unicorn in town put together, she can care for herself. I, meanwhile, care for you, and therefore I will not have you even approaching that area.”

“Okay...”

“What are Timberwolves?” Amethyst asked.

“Nasty creatures,” Rarity said, “made of trees hit by Nightmare Moon’s magic.”

“...Who’s Nightmare Moon?”

Both Rarity and Sweetie looked at him with disbelief before remembrance hit their features. “I think that you better look through the books Twilight gave you. You truly do have a lot to catch up on.”

“Yeah, like desert,” Sweetie said. “Come on, try it out!”

Lifting up a spoonful, Amethyst put it in his mouth. There was a pause.

Then he lifted the whole bowl to his mouth and gulped it down.

“Dearie, please eat right.”

“Wha... what’s in this amazing dish?”

“Sugar,” Sweetie said.

“Oh... such heavenly bliss! The Creators themselves must have blessed this miraculous substance!”

As he continued gulping down his desert, Rarity sighed. She was going to have to put this foal on a diet.

Chapter 3

Amethyst felt like a fish out of water and placed in the desert sand. A thousand years he has been asleep. A thousand years of history to catch up on. After hearing from Miss Rarity and Sweetie Belle about recent events, he knew he had a long way to go before he could fully adapt.

So it was that he lay in the guest bedroom unable to sleep. As he looked around the room, he could not tell the difference between the guest bedroom and Miss Rarity’s room. The room was just as exquisite as the master bedroom was, with bright coloured walls and a very soft large bed to accompany it.

Even though it was soft, Amethyst could not find it in himself to sleep peacefully that night. The colt’s mind was tangled in thoughts. NightMare Moon, The Elements of Harmony, the Changelings, Bloodwing… the poor colt’s mind was overwhelmed just by listening to the barest of these events.

Fortunately, he was not alone. He was in good company in his current living place. Everypony he had met so far had greeted him with open hooves and offered to help a complete stranger, a pony who was an oddity to the others.

As he turned in his bed with his duvet covering his body, his thoughts turned back to Miss Rarity. How kind she is to him and how generous she is. He sighed and reached for his locket, opening it up gingerly to reveal two ponies in it. A smiling colt that was him, and a mare holding him close. His mother.

The door suddenly creaked, and he quickly closed his eyes. He heard hoofsteps coming towards his bed. He didn’t know how it was until he heard the pony speak.

“Looks like everything is alright here. The dear must have been more exhausted than I thought.”

Rarity stood over Amethyst’s bed and looked down on the sleeping foal’s form. She was concerned he wouldn’t be able to sleep due to the events that had transpired. Equestria’s makers know how poor Spike and Scootaloo couldn’t sleep without those dreaded nightmares… Her thoughts ceased when she saw Amethyst stirring and turning to his side, opening his eyes hesitantly to Rarity.

“I-is it time to wake up already?” he asked Rarity, feinting tiredness to the grown mare. He didn’t want her to know he didn’t sleep at all.

“Oh!” Rarity flushed as she blinked. “No no, dear! I was just checking up on you, didn’t mean to wake you…”

“What time is it?”

Rarity simply smiled and came closer to him. “That doesn’t matter,” she whispered and used her magic to form what looked like powder above Amethyst’s head. “Just sleep well and sweet dreams.” Before Amethyst could say another word, his eyes fluttered closed, followed by the sound of light snoring.

The next morning had been an active one for Amethyst. First, there was Miss Twilight, who came to his new home with what he guessed was half her library, though Miss Rarity laughed at the suggestion. After some excited squeals at getting to teach a young pony and hopes that he would get along with her sons, Spike and Light, she had entered a full lecture mode, starting from the year Amethyst had been frozen onward. What happened to the Crystal Empire and the years of mutual rulership between the Royal Sisters made up the first day's lesson. Amethyst listened intently, amazed by how much had happened, much to Twilight’s joy.

After a good three hours even Twilight decided that was enough for one day and departed back to the library, telling Amethyst to come visit when touring that day.

About thirty minutes after Twilight had left, he had just finished licking the last crumbs of lunch when the front door opened and Sweetie came in, this time followed by five other foals.

“Is that him?” a purple one asked. He turned to him. “Are you Amethyst?”

“Yes I am,” he answered. “And who might you be?”

“I’m Spike,” he said. Remembering who his tutor was, he added, “Twilight’s son.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said. He gave a hoof bump, but it was awkward, such a greeting had not existed when he was sealed away. He scanned the group until it fell on the white pegasus. “And you must be Light, Spike’s brother?”

“Pretty much, by this point,” the colt greeted.

As it turned out, Amethyst could easily pick out who was who based on the short descriptions Sweetie had given him. The only other colt had to be Pip, and Apple Bloom’s accent marked her even better than wings or a horn. Scootaloo looked almost plain compared to her friends, a shock considering she had the most interesting story of them all.

“So, what do ya need fer yer special talent?” Apple Bloom asked. “I need ta know so I can fix up what ‘cha need at th’ Clubhouse.”

“Tis a fine gesture,” he said, “but I would not bother. I am not sure I’ll be staying long enough to grow into such a thing.”

“Awww…” All the foals sighed dejectedly as they lowered their heads to the ground. The had so hoped to spend time with their new friend today.

Rarity came up to the foals, standing next to Amethyst. “I’m sure after tomorrow, when we return from Canterlot, Amethyst will be free to spend more time with all of you.”

“Yay!” All the foals save for Amethyst cheered. Just as the boutique quieted down, the bell from the front door ringed and a red pegasus entered the building wearing a saddle bag.

“Hello, Blaze,” Rarity greeted Twilight’s coltfriend, who had also become one of her close friends during the months he and Light had officially made Ponyville their permanent home.

“Yo!” Blaze saluted Rarity as he walked towards her, noticing the foals around her. “Hey kids.”

“Hey, Dad,” Light greeted his father as he walked up to him. “Aren’t you suppose to be at Wonderbolt training?”

“It’s Saturday, Light. Even Wonderbolt rookies have weekends off.”

Feeling sheepish, Light just blushed and fiddled with his hooves. “Oh… I forgot.” He simply answered the stallion and he was greeted by a chuckle from Blaze, followed by a ruffling of his mane.

“Just memorize it next time.” His gaze landed upon Amethyst, who shied away slightly behind Rarity. “So this is the crystal unicorn Twily’s been telling me about?”

Rarity turned around to face Amethyst. “It’s alright dear, he’s a good friend of mine,” she assured him and saw Amethyst walking out from Rarity’s shadow.

Amethyst gave a curt bow before speaking. “Greetings. I am Amethyst.”

Blaze whistled and grinned, lowering his head to Amethyst’s level. “My name is Blaze, Blaze Stream.” He greeted the foal back with a hoof bump that still confused Amethyst before pointing to his head. “Got it memorized?”

“Um…”

“Haha!” Blaze shook his head as he chuckled. “Well, being asleep for a thousand years, you got a lot to memorize before you oughta memorize my name.” His smile faded slightly when he saw Amethyst looking down frowning. “Don’t worry, you’ll catch up in no time. What with everypony here being your friends, you can’t go wrong.”

“Really?”

“Trust me, Twiley’s a smart pony. I’m a lucky stallion to have her.”

“Tell Twilight I’m sorry for not dropping by, but I have a limited time to show him around and I want him to meet everypony.”

“Of course. Now then, do you have my flight suit?”

“It’s on my work floor,” she assured. “I trust you can find it. I’m terribly sorry for not showing you to it, but we simply must be going. Come along, Amethyst, Sweetie. We have a lot to see.”

“Oh, oh!” Pinkie squealed, “try a cupcake! No, no,” she pulled the treat away. “The snickerdoodles! No, no,” she pulled the cookies away. “Cherry pie! No, no...”

“Pinkie,” Rarity said through limited patience. “Will you please give the foals a treat?”

“But you said they could only have one sweet, so it has to be my best! Oh, but there’s so many good things here!”

“I can see,” Amethyst said, his mouth watering at the sight. “Please Miss Pinkie, I will be happy with whatever treat thou would serve. We hardly got sugar in the Empire...”

“What?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “That’s terrible! Oh, Rarity, you have to let me give them more than one...”

“No,” Rarity said with firmness. “Give them each a cupcake, and then, if they’re good, we’ll stop for milkshakes on the way home, okay?”

“Oh, really? Well okay!”

Pinkie produced a tray with two chocolate cupcakes. Amethyst snached his up, and by the time he was finished his cheeks were covered in frosting.

“...Are milkshakes this divine as well?” he said, in a euphoric state.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t drink it that fast...” Sweetie began, but Amethyst turned to Rarity.

“Please Miss Rarity, may I have one?”

“Well... I suppose...”

Pinkie almost immediately produced a milkshake. Amethyst took it and began taking one long, big gulp.

Seconds later, he was on the ground, grabbing his head and screaming from brain freeze.

Rarity gasped and rushed over to Amethyst, kneeling down to the floor. “D-don’t worry, dear! It will go away, now-now,” she comforted the colt in her hooves. Sweetie just shrugged and slurped her milkshake away without a care in the world.

Eventually the screaming stopped. Amethyst took a few deep breaths... and then jumped up and gulped down a few more mouthfuls.

Sweetie rolled her eyes as he was back on the floor, screaming his head off.

After recovering from the sugar rush, Amethyst made a mental note to not consume vast amounts of sugar in large quantity or at a fast rate. He couldn’t help it really, having only tasted such sweet delicacies recently was a blessing to him. So was being freed from that crystal he had been in a deep slumber in.

As he walked alongside Rarity and Sweetie Belle, he observed the whole town of Ponyville and was amazed at its diversity of all three races. That along with the warm reception in the air, he couldn’t help but smile.

Rarity took notice of this and looked down on the colt as he looked around. “You enjoying yourself, Amethyst?”

He nodded to Rarity. “Tis amazing the halcyon atmosphere of this quaint village.” He replied to Rarity, looking around to see a few families together. “But I must query on a thought…”

“Oh?” Rarity's ears perked at Amethyst’s words not seeing Sweetie Belle’s confused face, lost with Amethyst’s odd words.

“Where art thy mother and father?”

Rarity blinked as she heard his question. “Oh, well… they are just on—”

“They’re on holiday.” Sweetie Belle cut in, sounding robotic with her words. “They’re on holiday to some beach, that’s why I’m living with Rarity.”

“I see,” Amethyst replied, looking to Sweetie Belle before turning to Rarity.

“That’s right,” Rarity said dismissively, seemingly avoiding the topic. “Now then, what shall we do for now?”

Sweetie Belle raised her one hoof eagerly in the air, gaining Rarity’s attention. “Why don’t we show him the Sweet Apple Acres?”

Rarity hummed as she thought of the idea, tapping her chin. “What say you, Amethyst?”

“Sweet Apple Acres? Is that where Miss Applejack and Apple Bloom lives?”

“It is indeed. And they adore new ponies. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”

Amethyst’s first visit to the Apple Family wasn’t as overwhelming as Twilight’s, but it was still something. Granny Smith, hearing about the visit, prepared a meal far too large for him. This included apple pie to which Amethyst gratefully accepted and gulped down, before yelling due to the heat of the pie on his tongue. Even after all that, he asked for seconds.

Big Mac sized the colt up and down. “How long are you going to be in Ponyville?”

The colt looked at the large stallion. “I’m not sure. Rarity has sent word to the Princess of the Crystal Empire to seek out my mother, but I am not sure she is still among the living. If not, Sweetie wants me to stay in Ponyville, but I’m not sure Miss Rarity would be willing to have me for that long.”

“Your mother? Did you have a father too?”

“My father disappeared long before I was trapped. I accepted he was dead long ago.”

“That ain’t right,” the burly stallion said. “A colt needs a father.”

“I suppose... perhaps...” Rarity said, a bit tensely. Then, under her breath, she added, “I seemed to get by just fine without one...”

“I suppose it would be nice,” Amethyst said. “Miss Rarity, I don’t suppose you have a stallion?”

Rarity turned crimson. “N-no,” she stammered. “I am on a timeout, as it were, on matters of dating. Prince Blueblood decided that for me.” She left out that, after that date, she seriously considered finding a mare instead.

“A timeout?” Big Mac asked. His voice and face remained steady, but Amethyst saw his ears droop a bit.

“Well, I can’t say I’m hoping a big and strong stallion doesn’t sweep me off my hooves. Maybe it will happen...”

Applejack, having walked up towards the group of new arrivals and hearing what Rarity was saying, leaned into her brother’s ear with a grin on her muzzle. “Ya oughta get on with it, Big MacIntosh.”

Big MacIntosh simply scrunched his lips and was grateful that he had a red coat, otherwise the ponies would have seen his cheeks burning brightly.

Applejack merely giggled at her older brother and made her way to Rarity and the two foals. “Ya having a good time there, sugarcube?” She asked Amethyst, seeing as he had finished the apple pies and looked as stuffed as Twilight was on her first visit.

“Yes, I thank thee, Miss Applejack.”

“Shucks! None of that ‘Miss’” shenanigans with me now, please,” Applejack replied, shaking her head as she chuckled. “Just call me ‘Applejack’ or ‘AJ’, everypony else does.”

Before Amethyst could answer her, a ball of energy in the form of a yellow filly came running to the group. “Sweetie Belle! Howdy!” Apple Bloom came to a stop at her friend and saw Amethyst there too. “Hiya, Amethyst!”

“Hello…”

“What’re ya’ll doing here?”

“We were just showing Amethyst around Ponyville and decided to stop her,” Sweetie Belle answered her friend and looked to Amethyst’s full stomach. “Though your granny thought to give him a five course meal.”

Apple Bloom as she saw Amethyst’s expression from being so full. “That happens with every new pony,” she replied before raising her eyebrows and beaming. “Say! Why don’t we show ya our clubhouse?”

“Clubhouse?”

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle chimed in, agreeing with Apple Bloom’s idea. “You mind Rarity?” She asked her sister, who was in conversation with Applejack.

Rarity rolled her eyes smiling. “Go on ahead, but come when I call y—”

Before she could say another word, the two fillies and colt were off towards the clubhouse. Amethyst, from what Rarity could see, looked awfully ill and she winced at the thought of the poor colt running on a full stomach.

“Ya sure took a likin’ to that there colt,” Applejack mentioned to her friend, seeing her gaze off to where the foals ran to.

“I suppose...” Rarity said, a smile crossing her features.

“Ya gonna keep ‘im? Or are you gonna let yer parents raise ‘im?”

“My parents don’t raise anypony,” Rarity said stiffly.

“What’s that mean? Wait... they weren’t at the cutieceañera either...”

“An all-too-common occurrence,” Rarity sighed. “My parents retired when I was sixteen, and they seemed to retire from being parents as well. I daresay I was changing Sweetie’s diapers and feeding her her formula more than they ever did.”

“Ah was wondering why she stays with you so much... ye don’t seem to like havin’ her around...”

“Well, she can be a hoofful,” Rarity admitted, “but that is not my main issue. I should not be the one raising Sweetie. I’m young, dearie, this is my chance to put myself in a better position. To make a name for myself and get my income stable, then I’d think of foals. I...” she sighed. “Nopony should be raising kids at this point. No offense, I know you’ve had to raise your sister as well, but it was unfair to you...”

Applejack nodded. “Ah felt cheated when my folks passed away,” she said sadly. “But at least Granny was there. But Rare, you’re takin’ another foal.”

“I suppose I am. I don’t know, I thought it was unfair with Sweetie. Perhaps I’ve simply matured more since then... Do you think I could be a mother, if that’s what Amethyst needs?”

“Sure as shootin’,” Applejack said. “Yer stable now. Ye got, what, a hundred thousand bits saved up from commissions since th’ weddin’?”

They both winced. That was one event they didn’t think anypony would ever look back on completely painlessly, Twilight included.

“I do.”

“And shoot, Ah’m bettin a father for ‘im is just waitin.”

Rarity blushed. “Applejack...”

“Maybe ya need to look outside the Elite—”

“Believe me, I think so too.”

Unbeknownst to Rarity, Big Macintosh gave a small smile away from hearing this. Luckily for him, it was not noticed by Applejack.

“Welcome to our clubhouse!”

Amethyst stepped inside the clubhouse of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and was impressed by how well decorated and built the small structure was. Every wooden piece was shining with though it were polished daily. A podium stood in the middle of the room with some seats around it. Posters littered the walls, posters of the Wonderbolts and of musical bands that Amethyst had yet to learn from.

“What you think?” Sweetie Belle asked Amethyst as he was looking around the inside of the clubhouse thoroughly.

“Looks very impressive. Who constructed this building?”

Apple Bloom beamed and raised her hoof. “Ah did!”

Amethyst looked at her and saw a hammer and an apple on her flank. He nodded and smiled to the yellow filly. “Quite an impressive talent you have.”

“Shucks!” Apple Bloom waved her hoof, blushing a little. “Just a shame we don’t have the others here. We coulda done something fun!”

“Yeah…”

Amethyst could not help but frown at the two fillies before him. From what he could tell, he wasn’t going to be living for long in Ponyville. The thought of living here in this town was tempting though, for all he knew, he was all alone in the world.

He shook his head and held his locket tight against his chest. He sighed and closed his eyes, resisting the urge to open the locket and reveal its contents.

“Say Amethyst, what’s in that locket?”

Amethyst’s mind was brought back to reality as Apple Bloom asked him an innocent question, which he was unwilling to answer.

“Tis nothing.”

“Then why are you carrying it?” Sweetie asked.

“I meant, tis nothing that should trouble thee,” he amended. “Shall we look around? I would like to see it before Miss Rarity comes to take us to our next destination?”

“There’s not much to see,” Sweetie said. “There’s Spike’s writing table, and Apple Bloom’s work bench...”

“What about yer stage outside?”

Sweetie brightened. “Hey, yeah!” She pulled and prodded Amethyst out the backdoor, where a simple theatre stage and a simple set of seats were waiting. “Apple Bloom made it too! I can sing for my friends every afternoon.”

“It looks charming,” the ancient unicorn said. “Thou have a lovely singing voice, I take it?”

Sweetie blushed. “It’s pretty good...”

“Pretty good? Yer singing is phenomenal! Spike can listen to you sing fer hours an’ hours!”

“Yeah, but he’s my coltfriend, he has to.”

“Might I hear a tune? I daresay I haven’t had a chance to sample modern music... come to think of it, there was little enough music after Sombra took over.”

“No time for that,” Rarity said, coming up. “We still have two more ponies for you to meet. I promise you’ll have some time to spend together tomorrow.”

“But Rarity...” Sweetie and Apple Bloom began whining, only for the older mare to cut them off.

“No buts! Say goodbye, Amethyst, Sweetie.”

“Okay,” Sweetie said. “See you, Apple Bloom.”

“It’s been a pleasure,” Amethyst said.

“Bye. An’ come but tomorrah, and we can all do somethin’ fun!”

Fluttershy’s cottage was a bit small, but certainly teeming with activity. Fluttershy served tea and cookies as she and her son entertained their guests.

“Let’s go to my room,” Pip suggested, seeing as he wanted to give his mother and Rarity some time to talk alone.

“Okay,” Sweetie Belle replied, placing her tea down on the saucer and standing up.

“Very well.”

When the foals left the room, Rarity looked to Fluttershy with new found curiosity. “So how are things with Pip now?”

Fluttershy smiled contently, looking to the direction where Pip’s room was now at since its addition. “Things have gone very well thank you, can’t believe it’s been over half a year since he came into my life.” My colt. Fluttershy squeed, thinking back to that fateful day when she took him in and when she received a wonderful foal in her life. Her thoughts crossed on Amethyst and her smile slowly dissipated when she looked to Rarity. “How’s Amethyst doing?”

“Better than I expected, really,” Rarity remarked as she remembered the events of today and how happy he seemed to be, albeit from the sugar consumption. “I just hope things work out in the end.”

“I hope so too, he looks like a very kind foal,” Fluttershy said as she furrowed her brow. “I just feel so bad for him having gone through such an awful time with that- that- meanie!” Fluttershy barked out, softly, as she remembered reading books on Sombra and what he had done to the Crystal Empire.

Rarity nodded as she sipped on her tea. “I know,” her thoughts returned to Amethyst, seeing how he cried when he met her the first time. “Fluttershy, what do you think I should do if worse comes to worse?”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy cocked her brow in question.

“What should I do if Amethyst has no family up there?”

Fluttershy hummed as she thought of an answer. “Well, I think you will know the answer when the time is right, Rarity.”

Rarity tilted her head in confusion. “What in heavens does that mean?”

“You’ll know the answer when the time comes for you to need the answer. It’s like when I found out Pip was all alone in the world, I knew then I had to do something for him. So when Amethyst is alone or without any family, you will know the answer.”

“I suppose...” she looked at the door that Amethyst, Sweetie Belle and Pip disappeared behind. “I’m glad that he and the other foals are getting along alright. At least he won’t have to worry about making friends.”

“Are you worried about Diamond Tiara? She bullies a lot of foals for being different, and his coat makes him stand out...”

Had Rarity been a less dignified pony, she would have scoffed. “Diamond Tiara shouldn’t be much of a problem. My sister is always talking about how she has no more respect. The other foals don’t like her, and her father disciplines her enough...”

Rarity stopped and thought a minute. “Fluttershy, has there been any trouble raising Pip?”

“No, none at all. He’s very well behaved. I think he doesn’t want to do anything to upset me.”

She smiled. “You’re lucky. You might be the only one of us to have adopted a foal without any trouble.”

They giggled a bit, but not too much. Just thinking about Bloodwing brought along too many problems. Not the least of which was a certain jailbreak months ago.

“Any luck finding Black?”

Rarity shook her head. “Blaze, the poor dear, wants to go look for him again. And I think he’s starting to get jumpy. If Twilight, Light, and Spike were taken from him...”

“Maybe he won’t come after us.” Rarity looked at her like she had declared that the sky was purple. “Well, didn’t they say he seemed a little... crazy? Maybe he’s off somewhere, thinking he’s in Ponyville.”

Rarity thought of the sadistic pony babbling like a madpony at rocks and squirrels, and somehow it managed to simply disturb her more than anything else. Still, six months was an awfully long time for a pony in the grip of insanity to hide.

“Perhaps... but I do wish they’d find him...”

“Me too... poor Twilight was hysterical afterward. She wouldn’t let Spike or Light go anywhere alone. And Rainbow Dash... she was with Blaze on half of his trips, and the other half she went off alone...”

“Do you think he’d come after Amethyst?” Fluttershy gave her friend a look. “I suppose it’s silly, but... crystal unicorns are rare. Maybe he’ll want him for something... what I can’t say. Bloodwing was the mastermind of the whole thing, and none of his research was stolen...”

“I...” Fluttershy sighed. “I don’t know. If the guards never find him, I hope he stays far away. Very far away...”

After saying goodbye to Fluttershy and Pip, Rarity and the two foals had one last stop to make. Luckily for them, Rainbow was off today. Rarity knew exactly where she would be, and so she went off to a hill just outside of town where three pegasi were flying in the air.

When Rarity finally reached her destination, Rainbow Dash was the first one to notice and she floated down to where Rarity was standing with the unicorn foals.

“Hey Rarity,” Rainbow greeted her friend before turning her attention to Sweetie Belle and Amethyst. “Heya kids. What you doing all the way out here?”

“Oh, we just decided to show Amethyst around Ponyville,” she said out loud before leaning into Rainbow’s ear. “And I thought of getting him to meet new ponies too, poor dear’s awfully clueless.”

Rainbow’s mouth quirked up at one corner. “Why didn’t you say so?” She then scooted Rarity to one side and lowered her head to Amethyst’s level. “Say kid, were there any crystal pegasi up there?”

Amethyst simply shrugged as he rolled his eyes in thought. “They were as few as a hundred only. But most of them had been…” he trailed off he furrowed his brow and lowered his head in remembrance.

“A-anyway! Look,” Rainbow pointed to herself and grinned. “If you need any help at all from the fastest pegasus there is, just holler for me.” She winked at him as she gave a toothy smile.

“So,” Rarity chimed in and looked to the sky and back to Rainbow. “How is your training going by the way?”

Before she could answer, Rainbow Spectrum came flying down with his granddaughter Scootaloo and stopped just before Rarity. “By the time I’m finished with her, she’ll be a legend forever.”

“Aww, Dad!” Rainbow rolled her eyes and gave him a light push on his shoulder, blushing a little.

Spectrum looked down to Amethyst and cocked his eyebrow in curiosity. “So this is the crystal colt you’ve been talking about last night?” He asked his daughter, who replied with a nod. “Pleasure to meet you, I’m Captain Rainbow Spectrum of the Wonderbolts.” He said proudly before chuckling. “Retired of course.”

“The... Wonderbolts?” he asked curiously.

“They’re a part of Equestria’s defense, sweetie,” Rarity explained, “but they also put on shows for ponies... it’s a bit difficult to explain.”

“Not really,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s a club for the coolest pegasi in Equestria.”

Amethyst cocked her head, then placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s leg. “You do not feel cold. How queer.”

“Uh, that’s not what...” Rainbow Dash said awkwardly. “Wow. You have a lot to catch up on.”

“It’s a figure of speech,” Rarity sighed. “Perhaps a visit to Twilight’s library would be good after all...”

“Pffth, he’ll pick it up.” Rainbow Dash brushed it off. “There’s nothing you can learn in school that you can’t learn from the streets.”

“Oh really?” Rarity deadpanned.

“Actually, I think she’s right,” Spectrum said. “At least about this. He’ll pick up on modern slang and everything by playing with other foals.”

"Oh, do you have him in school yet?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I’d keep him away from Diamond—”

“Um, it’s a little early to be thinking of that, don’t you think? I don’t even know if I’m going to be keeping him. Why, we sent word to Cadance...”

As the adults droned, Amethyst found himself being pulled away by Sweetie, and toward a place where Scootaloo was busy doing wing-ups.

Sweetie Belle scratched her head in confusion, seeing her friend do such strenuous exercise. “Isn’t that exercise for pegasi who want to be fast flyers?”

Scootaloo smirked as she got up from her exercise and wiped the sweat of her forehead. “Just cause I am good with dancing, doesn’t mean that’s the only thing I have to be good at,” she said as she unfurled her wings. “Sure I wanna be a top dancer, but I also wanna be a top flyer like my mom and grandpa.”

“That’s quite an admirable quality you have there,” Amethyst noted as he looked to her cutie, a pair of ballet shoes with wings attached to them.

“Thanks,” Scootaloo replied and looked to his cutie mark. “What can you do?” She asked curiously.

“Why don’t I show thee?” After he said that, he looked to the ground for a moment before a small smile spread across his face. “Observe.” He then lit up his horn and closed his eyes and small grains of minerals gathered to combine in the air before him. After a few seconds, the grains seemed to meld together and solidify. What formed was a bar of shining red crystal. The finished product dropped to the ground and Amethyst landed on his haunches, catching his breath as he was now sweating.

Scootaloo and Sweetie stared in awe at the work Amethyst did before turning back to him. “That’s such an awesome trick!” Scootaloo exclaimed, taking hold of the crystal. “What kind of crystal is this?”

“It;’s a garnet, nothing special,” Amethyst answered dismissively, catching his breath.

“Nothing special!?” Sweetie Belle retorted with wide eyes. “You have such a cool talent and you don’t think it’s special?!”

Amethyst just shrugged and smiled. “I’m not exactly on par with what others could do before me. There were some who could create the finest diamonds, my own mother was one who…” he trailed off again before scrunching his lips. “Nevermind.”

The fillies didn’t. They were too entranced by what just happened to not hear Amethyst’s words. Rarity came up towards them and caught sight of Amethyst. “Everything alright?” She asked worriedly, standing at Amethyst’s side.

“I was just showing them my talent.” He pointed to the garnet that Scootaloo was holding, before it was snatched away by Rarity.

Rarity’s eyes glittered, speechless to what she was holding. “Did you make this?”

“Yes, but it’s not really worth much.”

Rarity looked it over. “I suppose it isn’t the most flawless crystal I’ve ever seen, but it’s so beautiful. You have quite a talent.”

“My mother did it better,” he said sadly.

“Well... maybe you’ll find her soon,” she said with a sad smile.

“Perhaps,” he sighed.

“Well, are you ready to go? Rainbow Dash and Spectrum need to get back to training, and it’s getting late.”

“I suppose...” Amethyst replied as he, Rarity and Sweetie waved goodbye to the pegasi practicing flying.

Chapter 4

The following morning started as it did with every morning, with the rooster’s calling. For Rarity though, an alarm clock woke her up every morning as she was a sound sleeper with ear muffs on her. When she finally deactivated the clock, she groggily stretched her legs before climbing out of her soft bed.

Rarity gave a yawn as she marched straight to the mirror, staring at the mess that was her mane. She shook her head and took a comb out of her drawer, making her mane as curly and shiny as it was everyday.

Once she was done with her mane and coat, she stepped out of her room and gently opened the door leading another bedroom where the foals of the house were sleeping in.

Sweetie Belle was sleeping soundly in her own bed, rolled up and snuggled in her duvet coverings. A small smile was present of her face, no doubt from a dream she was having. Rarity’s eyes softened at the adorable scene, before she blinked and looked to the other bed.

Thankfully, Sweetie Belle’s room had another bed in it in case one of her friends came by and had to sleep over for the evening. This was the case for Amethyst, who wouldn’t most likely use this bed now for more than just one evening. Said crystal unicorn was not clutching on his coverings like his roommate was, as they were on the ground and he was sleeping on his back.

Rarity bit her lower lip and softly made her way to the bed, using her magic to gently lift the duvet up from the ground and place it upon the colt’s small body. Just as she was done, his body started stirring. She backed away sharply, fearing she woke him up. Amethyst merely creeped in further, most likely his instincts kicking in to try and get warm.

When he stopped stirring, Rarity exhaled and smiled softly to the foals. She made her way out of the room and down to the kitchen, preparing breakfast for all three. Before she stepped into the kitchen though, she saw a white envelope on the floor before the front door. She used her magic to pick the envelope up, and saw the royal seal on it.

That was quick…

Just as she spoke in her mind, the growling of a miserable cat came up from behind Rarity. Opalescence was not an animal of patience, and she demanded to be fed on time or whenever she wished to be.

Rarity rolled her eyes in annoyance, trotting past Opalescence and into the kitchen. She reached for a bowl and took hold of the cat food, pouring in a generous helping for her cat. “Here you go Opal, enjoy,” she said and saw her cat munch down on the food, not bothering to give her master another look.

Sighing, Rarity opened the letter.

Dear Rarity,

I have received your request to look into things, and I’m sorry to say that Amethyst has caused quite the buzz. Crystal unicorns are very rare, we’re not sure if any are left in the Empire. We still haven’t done a proper census of the Empire, so the search will take time. In case Amethyst hasn’t told you, Sombra....

Rarity skimmed the details of the Culling.

So as you can see, we are not very optimistic. We believe a crystal unicorn would be known to us by now. However, we will still look. Auntie says she filed custody papers for Amethyst on your behalf, though I’m hoping it will only be a temporary thing.

I hope to have answers for you soon.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza

Cadance

Rarity looked over the letter, then carefully took it to a drawer she kept her files in. She tucked it away, vowing not to let Amethyst see it. No need dashing or raising his hopes this soon. In the meantime, perhaps something else fun would get his mind off things.

Then something occurred to her. Perhaps the best way to help him adjust was something else fun. Another day out...

She considered herself. “All my commissions can wait another day,” she decided. She pulled out some paper and a quill. She would have Sweetie run to Blaze and have him deliver the message. She needed a royal chariot.

Rarity was grateful she needed that letter delivered, because Sweetie had been planning on making breakfast that morning, and anything that prevented that was worth the effort. Rarity whipped up a quick meal of toast, oatmeal, and juice, which was finished just as the chariot landed on the Boutique's front lawn.

“Requested escort for Lady Rarity and guests,” the lead driver said stiffly. The white-coated unicorn nodded, levitating a bit into each of their saddlebags before getting on. Thirty minutes of excited pratter from Sweetie later, they were in Canterlot, and the guards were given another two-bit tip.

“Well now,” Rarity said happily, “here we are, the culture center of Equestria... except maybe Manehattan. Where would you like to go first?”

Amethyst looked around and was amazed at the landmark that was known as Canterlot. Back in his time, the capital of the Princesses were in the Everfree Forest where they were safe from enemy invasion should it ever arise. At least, that’s what he was taught by his mother. Why the Princesses moved the capital he still had to find out. For now, he was lost in this new environment with no idea of where to go next.

“I don’t know where is where, Miss Rarity,” he answered plainly, shrugging as he looked at her.

Rarity hummed as she thought of an answer. “Why don’t we go and walk around a bit, see if we find something interesting?” she asked the foals, both nodding to answer her. “Good, let’s be off then.”

As the trio walked through the streets of Canterlot, Amethyst felt a tingling of intimidation running down his spine when he saw a few of the residential ponies looking at him in curiosity and in awe, as though he were a living wonder display at the circus.

As she felt Amethyst sticking close to her, Rarity took notice of some ponies looking at him oddly. “Pay no attention to them, Amethyst, they just haven’t seen a crystal pony in their lives before.”

“That or he is a crystal unicorn,” Sweetie Belle remarked as she saw one upper class mare looking distantly at her before sticking her muzzle high and trotting off ‘gracefully’. “I’m bored, Rarity!” Sweetie groaned as they walked for what seemed to be forever.

“Sweetie, honestly!” Rarity replied as she furrowed her brow in frustration. “It’s not ladylike to behave like you are now, and besides…” she trailed off as she looked down on Amethyst. “We are showing Amethyst what Canterlot is like. What do you think so far?” She asked him curiously, noticing that he hasn’t said a word.

“It is awfully gigantic in size,” he replied as he looked around from building to building. “Yet why are most of the ponies here foul in their hospitality?” he asked Rarity, as he compared Ponyville to Canterlot and noticed vast differences between the two.

Sweetie Belle giggled at his question, but was silenced when Rarity glowered at the filly. “Well, let’s just say the ponies here haven’t learned how to behave themselves as proper ladies or gentlecolts.”

“I see…”

“Besides, not all ponies here are like that. There are a few who are genuinely kind and caring to their fellow pony,” she said as she remembered her friend Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur de Lis. Just as she was reminiscing her stay in Canterlot, she accidently bumped into a pony. “I-I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to--”

“Rarity, is that you?”

Rarity jumped a bit at the sudden voice, but brightened when he realized its source. Turning, he saw a familiar stallion before her, adjusting his monocle.

“Fancy Pants! I must say, it’s a pleasure running into you here.”

“Likewise. You usually announce your visits.” He looked down a moment. “I say, a crystal unicorn? I’ve heard a good deal about the crystal ponies. How do you do, my names is Fancypants.”

“Amethyst, delighted,” he said, a bit meekly.

“Very nice. May I ask why you are with Rarity?”

“I’m staying with her until my parents can be found.”

Suddenly feeling awkward, Fancy Pants looked up at Rarity.

“It’s a long story,” Rarity said quickly. “I brought Amethyst up here to experience some culture.”

“Have you now?” He smiled. “I happen to be hosting a bit of a get-together in my box at today’s opera. Perhaps that is what the boy needs.”

“Perhaps. What do you say, Amethyst?”

“I’d like that very much. Thank you, sir.”

Fancy Pants chuckled, readjusting his monocle as he smiled. “My, such a well-behaved colt. Well, come on now, the opera will be starting any minute.”

Cadance looked through every record that her assistants had brought her. Again and again, she was sure there would be nothing but paperwork in her dreams tonight, and yet nothing came up. No crystal unicorns seemed to exist in the Empire.

She rubbed her head, leaning back. Her eyes felt like they were going to fall right out of their sockets. She needed to take a break.

“Your highness?”

Cadance’s attention was drawn to the door, where a crystal pony with red coat and white mane stood. Shimmering Ruby was the royal advisor for Cadance and Shining Armor, often she played as steward in case of emergencies for Cadance.

“Yes, Shimmering?”

“May I enter?”

Cadance nodded and saw Shimmering enter the room before closing the door behind her. “What can I help you with Shimmering?” She asked him politely, as she was straightening her desk.

“It’s not me who needs help, my Princess, but it seems that you need help,” she replied, taking notice of the bags under Cadance’s eyes.

She merely groaned before smiling awkwardly. “Am I that transparent?”

“Very,” she chuckled before clearing his throat. “What seems to be the problem, Your Majesty?”

Cadance scrunched her lips a little as he called her that, something she didn’t like one bit. Before she spoke, she got up from her desk and stretched her legs. “It seems that my sister-in-law’s friend has made a discovery lately…” she trailed off as she walked towards Shimmering.

“Lady Sparkle? Her friends are the Elements of Harmony, correct?” she asked her, having been trapped for over a thousand years thanks to a certain dark spell by a peculiar unicorn tyrant.

“Yes,” Cadance answered her. “Rarity, the Bearer of the Element of Generosity, seems to have found one crystal pony out in the desert not so long ago.”

“Oh?” Shimmering’s eyebrow cocked at this news. “What is so special about one crystal pony being found away from home?” She asked Cadance, curious how one crystal pony could bring Cadance to not barely sleep at all.

Before Cadance answered her, she used a spell to envelop the room in what seemed to be a foamish-magical layer. Shimmering knew this was the sound-proof spell, used when information of the highest level was traded amongst ponies.

“What I am about to tell you, Shimmering, is top secret and cannot leave this room, understood?” she asked her advisor, who gave a single nod with her lips sealed. “A few days ago, a crystal unicorn colt was found just outside of Ponyville by Rarity.”

The vizier's eyes widened. “A crystal unicorn? That’s amazing! I thought Sombra exterminated them all during the Culling.”

“Apparently not. From what I can gathered, he was snuck out by his mother around the time the Culling was taking place.”

“Then he might very well be the last one left,” the vizier muttered with awe.

“Indeed. I suppose you don’t know of any survivors?”

“I’m afraid not... still...” the pony pondered a minute longer. “Even if we do not succeed in finding any family, he should be returned to the Empire as soon as possible.”

“Do you think that will be necessary?”

“Indeed. He’s a national treasure. He belongs up here, among his own kind. The ponies will not like him being away once they discover him... and they will discover him, mark my words. It’s only a matter of time before his existence becomes public knowledge.”

“I suppose...” she mused. “But let’s give it time. It’s probably for the best he remains away from the Empire until we’re sure of his family.”

Ruby seemed uneasy. “Your Highness, I’m, not sure that’s wise. He should be brought up here...”

“Why?” Cadance said. “So he can hear every false lead? So he can get his hopes dashed?” Immediately the alicorn calmed. “I’m sorry, but... after my parents went missing...” she sighed. “I hung onto every hope like that... I don’t want that happening to him.”

“Your Highness...”

“We’ll keep his existence a secret as long as we can,” Cadance replied firmly. “In the meantime, fabricate a reason he can’t come up here if he’s discovered too soon.”

“I...” she began, then she sighed. “Of course, Your Highness,” she said with a bow, then turned to leave.

“Wait, Ruby?”

She stopped. “Yes, Your Highness?”

“How much time passed between the Culling and Sombra being overthrown?”

Ruby tapped her chin thought, furrowing her brow. “About half a day at least Princess, not so long ago…” she trailed off, trying her best to remember.

Cadance let loose a sigh of relief, a little bit of hope shining down on this problem. “That’s good news at least, there might have been a few survivors after all.”

“I hope so, Your Majesty, I certainly hope so…”

The Canterlot Opera House was one the largest theatres in all of the world. Today’s premiere was that of the tale of Phantom of the Opera, famous in Bardigiano for its drama and romance.

So it was that Rarity, Sweetie Belle and Amethyst walked out with Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur de Lis after seeing one of the most moving masterpieces ever. Rarity in particular was the most touched, as her eyes were puffy and she was blowing her nose with a tissue from crying.

“That was the most tragic and most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”

Sweetie Belle merely giggled at her sister’s state, though she was impressed by the play nonetheless. “I have to admit, it was sad how the Phantom just vanished in the end and only his mask was left behind.”

Fancy Pants chuckled as he adjusted his monocle and felt his wife coming closer to his side. “I say, that was quite a marvelous display of love and sorrow,” he mentioned and he took notice of Amethyst. “My dear colt, what do you have to say about the play?”

Amethyst hummed as he stared upwards. “I admit, the opera was quite moving in terms of romance. Though I can’t help but feel sad about how the Phantom sacrificed so much for the lady he loved and yet it seemed he never had a happy ending.”

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle pondered his words and scrunched her lips. “Haven’t thought about it like that.”

Before Rarity could answer, Fancy Pants cleared his throat to address her. “Rarity, will you join me and Fleur for lunch perhaps? Your sister and friend are most welcomed too.”

“I’m sorry, Fancy, but I have another appointment that can’t be delayed any further,” she replied to him, albeit sadly.

“Ah,” Fancy Pants merely smiled and nodded. “I understand. Well then, I hope to see you again soon. Good day.” He bid Rarity farewell before he and his wife trotted off towards the cafés of the city.

“What appointment are we going to?” Sweetie asked.

Rarity took a breath. “Well, when I sent a request for the chariot, Princess Celestia overheard and asked us to meet her for lunch. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

“The Princess!” Sweetie’s eyes lit up.

“Do you mean, Princess Celestia? Or Princess Luna?” Amethyst asked. “They still rule Equestria, don’t they?”

“Yes, dearie. You did know she was immortal, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes,” he answered slowly, “but I would have thought they were tired of ruling by now. There was always much propaganda around the Empire, with Sombra saying they were becoming weary of the throne.”

“Sombra told you nothing but lies then,” Rarity assured. “Celestia has reigned for a while now, and Luna... well, I’ll tell you later. But one doesn’t ignore a summons from either of them.”

“Of course,” Amethyst said. “Lead the way.”

Celestia was enjoying having several casual visitors in this day and age. She found leaving the door open for any of the Bearers to visit brought some relief to the stiff company she usually kept, and getting Rarity and two foals was plenty of fun for her.

As the little ones sipped their tea, Celestia spoke to Rarity. “Are you having any trouble keeping Amethyst? Any budget trouble? I can afford a loan if you are.”

“That’s quite alright, I have more than enough. I daresay I might not even need to cut back on luxuries, with all the bits my work brings in.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” the Princess smiled. Then he turned to Amethyst. “Are you enjoying Ponyville?”

“Yes, Your Majesty...”

“Your Highness, dear,” Rarity corrected. “Princesses are referred to as Highness.”

Celestia smiled. “I’m no queen, little one. I stay a Princess so I may give power to my little ponies.”

Amethyst merely nodded and he took a sip of his tea, which already had about five lumps of sugar in it. The colt wanted to place more in it, but Rarity put her hoof down and shook her head when he tried to reach it.

Seeing this, Celestia stifled a giggle at the colt’s antics. “I see you have a liking for sugar,” she told Amethyst, taking a bite of a slice of a cake she had.

“Well…” Amethyst trailed off, looking downwards guiltily gulping. “Such a delicacy was not in my diet back then.”

Celestia scrunched her lips as she blinked a few times. If only I acted faster back then, she thought to herself, looking down on Amethyst’s head.

“If I may be permitted to ask, Princess,” Amethyst began speaking, placing his hoof down on the saucer. “What will become of me?”

Rarity looked up to Celestia, who met her gaze with her own. Both ponies looked nervous before looking back at Amethyst. Celestia cleared her throat after clearing her cup. “As we are speaking now, my niece and nephew-in-law are working at their hardest to find your family up in the Crystal Empire. Until then, I would suggest you remain in Ponyville. Maybe even make new friends there, too,” She told him, with a light smile on her face. She hoped he wouldn’t ask her any more questions that were sensitive to both him and her.

“But why didn’t anypony know about us until now? Why were our history suddenly withheld from the rest of Equestria?”

Celestia jerked her head backwards a little, as Amethyst hit the nail on its head. She scrunched her lips before closing her eyes slowly before opening them up again. “When Sombra sealed the empire, all knowledge of the empire he took with him too. During that time, Equestria did not have a library system like we have today. Hence books pertaining to a kingdom’s knowledge was exclusive only to that kingdom’s. When Sombra sealed the empire, only a few books remained. Although the knowledge within those books was not as adequate, we did our best to preserve your history in our journals.”

Amethyst looked to Celestia’s eyes, his own crystal-like irises shining for a moment in the refraction of the sun’s rays coming from the window. “I understand.”

Rarity, tapping her hoof nervously, placed a hoof to her mouth and coughed a little to gain the colt’s attention. “Why don’t we go and see what the rest of the castle looks like?” She suggested, hoping Amethyst would agree.

“Verily.”

Shimmering Ruby fumed as she sat in the luxurious room she called her own. Even under Sombra’s reign she had lived richly, though every time this was brought up she was quick to insist she served him mainly out of fear, and did her best to minimize the terrors under his reign.

It was a lie, of course. But ponies were stupid beasts that way. But not her. Oh, not her.

Picking up an imported Sweet Apple Acre product and biting into it, she kept her eyes on the door, half-expecting her assistant to come through with the news she wanted to hear. He never did, but it gave her time to consider things.

A crystal unicorn... that could be big. Sombra was adamant that any pony with horns or wings meet the executioner’s axe, but only in the final days of his reign. Beforehand, it had been good old-fashioned paranoia that fueled him. Anypony with a horn could oppose him, were plotting against him, and you just couldn’t have that.

But it gave way to genocide eventually, and the king had been thorough. Or rather, she had been thorough, the fool was babbling made by that point. He would have taken a blunt hammer to the problem and sent the Alicorn Princesses running up to banish him even sooner had it not been for her careful planning. One simply could not have been missed. Unless... unless...

She grinned. It had to be. It was the only answer. Yes... no fault of hers.

She glanced at the door again, a nervous habit that had formed over the past two hours. She needed the records checked. To see if any unicorn had survived, the fool Sombra ordered most of them destroyed, but perhaps a scrap or two still lived in the library’s collections.

She just needed to wait. She had waited this long, a few more days made no difference. Sombra was a fool, but Cadance was not much better, and neither was her incompetent gelding of a husband. They’d fall to her.

After all, Sombra would have, had she had the time...

Rarity watched as Amethyst crawled into his bed. It was his in her mind, by this point. As she levitated the covers over him, she said, “I do hope you enjoyed Canterlot.”

“I did,” he said, grinning. “In my time, t’was only Sombra himself that was treated to luxuries of such magnitude. Celestia is most magnanimous.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Rarity told him with a soft smile. “I hope you both have sweet dreams.”

“Yes…” Amethyst mumbled, wrapping the covers over himself tightly and looking away from Rarity.

Rarity sighed, seeing the colt look uncomfortable. “Amethyst, I know what you are thinking. You must just be patient.”

Amethyst merely nodded, his eyes fluttering as he was becoming drowsy.

Rarity lowered her head and kissed his forehead gently, oblivious to Sweetie rolling her eyes. “And if all else fails, you will always have a home here. I promise you.”

“Thank you, Miss Rarity.”

“You’re most welcome, Amethyst,” she told him softly, as she reached down and kissed him again. “Goodnight.” She then made her way out of the room, but stopped when she saw Sweetie simply eying her sister. “Almost forgot,” she then made her way to her little sister and gently pecked her on the forehead too. “For my darling baby sister.”

Sweetie only rolled her eyes, but smiled none the less. “‘Night, Rarity.”

With that, Rarity finally went to her bedroom to flop down on her bed. She didn’t bother covering herself, as her mind was too preoccupied with today’s events. She merely sighed and looked up to the ceiling.

I hope everything will be alright...

Chapter 5

Amethyst adjusted his saddlebags, feeling the weight of the textbooks inside. Today was the day Rarity insisted he attend school.

School. Now there was an interesting concept. By the time he had entered the age of reason, school had consisted of nothing but messages of how great and wonderful the almighty King Sombra was. The education was of the things they could do to serve him better. He had received better education at most, he supposed, since his mother had worked in the palace, but nothing to the degree he’d be receiving today.

Sweetie, unfortunately, had gotten up in time to cook breakfast, and after the cereal and milk she had poured inexplicably burst into flame he decided to stay far away from anything that was prepared by her horn. A quick meal of toast and tea was all he ended up getting while Sweetie stubbornly tried downing her burnt flakes. After three gags, she gave up, with a grumble that she’d get better if Rarity would just teach her.

Nevertheless they were out the door by the usual time, both walking side by side. They were soon joined by Spike, who gave Sweetie a quick kiss, which Scootaloo, who was next, gagged at.

“Oh don’t act like that,” Sweetie said. “You never see us complain when you lock lips with Light.”

Red formed on Scootaloo’s checks. “Yeah, well...” Her comment just died right there.

“You’ll like Miss Cheerilee, she’s nice,” Spike said, deciding to both save Scootaloo from her embarrassment and get the topic on Amethyst.

“So I’ve heard,” he said. “Tell me, are the old conditions for being a teacher still in effect?”

“What do you mean?”

“In my time, teachers were required to be mothers first. They believed it helped them handle foals.”

Scootaloo couldn’t help but laugh. “Cheerilee’s too young to be a mom to any of us... maybe an older sister or something.”

“What?” Sweetie said. “She’s older than your mom.”

“Yeah, well, I’m different, aren’t I?”

She noticed Amethyst looking her over. She realized it must still be strange to him, a pony that was made rather than born.

“Anyhow,” Amethyst spoke, changing the topic. “A lot has changed in the time I was in slumber…” he trailed off, thinking back to the books he had read since Twilight delivered them to him.

Spike shrugged with his eyes closed. “You should speak to Princess Luna, you and her would get along just fine.”

Amethyst merely blinked, confused with what Spike was saying until her remembered something. “Oh yes, her banishment.” He said, but paused for a moment. “But why was she—”

“We’re here!”

The foals all stopped before the entrance of an old school building, painted red with a large bell on top. Amethyst blinked as he saw how many hearts decorating the school. “Why are there so many hearts on the school?”

The others cocked their brows before inspecting the schoolhouse thoroughly and tapping their chins in thought, before Apple Bloom spoke. “Ye know, Ah dunno. Always been like that.”

Amethyst merely nodded and sighed before speaking again. “Well, I suppose we should enter now?”

“Right, let’s go!”

School was many things to foals, be it exciting or dull. For Amethyst, it was an awfully peculiar place. Ms Cheerilee was a very kind mare when he introduced himself to her and she was more than happy to have one more foal to teach in her class.

For the other foals, it was rather mixed. A few foals were intrigued by his heritage and how he came to be with them, whilst others were more loathing towards him. Amethyst didn’t bother with them though, as he was too engrossed by what each lesson had in store for him. Math, Equestrian, and Literature were all covered that morning, but the one lesson he was most interested in was History, as it was the most productive one for him at the moment.

The school bell rang, signalling the start of recess. When the foals were outside, Amethyst was dragged by his friends to one side of the playground that they called the Jungle Gym.

Amethyst was standing on the jungle gym, finding it awfully entertaining until he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head.

“Bullseye!”

Amethyst rubbed his head, trying to dull the sharp pain. He glanced around the ground to see what the missile was that hit him, and saw the likely object, a small, sharp rock.

He looked for the one that had thrown it at him, and it wasn’t long until he saw the likely culprits. Two ponies, pink and silver, whom his friends had told him to simply stay away from. The pink one, Diamond Tiara, was grinning a cruel grin, one he could tell she wore frequently and with great pride. The other, Silver Spoon, didn’t look so committed, and in fact actually seemed rather offended.

“Diamond... why’d you—”

“Wretch! Foul wretch!” Amethyst cried out as he glared at Diamond Tiara.

Now Diamond looked offended. “What did you call me?”

“You committed assault upon me. Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because you’re weird!”

Amethyst paused, his face scrunching up with confusion, as if attacking for such a petty reason was a foreign concept to him. He did not have long to ponder this, however, as his friends rushed to his defense, having finally looked up from their own playing to notice he had stopped.

“Can’t we go through one day without you annoying us?”

“If you don’t want to be annoyed, quit being so stupid! Isn’t that right, Silver Spoon?”

Diamond Tiara’s partner-in-crime, as much as she was these days, kicked the dirt with her hooves. Red tinged her cheeks, showing her feelings of being in this situation. “Um, actually, Diamond, I don’t think you should have done that.”

Diamond Tiara looked at her friend with an incredulous gape. “Don’t think... what’s wrong with you?”

“Wow, looks like officially nopony likes you now,” Scootaloo jeered. By now, Apple Bloom and Spike had stepped between the two bullies and Amethyst, and were trying to push the latter away from the scene. However, he stood his ground, through some reason or another.

“Shut up!” Diamond yelled, but only looked at her opponents for a split second before turning back to Silver Spoon. “Are you going soft on me?”

Silver Spoon’s attention was not on Diamond Tiara though, but rather on the victim. She couldn’t help but look at Amethyst and his blue eyes. She felt a little heat gathering on her cheeks and started to blink profoundly.

“Hey Silver! I’m talking to you!”

Coming back to reality, Silver shook her head and gave Diamond Tiara a pleading look that seemed to silence her. “Let’s just go.”

“Hmph!” Diamond Tiara straightened herself and began to walk away. “I’ll be back, you loser!” She snapped at Amethyst, before walking away proudly swaying her head to show off her tiara, her fake tiara.

Silver Spoon bit her lower lip and gave Amethyst an apologetic look before bowing her head slightly. “I-I’m so sorry!” she told him hastefully, before rushing off to her friend.

Light groaned as he rolled his eyes. “That filly is not going to get far in life, that’s for sure.”

Spike nodded his head in agreement. He then cocked his brow looking back at Silver Spoon. “There’s something that bothers me, though…”

“What? You’re not actually believing Diamond Tiara, are you?” Scootaloo asked him curiously as she eyed the duo leaving.

“Nah, not in this lifetime. But didn’t Silver Spoon seem a little… off?”

Sweetie Belle, noticing this, scratch her mane in thought. “Now that you mention it, yeah…”

Scootaloo merely rolled her eyes and sighed. “Whatever! Let’s get back to our recess before class starts again.”

“Righ’!” Apple Bloom shouted out from behind, thinking of something to help ease the situation. She eyed Pip for a moment before shoving him hard. “Tag! Yer it!”

With that, all the foals began to run around the area avoiding Pip. All save for one. Amethyst stood still in place, tilting his head in confusion. Pip began to gallop towards him and shoved him. “Tag, yer it mate!”

“Oh, is that game still played? Very well, then...”

After ten minutes of tag, A new game called Stop and Go was played. It was new to Amethyst, but it simply involved running toward who was it, in the first case Pip, until they said Stop, and then moving when they said Go.

After thirty minutes of recess it was back inside. The next subject was science, and the entire class depressed Amethyst greatly. So many theories he had learned before his imprisonment were outdated, to the point he was sure he’d be laughed at for stating that animals were classified into “blood” and “bloodless” categories. Every sentence Cheerilee spoke made him feel a foal. He vowed to run to Spike’s home and retrieve every science book his mother would allow as soon as class was over.

Music was next, and the day was ended with Art, a treat for the final hour. Amethyst spent a good deal of it sketching buildings from the Empire, and looking at them with a sense of longing and uncertainty. The others noticed this, but for once tactfulness won out in the group and each decided to keep his or her peace.

Once the school bell rang at three-thirty, the class was dismissed, and despite Amethyst desire to run to the library, a few words from his friends sent him running to the clubhouse.

Rarity hated silence. She first realized this after the very first “week-long vacation” her parents had taken that meant Sweetie had stayed a month. When her parents had finally remembered they still had an underaged filly to take care of and took back Sweetie for what ended up being only two weeks, Rarity found herself unable to sleep. It took her thirty minutes of contemplation before she realized why. She hadn’t yet tucked Sweetie in and kissed her goodnight, and sleep was hard coming without that step completed.

The next vacation came during a school year, and Rarity found herself unable to work during those hours, with no little hooves running around or voice asking her to please teach her to sew. Silence, she discovered, was a distraction.

But this silence seemed even more silent, because now two things were missing: Sweetie practicing her singing, and Amethyst flipping through his latest book, the colt having quickly rivaled Twilight in frequency of books consumed. Rarity grinned. It seemed like Twilight would be getting another regular patron to her library.

She stopped at that. Which was bad, because she was using her sewing machine at the time, and it caused a jam. While fixing it, she reflected on what made her stop. She was already thinking of Amethyst as a permanent fixture in her new life. Schooling, plans to add a new room onto her home for him, plans on nurturing his Special Talent.

She sighed. The last time she had had this revelation was when she realized she was the one raising Sweetie, not her parents. But that had been definite, this was not. Why should she be expecting to keep him?

A knock on the door called her back to reality and she turned to face the front door, walking towards it. She opened it slowly and was greeted by a red earth pony stallion carrying a few baskets of apples on his back.

“Good day, Miss Rarity,” Big Mac bowed his head politely to Rarity, standing still outside before her.

Rarity simply smiled and shook her head. “Big Macintosh, you don’t have to call me ‘Miss’. We are friends, are we not?” she asked rhetorically, before standing aside. “Come on in.” She instructed him and closed the door once he was inside. “Could you drop those off in the kitchen table, please?”

“Eeyup!”

When they were in the kitchen, Big Macintosh started unpacking all the apples on the table. “Where shall Ah put them fer ya?”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that for me, darling,” Rarity waved her hooves at him, but she was grateful at his manners.

Big Macintosh merely cocked his eyebrow and smirked. “Ah know Ah don’t need ta, but Ah wanna. So tell me, where shall Ah put them fer ya?”

Rarity giggled and sighed before showing the stallion where to put the apples. “Over here, please.” She pointed to a large pantry and opened it for Big Macintosh to deposit the apples inside. Rarity looked on the stallion as he worked and her eyelids started to become half hooded as she started to smile slowly. She shook her head to bring her out of her daze and immediately cleared her throat. “Say, Big Macintosh. Are you busy for the rest of today?”

“Eenope. Why ya ask?”

“I was wondering, if you would like some tea?”

Big Macintosh nearly dropped some of the apples he was carrying as his eyes became wide. He was fortunate enough of having a red coat, or else Rarity would have seen the blush forming on his cheeks. “Ah beg yer pardon?”

Rarity blinked and looked away from his gaze before looking at him again. “Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to talk a for a little?” She asked him curiously, feeling oddly nervous when he was looking at her like he was now.

“Ah... Ah’d love to.”

It was a simple arrangement, to Rarity at least, but her guest might as well have been looking at the most elaborate placement in Canterlot for all he was worried about. A thousand worries ran through his mind as he tried to remember the small amount of lessons his uncle and aunt had bothered to teach him in his youth. Earth ponies took steady laps of tea, never a big gulp. The little cakes are taken only after a drink is complete, in one mouthful.

Rarity couldn’t help but giggle. “Really, Darling, this isn’t a fancy dinner. I truly do not mind if you slip on a few things.”

Big Mac was never more thankful to have a red coat. “Um... Ah appreciate it, Miss Rarity. But I was taught to honor the table of any table I was invited to eat at.”

Rarity gave her winning smile, the one that had always managed to put Fluttershy at ease when she was learning etiquette. “I truly think you have already done better than... some nobles I could mention.”

Big Mac blinked. “Ah see...” he was silent for a moment. What could he talk about too such a mare that wouldn’t bore her? Crops and planting were not the subject to bring to this table. “Is the colt doing okay?”

“Amethyst? Yes, he’s doing quite well. The poor dear still seems a bit saddened about things. I can tell he’s hoping we’ll find his mother. I hope it will happen but—” She paused before turned away. “Never mind...” She left out that she was beginning to hope they wouldn’t find her.

But something on her face must have betrayed this hope, because Big Mac tilted his head oddly. “Ya seem to like the boy.”

She blushed. “Well... I do believe I have gotten used to him being here.”

It was the most neutral answer she could give, which only told Bic Macintosh of what he already suspected.

“Miss Rarity, what are you gonna do if they do find his mother?”

“I’ll let him go see her.” The words were said after a telling split-second pause.

“And if they don’t, you think you can take care of him?”

“Of course. I have enough money, and time... I already take care of Sweetie Belle.” She thought a moment. “Why the sudden fascination?”

Big MacIntosh scrunched his lips before blinking. “It’s just, ya seem to be thinkin’ of him quite a lot lately.”

Rarity looked down on her cup with a frown forming on it as she was thinking. “Yes, I suppose.”

“Well, Ah’m sure whatever happens… he’ll be alrigh’,” Big Macintosh told her as he finished his cake. “Ah mean, he’s very fortunate that he has ya to look out fer him. Any foal is lucky to have ya in their lives.”

As Big Macintosh continued to speak, Rarity just stared at him with more wonder than she had ever before. When he was finally done talking, she giggled again and looked at him with demurring eyes. “You really are a fine gentlecolt, Big Macintosh.”

Big Macintosh flustered for a moment, blinking profoundly as he tried to find his voice. “Well, Ah’m just being honest is all. Ah mean—”

“Hey Rarity, ya home?”

Both ponies ears perked at the voice calling out from the front entrance, the voice belonging to Big Macintosh's sister. Applejack.

Rarity sighed and planted her hoof to her face. She got up from the table and cantered towards the room where Applejack was. “Applejack, how can I help you?”

“Was wonderin’ if ya saw Big Macintosh around? We need to finish up some apple bucking and he said he’d be back after delivering yer apples fer ya.”

With his name being mentioned, Big Macintosh made his way out of the kitchen. “Righ’ here AJ, was just keepin’ Miss Rarity company is all.”

Applejack cocked her brow and looked to her friend, who simply nodded. A mischievous grin started to form on her muzzle, before she snorted a little. “Ah see…”

“Applejack?” Rarity wondered what her friend found so funny.

“Nothin’.” Applejack scoffed and motioned her head to the front door for her elder brother. “Come on Big Mac, let’s go.”

“Righ’ righ’.” Before he went outside, he looked back at Rarity with a gentle smile and nodded to her. “Thank ye kindly fer the tea, Miss Rarity.”

“My pleasure, Big Macintosh.”

“Will ye two lovebirds quit it?” Applejack chimed in the conversation, with the entire boutique acquiring a new silence.

Chapter 6

The afternoon heat, such as it was at this time of year, was hardly causing a dent in the group’s productivity when it came to nurturing their special talents. They reached the clubhouse in record time, and many retreated to their own corners to begin work on whatever project they had on their agendas, a short story for Spike, a new table for Apple Bloom, and the usual practice for Light...

Sweetie, however, guided Amethyst to an unused table. “This can be your place, at least until we can set up something better for you.”

“Thank you,” he said, sitting down. “Are there any gems here? I’d like to work without having to make everything.”

“I asked Rarity if she could let you have some. I guess she didn’t put them here.” She turned and raised her voice. “Hey, Apple Bloom?”

“What?”

“Are there any gems in your supply closet?”

“Hold on... yeah.” Confusion crept in. “How’d these get here?” Her voice got nearer as she carried the bucket of gems into the room, talking expertly around the handle in that was foals and non-unicorns learned how.

“My sister dropped them off.” She turned to Amethyst. “Do you need anything else?”

“I suppose... a chisel of some sort, and a magnifying glass for another.”

Apple Bloom had a chisel in her tool box, but it was big, not the delicate instrument he would have liked. She had no magnifying glass, but Granny Smith had one she’d sometimes use to read the paper, much to her grandchildren’s chargin, who wanted her to just admit that the papers weren’t ‘bein’ printed in new teeny letters’ and get a pair of glasses.

Amethyst set to work, making a mental note to ask Rarity to get him better tools soon. Even with the oversized chisel he soon became engrossed in his work, creating shapes from the rigid squares, rectangles, and diamonds. All had flaws, of course, Rarity wasn’t going to let him practice on perfect crystal, but soon sculptures were being made, a pony in one, a dog in another.

It was when he had begun chiseling away on his third creation, which he hoped to give to Rarity, when he was brought out of his creative fever by a peculiar sound, a dull but loud thumping sound that came from outside. It roused his friends as well, and it was Spike, whose writing desk was near a window, who looked out and saw what it was.

Spike peeked his head outside and spotted two familiar colts down at the base of the tree house, bucking it with everything they had. “Hey! What are you doing?!” Spike called out, with Light peeking his head out of the window next to Spike’s.

“We’re smashing this tree house down!” Snips shouted out as he bucked the tree with his friend Snails, both wearing grins on their faces.

“Yeah!” Snips called out as his friend finished his words, his short legs barely connecting to the tree.

Light and Spike looked to each other, shaking their heads before rolling their eyes. “Why the hay are you doing this, huh?!” Light called out to the duo, thinking that they normally wouldn’t pull something like this unless they were told to.

“Because I told them!”

The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders went to the balcony and looked over to see Diamond Tiara standing a few feet away from the two colts she had ordered to buck the tree down. She was wearing a smug look, snickering at her targets and she carried with her what appeared to be water balloons in a saddle bag on her. “Surprised?! You should be! This is something I had planned to do for so long now!”

“Seriously?” Apple Bloom asked her deadpanned, wondering if Diamond Tiara really had put much thought in this ‘master-plan’ of hers.

“Yeah!” Diamond Tiara replied proudly, flinging a water balloon to Apple Bloom’s face. Before the balloon hit its target, it stopped and immediately fell upon Snips and Snails below. Diamond Tiara’s jaw went agape for a moment before she was huffing and started barraging the Crusaders, but all her balloons were being diverted to the duo below.

“What the!?” Diamond was flabbergasted, until she spotted Spike’s horn being lit from the distance she was standing from. “You! You fake!”

Spike, having learned from his mother how to repel thrown objects from enemies, shrugged and chuckled as his horn returned to normal. “You’re a lousy shot, Diamond Tiara. Keep to your talent by wearing a fake crown!”

“I—it’s not a fake!” Diamond Tiara stammered, her lips quivering. She then looked to her side and elbowed Silver Spoon hard. “Well, do something!”

Silver Spoon, having remained silent during the whole exchange, was also carrying some water balloons with her. Her face, however, did not mirror that of Diamond Tiara’s. In fact, she seemed very reluctant to act, much less throw water balloons at all.

“I mean, seriously, did you put any thought into this?” Spike said. “I know you’re getting pretty desperate to get back at us now that nopony likes you, but this is just pathetic.”

“It is not!”

Silver Spoon shifted. “Come on, can’t we just go to my house and do something?” she was clearly already embarrassed enough by the whole thing.

“Shut up!” she yelled, turning back to the clubhouse. “I’ll... I’ll tell my daddy on you!”

That caused Spike to give a look that was the perfect blend of confusion and amusement. “You’re daddy? He doesn’t even like you. He’s one step away from sending you off to a military school...”

“He is not!”

“Yeah! It was gonna be a boarding school instead!” Snips said.

As Diamond Tiara glared at them, Sweetie just called down, “Thanks, Snips! You’re much smarter than you look!”

As the colt grinned, Sweetie muttered under her breath, “But you’re still dumb enough to think that was a compliment.”

“Uh, Diamond, I really, really think we should leave,” she said. “Your dad did say if you keep this up—”

“Shut up, Silver!”

“But I’m just—”

What happened next took only a split second, but it had a deep impact on a lot of things.

Diamond Tiara whirled around and, as hard as she could, struck Silver Spoon on the side of the head.

There were two reactions. Gasps from the former Cutie Mark Crusaders and laughs from Snips and Snails. But neither of the fillies involved heard them.

“I said shut up, Silver! I’m sick of you always siding with these losers! Maybe the reason you wear those stupid glasses is because you’re as big a nerd as them!”

There was silence. Tears formed in Silver’s eyes. Diamond Tiara breathed heavily.

And then an orange blur rammed Diamond in the side.

Silver Spoon gasped and saw Scootaloo standing before her, the latter’s hoof raised threateningly and shaking. “Leave her alone, you creep!” Scootaloo warned Diamond Tiara, who was busy massaging the side of her face that began to form a bruise thanks to Scootaloo’s sudden assault.

Diamond Tiara stood up, her eyes tearing slightly but her teeth were clenched as she glared at the pegasus standing before her. “Just you wait, you freak! Once I tell my daddy—”

“We’ll tell him what you were doing and what you did to Silver Spoon!” Light cut her off as he floated down and stood next to his fillyfriend. “Why don’t you get lost and get a life?” He snarked at Diamond, the latter looking behind them to her hired goons.

“Well!? What are you waiting for?!”

Snips and Snails were unsure what to do, looking to each other and shrugging before walking towards Light and Scootaloo. They came to a halt though when the other five foals from the clubhouse descended and stood before them. “Uh…”

“Why don’t ye two lads sod off?” Pip suggested, cocking his eyebrow at the two before him.

“Okay,” Snips simply said and both walked on back to Ponyville. Both were talking about how they never really liked Diamond Tiara, thinking that she couldn’t hear them.

She did though. Diamond’s irised shrank to the size of pinheads, before she started fuming. “Why, those two useless colts! Who do they think they are betraying me?! I own them! I own this whole town! I—”

“Oh shut up, Diamond Tiara!” Sweetie Belle told the fallen earth pony as she shook her head in pity. “You really need to stop acting like this, it isn’t helping you one bit.”

“What do you know, you useless broken voice?!”

Apple Bloom’s brow furrowed and she started making her way to Diamond Tiara before she stood above her and glared down upon her. “Look, yer not wanted here on Sweet Apple Acres. Til’ you grow up and think about what you done, git!” She pointed her hoof to Ponyville, being joined by her friends who also glared Diamond Tiara with distaste. The only pony remaining in the background was Amethyst, who helped up Silver Spoon.

“Are you alright?”

The filly could barely form two words. Her face was bruised on one side, and the other was covered in dirt from her fall. And both sides had tears, both from the pain of being slapped and the pain of Diamond Tiara’s words. Hiccuping, she tried to speak. No words came out, so she just nodded.

She looked at Diamond Tiara. She looked away, in fright, and perhaps revulsion.

Something came across Diamond Tiara’s face. It was an expression of realization. Not like she had when she realized her father or Miss Cheerilee had caught her in her bullying, but one that indicated she had realized that she had done something that was very much against her best interests. Regret, maybe, how much of it was directed at what she had done to Silver Spoon and how much of it she had done to herself, nopony could tell. They weren’t willing to find out.

“Well?” Apple Bloom yelled. “Git!”

Diamond Tiara looked on a moment longer. Then, she turned, moving like her hooves were outfitted with the heaviest horseshoes in Equestria. She trotted in a daze, not running, not even acknowledging she was leaving any place or that there was anyplace to go to.

The group watched her leave for a minute, making sure she would. Only Silver Spoon’s sobbing added noise, and most were too intent on seeing Diamond Tiara gone to mind it just yet. Once she was on the horizon, Apple Bloom spoke.

“Let’s get her inside.”

Silver was brought in. She might not have even realized it until Amethyst set her on a bean bag chair. Levitating a cloth hoofkerchief up, he gently wiped the tears and dirt off her face. The filly blushed, but did not fight the soothing action.

Spike silently thanked his mother’s instinctive protectiveness, because it meant there was a first aid kit in the clubhouse at her insistence. Spike took an ice pack carrier from the box and ran to the farmhouse. Two minutes later he was back with ice, which he placed on her bruise. She muttered a small “Thank you” as she pressed it against her cheek.

“Forgive me, but... may I ask, why do you share allegiance with that cur?” Amethyst asked Silver Spoon as he removed the hoofkerchief from her eyes.

Silver Spoon looked at him with some confusion, trying to decipher his odd speech. She looked away to the ground, shuffling her hooves to try and find the best answer. “W—we’ve been friends since we were foals, our daddies are good friends and business partners,” she told Amethyst who only nodded as she spoke, digesting all the words she was speaking.

“Kinda like ma sis and Rarity?” Apple Bloom asked Silver Spoon, listening intently to Silver Spoon’s words.

“Yes…” Silver nodded, still looking down on the ground. “We’ve basically did everything together. We ate together, laughed together, shared our dreams... but…”

“Miss?”

Silver Spoon looked up and weakly smiled at Amethyst. “Please, just Silver or Silver Spoon, please,” she told him before blowing her nose on the hoofkerchief. “But Diamond Tiara changed when she got her cutie mark…”

“Huh?” Light cocked his brow, looking to Scootaloo and Spike who were standing next to him on each side. “So Diamond Tiara wasn’t always this… mean?”

“No.” Silver replied, blowing her nose again. “She always dreamed about getting her cutie mark, but when she finally got it, she just stopped caring about other ponies like they didn’t have their own feelings at all.”

Spike’s jaw went agape, blinking before closing his mouth. “Why did you follow her, though? If you knew it was wrong bullying others, why did do as she did?”

“I—I just thought, maybe I could help bring back the old friend I grew up with… but instead of changing her back, I became what I had hoped not to become.”

“What made you stand up to her now, though?” Spike asked her softly, albeit a little suspiciously when he considered the history of the filly before her.

Silver sighed, lowering her head in shame. “I—I guess I had enough. I just wanted to make some friends too, other than Diamond Tiara. But every time I tried, she’d always tell me that we didn’t need friends who brought us down. I believed her for a while until, until…”

“Silver?”

“Until I saw how happy all of you were,” Silver looked up at each of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, smiling with quivering lips as her eyes were moist. “All of you come from different backgrounds, but you still became good friends.”

There was another silence, until Sweetie Belle spoke. “How did Diamond Tiara get her cutie mark?”

By now, Silver Spoon had composed herself, and was speaking calmer and clearer. “You remember how she got her cutie mark at the beginning of the school year? She earned it at a fancy summer camp our parents sent us too. We were split up in teams and told to elect a leader. We picked Diamond Tiara. She kept on telling us to do things. We won every challenge. Then it just appeared on her flank.”

“Leadership,” Amethyst said in a musing tone. “A shame. If she were a leader now, she might not be much better than Sombra.”

“What about you?” Spike asked. “Where’d you get your cutie mark?”

“I... I don’t know.” They all looked at her like she had just declared her undying love for a timberwolf. “Well, I don’t!” she said, suddenly defensive.

“Easy,” Apple Bloom said. “We’re just... surprised is all.”

“My parents went out of town one day, so when I got home I was alone. When they woke me up, it was there. I must have got it the day before.”

“What’d you do that day?” Sweetie asked.

Silver just shrugged. “Diamond Tiara was busy, so I just kind of wandered around. I helped some old pony carry something he was having trouble with, I did a few chores for the Cakes... I don’t remember anything that would get me a spoon cutie mark.”

“That’s weird,” Spike said, then winced when he realized the bluntness of it. Silver seemed to share his sentiments, though, so he went on. “I wonder if my mom ever heard of anything like this?”

Suddenly, Apple Bloom perked up. “Then we still have work to do.”

The all looked at her. “What?” Scootaloo asked the question of everypony’s lips.

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders help ponies get their cutie marks. Silver Spoon might have hers, but she doesn’t have a special talent to go with it.”

“I guess that’s true.” Spike replied to Apple Bloom’s words.

Silver Spoon could only stare at Apple Bloom like she had delivered her a gift she had always wanted for her birthday. “B—but I’m just a bully and—”

“None of that now ya hear?!” Apple Bloom cut her off as she waved her hooves. “Just like ma sis’ told me, let bygones be bygones.”

“I—”

“What she’s trying to say Silver, is that we want to be friends with you,” Sweetie Belle said, beaming down on Silver’s face that was displaying confusion.

Silver Spoon looked to each of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, seeing only welcoming smiles on each of them. She thought this was too good to be true, since she was so cruel to them in the past. Yet now, here they were, offering her a friendship she thought she didn’t deserve. Silver’s lips started to quiver again, sniffing as she suppressed a downpour of tears from her eyes. She had finally found the right words to say to the others, after withholding her tears.

“T—thank you…”

The rest of the day was passed by with a new sense of jubilation for Silver Spoon. When she no longer needed the benefits of the first aid kit, she was properly inducted as a full time member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, though hearing from Sweetie Belle she did see Spike wearing his crystal armour he received from his uncle.

When that was over with, Silver went on to watch Amethyst work on his gem sculptings. She was amazed by how he was able to create such beautiful fine pieces of crystal art. She looked back to her cutie mark, frowning a little because she didn’t know what her talent was.

Scootaloo leaned to Light’s ear as she watched Silver Spoon observing Amethyst at work. “She seems a little happier.”

“If only a little,” Light agreed as he watched Silver from the background. “Wonder what her parents are going to say about her bruises.”

Spike, overhearing their conversation, joined in as he whispered, “I think that would be the final nail for Diamond Tiara right there.”

Scootaloo tilted her head blinking. “Final nail?”

“You know, final nail in the coffin,” Spike explained, but was met with a blank stare from Scootaloo. Spike groaned and planted his hoof in his face. “Final mistake, or in her case misdeed.”

“Oh…”

“Silver won’t even hang out with her anymore, and I doubt Snips and Snails are going to try anything after that.”

“You think? Those two don’t seem very sorry.”

“Maybe not, but with nopony else backing Diamond Tiara, they might decide working for her is more trouble than it’s worth.” Spike said as he watched Amethyst and Silver Spoon in the distance.

“But what about Diamond?” Light asked curiously.

“She’s not as brave without somepony to back her up. Maybe she’ll give it up.”

There was silence for a minute. They watched as Amethyst showed Silver his newest creation, a piece of crystal in the shape of a spoon. He gave it to her, promising to give it a few touch-ups as soon as he got some more delicate tools.

“You think we can find out what Silver’s cutie mark is before Amethyst has to go?” Light asked. “I mean, if he ever does go at all.”

Spike and Scootaloo actually jumped a bit at that. They had forgotten, far too easily, it seemed, that the crystal unicorn was not a permanent member of their group, not yet.

“How hard can it be?” Spike asked. “We just have to retrace Silver Spoon’s steps and see what she did that day.”

“You think that’ll work? It sounds like she tried it already,” Scootaloo pointed out.

“Maybe not, but we have to start somewhere. Trust me, I think she’s going to be fine.”

Applejack was never really one for spa days, but a back massage was worth putting up with a hot tub soak and a hooficure, so she didn’t complain when Rarity and Fluttershy dragged her from the farm to get pampered.

“I’m tellin’ ya, it’s a waste o’ time,” she said with the usual muttering. “Gettin’ my hooves all neat and even is gunna just mean they get messed up again when I’m back to applebuckin’.”

“Maybe, but at least they’ll look nice for awhile,” Rarity said, though it was only a half-hearted response. As she leaned back in the tub, looking at her own hooficure, she was lost in thought.

Fluttershy sighed in relief as she layed in the tub with her friends. “It is a nice treat once in a while to relax like this.”

“Mm-hmm…” Rarity replied dismissively, as she stared off into space as her mind was on other things.

“Rarity?” Applejack called out to her, waving her hoof in front of her eyes. She was brought back to reality, blinking and shaking her head slightly.

“Yes, Applejack?”

The farm pony cocked her brow as she looked onto her friend. “What’s got yer mind in a bundle?”

“Oh…” Rarity trailed off as she looked down to the water of the tub, her brow furrowing a little. “Just some things, nothing really important. Really,” she tried to assure her friend, but it did not work.

“About Amethyst?” Applejack asked Rarity, receiving a nod. “How is he doing? He seems to be gettin’ along fine with Apple Bloom and the others.”

“Oh yes, he is such a dear,” Rarity concurred, smiling a little as she thought back to the crystal unicorn. “Just hope in the future he will be alright.”

“We all do, Rarity,” Fluttershy agreed with her friend, smiling softly. “We must just believe in him and his future.”

“Yes…”

Applejack scrunched her lips a little before leaning in to look Rarity in the eye. “But there’s something else, isn’t there?”

Rarity nodded and sighed, before turning her head to Applejack. “Maybe you can help me, Applejack…”

“Shoot, sugarcube, yer my friend. ‘Course Ah’ll help you. What’s wrong?”

“Well, you see…” Rarity trailed off again, looking up to the sky before her gaze landed on Applejack. “Is your brother sick by any chance?”

Applejack blinked with her jaw agaped, cocking her eyebrow before shaking her head to answer. “Eenope, Big Mac is as healthy as ‘n ox. Why ya ask?”

“Well, it’s just... he seems a bit flustered when I talk to him. He starts sweating. I do hope the poor dear is feeling alright.”

A snicker escaped Applejack lips, but she managed to swallow the rest. Poor Big Mac. He was stoic in the worst of times, but he couldn’t talk to a mare. What a shame.

“Ah think you were just lookin’ too close,” she said, a smile creeping on her face. “Maybe mah brother is just so handsome that ya can’t take yer eyes off of him.”

“A—Applejack!” Rarity blushed. “I... I...”

Applejack laughed. “An now yer as red as he is! Yer so easy.”

Rarity cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. She failed. “Yes, well... perhaps he is handsome, but... I’ve never truly thought about him that way. Besides, I simply cannot ask him to leave the farm for me. You know I won’t be giving up my dreams for any stallion.”

Applejack waved her hoof. “Aw, you two can work somethin’ out.”

“Yes, well... why all the fascination?”

“Oh, nothing,” Applejack said. “How ‘bout you, Shy? Any stallions on your brain?”

Fluttershy blushed. “Um... no. I have Pip already... I’m too busy for a stallion...”

“Alright,” Lotus said, coming in. “Your time in the tub is over. Since Rarity is such a big customer, we’ll be offering you our new service. We want to try acupuncture.”

Applejack jumped. “Uh-uh. No way. No pony’s sticking needles in me!”

“Oh, don’t worry, we won’t be doing that... We simply use one big one.”

As the other spa twin pulled in a three-meter long needle, Applejack ran and didn’t look back.

Chapter 7

The last few days were not the finest for Cadance. The bags under her eyes and her misshelved hair were indicators of such. She was for the last week going through everypony’s family records in the hopes of finding out if a certain crystal unicorn had any living relatives at all.

The unicorn in question was all the way in Ponyville, readjusting to life in the present. It was fortunate that he was, because Cadance was not succeeding one bit.

As she ate her breakfast of oats and honey at the foot of the long dining table, she was greeted by her husband Shining Armor who came in after his morning exercise drills. She smiled weakly at him, before standing up and greeting him with a kiss. “Morning Shining.” She said to him as she went back to her table to finish her meal, something she and the foal inside her needed.

“I take it things aren’t going that well?” Shining asked her curiously and carefully, seeing as his wife became very emotional lately.

Cadance shook her head, her lips quivering a little. “No. It’s not.” She looked up to Shining, her eyes becoming moist. “I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t find any living family member at all.” She told Shining, her voice becoming somber as she turned away from her husband’s gaze.

Shining furrowed his brow as he looked down for a moment. “I was afraid of this,” Shining admitted as he chewed on his toast. “What must we do?”

“I’m not giving up,” Cadance replied, finishing another bowl of oats and a batch of toast. “I’m going to see the west wing of the library and see if there isn’t any family records missing there.” Cadance told Shining as a smile started to form on her muzzle as she began to go into ‘Twilight-Mode’, something Shining was afraid of.

“Cadance—”

Cadance stood up suddenly and began to march towards the door. “Yes! I will start right now! There’s a crystal pony out there who needs my help and as Princess of the Crystal Empire, I need to see to help him out with everything I—”

“Cadance!”

Halting abruptly as she was about to reach the doors, Cadance turned to see her husband standing right behind her. He wasn’t smile, but frowning as he shook his head. The frown slowly dissipated as he reached out and nuzzled her softly.

“Cadance,” Shining began to speak slowly. “Sweety, you shouldn’t exhaust yourself like this. It’s not good for you or our foal.” He explained to her, standing behind her as he caressed her swollen stomach.

A kick from Cadance’s stomach signaled the unborn foal’s agreement. Shining Armour couldn’t help but smile.

“But... he needs our help! There’s a foal in Ponyville who needs a mother and father and...”

She was silenced when her husband put a hoof to her lips. “Cadance, listen. That foal is safe, surrounded by ponies that you know, as well as I do, will take care of him. Meanwhile, you have a foal right here,” he said, poking her stomach, “who needs you to take it easy. I’m sure you’ll find this one’s needs just a little more urgent.”

“I...” Cadance started to argue, but was quieted pretty quickly. This might have been the first argument in a while she had allowed her husband to win, but she knew he was right. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I need to be thinking of our little one right now.”

Shining Armor lead his wife down the hall to the bedroom they shared. “I understand you want to help this colt, but remember that you’re not the only one trying to help him. Ruby’s looking through the files, and I’ll bet she’s found something already.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” Sombra began, the faux benevolence ringing in his voice, “you’ve come here to witness the execution of the most vilest type of criminal imaginable, the kind that will burn in the deepest pit in Tartarus: traitors. They will be dealt with, regardless of gender or age.”

The crowd cheered as the offenders were dragged onto the stand. Six unicorns, two stallions, three mares, and a filly trying to nuzzle her mother for comfort, all with magic suppressing rings on their horns.

“Let the execution commence!”

The first stallion was placed on the block, and met his end by the axe. The second stallion, then the first mare, until only two were left.

The chains pulled to drag the filly toward the block, the mother screaming not to touch her. The guards held her back, but much to their surprise, a magic surge burst the ring apart. She managed to magic her foal’s chains off before a guard took a spade to her throat.

The filly ran, and got to the edge of the stand, but only because Sombra found it amusing. Then she was wrapped in his dark magic, lifted up and brought swinging down, hitting the wood with a sickening crack.

Despite the horror, the crowd cheered all the more. Shimmering Ruby couldn’t help but smile herself. Bloodlust was always a fun emotion to see in the masses.

Ruby sat at her desk in her chambers, remembering the old days of Sombra’s rule. She was beginning to read through the records she had found in the library. Much to her chagrin though, she was not succeeding.

No family records existed with the name ‘Craft’ anywhere at all, not even among the falling crystal unicorns of back then. Ruby’s frown suddenly turned into a malicious grin, as another thought came to her. What if he didn’t have any records because his father or mother didn’t want to be recorded.

Just as she was in the middle of reverie, a knock on the door was heard. Shimmering Ruby groaned and stood up from her chair, her legs going into a spasm from the amount of time she was sitting there. She forced a smile upon herself and opened the door carefully, to see Shining Armor standing at the entrance.

Oh great, it’s him again. “Good day, Prince Armor. How may I help you?” She asked Shining masking her voice with as much false kindness she could muster.

Shining did not see through the mask and proceeded inside. “I hope I’m not bothering you Shimmering, but I would like to know if there has been any progress on your end?”

“Nothing unfortunately,” Shimmering Ruby said somberly as she lowered her head with her eyes closed. She looked up to look into Shining’s eyes. “How about you my prince? Any luck?”

“Nothing at all.”

No surprise there. I bet you can’t even read, you pitiful brumby. “That is a shame, if only we had Lady Sparkle here.”

Shining chuckled as he rubbed his head. “Yeah, my baby sister could handle something like this. Though she would turn the whole library upside down and inside out.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah!” Shining concurred as his eyes went skywards in memory lane. He could still remember Twilight as a filly, forming her own fort made out of books when she was reading. He shook his head as he laughed. “Anyway, you let me know the second you find something. Okay Shimmering?”

“Actually,” Ruby began to speak, a thought coming to her mind. “Why don’t we have the Elements of Harmony escort the colt back the empire?”

Shining Armor blinked. “Why?”

“Your Highness, I must insist on it for political reasons. Amethyst Craft will be considered a national treasure. The crystal ponies will not stand for him to be with anypony but his own kind.”

“Nopony knows about him yet...”

“And how long do you think that will remain true?” Shimmering Ruby asked. “A crystal unicorn is a rare thing. He might be the only one left. How long can you keep something like that under wraps?”

Shining Armor thought for a moment. “I guess that makes sense,” he conceded. “But honestly, do you think it will come to that?”

“I’d be surprised if it didn’t,” Shimmering Ruby nodded sadly.

“Well... I’ll discuss it with Princess Cadance when she awakens. Thank you for your advice.”

“Anytime,” the vizier said through gritted teeth. As he watched Shining Armor walk down the hallway, he muttered, “Insolent foal...”

She returned to her work. She knew now, she needed Amethyst Craft back in the Crystal Empire. Then, at long last, the years or bowing and scraping would be over.

And she was going to make the prince and princess dance like the dumb puppets they were.

Amethyst ate his breakfast with the usual politeness. Rarity had forbidden chocolate chip waffles until the colt had managed to get his sugar cravings under control, so it was oatmeal and apple juice this morning.

“I do hope you two enjoy your Saturday. I know you’ve been working very hard in school.”

“I want to go and see a movie with Amethyst,” Sweetie said as she finished her meal. “Maybe ‘The Invocation’—”

“Absolutely not,” Rarity said firmly as she frowned down upon her sister, “That horror stuff is nonsense. I will not have a filly as young as you seeing it.”

Amethyst looked to Sweetie Belle and back to Rarity, scratching his head as his eyebrow cocked. “I hate to intrude, but what exactly is a ‘movie’?”

Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped as she starred with her eyes boggled at Amethyst’s question. She quickly closed her mouth and blinked a few times before speaking. “Well, a movie is just a bunch of images moving to make it look like you're watching real life but it’s not real.” Sweetie Belle explained as best as she could, nervously giggling. Did I even make sense?

“I’m not sure if I understand, but you have lured my curiosity.” Amethyst replied as he finished his apple juice. “Though with ‘horror’, you mean to give a fright to those who watch?”

“Exactly.” Rarity chimed in, cleaning up the table after the foals finished their breakfast. “But I strongly insist that you choose something else to watch instead. Something more within your age group.”

Sweetie Belle puckered her lips as she pouted at her sister, but sighed as she lowered her head in defeat. “Fine. We’ll watch something else.” Sweetie Belle said as she stood up from the table. “Maybe we can ask the others if they want to come along.” Sweetie Belle wondered as she looked upwards, smiling softly with a tint of red appearing on her cheeks.

Maybe Spike can hold me when a scary bit comes on.

“I wish to see what this ‘movie’ is, regardless of our variety available.” Amethyst mentioned before looking at Rarity cleaning their plates. He scrunched his lips and made his way to her. “Allow me to help Miss Rarity.”

Rarity looked down on Amethyst with surprise. She couldn’t help but smile and giggle. “I’m almost finished here Amethyst,” she explained to him, indicated to the already washed plates. “You go on with Sweetie Belle now.” She told him as she nudged him towards the exit. “Oh!” She leaned down to his ear. “And remember, don’t eat anymore chocolate or sugary food. Not until you have your ‘problem’ taken care off.”

“Very well.” Amethyst acknowledge with a nod, though he frowned slightly . “What will you be doing for today?” He asked Rarity curiously.

“Well, today I have to work on a rather large order of my newest dresses.” She told him, looking to her mannequins when they left the kitchen.

Fancy Pants wasn’t kidding when he told me he would advertise my work.

Amethyst saw the number of mannequins before looking back at Rarity with his eyes widened. “You have to finish this amount in a single cycle?!”

Rarity suppressed her giggle with her hoof as she closed her eyes. “Not at all! Though I have to get to work on them, otherwise the stress will be too much for me.”

“Come on,” Sweetie said, pulling Amethyst out toward the door, “let’s get going! The theatre opens in an hour.”

“Are you sure you won’t need help, Miss Rarity?” Amethyst asked. “I would be happy to assist you...”

“That’s nice, really, but I’ll be fine,” she said, levitating a large burlap sack filled to the brim with gems up from where it had been resting at the side of the table. “Fashion is my special talent, after all. I enjoy the working, truly I do.”

He nodded, but before he could turn to face Sweetie he noticed something. Rarity was looking at the plain sack with a sense of regret. She seemed not to even see the gems in it, concentrating on the worn container.

“Is something wrong?”

“Hm? Oh, everything fine, Darling. I simply... regret losing my good bag.”

“What happened to it?”

“I used it to distract a few diamond dogs the day I met you,” she said, before she had a chance to truly think about what she was saying.

Instantly she regretted it. A look of guilt crossed Amethyst’s face, and Rarity realized her mistake.

“Oh, don’t worry yourself about it. It was a mere saddlebag. Now run along and have fun, and I’ll see you tonight.”

That was all the invitation Sweetie needed to resume her tugging. Within moments the pair were outside the Boutique, though the filly didn’t slow her tugging.

Amethyst, however, rooted himself in the ground as hard as he could, long enough to get out his question. “Whereupon do these diamond dogs dwell?”

Sweetie stopped at that, looking at him with eyes twice their usual size. “You can’t be thinking... Amethyst, it’s dangerous out there!”

“I know, but Miss Rarity lost her saddlebag because of me, and I must rectify the situation. Now where are they?”

“Well from what I heard, they live in the outskirts of Ponyville.” Sweetie Belle explained as they were trotting to the library. “But I seriously don’t think it’s a good idea to go out there Amethyst.”

Amethyst cocked his brow as he smirked. “From the tales I have heard of what you and the others have participated in, I’d have thought you’d concur with me?”

Sweetie huffed as she flicked her ears. “Yeah well, back then we were desperate in getting our cutie marks. This is just being stupid, going out there where those dogs are.”

“Still,” Amethyst muttered, lowering his gaze to the ground as he frowned. Everything Miss Rarity has done for me, I must… He raised his head from the ground and started galloping towards what he believed was the exit of Ponyville.

“Amethyst!” Sweetie Belle called out, before groaning and following him. Rarity is going to kill us!

Amethyst finally stopped when he was standing upon what appeared to be a valley where there were hardly any vegetation growing. He looked around and saw a number of crevices, boulders and what appeared to be mounds of some sort.

“Amethyst!”

Hearing his name being called, he turned around to see Sweetie Belle coming from behind. She came to a halt, her forehead sweating bullets and her mane in complete disarray as she huffed to catched her breath. “You know you’re crazy!? Let’s go back now!”

“I refuse.” Amethyst answered her plainly, making his way to one of the mounds. He started to dig into it with his hooves to see what was underneath it.

Sweetie Belle glared at the colt, contorting her mouth as she marched up to him. “Listen! If we don’t get out of here soon, those dogs are going to find us!”

“What makes them so terrifying?”

“Well for one, they are bigger than us.” Sweetie Belle remarked as she bobbed her head. “Two, they apparently enslaved Rarity just for digging up gems for them. Lastly, they can seriously hurt us.”

Amethyst rolled his eyes, continuing to dig through the mound. “Your words make them appear as threatening as the dragons were back in my time.”

“What? No, dragons are horrible! ...Well, except Spike, when he was a dragon... but he wasn’t technically a dragon anyway... oh, they’re not as bad as dragons, but they’re still pretty bad!”

“Regardless, I’m going on to retrieve Miss Rarity’s saddlebag. Now, do they live underground?”

“Yes. I mean no! No! Don’t go down there!”

“I told you, I...”

“Well, well, well,” a raspy voice stated.

Immediately, both Sweetie and Amethyst stopped, their manes standing on end. The feeling of dread only intensified with each sound of nails scratching on dirt, alerting to a new present.

Rover was the first seen, his tall frame peering from around the dirt mine. On the other side, Fido peered at them, his eyes shining under his sloping forehead. At Fido’s side, Spot was the last seen, rubbing his claws together.

“It looks like some pony younglings wandered too far from home,” Spot said, his voice brimming with the same kind of glee Sweetie had whenever she opened Hearth’s Warming presents.

“H-hey now,” Sweetie quivered as she and Amethyst backed away. “We’re too small to be good slaves...”

“I suppose,” Rover scratched his chin. “I guess we’ll just eat you.”

Both ponies eyes bulged out of their sockets. “Eat us?”

“Yes. Pony’s make good meals once they no longer useful!”

“Now see here!” Amethyst protested, standing tall. “You shall not taunt us any longer! I lived through Sombra’s reign, and any torment you visit upon us would be a mere—”

A backhand from Fido silenced him, and sent him to the ground.

“That’s how we deal with ponies who make awful noises!” Rover said. “Now then...”

“Hey! Look!” Sweetie suddenly yelled, holding up an empty hoof. “Ball!”

“Ball!” All three dogs were suddenly on high alert.

“Wait...” Rover said. “I don’t think there really is a...”

“Go get it!” Sweetie said, throwing her imaginary ball over their heads.

“Ball! Ball! Ball!” the three yelled, turning and chasing the imaginary object.

Sweetie tugged Amethyst away from the mound. “Now let’s get out of here before—” Sweetie let out a yelp as she fell through the ground thanks to a crack she stepped on, pulling Amethyst with her.

The pair yelled out as they were continuing to fall through the tunnel, before both of them finally landed roughly on a whole collection of gems.

“Woah…” Sweetie Belle looked around her, seeing nothing but gems of all sorts. If Spike was still a dragon, he would go crazy for these. “Where are we?”

Amethyst stood up, balancing himself on the gems he was standing on. He dusted himself off before taking a look around. “From what I gather, we are in their treasury.” He answered Sweetie, still looking around. “We need to find an exit with haste.”

“Yeah,” Sweetie agreed as she got up and crossed the hills of gems, squinting her eyes as she looked forward. Rarity would salvage this place clean if she knew it existed. “I think I found a way out Amethyst! Over—”

“Halt.” Amethyst stopped, gazing up to a particularly large hill of gems. He spotted something that lay on top of it. “Sweetie, what’s that?” He pointed to the object with his hoof, nearly falling on his face when he lost some balance.

Sweetie squinted her eyes again before gasping. “That’s Rarity’s bag!” She told Amethyst, recognizing her sister’s work on that bag. “I never forget what Rarity wears and boasts about.” She grumbled, remembering how her sister showed off the bag to her friends.

Amethyst beamed and started climbing the hill. “Excellent!” He shouted out as he was halfway to the bag.

“Oh boy.” Sweetie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not going to follow you up there you know!”

“Just wait there will you?”

“Fine. But just so you know, I still think you’re going to get us killed. If any of the other dogs find us, who knows what they’ll do?”

“I’m sure they won’t—” Amethyst began, but he only got that far.

“This is without a doubt the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard anypony do!” Sweetie said, her voice rising in pitch. “This is even dumber than when Light and Scootaloo went to rescue Spike from Bloodwing! At least that was a good reason to nearly get killed!”

“Sweetie!” Amethyst said, suddenly sounding alarmed.

“No! Don’t interrupt me! You brought us down here, nearly turning us into dog food, just for—”

At that point, Sweetie was suddenly silenced with a big grey paw clasping over her mouth. Letting out a muffled scream, she was hoisted up by a Diamond Dog, grinning in the joy of accomplishment.

“No!” Amethyst yelled, only for two more to jump to the top of the gem pile he was occupying. Seconds later he was on the ground, thankfully mostly unharmed since the dog landed on himself. A large paw gripped him by the neck.

“The Alphas will give us much reward,” one said, it didn’t matter who.

Sweetie was gagging. Rarity wasn’t kidding when she said these dogs stunk, a fact made worse by the long periods since the last time they had surfaced to air themselves out. Still, she kicked and struggled, trying to keep her wits about her.

“Um...” Amethyst tried to think. He held his hoof up. “Do you see the ball, canine?”

The Diamond Dogs blinked. “Huh?”

“Who wants to chase the bouncing rubber toy?”

“What are you saying such weird things?” the Dig Dog demanded. “You make even worse noises then Miss Rarity.” The one holding him stuffed a dirty rag into his mouth. “We discovered how to keep ponies from making any noise.”

Sweetie Belle panicked. She looked around frantically, her eyes leaking as she clenched her teeth. This is it, isn’t! We’re doomed!

She looked over at Amethyst, and then realized he was lighting up his horn as he looked past the dogs. “Amethyst? What are you do—”

Amethyst jerked his head back and a gem flew past the dogs and the ponies, hitting the wall in the back. A rumble soon followed as the ground started to quake. The tallest hill started to collapse as the number gems came flowing down upon the ponies and dogs in the room.

“Gem slide!” One of the dogs yelled out, but he was alone as the others started running away yelping to not get crushed by the onslaught of gems.

Sweetie Belle was frozen in fear, as her eyes were white and her jaw agape. She started seeing her past in front of her eyes as the gems drew nearer.

“Sweetie!” Amethyst grabbed her leg and brought her back to her senses. We are leaving!” He declared with his voice at its loudest, both ponies rushing off to the nearest entry to escape.

One of the Diamond Dogs growled and pointed to the exit. “After them! We mustn't let the Alphas know of ‘em!” Even with the gems sliding down towards them, the Diamond Dogs narrowed their eyes and ran towards the entry with great haste. When the last of the three were out of the treasury, the gems filled up the hole sealing the room.

Amethyst and Sweetie were lost in a maze of tunnels. Every tunnel they travelled through looked identical to the other they had left. Sweetie could have sworn she saw a familiar rock when they passed through another tunnel.

“Are you sure we’re not going in circles Amethyst?!”

“I am certain we are lost yes.” Amethyst replied flatly, his brow furrowed as he continued to gallop. “Just as long as we keep our distance from those dogs, we can properly assess where we currently are.”

Sweetie groaned as she pursed her lips. “And this is what I get for being with you today! Thanks alot!”

“You followed me on your own accord!” Amethyst retorted, turning his head slightly to face Sweetie Belle from his side. “You knew the risks of this endeavour, do not blame me!”

“Right and have Rarity go Twilight on me with you missing?!”

“What?” Amethyst blinked with his brow cocked in confusion. “What does Miss Twilight have to do with any of this?!”

Sweetie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Nevermind! We have to get out of here before—”

At that point, a large massive paw reached out from the ground and grabbed at Sweetie’s left hind leg. Giving a shriek, she shook it off, which was easy to do since the dog had not managed a tight grip through grabbing blind. As they ran, more dogs started popping up from the floor.”

“I thought I heard someone,” they heard one of the dogs say.

“Ponies!” Another said. “I had one, they were right here!”

“Ponies! Goody, we eat good tonight!”

The sound of claws scraping on dirt sounded from behind them. They redoubled their pace, but they both knew it was going to be fruitless. There were several dogs, each with legs far bigger than their own.

“We must find a fork in the paths,” Amethyst said through tired pants. “We might be able to lost them through—”

A flying tackle silenced him. Another dog had his filthy paws on him. Sweetie turned, skidding to a halt, and began to call his name, only to be a prisoner before the first syllable escaped her lips.

“We eat! We eat!” the dog gripping Sweetie cheered. There were several barks in agreement.

“Hold on,” a new dog spoke. Another group had emerged from the direction they had been running from. “We saw them first! We eat!”

“We caught them!” a dog in the other group said. “We win. We eat!”

“You get lucky! We eat!”

“We eat!”

“No. We eat!”

The final argument stunned everyone. All heads turning except for those of the restrained foals, the Alphas stood there, glaring.

“I’m right to assume you are the Alphas?” Amethyst asked plainly, dangling upside down with one of the Alphas holding him.

The Alpha named Spot chuckled as he brought Amethyst closer to his face. “You are correct, little pony.” He answered Amethyst, licking his lips as he scanned his body. “You are not the same as those other ponies from their town are.”

Amethyst gasped in false surprise hearing the Spot’s words. “My word, how did you figure that out!?”

“Your coat, all shiny like a gem.” Spot grinned as he looked from his two comrades, before looking to the lesser dogs before him. “You! Wait there!” He ordered the others dogs, and they obeyed as they sat on the ground looking up to their masters.

Rover inspected Sweetie, who blushed furiously as she looked away. “We could boil them! Lovely stew!”

“Oh oh! Smash them till they all mush!” Fido suggested, wagging his tail as his licked his lips.

“Fry them! They taste good!” Spot said.

“Why don’t we let them go?” Sweetie said, trying not to move her lips in a lame attempt to throw her voice.

The dogs actually seemed to consider this a moment. Then, Spot shook his head in disagreement. “Nah, too messy. Lets just eat them here and now, or we get the lesser begging!”

Sweetie Belle was bawling out in tears, hearing the dogs suggestions of consuming them. She covered her face with her free hooves as he cried. I wish Spike or Rarity were here to save us!

“Hey!” Amethyst shouted out to the lesser dogs behind him, getting their attention. “Are you going to just idly sit there and have these thieves take away your meal?!”

The lesser dogs turned to each other before looking up at Amethyst. “But they our masters. They get—”

“Finders keepers.” Amethyst chimed in, shrugging as he was held upside down. “Or are you just pups?”

“We no pups!” One of the lessers dogs retorted, clenching his teeth in rage at the colt’s words.

“Prove me wrong, and I will be impressed.”

“Don’t listen!” Rover demanded. “We’re your Alphas! You don’t talk back to us!”

“Oh yeah?” One of the larger dogs stepped forward. He was about two heads taller than Rover, and looked down on him with a smug smirk. “You not so tough.”

Rover responded so quickly that those watching almost didn’t see. Rover’s claws were in his neck, small trickles of blood pouring out of fresh wounds. A punch ended any future complaint from this particular dog, audible cracks were heard, both from the punch and from the head colliding with the ground.

“Anyone else want to try?” Rover daunted.

It was a fair question, as the crowd now looked upon them with fear, but another spoke. “They cannot take all of us!”

The dogs surged forward. Rover, Spot, and Fido never even looked worried, only annoyed. All three fought with such savagery that Sweetie wanted to cry again. But Amethyst had been born in savage times, and was less affected.

“Come, let us depart!” he said, trying to pull Sweetie along. It was hard at first, her legs felt like lead weights, but slowly she began moving.

They ran blindly at first, but before long they noticed the dogs had marked the way out. After a few minutes of running, they found themselves above ground. Still clutching Rarity’s bag, the pair raced back to Ponyville.

The Alphas were above ground just as they made it to the edge of the field. They had a few cuts and scrapes, but still looked very much ready to fight.

“There they are!” Fido said.

Rover put a paw to his head. “They too close to pony village now. We go there, and pony princess come upon us!”

Spot and Fido shivered. It had been three hundred years since the last time the dogs had tried to take Celestia, and it was still remembered as an unfit situation to find oneself in.

The Alphas all sighed as the lowered their heads in defeat. “Let’s just go back.” Spot told them, and they all slumped back to their home. “What should we do for tonight?”

Rarity was humming as she was busy with another dress order. She hummed rather loudly, hating the silence present in the boutique now. She wore her red glasses as she was working with a fine needle, sewing a few attachments on the dress. When she was finished, she levitated the dress on the mannequin and sighed.

I wonder what Amethyst and Sweetie Belle are watching now? She looked up to the ceiling, her eyelids fluttering as she was starting to daydream. I just hope they haven’t gone seen an awful horror like Sweetie suggest—

The bell of the front door ringed, bringing Rarity back to reality. She straightened herself up, placing her glasses on the nearby table. She trotted up to the front entrance, wearing her professional smile. “Welcome dear, how may I help—” Her words were cut off when she saw Sweetie Belle and Amethyst before her. They were covered in dirt with multiple scratches on their body. “What in Equestria happened to you two?!”

Amethyst gulped, lowering his head as he heard Rarity’s voice. Sweetie was doing no better, shuffling her hooves as she looked away.

Rarity scrunched her lips and narrowed her eyes, seeing her sister dirtying the floor even more. “Young lady, to the bath with you now.” She ordered Sweetie, pointing upstairs.

Sweetie slowly nodded and walked upstairs. She paused for a moment, looking back at Amethyst before disappearing from the room.

“Amethyst,” Rarity spoke slowly, lowering her head to his level. “Do you mind telling me why you and Sweetie Belle are all covered in dirt?” She asked sternly to the colt. “Please look at me.”

He complied and looked Rarity in the eye before clearing his voice. “Well, I just wanted to…” He trailed off, blinking as he gulped.

“Yes?”

“I wanted to get this back for you.”

He focused his magic on the item that he was carrying, lifted it up and presenting it to Rarity. He looked past the bag, seeing Rarity gasp as she placed a hoof to her mouth observing her item.

“My bag!” She reached for it excitedly, but stopped. She looked at Amethyst, her stern expression returning. “You went into Diamond Dog territory.”

“I... I truly wanted to retrieve the bag for you. I owe you that much...”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Rarity sighed, lifting his chin up with her hoof. “What you did was foalish. No bag is worth yours and Sweetie’s lives.”

“But I—”

“I know what you were trying to do,” Rarity cut him off. “And while I appreciate this, I’m afraid I cannot condone it.” She sighed. “I wish you had just disobeyed me. I’m... I’m glad you’re so thoughtful, but...”

She trailed off, trying to think of what to say. “Never mind that now. As soon as Sweetie is done cleaning up, you do so as well. I’ll be giving her a lecture as well, then we’ll be discussing your punishments.”

Amethyst’s eyes widened. “But... Miss Rarity, it was my decision alone. Please do not blame her.”

“She should have gotten me, instead of running off into that dreadful place.” Amethyst stepped back. It was the first time the whole conversation that Rarity had raised her voice. “If anything had happened to her, or to you...”

Her voice was breaking. Her eyes were getting misty. Ignoring the dirt and grime still covering him, she swept him into a hug. “I... I’ve grown to love you. I’ve seen you do so much since I found you." She reached out to him with her hooves, bringing Amethyst into a hug as she nuzzled him. "And to let you go off and get yourself killed doing something like that... I do not think I could survive something so terrible. Please, please promise me you won’t do anything like this again.”

“...I promise,” he said softly. “I... I’m sorry, Miss Rarity. I only wanted to make you happy.”

“I know you did.” She kissed the top of his head gently. “And I’m very proud of you for that. But you still disobeyed me.” She returned to her stern demeanor, pulling away. The sound of the tub draining upstairs signaled that Sweetie was finished. “Go upstairs and wash. Send Sweetie down, I need to talk to her.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, slowly heading up the stairs.

As soon as he was out of sight, Rarity let go of a breath she hadn't even realized she had been carrying. She felt her heart race, trying to keep up with her mind as it went over every worse case scenario. What if he had died? What if he was enslaved? Shipped away to wherever the dogs were from?

Rarity took in a deep breath, calming herself down. She closed her eyes as she exhaled, before looking at the bag Amethyst retrieved for her. A slow smile crept onto her muzzle, followed by a stray tear escaping her eye. She quickly wiped it away, sniffing as she looked back up the stairs.

Maybe I should give them a break…

Just when the thought came to her mind, her ears perked when she heard tiny hoof steps coming downstairs. She looked up and saw Amethyst and Sweetie spotless clean, though no joy was found on them at all.

Rarity sighed as she breathed in slowly before speaking. “Now, for your punishment…” When she said those words, Amethyst flinched whilst Sweetie merely looked down. “No dessert for a whole week.”

Sweetie Belle sighed, relief at the minor punishment. She turned to Amethyst and saw his mouth becoming agape and his eyes widened in horror.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”

Chapter 8

Amethyst pawed at display containing the chocolate cupcake. “Sweet, sweet chocolate...”

“Amethyst, you still have three more days in your punishment,” Rarity told him as she placed firm hoof on his shoulder, trying to stay stern under his pleading. “We’re only here to drop off Mrs. Cake’s order.”

Amethyst still looked longingly at the display. Finally, he sighed and turned back to Rarity, who was handing something to the baker.

Mrs. Cake looked at every side before leaning towards Rarity’s ear. “Y—You’re sure nopony knows about this?” she asked nervously, holding the package with care.

“I was very discreet.” Rarity whispered back to her, looking down upon the suit equally nervous eyes. “I’m sure Mr. Cake will enjoy your anniversary.” She smiled broadly, looking around the room. I am so glad Pinkie Pie is not here today.

Amethyst reached for the desk with his front hooves, peeking at the odd clothing. “Mrs. Cake bought Mr. Cake a suit?”

“... Yes,” Mrs. Cake said after a pause, sweating profoundly as she chuckled. “Yes... I bought a suit—”

“And that’s all,” Rarity chimed in, wanting Amethyst to end the subject.

“What kind of suit?” Amethyst asked curiously, trying to take a peek inside. He didn’t get far though, because of Rarity’s hoof being placed on his and pulling it away.

“You know what? I think four days is enough! Why don't we get you a cupcake after all?” Rarity asked with haste that Rainbow Dash would envy. nodding her head furiously to Mrs. Cake who forcefully smiling and near tears

“Truly? Thank you Miss Rarity, really—”

He was cut off by Mrs. Cake shoving the treat at him. “There you are, on the house. Now then, I have work to do, so if you would please?”

“Of course,” Rarity nodded, and then lightly pressed Amethyst out the door. “Bye bye!”

In the street, as Amethyst swallowed the last of his cupcake, he spoke. “Has Princess Cadance relayed any information on…” He trailed off, scrunching his lips as he swallowed and looked away. “Nevermind.”

Rarity smiled sadly as she shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything since the last letter I gave you.”

Amethyst was quiet for a moment as they walked onwards through the town. “I was wondering how much longer I would be welcome in your home.”

“Oh Darling,” she swept him up in a hug, nuzzling him softly. “You don’t need to worry about that. You can stay with me as long as it takes.”

“It might be forever,” Amethyst said as he looked away from Rarity’s eyes. “If she hasn’t been found by now...”

Rarity placed a hoof on his mouth, silencing Amethyst’s words. “You mustn’t speak like that,” she told him as she leaned into his eyes. “If it’s Ponyville or even the Crystal Empire, you will always have a home.”

Amethyst couldn’t help but smile, hearing those words and nuzzled Rarity in return as he held onto her. “Thank you.”

“That’s it right there.” She pointed and giggled. “You look so much cuter when you smile.”

“I—I—” Amethyst blushed furiously, lightly pushing himself away from Rarity’s embrace.

Rarity laughed nudged him softly. “Now go and have some fun with Sweetie Belle and the others,” she told him, seeing him run off. “Remember, no Diamond Dog mine trips, you hear!”

“Yes, Miss Rarity!”

When Amethyst disappeared from her sight, Rarity let loose a sigh as she walked back to her boutique. She didn’t get far though, as a white alicorn came flying towards her before landing right in front of her.

“P—Princess Celestia!” Rarity quickly bowed to the princess, having been caught off guard since she didn’t receive any word of a visit from her.

Celestia waved her hoof upwards. “Please Rarity, no need to bow before me,” she spoke in a soft maternal voice, the same she used with all her subjects. “I just want to let you know of the news we received so far.”

“Oh!” Rarity placed a hoof to her mouth in surprise. “Please, let’s talk in my boutique. Shall we?”

“Of course.”

Celestia took her seat at Rarity’s kitchen table and, despite her insistence that it wasn’t necessary, she began brewing up some of her best tea. Within minutes she was enjoying some of the best brew she had tasted.

“Have you brought any news on Amethyst’s parents?” Rarity asked hopefully. “The poor dear is beginning to lose hope.”

“I’m afraid not,” Celestia sighed. “And I’m afraid the news I bring has more to do with Amethyst himself.”

Rarity felt her blood run cold. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s truly wrong,” Celestia said. “At least, not yet. The Crystal Empire’s vizier, however, is starting to push for Amethyst to be returned to the Empire.”

“I... whatever for?”

“Amethyst would be considered a natural treasure,” Celestia said as plainly as possible. “The regular citizens are ignorant of him at the moment. But once they find out, they will demand that he be returned. I don’t know if we can ignore such a request.”

Rarity felt her heart beat quicken. She began to breathe deeply. “I... please, Your Highness, can’t you do something?”

“I’m afraid not,” Celestia said. She tilted her head a bit. “Are you really so concerned with losing him?”

Rarity felt her cheeks heat up. “Well... I suppose I am.”

“You were only supposed to watch him.” Celestia didn’t sound disappointed, however. She was merely stating a fact. “Suppose we find his mother. What then?”

“I...” She struggled to find the words. “I don’t know. I keep telling him he needs to keep his hopes up, but... in all honesty, I don’t think there really is much of a chance at this point, is there? I truly hope she’s around, but... but I have been thinking about him staying with me... for the rest of his foalhood at least.”

Celestia nodded. “I’m glad you have gotten so attached... but it makes what has to be done that much harder. We might have to relocate him regardless of whether or not he has a family here.”

Rarity bit her lip as she looked down, her eyes becoming moist. The thought of Amethyst going away from Ponyville, away from her. Over the last few months that Amethyst has stayed with her and Sweetie Belle, she had really grown attached to him.

Celestia lowered her head. “Rarity, I know this is hard for you,” she spoke softly as she nuzzled her softly. “But we have to do what’s best for him.” She raised her head and began to walk out of the boutique. “I will keep you inform about further findings and news.” She told Rarity with a smile, albeit her eyes were downcast in sorrow. Celestia stretched her wings and flew off towards Canterlot, leaving Rarity alone with her thoughts.

Amethyst trotted towards the Ponyville library, where he was told to meet up with his friends. For what reason, he didn’t know. He was still amazed at how a tree was hollowed out to build a construct for ponies to use on a daily basis. When he finally reached the enormous tree, he reached up for the door and opened it to let himself in.

“Hello?” Amethyst called out as he closed the door behind him.

“Hey Amethyst,” a voice from above called out to him from above. The colt looked up and saw Blaze Stream floating above and sorting the books in their shelves. He landed on the ground in front of Amethyst. “How can I help you?”

“Good day, Sir Blaze,” Amethyst greeted the elder stallion with a curt nod.

Blaze chuckled a little before speaking. “No need to call me ‘sir’, kid,” he grinned at Amethyst. “Just call me Blaze,” he leaned towards Amethyst, pointing to his forehead. “Got it memorized?”

“Yes sir,” Amethyst looked around before looking at Blaze. “Where is Miss Twilight and why are you here? I thought you were in the Wonderbolts?”

“The Wonderbolts don’t train on weekends and when I have time off I help my mare with the work in the library,” he leaned into his ear. “Between you and me, she hardly goes to sleep unless everything is in absolute order.” He raised his head and saw Amethyst’s confused look, laughing at it for a moment before clearing his voice again. “So, what brings you here today?”

Amethyst blinked and shook his head before clearing his throat. “Well, I was told to meet my friends here today. Are Spike and Light here?”

“Over here!” Both Spike and Light came from a room in the library towards Amethyst, bumping his hoof. “Looks like you’re number three.”

“Number three?”

“Third to arrive here.” Light told him plainly before looking up at Blaze. “You sure there’s no other books besides this one, Dad?” Light showed him an old book with no visible title.

“‘Fraid not. I know, because Twilight made me memorize this whole place. I’m sure that’s all we have.”

“What are we looking for?” Amethyst piped in.

“Any other reading on cutie marks,” Spike said. “We’re going to spend today working on a way to find out Silver Spoon’s cutie mark.”

“Ah! Very well, then, when shall we start?”

“As soon as the girls get here,” Spike said. “We’re just going to try and find something here first.”

“You have fun,” Blaze nodded. “Just.. don’t destroy the library. Your mother just got it well enough to relax.”

“Okay,” both Spike and Light said. As Blaze returned upstairs, Amethyst joined in the book reading.

“Tell me, Silver Spoon... has she been feeling better since that day?”

Spike nodded. “I think so. She still seems pretty quiet. Like she’s nervous or something.”

“Maybe it’s just a little strange to her,” Light said.

“Pray tell, do you think that Diamond Tiara would try something? As in, do you think she might try to hurt Silver Spoon?”

“I don’t think so,” Spike said. “Diamond Tiara is too unpopular to try anything now. I don’t think even she’s desperate enough to try anything.”

“Have you seen her moping in class? She just looks at Silver Spoon, then looks back at her desk,” Light said. It was true, all of them were beginning to wonder if Diamond was beginning to see something appear on her desktop that was invisible to them. She hardly even talked unless Cheerilee called on her, and she went straight home after school, never even going to Sugarcube Corner.

“I see Silver Spoon look at her sometimes,” Spike said. “Like she actually wants to be friends with her again.”

The door of the library opened slowly, letting Pipsqueak and Apple Bloom in. Both of their cheeks were burning as they smiled broadly at each other.

The colts looked at the pair with arched eyebrows. “What’s up with you two?” Spike asked.

“Did you find anything out about Lady Silver’s cutie mark?”

The pair jumped, as if they had just noticed that they were not the only other ones in the library. “Oh, it’s nuthin’,” Apple Bloom said. It was said casually enough that it aroused suspicion... then again, there was likely little they could have said in any way that wouldn’t have aroused suspicion.

Before anypony could act on this, Pip spoke. “Where is th’ dame, anywho? You’d think she’d be on time, it’s her cutie mark we’re workin’ on.”

As if on cue, the door swung open. Sweetie was seen first, followed by Scootaloo, but behind them was Silver.

“Good day, Sil...” Amethyst began, but he trailed off when he noticed something. There were bandages across one of her front hooves. “Goodness, what happened?”

Silver Spoon blushed. “It... it was Scootaloo’s fault.”

All eyes turned to her, and the young pegasus blushed. “Well... I was thinking... Silver said one of the chores she did for the Cakes that day was feeding Gummy, so I thought maybe it was for feeding animals. There were some baby birds outside my house, so I flew her up on my back. Then the mother came, and saw us too close to her young...”

Spike head hit his hoof. “Oh, you...”

“Hey, I panicked! You would, too!”

“You could have at least made sure not to drop me,” Silver said in a deadpan tone. Amethyst realized it had been the first non-timid thing that she had said since that day that Diamond Tiara struck her.

“Hey, my mom said nothing was broken! Your hoof is just going be banged up for a little while.”

“Whatever. Can we do something that’s not going to get me killed?”

Inwardly, Silver Spoon knew it was a stupid hope, given what she had seen the group do before. But still, a smile creeped across her face all the same.

“Relax,” Apple Bloom said, “Ah’m sure Spike an’ Light found somethin’ here. They live in a library, after all!”

Both of the colts looked at each other, before rubbing the back of their heads and chuckling awkwardly. “We’re stuck here to be honest,” Spike finally spoke, looking away and pursing his lips.

“But don’t worry, I’m sure something will pop up soon,” Light told Silver Spoon, trying to cheer up the already injured filly.

Silver could only nod, groaning a little as she rubbed her forehead. She took a seat on the cushion, twitching slightly as she felt more pain when sitting down. “You really think there’s a book that can explain my…” she trailed off as she looked back at her cutie mark, “problem?”

Before any of the foals could answer, Blaze came in whistling with his eyes closed. When he opened them and saw Silver Spoon, he jerked his head slightly before flying over to the filly. “Hey, you okay?” He asked, his voice filled with concern seeing all the bandages.

“Um…” Silver trailed off again, looking away. “Yes.”

“Did that Diamond Tiara do this to her?” He asked Light as he turned his head to face backwards to where the colt was sitting.

Scootaloo stepped in. “No Blaze, um…” she shuffled her hooves nervously, looking down in guilt as she retold the tale to the elder stallion.

“Geez Scoots, it’s one thing to help a foal learn how to swim again. But throwing her in a shark tank is just too much.” He told her, hoping she would understand his analogy. “Let’s see if I can get an ice pack for that.” He flew off to the kitchen, leaving the foals alone again.

Silver blinked before turning back to the others. “So what should we do now?” She asked them all, curious to see what their next move was.

“Well, if we can’t find any information in these books… we might have better luck asking ponies who you met on that day you got your cutie mark.” Spike explained to her, his eyes looking upwards in thought. “If that doesn’t work…”

Pip cut him off as he waved his hoof. “Let’s not think about that now,” he said as he reached for a book. “Let’s just place our attention on these books for now.”

“Right,” Apple Bloom replied, walking to the table and taking a book for herself to read. Soon every foal was reading a book on cutie marks, though Silver Spoon and Amethyst had to share one together. Which she didn’t mind at all.

Twilight yawned as she woke up from her afternoon nap, something she had picked up from her son Spike a while ago. She covered her mouth, giggling as she blushed. Once she was off the bed, she looked in the mirror to set her hair right again. Opening the door gingerly, she heard the sounds of foals talking downstairs and made her way to the source.

Once she was on the ground floor, she saw all the foals of the Cutie Mark Crusaders with books by their side. She couldn’t help but smile, happy to see foals reading in their spare time. She walked towards the group, clearing her throat.

“Hello everypony,” she greeted them as she was still smiling.

Spike looked up from his book and gave a soft smile to his mother. “Hey Mom, had a good nap?” he asked her as he grinned, seeing her looking away.

“Yes, thank you.”

“And you said napping was a waste of time,” Spike recited her words, imitating her voice when she spoke with authority.

Twilight only blushed more when the foals were all laughing at Spike’s imitation. “Yes well, enough about that…” she trailed off as she cleared her throat again. “Have you found anything yet?”

Light groaned as he closed his book and planted his face to the book’s surface that laid on the table. “No! Like, they always give information about how it’s an act of destiny and how you should wait. But they don’t explain how to identify what a cutie mark means when you don’t remember how you earned it!”

“I’m sure you all will find a reasonable explanation soon,” Twilight replied before looking at Silver Spoon and gasping. “What happened to you, Silver?!” She asked with her voice becoming exceptionally louder, but silencing once she covered her mouth.

“Let’s just say, we tried and failed to see what her cutie mark meant,” Scootaloo grunted, not wanting to repeat the tale.

At that moment, Blaze came back to the room with refreshments for the foals. “Here you go kids, my treat.” He placed the tray on a separate table, before floating to Twilight. “Slept well?”

“I did thanks,” she responded, wrapping her hooves around his neck and planting her lips to his.

“Eww!” It was only Spike and Light who spoke, when a few months ago, they might all have. No matter how old a pony got, seeing your parents kiss was something that made you uncomfortable.

“Well then, I think you better get going, then,” Blaze said. “We’re just going to be here telling each other how much we love each other.” As the sentence went on, his voice got increasingly sappy, and his lips puckered up into a kissy face directed at Twilight.

In a split second, there were only dust clouds where Spike and Light once were. The others ran out after them, less disgusted but not wanting to see the sappiness either way.

“That was mean,” Twilight said.

Blaze shrugged. “Don’t tell me you don’t want some alone time,” he grinned, kissing her on the cheek.

She giggled. “Well, you have been pretty busy with Black...”

He sighed. “I know. I’m sorry, Twi, but—”

She placed a hoof on his mouth. “I understand. Come on, why don’t we just go upstairs?” She walked past him, making sure to brush her tail across his chin.

He followed up quickly.

Chapter 9

Twilight hummed as she was busy reading a book up on the history of the Crystal Empire, before the ruling of Sombra was. She saw that there were over a dozen kings and queens who ruled the Empire, each named with a year that they started ruling and a year they were succeeded by their successor.

What troubled Twilight though was the ruler before Sombra. There was no name nor any picture, just the years. She scratched her head in thought, curious to know why this ruler was not named nor had any picture at all. If it were just an hiatus for the succession, there would have been no page at all.

Before Twilight could think of this any further, the door of the library opened and a large white alicorn entered the library. “Good morning, Twilight,” Celestia greeted her student, closing the door.

“Princess!” Twilight quickly got up from her cushion and rushed towards Celestia, embracing her and nuzzling the towering alicorn. Celestia returned the nuzzle before Twilight let go of her. “What are you doing here today, Princess?”

Celestia smiled softly as she raised her eyebrows. “Can’t I visit my students personally?” She asked rhetorically as she giggled. Her smile slowly disappeared as she furrowed her brow. “Plus I have something to tell you.”

Twilight didn’t need to ask, but she did. “About Amethyst?”

“Am I that predictable?”

“Just with me and your family,” Twilight giggled, but a part of her felt a little nervous. I’m not crossing the line now am I?!

Celestia laughed as she nuzzled her student again. When she raised her head, she took a sniff as a certain aroma was lingering in the air. “Is that darjeeling tea?”

“Oh yes,” Twilight looked back at the pot that held the brewed tea. “Blaze got it from a travelling merchant who came from Marwari,” she looked back at Princess Celestia. “Want to have some with me?”

“I would love to,” Celestia replied gratefully as she made her way to the table and took a seat on an extra large pillow. She took a sip, marvelling in the taste of the tea. It’s been forever since I had such amazing tea. Her gaze landed on the book that Twilight was reading and she cocked an eyebrow. “I see you are studying the history of the Empire.”

Twilight looked down on the book, shrugging. “Cadance sent me that book since all her scholars back at the Empire were occupied with others. It’s fascinating, but this page troubles me.” She pointed to the page showing the enigmatic ruler.

Celestia scrunched her lips, blinking profoundly as her eyes became moist. She quickly regained her composure, taking another sip of the tea. “Interesting…”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s... nothing, really. The Crystal Empire’s fall was a painful time for me. It was... a failure that I’ve carried with me.”

Twilight tilted her head. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Celestia shook her head. “Not right now. I’m here to talk about Amethyst. I take it Rarity has explained to you the situation with him and the Empire?”

“Yes... are you going to take him?”

“Not if I can help it,” Celestia said. She sighed. “Rarity has told me. He has friends, a school, a family... I truly wish to let him stay here. But the vizier of the Crystal Empire is insisting he be returned. She fears the ponies will revolt otherwise.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

She took a deep breath. “Twilight... I think Amethyst should take a trip up to the Empire. Just a visit, mind, and at least take a tour around his homeland.”

“...Yes, I think that's a good idea,” Twilight said, though it was a resigned agreement. “Have you told Rarity yet?”

“No. I wanted to talk to you about something first. I think... I think you’re going to need to go with her. And the other Element Bearers as well.”

Twilight blinked. “Why?”

“I have a feeling. I think you’re going to need them with you.”

Twilight shivered. “Sombra?”

“No,” Celestia said, sounding almost disappointed. “But the vizier, Shimmering Ruby. There was something about her. She almost seemed… fake.”

“Fake?”

“Yes... she was friendly about everything, but it seemed manufactured. I don’t know what it is. But I failed the Crystal Empire once...”

Twilight reached her hoof to place it on Celestia’s. “Please Princess, you did what you had to do back then. We can’t dwell on the past, we can only do what we can for the future.” Twilight told her as she looked Princess Celestia in the eye.

Celestia could only nod as she sighed and smiled. “You’re right,” she said as she pulled her hoof away from Twilight’s. “But onto the Crystal Empire’s concern, I need you on your highest alert, Twilight.”

“Yes Princess,” she replied, taking a sip of her tea before another thought came to her mind. “What about our foals? They are all friends with Amethyst and I’m certain that they will want to come along.”

“As long as they are looked after for, I see no reason why they can’t be allowed to join their friend.” Celestia said as she looked down on her tea cup. “It may also help Amethyst, having his friends to support him over there.”

Twilight sighed in relief, knowing full well how the foals would object not to be able to join their friend. “That’s good, I’ll tell them when they come by here after school.”

“Oh? Are they researching for a project?”

“No, they’re helping a friend find out what her cutie mark means,” Twilight explained as she levitated one of the book pertaining to the cutie mark. “Apparently, their newest friend Silver Spoon, has her cutie mark but she doesn’t know what she did when she attained it.”

Celestia tapped her chin with her hoof humming. “That is rather rare, not knowing the method of how you gained your cutie mark.”

“Right,” Twilight said as she placed the book back on the table. “Although, aside from that, I can only imagine her wanting to come along too.”

“Oh?”

Twilight shrugged. “Since she has joined the club now, she always hangs out with Amethyst more than the others.” Twilight giggled, remember how the two shared a book with each other.

“Well I’m glad Amethyst has such good friends as your son and the others,” Celestia commented as she sighed in relief. “Twilight, when you are going to the Crystal Empire, I want Blaze to stay close to you and your friends.”

Hearing this, Twilight jerked her head back a little. “You don’t trust him, Princess?”

“On the contrary, I wouldn’t have any other pony looking after you.” Celestia grinned as she leaned into her student’s ear. “He is quite a catch.”

Twilight blushed deeply. “I suppose...”

“Is he a good kisser?”

That turned Twilight scarlet. “Princess! I... I...”

She giggled. “No need to be embarrassed. Enjoying one another physically is an important part of a relationship... not the most important, not by a long shot, but important. Besides, I would hope that he knew how to please you...”

Twilight looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock somewhere.

Celestia giggled. “I’m teasing you, Twilight. I was simply hoping the two of you could spend some time with the rest of your family. You, and your friends, and the foals. They’re all an important part of your life.”

Twilight blushed. “They are...”

“So... tell me about Silver Spoon. I don’t think I’ve ever met her...”

Amethyst sighed as she helped Silver wash the last bits of mud off of her. The Cakes had been nice enough to let them use the hose outside their shop, thank goodness. Apple Bloom sat a foot away, rubbing the back of her head. “Alright, I guess that one was a bit of a stretch...”

Silver couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at her. “You think? How could you get a catapult out of a spoon?”

“Well, they both scoop stuff, and you can fling stuff outta a spoon...” She trailed off when she realized how ridiculous that sounded.

“Fear not, Silver,” Amethyst assured. “We still have many possibilities to try.”

She huffed. “Like what?”

At that, Scootaloo jumped in. “Well, there’s playing the spoons. I’ve seen ponies do that a few times.”

“But I didn’t do anything like that the day I got it!”

“Well... do you have anything left to lose?”

Silver Spoon sat in silence. “...No,” she admitted. “Alright, how do I do that?”

Spike grabbed two spoons with his magic, each spoon placed together but facing the opposite way. “Like this.” He said and started to tap the spoons on his knee in a fast repetition, placing his one forehoof above the spoons and going faster and faster. The clattering of the spoons that collided with his knee and hoof created a melodious effect, on par with an instrument. Spike changed his position to have the spoons tap on his lips, creating a new tone that echoed throughout the club house.

“That’s neat!” Sweetie complimented Spike when he was done. “Where did you learn that?”

“Uncle Shiny used to do this trick all the time when we were all living with my grandparents still,” Spike replied, giving the spoons to Silver. “Why don’t you try it out?”

Silver blinked, looking down on the spoons with skepticism. She cocked her eyebrow as she pushed her lips to one side. “I don’t know…”

"Well what’s there to lose?” Scootaloo asked her rhetorically, taking a seat in the background to spectate what Silver would do now.

Seeing all her new friends looking on in anticipation, Silver sighed before grabbing the spoons in her mouth and placing her one knee forward. “Okay, here goes.” Silver started to bang the spoons to her knee, albeit slowly as she could not go any faster. She started to lift her one hoof up, but started to sweat as she concentrated more. Without warning, she lost balance and tripped. The side of her body landed on the floor, with the spoons clattering on the ground as they were free from the filly’s mouth. “Ow…”

“Are you alright?” Amethyst reached for Silver as he helped her up from the ground.

Silver blushed for a moment before shaking her head with her eyes closed. “No, looks like that isn’t my talent.”

Scootaloo groaned as she planted her hoof to her forehead. “This is getting us nowhere!” Scootaloo yelled out as she furrowed her brow. “Can’t you remember anything from that day when you said you got your cutie mark?!”

“The only thing I remember is helping other ponies out with their daily stuff!” Silver retorted as she gave a withering glare to Scootaloo. “Honestly, I don’t remember doing dangerous and stupid stuff to get my cutie mark.”

“Nothing stood out? Nothing?”

“No. I was just helping ponies like I always do, and--”

There was a sudden stop. Silver was looking straight ahead. The others quickly saw why.

Diamond Tiara was a fair distance away, far enough that she likely couldn’t have heard anything they said to her if they didn’t shout. Her body was facing the side, she hadn’t been heading toward them. Her head, however, was facing them, looking straight at Silver Spoon. And she was looking back.

For a few seconds, the pair just stared at each other, looks of uncertainty on their faces.

Then, Diamond Tiara kept walking, turning away from her former friend. She looked at the ground, studying the rocks and dirt.

“That’s a relief,” Scootaloo said. “I really don’t want to put up with her again.”

“I guess...” Silver spoon said.

“You guess?” Scootaloo asked. “You guess? After the way she treated you? She hit you for not wanting to bully us. How can you just guess?”

“We were friends for a long time,” she said. “She wasn’t always like that...”

“She was mean to us.”

“So was I.”

“Yeah, well...” Scootaloo couldn’t find the answer. “Look, don’t worry. If she’s really sorry, she’ll come to you, right?”

“Well...”

“Don’t worry about it. Come on, we have a lot to try and--”

“Amethyst!”

The voice caused everypony to perk up. Rarity was running toward the the group, looking alarmed. “There you are! Quick, Princess Celestia is in town and she’s requested an audience.”

“Princess Celestia?” The entire group of foals asked in unison.

Rarity nodded and smiled. “In fact, all of you need to come quickly.” She gestured to all the foals of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

The foals all shrugged as they looked to each other. “Very well,” Amethyst answered her and with that, all the ponies were on their way to the library.

Once Rarity had brought Amethyst and the others to the library, Celestia had explained to Amethyst about his summons. She was careful to avoid certain information from the colt, namely her suspicion of the vizier.

“So there’s no word of my mother at all?” Amethyst asked Celestia as he clutched his locket, looking upwards to face Celestia’s eyes.

Celestia sighed, lowering her head to Amethyst’s level. “Nothing has come up yet,” she explained to Amethyst, her lips scrunched when she saw the foal looking down with moist eyes. “But maybe when you arrive, there might be news waiting for you.”

“As long as we can come along,” Spike chimed in as he stepped forward. “He’s not going anywhere unless we are going with him.”

“Of course, Spike,” Celestia answered him with a soft smile as she raised her head. “That’s why I’m all giving you all permission to join Amethyst on his trip.”

The foals all cheered, the fillies especially with Sweetie Belle mentioning how she always wanted to see the Crystal Empire. All except one. Silver Spoon stood in the background, feeling intimidated by Celestia’s towering figure.

Celestia took notice of Silver and cocked her brow. “Excuse me, are you Silver Spoon?” She asked curiously, with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders making way to have Celestia face her.

“Y-yes, Princess.”

“Twilight told me a lot about you,” Celestia smiled fondly as she lowered her head to meet Silver’s eyes, but she grew concerned when Silver backed away slightly. “Are you alright?”

“Oh yes Princess! I’m fine!” Silver started to sweat a little, chuckling nervously as she shuffled her hooves.

Celestia moved her head forward, nearly touching Silver’s muzzle. “Please do not be frightened of me, Silver.”

“I’m sorry, Princess,” she said timidly, “I just never met somepony of royalty before.”

“Oh really? Nopony? Well then, this should be a treat for you. I was hoping that you and your friends would accompany Twilight and the other adults to the Crystal Empire.”

“Thank you Princess, but why?”

“These are hard times for Amethyst. He’s going to need some friends easily get through them. That’s the role I’m hoping you and your friends will fulfill. Is there anyone else you’d like to invite?”

Silver Spoon shifted. She looked at the Princess, opened her mouth, closed it, open it again, and still couldn’t find the words. “Well Princess I… I…”

“Don’t be shy, Silver,” the Princess assured, “What is you want?”

“I’m not really sure it’s what I want. I… I’ve been thinking a lot about something, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”

“I don’t suppose this has anything to do with your friend, Diamond Tiara, would it?”

Silver Spoon’s eyes widened at that,her cheeks began to warm from blushing. “H – how did you know that?”

“I had Twilight tell me all about you. I hope you’ll forgive my intrusion, but I like knowing about all my student’s friends, and the friends of her children. Is there something about that that troubles you?”

“You’re not still worried about her, are you?” Scootaloo asked. “She hit you, for…” She trailed off, thinking it likely wasn’t best to add, “ for Celestia’s sake” when the Sun Princess herself was present, at least until she knew for sure her stance on the matter.

“Yes, from what I’ve heard, Diamond Tiara has been quite a nuisance to all of you for quite a while, and I’m not going to act like forgiving her would be easy thing to do, especially after everything you’ve been through at such a young age. But that’s the thing about doing what’s right, it’s not always the easiest path.”

“But she’s been so mean to us!”

Celestia had wondered, who would say that, and was pleased that she guessed correctly that it would be Scootaloo. ”Yes, perhaps,” Celestia said, “and I will not lie when I say that some ponies will never change. But you’ll never know for sure unless you give them that chance. Have you ever had a non-antagonistic encounter with her?”

“ Well…no,” Scootaloo admitted.

“Well then, perhaps it’s time.” She summoned a large ball of tickets, which danced in the air for a moment. Then, one floated down to each of the foals, except for Silver Spoon, who received two. “I want you to give the second ticket to Diamond Tiara.”

Silver Spoon nodded meekly as she took hold of the tickets with her mouth. “I will try, Princess.”

Diamond Tiara was walking aimlessly around the market of Ponyville. Even though she had a purse filled with bits, she did not want to buy anything from any of the stalls. She stopped at a culinary stall and saw a few utensils, one of them being a silver spoon. She sighed and continued walking, biting her lip as she looked down to the dirt on the ground.

Why am I feeling like this?!

“Diamond! Diamond Tiara!”

Hearing her name being called out, her ears perked as she lifted her head and saw a familiar filly running straight to her. A soft smile started to form but was quickly dissipated when she remembered what happened between her and Silver Spoon. A frown started to appear when she saw seven more foals coming from behind Silver.

When Silver came to a halt before her, she lowered her head as she was catching her breath. When she looked up to see Diamond’s eyes, she dared to beam, but could only muster a soft smile. “There you are!”

“Yeah, I’m here,” Diamond Tiara answered her flatly.

“I want to give you something…” Silver looked back and Spike levitated the ticket to Silver. Silver grabbed it with her teeth and looked back at Diamond. “See--”

Diamond Tiara huffed as she snorted. “What!? You want to gloat at me for winning something?!” she sneered at her Silver, glaring daggers at her.

“No,” Silver replied, tilting her head as her eyes turned moist. “You see--”

“What I see is you hanging out with these losers and actually having fun, smearing it all in my face!”

The others looked uneasy as they turned to each other. Amethyst scrunched his lips as he took a few steps forward. “Now look here Diamond, all Silver wants to do is to give you--”

“Give me what? What is it?”

“I… I just wanted…” She placed the spare ticket on the ground and stepped back with the hints of nervousness in her body language. “Amethyst has to go back to the Crystal Empire for a while, and the Princess has invited all of us up there.”

“Oh, I see,” she said, advancing on Silver Spoon, “ you came here to brag about it. You wanted to just rub it in my face, didn’t you?”

“No, no, that’s not it at all! I just wanted to offer you a spare ticket. The Princess gave me an extra one just to give to you.”

Diamond Tiara just stopped in her tracks and blinked. “What?”

“Yeah, you always said you want to see the Crystal Empire, so I thought… Well, now’s as good a time as any. We could…”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because we’re friends, and…”

“No, don’t try and lie to me!” That sentence stunned Silver into silence. “ Nopony just up and forgives some pony like that! Why are you?”

“Because we used to be friends. We’ve been through a lot together, and... I want us to be friends again. Please?”

Diamond Tiara stopped for a minute, in deep thought. Silver Spoon took it as a sign to go on. “I miss all the things we used to do together. even though I love my new friends, I really wish my old friend was there with them. They’re really pretty cool when you know them. I think you’d actually get along well with them.”

“Wait, they’re coming too? I’ll have to spend hours on the train with those losers? No way!”

“But Diamond…”

“I said no! Now get away from me!”

Silver Spoon just looked at her old friend for a moment. Then, she sighed. “Is it really worth it?”

Diamond Tiara blinked. ”What?”

“Is it really worth staying mad at me, or at my friends?”

Hearing Silver’s question, Diamond Tiara was silenced. She simply closed her mouth firmly, not uttering a word in retaliation. She lowered her head a little, still remaining eye contact with Silver.

Silver placed the ticket on the ground and sighed. “If you want to come along with us, there’s your ticket,” she said plainly, turning around and walking past her new friends without uttering a farewell to Diamond.

Amethyst furrowed his brow slightly as he caught up to Silver. “Are you alright?” he asked her, looking to her face’s side as they were still walking away from Diamond.

“I’ll be fine,” Silver replied softly, though her eyes were leaking as she kept on walking away. She closed them slowly, not realizing that she was leaning on Amethyst with her head touching his neck.

Feeling her head and tears on his neck, Amethyst’s cheeks burned brightly as he looked nervously around with his eyes. He sighed as he nuzzled Silver, comforting the filly and seeing the others simply nodding with soft smiles on their faces.

“I will see if my librarians at the Royal Library have any books pertaining to your research, my little foals,” Celestia informed the Cutie Mark Crusaders as she was exiting the library. “It was a pleasure to see you again, Twilight.” She nuzzled her faithful student.

Twilight beamed as Celestia rose her head. “Same, Princess.” She nodded with eyes closed, still smiling.

“Tell Blaze I say ‘hello’ and--” Celestia paused before she could say two more words. Sun Run. For how many months now, she has used the words to send shivers down the stallion’s spine all in the name of good fun. Yet there’s a limit to teasing somepony, and downright terrorizing them.

“Tell him what, Princess?” Twilight blinked, cocking her brow as she tilted her head in confusion.

Celestia chuckled as she shook her head. “Tell him also about the trip to the Crystal Empire.”

“Of course, Princess. He is going, after all.”

“I’m sure,” she said, smiling at Twilight. “As to that, your mother wanted me to deliver a message to Blaze. I’m sorry I could not deliver it myself, but perhaps you can deliver it for me?”

“Of course. But... what would my mother want with Blaze?” Twilight asked curiously, cocking her brow.

Celestia leaned over and whispered in her ear. ”She wants more grandkids. By the time she sees him next, there better be a ring on your horn and a bun in your oven.”

Twilight turned as red as her coltfriend. “P-Princess!”

“It’s not my message,” she said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Though honestly, I think...”

“I-I’ll pass it along, Princess,” she said quickly, turning to the foals. “All of you better get home, now. Now!”

Jumping, the foals scattered off, hearing Celestia’s laughter even as they trotted away. Silver Spoon ended up next to Amethyst, and the two trotted in silence before speaking.

“Isn’t your home that way?” Silver noted.

“It is,” he said, briefly noting that they had taken for granted that Rarity and Sweetie’s home was his as well. “But I worried for you. You seemed shaken when you came back.”

“I... I’m just worried for Diamond. I’m really hoping it will work out. But she seemed mad. I...” She blushed. “I’m sorry. You probably think I’m stupid for all this.”

“I do not. I think you are a wonderful mare for caring so deeply about your friend.”

Silver Spoons cheeks warmed. “Um... thank you.”

“Please, Silver, you must allow me to treat you once we are in the Crystal Empire. There were lovely places. I want to see those places with you. Will you allow me?”

Silver Spoon felt her whole face heat up. “I... um, I...”

Amethyst tilted his head. “Is that a problem?”

“No!” Silver covered her mouth quickly, giggling nervously. “I mean, no. I would love to.”

“Excellent. I’m sure you’ll love it.” His smile slowly vanished as he lowered his head. ”Just hope they are still there… what with Sombra’s reign and all.”

Silver Spoon smiled nonetheless as she hugged Amethyst. “Whatever awaits us at the Crystal Empire, I’m sure it will be great still,” she told him soothingly, which seemed to cheer Amethyst a little. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“I hope so,” Amethyst replied, leaning into Silver’s cheek and placing a gentle kiss to it. “Goodnight, Silver.” He bowed slightly before dashing off, hoping that Silver would not see the redness of his face.

Even when he was gone, Silver Spoon stood stock still where she and Amethyst spoke. Slowly, she turned around to face her door and opened it to let herself in. Once she was inside her house, she galloped to her room upstairs. Shutting her door, she jumped on her bed squealing out loud as she continued to bounce on her bed.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” She continued to chant those three words for a few minutes before she took hold of her pony-sized teddy bear and held it close to her. “He kissed me!” she whispered excitedly, her cheeks shining brightly.

A knock at the door brought Silver out of her jubilating moment. She quickly straightened herself as she got out from her bed. “Yes?” She called out, and the door opened to reveal an earth pony stallion with navy mane and white coat coming in to her room. He wore a tuxedo that still revealed his wine glass cutie mark.

“Lady Silver, is everything in order here?” he asked her with a posh accent, as he looked down on Silver.

Silver blinked before nodding. “Everything is alright, Clear Glass,” she told her butler, failing to lower her smile even a little.

Clear cocked his brow, seeing Silver beaming. “You must have had quite an eventful day?”

“You could say that…” Silver muttered, looking away from Clear.

“So who is the lucky colt to have entered your life?”

Silver’s head rocketed upwards, only seeing Clear’s small smile. “H-how…” Silver lowered her head, embarrassed by being found out. “How did you--”

“My dear Lady,” he walked up to her and raised her head gently with his hoof. “I have been in service to your family since you were in diapers.” This only elevated Silver’s embarrassment, but Clear simply continued. “Apologies for the image that must be present in your mind, but what I am saying is that I too happen to pick up on what you seem to be thinking and doing in your life.”

She rubbed her hoof on her bed. “It’s Amethyst. The crystal unicorn?”

He smiled. “I should have known. You've talked about him a lot, haven’t you? He sounds like quite the gentlecolt.

She blushed deeper. “I wonder if Daddy will even notice...”

“I imagine he will,” he said with a dry tone. “That would be quite the thing to get the family moved up in society, wouldn’t it? His little filly, married to the last crystal unicorn left.” He sighed. “Yes, I think your father will be quite pleased.”

Silver Spoon felt her ears droop.

Clear Glass sighed. “My apologies, Lady Silver, I know that’s a painful subject for you. But I feel it’s best I not get your hopes up on these kinds of things. I’d change it if I could, Celestia help me, I would, you know that.”

“I know you would,” she said sadly. “I've been invited up to the Crystal Empire. Amethyst has to go on a trip and the Princess got tickets for all of us. Will you let me go?”

“The Princess herself? Did you meet her?”

“Yeah! She was real nice! She gave me advice, and helped me talk to Diamond, and even promised to help me figure out my cutie mark!”

He smiled. He had heard tales of the Princess’s kindness, and was glad to hear they were true. “Well then, one hardly denies a request from the Princess. Even Discord himself would likely accept one, even if he would spend the entire trip planning how to prank her and get away with it. So I’ll let you go.”

“Thank you,” she said, hugging him. “Maybe I can find my cutie mark’s meaning once I’m there.”

He smiled. “You know the first thing I noticed about your cutie mark? The heart. I thought it was appropriate. I’ve seen what a sweet filly you are. I've always hoped you would find happiness through that someday.”

“Well... what do you think it means?”

“That is something all foals discover for themselves. I’m sure you’ll find your answers soon.”

Silver Spoon drooped. “I hate that answer.”

Clear Glass sighed as he brought her in closer to hug her. “I know you dislike it, any foal would. Once you have found the answer, you will truly know who you are, Silver.”

Hearing those kinds words, Silver Spoon smiled and returned the hug. “Thank you, Clear.” She let go and giggled as she beamed.

“Now, I suggest you wash up. Supper will be ready in ten minutes. Your favorite, tomato bisque.”

“Thanks, Clear.” She hugged him again and rushed off to the bathroom, leaving behind the stalwart stallion.

Clear shook his head as he chuckled, making his way downstairs. Once he set foot on the ground below, he looked upwards to where Silver was. No smile was present on his muzzle when a single tear traveled from his grayish-blue eyes.

Chapter 10

Taking care of eight foals was work enough when they were all in one place, even with nearly as many adults to watch them. When going to a trip to a remote location that was sure to be filled with distractions, it proved to be a nightmarish prospect.

This is why they were grateful that they seemed subdued when they arrived at the train station that evening. Silver Spoon was delivered there by her butler, of all things, who made sure Twilight had her medical information and emergency contacts before bidding them goodbye, but not before giving her a look that Twilight was sure meant that he wanted to keep an eye on her.

She had spent the entire wait staring into town, not hoping Clear Glass would come back, but hoping Diamond Tiara would show up, saddlebags on her sides, ready to go. There were so many ways she was picturing it, most of which involved her marching up haughtily, claiming she was coming just to see the Empire, or acting like she was the one who had forgiven Silver, or perhaps like nothing had happened between them at all. A small part hoped there would be a genuine apology, but she was thinking it would be too much to ask.

“Come on, you two, everypony else is already inside.”

Silver Spoon gave a start, not just at Twilight’s insistence, but at the fact that Amethyst was waiting behind her.

“Silver,” Amethyst said, “I know you wish deeply for it, but the train is scheduled to leave in a mere ten minutes. If she were to arrive, I believe she would have done it by now.”

“But...” she said longingly, looking back at the buildings.

“Silver... I’m sorry, truly I am. But I do not believe she is coming. I believe it’s time we took off.”

Silver looked for a few more moments, then sighed. “Okay.”

It was a somber walk onto the train, even among the other foals, who had already set up their pillows, blankets, and snacks for the slumber party they were going to have on their way there.

“Hold the train,” a new voice said from outside. “Hold.”

Silver Spoon’s ears pricked up. She knew that voice.

“I’m sorry sir, these cars are reserved for guests of the Princess.”

“My daughter is one of them. Show him your ticket, Diamond.”

Silver Spoon raced to the door of the car like a shot. She couldn’t believe it.

Standing just at the entrance of the car was Diamond Tiara. She had her trademark tiara on her head with a saddle bag that was adored with pictures of her cutie mark. She looked up to see Silver Spoon standing before her, quickly lowering her head before turning away to the outside where her father Filthy Rich was standing.

“Bye Diamond, have fun!” He called out to her, waving to her as the conductor blew on his whistle to signal the train to move. Once it started moving, Diamond waved to her father before going inside the car and closing the door behind her. Once the lock of the door met the hinges, Diamond turned around just in time to be brought into a bear hug by Silver. Diamond’s eyes widened in shock for a moment before dilating and closing slowly. She reached for her friend with her forelegs and returned the hug.

Silver sniffed before letting go the hug and beamed with moist eyes. “I’m glad you came.” She told Diamond softly, sniffing again to hold back the tears.

“I-I’m glad I could come with you…” Diamond trailed off, looking away from Silver’s eyes. “Sorry for being such a jerk.”

“Well, Clear always said to me ‘Let bygones be bygones’,” Silver cheerfully replied, dragging Diamond Tiara off into the corridors of the car. “Come on! Let’s go where the others are, we’re having a slumber party!”

Diamond resisted for a moment. “You think they’ll really just accept me to that?” she asked skeptically.

“Hey, we invited you to join us on this trip and there’s no way you sleeping a car alone!” Silver pulled on Diamond with all her might. “Now c’mon! We missing out on the fun already!”

Twilight sighed in relief as she rested her head on the pillow of her bed. A broad smile was present on her face after she peered her head just enough to see Diamond Tiara arrive with her father and entering the car where the foals were in.

“Looks like everything’s worked out after all, huh?” Blaze commented as he loaded their saddle bags in the closets and closing them.

“Yeah,” Twilight replied before her smile vanished slightly. “I just hope this trip goes off without any surprises… nasty surprises, I mean.”

Blaze sat on Twilight’s bed, turning his head sideways to meet her eyes. “Well, the chances of things going peaceful are very slim since all of us are going.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight cocked her brow at her coltfriend.

“Trouble seems to follow us around,” Blaze said. “I bet by the end of this we end up with somepony else trying to kill us.”

“...True,” Twilight sighed. “How’d this all start? Before we got those Elements, Equestria was a peaceful place. The last thing that happened was the invasion, and that happened when Professor Inkwell was still young. Then, NightMare Moon returned, and it seems there’s something new every year.”

“Got me,” Blaze said. He draped a wing around her and pulled her close. “Nothing we can’t handle though, right?”

She smiled, though it was a weak smile, brought on through worry. “I guess...” She shifted and pressed her back up against his chest. He took this as an invitation to wrap his other wing, and both forelegs around her. “Still... sometimes I wonder if we just got lucky. If even one thing went wrong, we would have died...”

“It’s the same for the Princesses... defeating Discord the first time, sealing Sombra... it would only take one of those guys winning once to doom us. But it hasn’t happened yet. Don’t think it will, either. Think the Creator smiles on us.”

“Never thought I’d hear you be spiritual.”

“Guess it’s everything good that’s happened. Getting rescued, meeting you... it’s perfect. Even if we have to put up with unpleasant ponies.”

Twilight smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

“I think that’s supposed to be the other way around...”

“In your dreams, handsome,” she smiled, planting a kiss on his lips.

“You foals okay in here?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, Rarity,” the response droned.

“Rarity,” Sweetie said, “I thought you told me adult ponies don’t jump on beds.”

Rarity looked at her sister, perplexed by the random statement. “Of course they don’t.”

“But Twilight and Blaze do!”

“...I beg your pardon?”

“Yeah,” Spike said. “Me and Light hear creaking bed springs coming from their bedroom sometimes, and they come out all tired. When we ask them what they’re doing, that’s what they say.”

Rarity’s face turned crimson red as her lips started to quiver, with her eyes twitching. She forced a smile on her face and started to giggled nervously as she looked around. “They’re just playing a game… but I’ll tell them to be more quiet. Bye!” With that, Rarity zoomed out of the car, leaving the foals behind to ponder her words.

Sweetie just shrugged as she turned back to her friends. “So, what should we do now?” she asked curiously, not knowing what to do for fun on a locomotive.

“Well, how about we play a board game?” Light suggested as he raised his hoof in the air to gain the others’ attention.

“Last Ah checked, there’s no board game here,” Apple Bloom stated as she frowned to the suggestion.

“Check again!” Spike replied and pulled out a board game from his saddle bag, entitled ‘Crusaders’.

Pip beamed at the board game Spike pulled out, taking hold of it and inspecting it thoroughly. “Nice! Where’d you get this?”

“Mom got it for me when we were in Canterlot, said we’d have fun with it in case we were on long trips like these.”

“What’s it about?” Scootaloo asked, peeking her head over Pip’s shoulder to get a better look at the game.

Spike placed the game on the floor, with the foals encircling it. “Well in this game, you start out as a ‘Crusader’ and with one plot of land on the board. You roll two dice to move forward and conquer more land, each land holding certain riches and certain amount of ponies who join your cause. The goal is to reach the center of the board to gain the ‘Ultimate Treasure’.”

“Cool!” Scootaloo exclaimed, opening the board game and inspecting the contents. Her smile quickly dissipated when she saw how complex the game really was. “This isn’t like ‘Snakes and Ladders’, isn’t it?”

“Far from it,” Spike said with a smirk.

Spike began setting up the pieces, taking longer than many thought a board game should take. Scootaloo was the only one to voice these complaints, which wouldn’t have been a surprise on most days, but everypony present continued to look at Diamond Tiara, expecting her to, at any moment, crack a joke about what a nerdy game it was or that Spike was too slow.

Diamond was well aware of the glances she kept getting, stopping just short of outright stares. While she had always loved being the center of attention before, here they just made her uneasy. Even with Silver Spoon at her side, patting her on the back and assuring her that nopony was mad at her, she couldn’t help but feel like she had been sent into a manticore cave unprotected.

“Only four play at a time,” Spike said. “Who's it going to be?”

“I’m in,” Scootaloo said, surprising nopony. “And you better be playing, Spike, I want a real challenge.” That eliminated Light and Sweetie, neither of which wanted to play against their significant others.

“Right then, I’ll be player number three,” Pip said. “Who thinks they can take me?”

There was a pause. Then, after considering a moment, Silver Spoon raised her hoof just enough so nopony noticed, then pushed into Diamond Tiara’s back, sending her forward.

“Well, looks like you’re in,” Spike said, “here’s your development cards, and figures.”

“...Thanks,” Diamond said. It had been the first word she had said since getting on the train. She looked around. Spike seemed accepting, if a little wary, and Pip was trying his best to focus on his own pieces and pretend one of his opponents wasn’t Diamond. Scootaloo, however, was giving her a glare so intense it seemed as if it could turn her to stone. Giving a gulp, she returned to studying her cards.

Spike blathered off the rules, and in that time the remaining Crusaders took positions at the side of whoever they were rooting for. It was only after the rules were read that Diamond realized that she was the only one with two ponies in her corner. Silver Spoon was at her side, she had hoped that, but Amethyst was there as well.

A week ago, she might have bragged about this, but she merely returned to her work. As long as she looked at the board and her cards, she couldn’t look at the stares.

They all rolled and Pip got the highest, so he got to place his settlement first. Spike was next, then it was Diamond’s turn.

Diamond eyed each of her opponents and their spectators, and felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead as she swore they were eying her with contempt. She cleared her throat as she rolled her dice. “Well, it sure is nice going to the Crystal Empire…” she trailed off, looking to each corner if she got a reaction.

“Mum told me how beautiful it is, and how shining the ponies are there,” Pip muttered as he rolled his dice and moved his pieces.

Scootaloo grinned as she rolled a high number and claimed a few assets from the game. “The thing I want to see is the palace and those dark caves, must be so cool down there!”

“Not really…” Spike trailed off, shivering in the memory of when he was in the empire with his mother and encountering the dark crystal doorway and defeating Sombra. “The thing that’s really cool though is the castle and the stadiums.”

“How would you know of the stadiums?” Light asked curiously, as he leaned his head forward over Scootaloo’s back.

Spike rolled his eyes as groaned. “You do remember the pictures Mom and Blaze brought back together?”

Light’s eyes widened in realization before smiling sheepishly. “Right…”

“Well…” Diamond chimed in, silencing the group of foals. “I’m sure wherever we go, it will be fun at least.”

“Hmmm…” Amethyst lowered his head a little after his role, looking down on the ground. He let out a sigh before looking up to face the others, who were all looking at him with interest and concern.

“What’s wrong, Amethyst?”

Amethyst just shook his head, letting out a laugh as he forced a smile. “I’m just curious to know what the empire looks like right now.”

Spike scratched his head as he scrunched his lips. “Well, I’m sure it doesn’t look much different. Well, except for ponies being happy now, what with the Crystal Heart being found and purified,” Spike told, smiling smugly for a moment as he remembered how he was a catalyst in saving the day back then. His smile vanished as he saw Amethyst’s mood not lighting up.

Before any foal could speak, Amethyst just chuckled a little as he rolled his dice and moved his pieces. “Whatever has happened, I’m glad I have all of you coming with me.”

There was a smile, and the game continued. Nopony spoke, but it seemed like everything was okay in that instance.

After thirty minutes of playing, all nervousness was forgotten. Diamond Tiara was talking like there had never been any strife between her and the others, Scootaloo reserved her glares for whenever one of her opponents got the upper hoof, and all in all nopony really cared who won.

After the game, it was cards, then dice. Game after game was played, until finally, the lights were turned off, and they fell asleep without a care.

Shimmering Ruby didn’t sleep that night. She couldn’t hold in all her anticipation. It wasn’t as if she needed to sleep, she hadn’t since entering Sombra’s employ. All the same, she downed three pots of coffee to avoid suspicion.

She stood out on her balcony with her spyglass, looking in the distance. She could see it, see the train coming closer. Carrying the last crystal unicorn.

Her prize.

She laughed. It was like a foal on Hearth’s Warming morning. Soon enough, it would be time.

Soon enough.

Chapter 11

The whistle of the train rang throughout the attached cars of the locomotive, waking its passengers to a new morning and a new destination. Amethyst Craft did not need to be woken by the whistle, seeing as he didn’t enter the dreamscape with his friends.

He sat up straight on the top bunker, looking at each of his friends who were stirring from their peaceful slumber. Amethyst let out a sigh as he looked out the window, seeing the Crystal Empire from a distance.

Home sweet home…

As the thought entered his tiresome mind, he felt a bump on his bunker and looked down to see the others finally awake and looking up at him. “Hey Amethyst! Get ready, we’re almost there!” Spike told him excitedly, beaming with the others. Surprisingly enough, Diamond Tiara was smiling with the others too.

Amethyst shrugged and jumped off his bed, landing with a thud on the ground below. He sighed and walked to the bathroom, preparing himself for the day.

The others blinked before looking at each other, concern and confusion flushed on their face. “Was it something I said?” Spike asked Sweetie Belle, cocking his brow as he looked back to the bathroom door.

Silver Spoon scrunched her lips and blinked a few times as she tilted her head. “I hope he’s okay,” she thought out loud before turning to Apple Bloom. “But he seemed so thrilled last night… what happened?”

“Dunno…” Apple Bloom trailed off as she shrugged. She turned to Diamond Tiara, arching her brow suspiciously at her. “You didn’t do anything did you?”

“What?! No!” Diamond Tiara retorted as she pouted her lower lip. “I haven’t done anything to him whatsoever on this trip, okay?” She snipped at Apple Bloom, who raised her hoof to her.

“Woah there. Just making sure.”

Diamond Tiara just frowned as she looked away, meeting Silver’s eyes who were staring at Diamond’s intensely. “Not you too?”

Silver quickly waved her hooves as she shook her head. “No no! I didn’t mean—” She paused before she sighed. “I just hope he’ll be okay.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Pipsqueak answered dismissively, walking to the door leading to the dining car. “Now, what say we lads and lasses go and munch on our breakfast?”

“Sounds good to me,” Spike said. “I think that’s all we have time for before we get to the Empire anyway.”

“I don’t like this,” Shining Armor said.

It wasn’t the wait that he and his wife were being forced to endure that Shining Armor was referring to, though both were anxious to see Twilight and her family again. Cadance looked at him with understanding, she had no need to ask what the “this” was.

“I know what you mean.”

Shining frowned. “She’s just gotten... weird lately. Ever since she found out about Amethyst.”

“It’s not just that,” Cadance said. She gave a grunt, then clutched her now swollen belly. “Sorry, the foal kicked again. You remember when we first came up here? She was nowhere in sight until after Sombra was gone.”

“Everypony said she was legitimate,” he said. “Was helping to overthrow Sombra. Still doesn’t add up.”

“...Maybe. I don’t know.” She looked at the tracks. The train was close. “It could just be nothing. A lot of the ponies are pretty loopy after being away for so long. Sombra messed a lot of ponies up. Auntie hasn’t had to organize so many psychiatrists since Discord.”

“This is different. She seems bent on getting Amethyst back here. She nearly had a heart attack when I told her we wouldn’t be holding a grand procession for him.” He looked back at the long carriage, enough for all the guests. “I don’t care what she says, that would be a PR nightmare if he decided to stay in Ponyville.”

Cadance didn’t speak. The train was screeching to a halt now. “Well, don’t bring it up to him now.”

The door opened, and the first one out was Spike, running to his extended family. “Aunt Cadie! Uncle Shiny!”

“There’s my favorite nephew!” Cadance said, planting a kiss on Spike’s cheek. She looked over at Light. “And there’s my other favorite nephew! Come on.”

Light was a bit surprised, but came forward, and Cadance gave him a kiss as well. “Come on, feel your baby cousin kick.”

“Um…” he trailed off, looking back at Blaze who came out of the car with the others and was smiling broadly and nodded. Light gulped and complied to Cadance’s request. When his hoof and Spike’s touched Cadance’s belly, a faint heartbeat could be felt by them with a sudden bump from inside, making Cadance let out an ‘oof’ as she felt the impact.

She giggled and looked down as the colts retracted their hooves from her. “Looks like my son is saying ‘hi’.”

Twilight walked forward as she heard the news, beaming at her sister-in-law before reaching over to hug her. “So good to see you, Cadance.” She was about to perform their signature dance, but stopped when Cadance raised her hoof giggling.

"It’s good to see you too, Twilight,” Cadance said softly, looking down to her stomach. "Unfortunately I can't do our special 'hello' right now." She informed Twilight, reaching over to nuzzle little sister-in-law’s head with her eyes closed.

"Oh yes!" Twilight blushed, feeling sheepish when she remembered Cadance's foal inside. “So you found out if it’s a colt or filly?” Twilight asked curiously, looking down on Cadance’s swollen stomach.

Cadance nodded as she giggled. “It’s a colt.”

“Though we still not sure if it will be an earth pony, pegasus or unicorn.” Shining responded as he gave his baby sister a hug. “Happy you could come, Twily.”

Twilight returned to the hug and nuzzled into her brother’s neck. “Always for you, BBBFF.” She let go of her brother, but suddenly her face contorted in confusion. “But what if the foal is an alicorn?”

“That’s not likely,” Cadance replied.

“But—”

Shining Armor placed a hoof to Twilight’s mouth, silencing her. “I think we have more pressing matters at hoof, don’t you think?” he whispered to Twilight, as he peaked over her head to see the others standing in the background.

“Right!” Twilight answered, with Blaze coming from behind her to greet Cadance and Shining Armor.

When Blaze stepped before Cadance, she immediately gave him a hug that he returned to her. Both smiled as they let go of each other. “I see you doing well, Princess.”

“Please Blaze, just call me Cadance… you’re literally family now to me.”

“Um... thank you,” he said. It was almost surreal to get a warm welcome after such problems with Shining Armor on his previous visits.

“And there’s the pony of the hour,” Shining Armor said, spotting Amethyst. “How are you doing, kiddo?”

“...I’m fine,” he said. His heart clearly wasn’t in it though.

“Well, I’m glad you could come up.” He sensed his sadness, who wouldn’t? But he needed to keep a positive attitude, for his sake. “We have a tour of your old home ready.”

“...Thank you.”

An awkward silence hung over the train yard.

“Well then, let’s get to the palace,” Shining Armor said, motioning to the carriage. “This should be big enough to fit everypony. Let’s go!”

Shimmering Ruby was fuming. No grand procession, no parade... that meant no chance to snag the foal. She had had it all planned, to grab the child once his car had docked in the castle courtyard, following an accident with the Prince and Princess’s car that would have left them delayed.

She shook her head. The best laid plans, she supposed. There was still plenty of chance. Yes, plenty of chance. She just had to be patient.

“Miss Ruby?”

She perked up. One of the guards... her guards... was addressing her.

“Yes?”

“I just got word that the foal has arrived. He’ll be here in due time.”

“Good, good. Make sure he gets the guest room that I marked. And is everything set up?”

“I’m not sure. They said they were having some trouble getting the supplies ready without anypony noticing. But they said everything would be ready by tonight.”

She nodded. “I figured. They’re starting to keep an annoyingly close watch on me. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. Tell them to be ready soon.”

The guard saluted Ruby, giving off a slight smirk to her. “Yes Miss Ruby,” he replied to her, before leaving the room

Ruby chuckled as she looked up towards a box decorated in dark crystal and when she opened it, she saw a few red shards that she carefully picked up with her magic. She started to snicker as she stared intently at them before gently closing the box.

“The remains of my King… soon you will be whole once again.”

“And here we are.”

The group finally made it to the castle, being escorted by the Prince and Princess of the Empire themselves. Amethyst stood next to Rarity and Silver Spoon as he gazed up at the colossus. His eyes shined as his crystal irises were reflected the light that shined upon the crystals. He took a deep breath, blinking a few times before looking back at Rarity.

“It really hasn’t changed since then.”

Rarity reached for his shoulder, pulling him in to her as she held him close. “It has changed. Sombra is gone and the ponies are free.”

“Exactly!” Shining Armor cut in as he walked forward before turning to the group. “Why don’t the foals explore the city with me?” He suggested as two more guards stood at his side. He looked at Cadance, winking at her with her returning the wink.

Twilight eyed her brother suspiciously, before he gave her a wink too. She jerked her head back slightly before relaxing and nodding. “I think that’s a good idea.” She turned to Spike and Light, leaning in to whisper. “Just make sure Amethyst is okay.”

“You got it,” both colts replied before they looked to their fellow foals before grabbing on Amethyst’s hoof and dragging him off towards Shining Armor.

“We’ll see you later.” Shining waved at the mares and Blaze as he and the others walked on ahead towards the city.

Rarity cocked her brow, blinking in confusion before shaking it violently. “Hold on! Are you sure Amethyst will be alright just like—” Rarity paused when she felt a hoof on her back and turned to see Cadance looking at her with a furrowed brow.

“I would like to avoid Amethyst entering the castle until later,” Cadance declared to the others, with no smile on her face.

Blaze scrunched his lips as he tapped his chin. “Does this have something to do with your vizier?”

Cadance blinked. “Yes... how did you know that?”

“Twi told me about it on the train,” he said. “You found out something?”

“Well... no.”

Rarity was suddenly in front of Cadance. “What do you mean, no? Why did you send them away then? Are Sweetie and Amethyst safe?”

“Relax, Rarity. They’re safe for right now. We’ve been suspicious of Shimmering Ruby for awhile, but there’s nothing concrete. If she’s planning something, she’s bound to be setting it up right now. We can catch her in the act. And if it turns out to be nothing... well, always best to err on the side of caution.”

“Are you sure? Really sure?”

“Rarity,” Cadance said more firmly. “I wouldn’t have sent my nephews out somewhere where they might be hurt. I haven’t sent your kids out there either.”

“So... now what?”

“Now, you all need to go trail Ruby. Between the seven of you, it shouldn’t be hard to keep an eye and ear on her at all times without suspicion.”

“Wait, you’re not going to help us?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Even if I wasn’t carrying this baby, I need to be doing my job so she won’t get suspicious,” she answered, looking down on her stomach and rubbing it gently as she smiled softly

“So... that’s it?” Twilight asked. “We just watch her?”

“Yes.” Cadance’s ears flicked and she turned to see her vizier coming towards them with two of her guards. “Now shh, here she comes...”

“Miss Rarity!” Ruby called out, gliding down the palace stairs to shake hooves with the unicorn in question. “A pleasure to meet you. Please, where is Amethyst? I must meet him.”

“We sent the foals on a tour of the Empire,” Cadance said.

Like flicking a light switch, Ruby’s smile vanished. “What? Your Highness, that... are you sure that’s wise? He is the last crystal unicorn, he should be—”

“He’ll be fine,” Cadance replied. “Right now, I want you to accompany my sister-in-law and the others to their rooms.”

“But—”

Cadance’s eye shined for a moment before she raised her head high and looked down upon Ruby. “Now Ruby.” She told her underling calmly, though the impact of the words struck Ruby hard.

Ruby shook for a moment, regaining her composure as she bowed to Cadance. “Yes, my princess,” she answered her quietly, biting her lower lip in frustration. She turned to her guards and waved a hoof at them which the others could not see. “You are dismissed,” she told them, and they went off leaving the others. “Please follow me, Dame Twilight Sparkle.”

“Um-Yes!” Twilight was flustered for a moment, forgetting that she and her friends were knighted when Discord was defeated. She nudged Blaze and both of them along with the others began to follow Ruby to the west wing of the castle.

I will get that foal, don’t you worry… False Ruler!

“Wow!”

Silver Spoon’s jaw was agape as she observed the Crystal Empire with her friends. All the foals seemed to be taken in by the sights alone. Even Amethyst was mesmerized by the view and the jubilation of the ponies around him.

“Excuse me, Prince Armor?” Amethyst called to Shining, making his way to his side.

Shining chuckled as he looked down on the colt. “Please, call me Shining.”

“... Shining,” Amethyst began to speak, looking around him again before bringing his attention back to the stallion. “Why is there still so much construction going on around here?” He asked curiously, noticing the arenas and other shops being built.

“We won the petition for hosting the Equestrian Games, now we’re in full gear in getting all the building up to scratch for all the tourists coming in.”

Amethyst blinked, tilting his head. “Equestrian Games?”

“It’s like a giant sports event held once every four years in a different location,” Silver chimed in, walking next to Amethyst.

Shining nodded as he smiled. “That’s right.” He chuckled as he closed his eyes. “It pays to have a smart fillyfriend in your life.”

Both foals blushed while their friends laughed. “She... she’s not my fillyfriend.”

“Really?” Shining asked, noting Silver Spoon didn’t speak up any protest.

“Oh, but didn’t he promise to take you out to lunch?”

“What?” Sweetie said.

“Diamond!” Silver said. Then she glared at her. “That was to get back for beating you at cards, wasn’t it?”

“...Maybe,” she said with a sly smile.

“Well then, you’re in luck, we’re in front of the most romantic restaurant in the Empire,” Shining Armor said with a smirk. He wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity for some playful teasing.

“This... actually, this was the restaurant I was going to take her to,” Amethyst said, trying to keep his voice as low as possible while still letting it be heard.

His friends erupted in laughter, and Shining Armor decided to spare the colt any further embarrassment. “Well then, come on you two, I’ll get you a private table.”

“What? Now?” Amethyst said. Any further protest was cut off by Shining Armor pushing him forward with his magic, into the building.

Rainbow Dash tried to look as casual as possible, and failed miserably. She was after all, leaning up against a column in the middle of the grand ballroom, whistling off-key and avoiding looking at Shimmering Ruby.

The vizier looked at the pony oddly before continuing on. She constantly glanced behind her to see if she was following. Thankfully, she was not.

Idiot... she thought. I think I’ll kill her first... after the false Prince and Princess, of course.

She continued moving down the hallway, and was surprised to see Rarity trotting up to her.

“Excuse me, Miss Ruby?” Rarity asked the vizier, putting on the best fake-smile she could muster for the mare.

Ruby in turn feigned surprise and joy when Rarity called out to her. “Yes. Miss Rarity? How may I be of assistance?” she asked Rarity, forcing a smile as she narrowed her eyes to the white mare that was approaching her.

“I haven’t seen it yet, but I do hear this castle has a marvelous hot spring that was recently found. I am right?” she asked curiously, battling her eyelids and maintaining her smile.

“Well, yes we did find them just over a month ago,” Ruby replied with the same false enthusiasm Rarity was displaying before her. You think you’re fooling me with that grin? You’re an amateur, you primadonna!

I know you’re hiding something, but I’m going to find out soon. “Shall we go there? I am rather curious to know what it looks like?” Rarity asked her before turning to the others. “You all want to go down there too?” she asked them, but gave a momentary frown before smiling again.

“Not for me, thank you,” Twilight replied to her merrily, unloading her bag.

When the other refused, Rarity and Ruby were out the door and Ruby closed it, eying each of inhabitants with a close eye before disappearing when she left the room.

Blaze broke the silence with a whistle as he shook his head. “Talk about suspicious with capital S,” he said, looking to the door still.

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy questioned nervously.

“That mare’s a creep, that’s what he’s saying,” Rainbow Dash answered for Blaze, floating over to Fluttershy. “She looks like she’s hiding something, something bad.”

Applejack nodded as she closed her eyes. “Exactly! And from wha’ Ah could tell, she’s a liar.”

“Think Rarity will be okay?” Twilight asked her friends, her eyes showing concern as she scrunched her lips.

Blaze covered Twilight’s back with his wing, dragging her towards him and nuzzling her. “I’m sure Rarity will be okay, think she’s just going to ask some ‘subtle’ questions to Ruby,” he told her when he stopped nuzzling her.

“I suppose,” Twilight nuzzled him back and planted her lips softly on his cheek as he giggled.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and groaned. “Get a room, you two,” she mumbled, looking away from the couple.

Rolling his napkin over into a tube with one hoof, Amethyst used the table surface as leverage. He then dragged his hoof back, unrolling it. Then he rolled it again.

“...Amethyst?”

He looked up at Silver Spoon’s words. She was looking at him, her face the most readable he had ever seen it. “Yes?”

“We’re supposed to talk before the food gets here.”

“I know,” he said.

She sighed. “Amethyst, please...”

“Please what?”

“You know what,” she said, annoyance in her voice. She was glad they were in a private room. “Amethyst... you know what I want. Are you going to make me embarrass myself by asking?”

“I wouldn’t do anything to embarrass you,” he said. He took a deep breath. “I... care about you. I’ll hate whatever colt acstallionly gets you, until I’m sure he makes you happy.”

“You’d make me happy,” she said. She was starting to cry.

“No, I would not. I am... I think I will be forced to go back to the Empire. And even if I do not... I think I should.”

“What?” The sound might have pierced the walls. “Are you just going to leave us? Leave Rarity? Sweetie? Me?”

“Do not assume I want to,” Amethyst said. “But... my mother, she gave up so much so I could live... she risked her life so much because it was for the best. I think I might need to stay here. It... it’s what Mother would have done.” He told her, clutching onto his necklace.

“What? But—”

“I’m sorry... I think it is for the best. It’s going to be hard telling the others... please let me tell them, please,” Amethyst told her softly, not letting go of the necklace around his neck but still looking into her eyes.

Silver sighed in defeat, lowering her head as her lips quivered. “Okay…” she trailed off, before looking up with moist eyes to Amethyst and down to the necklace. “What’s in there?” she asked curiously.

Amethyst looked down and sighed, closing his eyes. I suppose I should show it, at least to her. He opened the necklace with his magic, and immediately a melody started playing. Amethyst showed her the front side of the open necklace.

“Woah…” Silver uttered, staring in awe at the picture that was inside of it. There were two ponies, one being Amethyst and the other one an adult mare holding him in her fore legs as they both smiled to the camera. What made the image stand out was the mare, who was a spitting image of Rarity when the Crystal Heart was activated. “Is that?”

“Yes… that’s my mother and I.”

Silver looked closer to the image, smiling slowly. “She’s beautiful.”

“Thank you..” Amethyst replied softly, his eyes leaving a trail of tears as he continued to listen to the melody the necklace was playing. He closed it and quickly wiped the tears away before Silver could see them. “I think we should see the other now.”

When they stood up from the table, Silver walked over to Amethyst. “She looked a lot like Rarity,” she commented to him. “Is that why you—”

“Yes.” Amethyst cut in. “Just don’t tell the others, at least not yet.”

Silver nodded in agreement. “I won’t,” she answered him. “Oh, and Amethyst?”

“Yes? What is—”

His words were cut off when Silver leaned in to touch his lips with hers. He slowly closed his eyes as they continued to to kiss each other. When she let go, she giggled as she turned her head sideways blushing.

“I like you,” Silver told him, shuffling her hooves as she looked up to his eyes. She was batting her eyelids, giving off a small smile in the progress.

Amethyst’s cheeks turned bright red before he smiled in return, leaning into peck her cheek softly. “I like you too, Silver.”

Silver Spoon smiled.

“And that’s why I shouldn’t have done that,” he said. He sighed. “I think... I think we better go back to the palace.”

Amethyst left the room. But Silver didn’t. She didn’t want Amethyst to see her cry.

Rarity trotted down the hallways, looking at Shimmering Ruby. Shimmering Ruby was looking at her, but she was being more discreet about it. “We’re almost there. Ponies don’t come down here very often.”

“They don’t, do they?” Rarity asked.

“Yes. Even in these days...”

Ruby didn’t give her a chance to finish, because at that point Rarity had done something that would have shocked her friends, if they had seen it.

Rarity picked up Shimmering Ruby with her magic and slammed her against the wall.

Shimmering Ruby felt the air leave her as Rarity looked at her with deadly, deadly eyes. “Listen here, you... you.. what are you planning?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Ruby said, keeping her voice level.

“What are you planning with—”

Rarity didn’t get anything else out. A loud crack rang out as her vision went white.

She hit the floor, a splotch of blood forming on her mane. A guard stood over her, tapping a board against the floor.

Ruby had dropped to the ground, and was quick to regain her composure. “Good work... but this is a problem. Everypony saw me leave with her. Well, no matter, I think I have an idea.”

Chapter 12

“Ya think Rarity is okay?”

Applejack sat on a bench, her hat on a table as she was treating herself to one of the castle’s delicacies. Not on par with her family treats though, but they were quite delicious by her standards.

“If she doesn’t get back in the next ten minutes, I’m going right down to wherever she or that Ruby is,” Rainbow Dash replied, sitting on a couch as she stared off into space. “Just hope Rarity can get some answers from her.”

Fluttershy cringed. “You don’t think Rarity would really… hurt Ruby, do you?”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight came up to Fluttershy, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “If Pip was in trouble and somepony was out there to hurt him… what would you do?”

Hearing the question, Fluttershy lowered her head in thought. “Oh… I would be so mad I would just teach them a lesson not to hurt my baby boy and—”

“Exactly.” Twilight cut her off. “And if somepony were to harm Amethyst now, Rarity would be at their throats for it.”

Pinkie tapped her chin as she looked up to the sky. “But does Amethyst really have to stay here?” Pinkie asked curiously, still wanting to throw him a party. “I mean, won’t he be very lonely here?”

Twilight sighed as she closed her eyes. “Politically, he should remain here since he is now considered a ‘national treasure’ for being the last of his subspecies…” Twilight trailed off as she sighed again. “But morally, he should remain in Ponyville with his friends.”

“Got that right,” Applejack said as she got up from the bench. “Not to mention how poor Rarity would feel if she had to let go of that colt,”

Before any of the mares could speak, the door opened again and Ruby came in with her plastered smile. “Is everything in order here?” she asked joyfully, looking to each of the mares in the room.

“Yeah we’re fine,” Rainbow Dash snipped at her. “Wait a minute… where’s Rarity?” she asked suspiciously, flying towards the crystal pony in the doorway.

“Oh, she decided to spend some time in the hot springs alone… said something about ‘a lady having privacy to improve her figure’,” she giggled at the saying, but none of her company were joining her.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, tapping her chin. “Really?”

“Really,” she assured. It wasn’t very convincing. “Alright, I can see your worries. You’re a bit wary of me because I served under Sombra, am I right?”

Everypony blinked at the bluntness in her voice. “Well... yes.”

“Listen, there’s nothing to tell. I served the king who came before Sombra, and he let me keep my job after his coup. There was a time when I, like everypony else in the Empire, thought he was a great pony. Maybe he was, in his own way. As totalitarian as he was, life under him was better for the average pony than under our last king, with his incompetent financial spending and constant drinking. If he had died a few years earlier, you might be seeing statues of him in our square.

“But he was a monster, and he proved it, first through the Culling, then when he started trying to conquer other lands. Yes, I ate up his propaganda for awhile, everypony did. A silver tongue can be more deadly than any sword. But in the end, I was subject to his horrors the same as anypony.

“And yes, I’ve been pushing for Amethyst to stay in the Empire. He is the only survivor of the horror of the Culling. It’s very likely that he survived because his mother died protecting him. He deserves to be back here as an example of how the crystal unicorns That’s it. That’s all I have to do with anything. Do you need any other convincing?”

“I... suppose not,” Twilight said. “Did... Rarity say anything to you?”

“She gave me a few evil looks. Honestly, I don’t blame any of you. Sombra was a monster, and I’d be equally as wary... no, more so, I actually lived through it, if our roles were reversed. I bear no grudge for any of this.”

“Well... alright then,” Twilight said.

“I’m glad we got that cleared. Now, when are the foals due back? I want to meet the colt in question.”

“They should be along shortly,” Twilight said.

“They had best. The Empire is a pretty safe place, but I still think more precautions must be taken for his sake. You never know who out there might be the proverbial snake in the grass.”

Rarity groaned as she came into consciousness. Her first thought was that she was in pain. The second was that it was dark. She checked to see if she had opened her eyes. She had.

She saw carpeted wood surrounding her, and she in the company of brooms and dust sweepers too. A closet… is she serious?! She felt the opening with her hoof and tapped on it, feeling it was locked on the outside. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing her magic. There was no horn ring... likely too hard to procure one without raising suspicion. A good sign.

Rarity was not skilled with magic as Twilight was, but when the situation called for it she was more than capable of using it.

Her horn started to glow brightly in a purple aura and when she released it, the closet’s doors burst opened. Remains of the door slammed against the wall and she careful made her way out of the confined space.

She looked around her and saw many other closets and furniture along with sets of armor and other accessories. The castle’s storage room, obviously, and from the looks of the dust on the various crates, so unused that Shining Armor and Cadance were likely not sure it even existed. Rarity flicked a bit at how filthy the place was, and of how she must have dust and Celestia knew what else in her coat and mane, but she pushed that thought aside. There were bigger thing to worry about.

She scanned the room, trying to find a way out. When she finally made her way to a door, she tried to open it but found it impossible when she tried to push it open. When she used her magic, she was met with a spark that made her jerk backwards. “Is this door magically protected?” she asked herself, sighing in defeat and looked around to find another way.

Rarity squinted her eyes and a broad smile came to her when she saw what looked like a tool box. It became clear to her that Ruby had to do some quick thinking in response to her questioning, and simply ordered her thrown into the first unused room where she would be out of the way enough. That meant no time to double check what was in it. Another plus. She rushed over there, using her magic to empty it out and looking at the tools on the ground until she found what she was looking for. A crowbar. She lifted it up the ground and rushed towards the door, hitting the bar into the opening and pushing hard.

This is where I thank Spike for not being there to carry the gems I find! She thought to herself as she used all her brute force to open the door. She heard a crack and soon a hole tore open where she placed the bar’s edge in. Rarity laughed in relief and used her magic to levitate the crowbar through the hole and hitting the door multiple times on the outside until the wooden bar broke.

She opened the door successfully and exited the storage room.

“What’s that noise?!”

Rarity froze and looked up, seeing two shadows in the corner. She looked around and hid herself behind a statue before two guards came marching towards the door.

“Buck!” one of the guards yelled out as he stomped his hoof to the ground. “That mare escaped!”

“She couldn’t have gotten far,” the other said. “Come on. The sooner we find her, the sooner we get to have our fun.”

The tone in the guard's voice on the word “fun” made Rarity’s blood turn cold. There was only one kind of fun that stallion could mean.

As soon as they passed, she shot down the hallway in the opposite direction. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. She racked her brain. Shimmering Ruby would have thrown her in a room near where she was captured, she wouldn’t risk getting caught lugging her body through the castle. The direction the guards came from likely was the one where ponies were. She had to find somepony, if not one of her friends, maybe a guard... they couldn’t all be loyal to Ruby.

Or could they? No, she couldn’t risk it. No matter how many were loyal to Cadance, she couldn’t take that chance. Not while Amethyst was in danger. She needed to find somepony she could trust. And she needed to hurry. She didn’t know how long she had been out, and he could already be back at the Palace.

“Presenting, before Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the last of the crystal unicorns, Amethyst Craft.”

Cadance rolled her eyes at the overly formal introductions, but Shimmering Ruby had insisted on it. ‘It’s going to be a memorable day for the Empire,” she said. “Historic, as a matter of fact. You won’t want it to go by without some kind of marker.”

Amethyst looked equally unpleased at all the attention as he walked before the thrones, everypony watching him. He could already pictured Pip giving him a hard time, and Silver Spoon... seeing this dragged out was probably making everything harder for her.

“I’m glad you could join us up here,” Cadance said. “Are you aware of your position politically, little one?”

“I am.”

Cadance sighed, relieved at the words Amethyst spoken. This could have gone worse… “Amethyst, as the last of your kind, you are considered a national treasure to the ponies here in the Empire.”

“What Princess Cadance means,” Ruby chimed in, wearing a broad smile and her eyes glittering. “Is that you are perhaps the most precious citizen of the empire today.” Precious to my plans! She began to walk up to him slowly.

Amethyst felt even more uncomfortable with Ruby’s words and the look she was giving him. The look alone made him quiver.

“But,” Shining called out, also making his way to Amethyst. “What Cadance and I were thinking, is that you as a pony should have a choice of where you want to be in life.”

Ruby froze, her eye twitching and she turned her head slowly to Shining. Her eyes now burning in frustration but masked in fauxed confusion. “Pardon me Prince, but haven’t we discussed that he ought to remain here for—”

“Well, this is something that Shining and I have considered alone,” Cadance cut her off, making her way to her husband’s side. “We cannot simply keep Amethyst here as some trophy when he has established himself in another location with friends and loved ones he has made in the weeks since his awakening.”

“But—”

Cadance raised her hoof, looking Ruby in the eye to remain silent. She looked down on Amethyst, smiling softly to him. “Even though you are a national treasure, you are just a foal. And as a foal, you deserve to be happy.”

“This is of course your decision to make, Amethyst,” Shining said as he also leaned down to the colt’s eye level. “What do you say?”

Amethyst was gobsmacked. He had prepared to be removed from Rarity’s care and placed perhaps in the castle or in another’s home in the Crystal Empire. Yet now, here he was given a choice. A choice to either return to his old home or remain in his new home.

“Well…” Amethyst gulped, blinking profoundly as he mouthed silently. “I want to be—”

“Oh, for the love of Equestria!”

Everypony’s head turned sharply to the remark made and saw Ruby charging at Amethyst. She grabbed hold of him and dragged him to the front entrance. “You two!” She pointed to the guards. “Keep the false rulers at bay!”

It happened in a flash. Spears pointed at the Prince and Princess of the Crystal Empire. Right from the vizier’s proclamation, the pair was already getting to their hooves, but not quick enough to escape entrapment.

Twilight was quicker. She ran forward, lighting up her horn, her eyes glowing to match, but Ruby had prepared for her as well. A sharp pain erupted in the back of her head and she went down. A guard stood above her with blood on his blade, the same blood that was darkening Twilight’s mane.

Blaze and Rainbow Dash were only slightly slower in reacting, and they were in the air. But before they could go any farther, the guard pressed the blade of his spear on Twilight’s neck. “Another move and I split her neck.”

The two stopped moving forward, but they were both shaking with rage. “You...”

“On the floor. Get with the others. Now.”

They obeyed, although they looked as if they were trying to vaporize Ruby with their looks.

“What’s going on here?” Cadance demanded.

“What’s going on is I’m reclaiming the Empire for its rightful king! Sombra will live again and take the throne once more!”

Two guards surrounded Amethyst, grabbing him by the forelegs and lifting him into the air. “Let me go!” Amethyst yelled. “Let me go!”

“There’s only one way you could have survived the Culling is if you carried Sombra’s blood, and it’s that little detail that’s going to be a good for me.”

Amethyst stopped cold. “S-Sombra? He’s... he’s my father?”

“If he hadn’t been, you’d be dead. He was no fool. He let you live because you were destined to be his heir. Now come on.”

Amethyst was too stunned to fight back as he was led away.

“Stop! Stop, bring him—”

Cadance was cut off by a spear to her stomach. “I think you’d like to remember that it’s not just your life you have to worry about.”

Cadance froze, feeling the tip of the spear on her stomach, where her son was too. She looked Ruby and bit her lower lip, glaring daggers at the former vizier. “You won’t get away with this!”

“I’d like to see you stop us,” one guard barked at her, spitting on her face. “There’s no way you will get out of here—”

The doors burst opened again, revealing Rarity. An enraged Rarity. Her hair looked frizzled and she was grinding her teeth. Her horn looked burnt as she was breathing deeply and giving off a sithing glare to the guards. “Where is he!?”

“Great! You let the dog out—”

Shining took his chance and charged to the guard keeping his wife at spear point, summoning as much magic to blast the guard to the wall. The wall broke and the guard kept on flying, away from the others.

“Why you—”

The other was even less fortunate. Rainbow and Blaze came flying at top speeds towards him, using their hind legs to hit him the gut and have him skid away from Twilight.

The other guards tried to attack Shining. When they reached him, they were repelled by his magic that formed a shield around him and Cadance. Before they could attempt another attack again; Twilight, Blaze and Rainbow rushed towards them.

Blaze’s hooves and wings were now wrapped in fire, which he used to fight the one guard standing the furthest away from the others. “You made a fatal mistake making my fillyfriend bleed,” he spoke calmly, his eyes phasing out before he charged at the guards with his whole body become an inferno.

The guard tried to scream out, but an explosion silenced his words as he was now lying on the ground. His whole body bruised with his legs twitching and his coat burnt. He felt Blaze pulling him up with his hoof. He looked at the red stallion with his eyes darting and his lips quivering. “H-How the hay do you—”

“Oh? You’re still alive?” Blaze cut him off, leaning his face. “Since you are still alive, why don’t you tell me what that crazy mare wants with Amethyst?” Blaze cocked his brow, seeing the guard’s eyes closing. He was still breathing, but he was unconscious. “Tsk!” Blaze dropped him and turned to Twilight and Rainbow, both victorious from their battles. “You got something from them?”

“No…” Twilight sighed in defeat, lowering her head.

Blaze only nodded. “I guess we better—”

“Look out!”

Another guard came dangerously close to Blaze with his spear, catching the pegasus off guard. Before he could reach, his neck was grabbed in a magical collar. The caster being Rarity, who pulled him towards her.

“Where is he?”

The guard actually seemed a little put off, but it wasn’t out of intimidation. It was more out of surprise. Rarity simply did not look like a mare that would act the way she was acting. “You... you won’t get me to talk,” he said. His voice hardened after the first word. His stunned state was over.

Rarity tightened the collar. “I’ll make you talk.”

“Go ahead,” the guard said, his voice sounded strained but there was no quaver in his voice. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me, it will be nothing compared to what Sombra would do if I betrayed him.”

Rarity considered him for three more seconds. Then she turned to her friends. “Twilight! I need you to do... whatever it was you did to Yellow. Twilight?”

“Um... Twilight’s a bit out of comission,” Rainbow Dash said. Indeed, the lavender unicorn was being helped up by her coltfriend, only groaning.

“You two,” Shining Armour said, pointing to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, “take her and Cadance, and the foals to our tower.” The pair nodded. “As for finding Amethyst, that’s no problem. I was a guard before I became a Prince after all, and Amethyst was important enough that I took note of his magic signature.”

Shining Armor lit up his horn. Within seconds, a thin, wisp like trail appeared in the air, going down the same hallway that Amethyst had been dragged down.

“That way, and we better hurry.”

Rarity looked at the guard she was still holding for a moment, then slammed him into the floor as hard as she could before running down the hallway. Shining Armor was right behind, and the rest of the group followed.

“... wake up. Wake up. Wake up, you little colt!”

With heavy eyes and a massive headache, Amethyst lifted his head to see the gleeful eyes of the mare who foalnapped him.

Ruby grinned down on her prize as she was looking down on him, licking her lips. “Hope you had a nice rest when we were setting things up here.”

Amethyst looked around himself and saw he was in a dark room with books everywhere against the walls, with the window curtains closed and dim candles around him. He found himself bound in rope and felt he was on a stone table. Another thing he saw were a number of crystals around him, all red as blood with one being shattered in front of him.

“What are you going to do me, you wretch!” Amethyst squirmed as he tried to get loose from his ropes. having tried and failed to use magic. He could feel a cold sensation on his horn, and saw he was wearing a ring of some sort.

“Magical restraint,” Ruby told him plainly, as she finished setting up the last crystal.
“Just to make sure you don’t try something funny,” she walked up to two guards who were standing by in front of the door. “You two have this door locked and bolted?”

“Locked and bolted, your grace.”

Ruby patted the one guard’s head as though he were a puppy. “Good boy,” she walked up to the table, using her magic to lift the shattered crystal into the air and hovering them before her. “Soon my King, you will be amongst us again…”

Amethyst continued to struggle to get out. “What are talking about?!” he demanded Ruby to answer him. “What are you going to do with me?!”

“I’m just bringing your daddy back, is all.”

“What!?”

Ruby groaned as she planted her hoof to her face. “King Sombra of course!”

“Are you mad!?” Amethyst shouted out as glared at Ruby. “There’s not a chance in Tartarus that monster is my father!”

“Then tell me, why did you survive the Culling, boy?” Ruby snarked at him as she a shard of the crystal in a specific place on the table. “Why are you still alive today?”

Amethyst tried to spit on her, but he missed. “My mother’s the reason I am still breathing!”

“Yes, your mother. One of his Majesty’s concubines obviously. Lucky enough to be bedded by him.”

“Don’t talk that way about my mother!”

Ruby ignored him, she seemed to be mumbling to herself. “Crystal here, another there... yes, yes, very good...”

Amethyst struggled. He tried to put on a brave face, but he failed. He was going to die, he realized. He’d never see Rarity, or Sweetie, or Silver again. He would never get a chance to tell Sweetie that she was like a sister to her, or Rarity that she was like a mother. And Silver... he would never get a chance to make things up to her.

Ruby pulled a knife out and placed it on the stand. Amethyst shivered and tried to break free, reaching even deeper into the limited amount of energy he had left. Ruby apparently was simply getting the knife ready, if she planned to use it at all. She continued to circle the stand, placing crystals

Amethyst suddenly got an idea. “Wait! Please, I know for a fact Sombra cannot be my father. Tell me, you would recognize one of his concubines if you saw their photo, correct?”

Ruby actually looked up. “Perhaps...”

“The locket, around my neck. There’s a picture of her in it. That will clear things up.”

Ruby considered for a moment, then set her items down and made a reach for the locket. After getting it open, she saw her.

“Yes...yes... she wasn’t a concubine necessarily. She was a record keeper, in charge of chronicling His Majesty’s life.”

“See! It means...”

“It means nothing, boy. If Sombra ordered a mare to bed, she went, regardless of status.” She snickered with a wicked smile. “If any of those mares downstairs live, Sombra could very well bed them all before killing them. Do not distract me.”

“No! Don’t hurt them! Please!”

“I’d worry more about you,” she told Amethyst as she placed a hoof to his cheek. “This ritual won’t kill you, don’t worry. But Sombra will not be happy at you for trying to delay his return. And believe me, being his son won’t save you. You’ll wish I had killed you, I promise.”

Chapter 13

Rarity and the others were running up the stone stairs that belonged to the library tower of the castle. “Are you sure this is the right way, Shining Armor?!” she yelled out to Shining, who was just behind her.

“I’m certain,” Shining replied as he focused on the spell. “But I really suggest you let me stay in the front, Rarity! This could get very ugly and—”

“I know!” Rarity barked out as she clenched her teeth, narrowing her eyes as they continued to run up the stairs. “I may not be a guard like you, Shining, but I am far from helpless!” she said as they finally reached the top of the staircase. Rarity paused for a moment, letting the others catch up to her. “Is this where they are?” she asked Shining, pointing her hoof to a large wooden door.

Shining caught his breath, surprised that a famous fashionista had so much stamina in her, before looking at the targeted door. “Yeah, this is where the trail ends.”

“Alright,” Rainbow spoke as she made her way to Rarity. “I’m sure the enemy doesn’t know we are here yet, we can just bust our way in there and—”

“Rainbow,” Rarity cut her off, placing a hoof to her mouth. “I think we should rather do something a little more practical, wouldn’t you say?” she asked her rhetorically but didn’t wait for a response as she turned her head back to see Blaze behind her. “Blaze, do me a favour, yes?”

Blaze walked up to her, still feeling a little rage at what happened to the mare he loved. “What do you need, Rarity?” She asked her, as he clicked his neck a few times.

“Blast that door to oblivion, would you?”

A grin formed on his muzzle, with his wings flaring up again and his hooves burning brightly. “Stand back,” he told the group, who complied immediately. He flapped his wings slowly before beating them faster. A large ball of fire starting forming in front of him that stayed intact. With one final strong flap that created a gust of wind, the fireball went flying to the door. The large explosion soon followed, with the wood from the door flying ever as a tremor was emitted from the blast.

When the smoke cleared, Rainbow Dash stood in awe at what had transpired. She turned her head slowly to Blaze. “That was awesome.”

Blaze huffed as he smirked. “Thanks.” He turned to a silent Shining Armor, who looked at him with darted eyes. “Twilight helped train me.”

“Yes yes!” Rarity waved her hoof to in the air. “We have more important things to do now!”

Two guards came galloping out. “Halt, in the name—”

They didn’t last. Rainbow Dash and Blaze had them taken care of them so quickly that their allies didn’t even see what exactly they did. All they knew was that the two were know on the ground, out cold.

Rarity was in the room just as quickly. “Stop!” She was shouting before she even saw what was going on, saw what was going on with Amethyst. “Let him go!”

Ruby lowered the knife.

Rarity fired the biggest blast she could manage, hoping to strike Ruby. Sadly, her aim was off, and it went flying to the side, missing her by inches. The knife cut into him.

Then, the crystals shook. They turned red, then rose into the air, circling in a sphere above the colt whose blood made it possible.

Then they stopped.

“What?”

That single word was all Ruby had time to get out, because at that point every crystal exploded into shards, flying in all directions.

Shining Armor was in front of Rarity and quickly put his shield up. Shards struck with surprising speed, pounding the barrier. Shining was caught off guard, but still managed to keep his shield up.

And then it shattered.

The shards struck his horn, embedding deep in his horn.

He yelled in pain, rearing up in pain, and then falling on his side. He groaned, his front hooves clutching the base of his horn.

Ruby’s eyes widened. “Wait! You’re—”

And then Rainbow Dash slammed into her. She made sure her hooves hit her head to make absolutely sure that she was knocked out.

Rarity was up at the stand. “Amethyst! Oh, sweetie, are you okay?”

Said colt lifted his head slowly, his ears ringing and his vision blurry thanks to the explosion. He rested a hoof to his temple, feeling a warm liquid coming from a cut on his forehead. Amethyst flinched a little when he felt a sharp pain as he touched the wound, where immediately Rarity placed a cloth on it.

“There there,” Rarity cooed at him, wrapping the cloth on his head as she inspected the rest of his body. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” She asked nervously, seeing only a scar on his leg.

Amethyst shook his head, his eyes becoming moist as his lips quivered. He flung his hooves around Rarity’s neck and started to sob into her shoulder. He was shaking violently and he felt the gentle hoof of Rarity rubbing his back.

“You’re safe now, Amethyst,” Rarity nuzzled him, feeling his shaking stop and she lifted his head to face hers. “I’m just going to take you to the hospital wing, to get that cut checked on, okay?” she told him softly, only receiving a nod from him as she looked into his red-rimmed eyes. Rarity rested him on her back and she started to walk out of the room, before turning to Shining and the others. “Will you three be alright here?”

Blaze nodded once to Rarity, looking to the two guards he and Rainbow had bound with rope they found near the table. “We’re all good here, just get Amethyst to the hospital and we’ll meet you there once we sorted this out.” Blaze told her, tightening the rope around the two corrupted guards.

With that, Rarity left the room in haste. When she closed the door, Rainbow flew over to Shining and inspected his horn. “Are you alright?” she asked him, squinting her eyes to see some shards stuck on his horn. She recalled how crystal shards were attached to his horn when they first dealt with Sombra.

“I think so,” Shining answered Rainbow, forcing his magic to remove the shards embedded on his horn. He clenched his teeth as he shut his eyes, feeling pain on his horn when the crystals were finally removed. Shining turned his attention to Ruby, his face forming a scowl as he got up. “I knew something was wrong with her, but this…”

Rainbow flew next to him and looked down on the fallen crystal pony. “Hey, stranger things have happened…” She gave off a forced smile, but removed it when Shining did not return it. “What you think went wrong?”

“Once she wakes up, I think we’ll know,” Blaze answered for Shining. “I hate to rush things, but don’t you think we should head off to the hospital wings?”

Before Shining could speak, a squadron of guards came into the room with spear and armor ready. They were all regular, garden- variety ponies, much to the group’s relief, no loyalists among them. “Prince Shining! We received word from Princess Cadenza of the situation.” The guard in front saluted his superior. “What shall we do with them, my liege?”

“Take them all to the dungeon. Every guard who was loyal to Ruby as well. Then I want you to prepare a roster of every guard who was on staff during Sombra’s reign. We’ll need to weed out any potential remaining spies.”

The two guards saluted, then began doing as they were told. Shining Armor just watched the scene with a heavy heart. Ponies he trusted...

“Do you really think there are going to be anymore?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Traitors, I mean. Wouldn’t they all have dropped the act when Ruby did?”

Shining shook his head. “They might have had a contingency plan in place for this kind of thing.”

“You think they’ll try and get Amethyst again?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I mean, they don’t know the spell didn’t work yet...”

“I doubt anypony knows the spell but Ruby, they’ll focus on rescuing her first. He’s safe for now, at least...” The last words trailed off at Shining losing himself in thought. “And that means... we have an excuse to send Amethyst back to Ponyville!”

The group blinked in confusion, so Shining continued. “If the crystal ponies hear that Amethyst was used to try and bring Sombra back, they won’t be able to send him away fast enough! It’s perfect!”

“But... he isn’t...”

Rainbow Dash was cut off by Applejack. “Nopony needs to know that,” she said sternly. “Besides, even if it was said so, ponies might miss that detail.”

Shining nodded. “Paranoia tends to overshadow facts. But we’ll worry about that later. Come on, we better get to the hospital wing.”

“Shh... it’s okay...”

Rarity was stroking Amethyst’s mane. He had calmed down a bit, but he still looked like a wreck. With his bloodshot eyes and the large scar on his foreleg, he looked like he just wanted to nuzzle into the mare that cared for him and sleep for a year. His long breaths sounded much too loud for Rarity.

“Ruby is taken care of, she can’t hurt you.”

Amethyst lowered his head, his breathing becoming longer. “I… I was…” He couldn’t finish his sentence as he laid his head in his hooves. He felt Rarity holding him and lifted his head again. “I was so scared!” He cried out as he held onto Rarity.

“I know…” Rarity whispered to him, looking down on him with moist eyes as she nuzzled him. “I’m so sorry this happened to you…” She trailed off as she continued to hold onto Amethyst. “This should have never happened to you at all… I’m so sorry…” Her own lips started to quiver when she looked down on Amethyst.

Drying his tears off when he looked up to Rarity. His eyes suddenly widened and he looked down to his chest, finding his necklace missing. “My necklace! It’s—”

“Right here.” Rarity levitated it to Amethyst, placing it around his neck. The necklace was open, thanks to Ruby, and she could see and hear what laid inside of it. “Is that your mother, Amethyst?” she asked him curiously, as they both looked down on the picture. She only saw him give a slow nod to answer her. “She is so beautiful…” She trailed off as she stared into the picture. She looks like me…

Amethyst looked up to Rarity again, his eyes looking away from hers though. “Miss Rarity, I want to know… when this is all over… can we go home?”

Rarity cocked her brow when she heard his words. “Home?”

“Back to Ponyville.”

“Amethyst…” Rarity uttered out, holding him tighter. “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure you wish to live in Ponyville rather than here?”

“Yes,” Amethyst answered her, placing his unscratched hoof to her chest. “I don’t want to live here anymore, I don’t have family or friends here…” he trailed off again as he looked away. “And I don’t care if some politicians order me to stay, I just don’t wish to remain here.”

Rarity’s irises expanded when he finished speaking. “You really mean that?”

“Yes.” Amethyst mimicked his last answer. “That is… if you will have me?” He asked her when he looked at her face and saw her mouth contorting. “If you won’t have me as family, maybe—”

He could not finish, his face buried into her chest as he felt her hooves tightening around him and felt her head resting on his. Amethyst could hear her crying and felt the tears on his head.

“Of course,” Rarity said. Her voice was beginning to waver, but she successfully fought against it. “Of course I will. I’ll be your family.”

There was a silence. Rarity kissed the top of his head and he nestled into her even more. “I can get the papers signed as soon as I get to Ponyville,” Rarity said. “I’m sure Celestia can get it approved quickly.”

“... Miss Rarity?”

“Yes?”

“...May I call you ‘Mom’?”

There was a paused before Rarity’s grip tightened. “You can... if you’d like. I... I don’t want to replace your mother in your heart...”

“Mother would have wanted me to move on,” he whispered as he closed the necklace and held onto it. “I’ll miss her, I will. But…” he looked up to Rarity’s glittering eyes. “I’ll love you just as much.”

She smiled. “Then you can live with me. I’ll be your mother, and Sweetie will be your...” She stopped, thinking a moment. “Your... sister,” she said at last. “I suppose she will make a better sister than an aunt,” Rarity giggled, with a river flowing freely from her eyes as she held onto Amethyst and nuzzled his head softly.

She felt Amethyst smile against her. “Thank you... Mom.”

Chapter 14

“Are you ready, you two?” Rarity shouted to the top of the stairs, looking to the clock at the wall to see it was just past five in the afternoon.

Sweetie Belle came rushing downstairs, wearing a pink scarf around her neck. “I’m ready,” she said, looking back at the stairs. “Not sure about my ‘brother’,” Sweetie Belle remarked, emphasizing the word ‘brother’ with an increase of volume to her voice.

“I heard that.”

Amethyst came rushing down the stairs, wearing only leg warmers on his forelegs. “I still don’t see the point of wearing such garments, especially if it’s not cold.”

“When the sun sets, you will see why,” Rarity answered him, before smiling broadly with her eyes becoming moist. “But you look so adorable!” Rarity reached over to Amethyst, nuzzling him before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Seeing this, Sweetie Belle just giggled before she too was brought in the hug by Rarity. “Rarity!” she moaned, feeling her cheeks burn in that moment. She looked to Amethyst, who only shrugged with a plain smile.

“Now then!” Rarity perked up when she released the two foals from her grasp. “Let us hurry now to the town center! We do not want to be late for the Princesses.” She opened the door, indicating for her the two foals to exit. When they were outside, Rarity closed and locked the door before making her way to their destination.

Amethyst looked around to see a number of unlit lanterns hanging from the trees as they passed through. “What’re all these for?” he asked Rarity, scratching his head. “When did they get placed there?”

“Pinkie Pie,” Rarity replied simply. “Do not ask any further please,” Rarity insisted, looking down on Amethyst with a soft smile.

“Alright... I won’t, Mom.”

Here we go… Sweetie Belle groaned, rolling her eyes when she saw Rarity’s eyes becoming teary and holding onto Amethyst, peppering him with kisses. Since she had taken the role as Amethyst’s mother, Rarity had become even more emotional than what she had previously been.

Rarity sniffed as she pulled herself away from her son, wiping away her tears as she straightened herself. “It seems we’re almost there, and in good time too,” she thought out loud as they approached a crowd of ponies.

There was a scene of merriment. Ponies were together with their family, laughing and singing. Time Turner poured drinks with Derpy and Dinky. Cranky and Matilda were giggling and laughing as if they were a quarter their age, sneaking kisses and nuzzles.

And, finally, she saw her friends. Blaze was whispering to Twilight, nibbling at her ear, while a red-faced mare told him, through her giggles, to knock it off. Spike was currently sticking his tongue out, but when he turned to Light for support, he had his attention full with Scootaloo.

Spike’s bad attitude lasted until Sweetie walked over and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then he simply blushed.

Rainbow Dash could do nothing but smile and laugh at this. She nudged Fluttershy playfully, who was slightly giggling herself. Pip rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath about wishing his fellow blokes weren’t so sappy.

“Ah hear ya,” Apple Bloom muttered back.

“Ah, yer just thinkin’ that ‘cause you haven’t found nopony yet,” Applejack said.

“We are not!”

Applejack only grinned at the denial in stereo. “Trust me, eventually everypony gets their eye on somepony. Ain’t that right, Big Mac?”

The stallion blushed as his sister nudged him. “Well... um...”

Pinkie giggled. “Ooh! Is it Miss Cheerilee?”

“Wha? No.”

“But the Love Poison...”

“Yeah, Pink? I don’t think that makes fer a good start to a relationship,” Applejack said

“Ooh! Then who?”

“Pink, I ain’t tellin’, ‘ cause you told me you thought secret crushes were silly and you’d just yell it out if you knew it.”

“Well duh! Why keep crushes a secret! Now who is it?”

“I ain’t tellin’!” Big Mac said stubbornly.

“Please!”

“No!”

Pinkie Pie inhaled a large amount of air. “Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please—”

Big Macintosh covered his ears and closed his eyes, but the vibrations of Pinkie’s voice was still penetrating his skull. He couldn’t think and he yelled out.

“Rarity!”

Silence greeted him the moment he yelled out his answer. He opened his eyes and removed his hooves from his ears, seeing his sister and Pinkie Pie stare at him as though he performed a miracle. Before he could react, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Me?”

Big Macintosh gulped, looking up to the sky as though it was the very last time he would see it. He turned around slowly, and saw the mare that caught his affection standing with two foals by her side.

“Um…” Sweetie Belle said out loud, looking over Big Macintosh’s shoulder. “Hey look at that! Cotton Candy!” She and the others got away from the awkward scene, with Pinkie Pie looking to where they ran off.

“Hey! There’s no Cotton Candy!” Pinkie Pie said, her smile dropping as she saw no Cotton Candy stands anywhere. “Why did Sweetie Belle say—” Her words were cut off when she felt her tail being pulled on. She turned to see Twilight using her magic to drag her away. “Twilight, what are you doing?”

Twilight didn’t answer her until as all ponies left the space they were occupying previously, leaving only Big Macintosh and Rarity alone.

When they were alone, with the exception of ponies passing them by, Big Macintosh could only look away from Rarity’s gaze. He was fortunate enough to have a red coat, otherwise she would have seen his cheeks burn brightly.

“So, Big Macintosh…” Rarity trailed off, walking a little closer to the stallion. “What you said earlier, is that true?”

Big Macintosh pursed his lips as he nodded, looking for a moment at her eyes. “E-eeyup.”

“...Well, you don’t mind that I come with two foals? You’d have to learn to love them too.”

“I know, Miss Rarity. I know. I can love ‘em.” He pushed one hoof in the dirt, looking a bit odd for a pony of his size. “I... I ain’t gotta whole lot ta offer ya, but...”

Rarity gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’ve seen stallions with a lot to offer. I haven’t been too fond of them. So perhaps we can give a relationship a try... that is, if you don’t mind me working a good deal.”

“I won’t...”

“Even if it takes me away from Ponyville? I might be in Canterlot or Manehatten a good deal of the time...”

“I know. I can learn to live with it.”

“If that’s the case... then will you do me the honor of a dance once the festivities begin?”

“It... it would be my honor, Miss Rarity.”

Smiling demurely at Big Macintosh, Rarity merely shook her head. “Just Rarity, please... and do find yourself a nice tux, Darling, I’d like our first date to be at a nice restaurant.” Rarity told him, caressing his cheek with her hoof.

“O-of course, M... er, Rarity.” Big Macintosh stammered, his face burning from the soft hoof of Rarity.

Rarity giggled, planting her lips on his for a simple kiss. “Good. Now then, I’ll see you when the dances start. For now, my son needs me.”

Rarity smiled and walked away, leaving Big Mac feeling lighter than air.

Silver Spoon felt her stomach tie in knots. “Please, please, let’s go home,” she said. Diamond Tiara was having none of it, and kept pushing her friend forward.

“What do you have to worry about? He broke things off with you because he thought he was moving back to the Empire. He has no reason not to love you now.”

“But—”

“No buts. Now come on, we have to...”

Silver Spoon tried to back away, but the force of Diamond Tiara from behind was too much and they finally reached Diamond’s intended target. Amethyst.

The colt in question was looking up to the decorations with Sweetie Belle, until he felt a nudge at his shoulder. He turned around and froze when he saw Diamond Tiara standing behind Silver Spoon. “Oh, good to see you two…” He trailed off, chuckling nervously as he rubbed his neck.

“You too Amethyst,” Diamond Tiara answered him, walking past him to Sweetie Belle. “Can I talk to you for a moment, Sweetie?”

“Wha-Why?” She was baffled before seeing Silver Spoon, and she nodded vigorously with a sly grin. “Of course, Diamond Tiara!” She waved at Silver Spoon before walking off into the distance.

Silver shuffled her hooves as she looked down to the ground, her cheeks becoming pink when she noticed Amethyst looking at her. “I’m… I’m glad you decided to stay,” she whispered, blinking profoundly as she started to lose her voice.

“I—I’m also glad, Silver,” he answered Silver Spoon, scrunching his lips before he sighed. “I want to apologize for what happened on that day…” he spoke softly, looking away from Silver’s gaze.

“Amethyst…” Silver trailed off when she heard his apology, but groaned before stepping closer. “Well, that was a pretty stupid thing to do, you know?!”

Seeing Silver’s sudden mood change put Amethyst off guard for a moment. “E-excuse me?”

“You don’t make a filly or mare cry!” she lectured him as marched closer. “Especially if it’s perhaps the last time you see her!” She poked his chest hard. “Worse, you don’t do that to a filly who likes you a lot!” She scowled, but her eyes were becoming moist after each second. “And you don’t just—”

Her words were cut off when she felt his foreleg bringing her into an embrace. She resisted little, as she melted into the embrace and buried her head in his shoulder. “Don’t leave me again, please,” she said softly, holding onto Amethyst.

When they let go of each other, Amethyst planted a simple kiss on her lips. “I won’t. I promise you… this is my home now.”

“Y-yes, well... you better not.”

Amethyst smiled and kissed her hoof. “Why don’t we share a dance tonight? I want everypony to know I have the prettiest filly in Equestria.”

Silver Spoon turned red and nodded. Another kiss to the cheek only deepened the color, if that was possible.

A good distance away, Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle watched with smiles. “He did it... that’s good.”

“Yeah, I was afraid we’d have to hit that knucklehead upside the head,” Diamond Tiara muttered.

“Oh, come on, Amethyst isn’t like that... with how charming he is, maybe I better ask Spike to step up his game.”

Diamond Tiara felt her ears drop. “I think you have all the colts in Ponyville. There’s nopony left for me.”

Sweetie Belle blinked. “Do you have your eye on anypony?”

“Well... no. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like a special somepony.”

“So? Rarity just found her special somepony tonight, and she’s way older than you. In fact, she’s...”

“Sweeeeetie~” Rarity said, extra loud, “why don’t you come over here and help your big sister with a few things?”

Sweetie blinked. “What things?”

“Oh, you know... thing things...”

“That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense...”

With that, Rarity encased her little sister’s tail in her magic and pulled her away, much to her protest.

Diamond Tiara just shook her head. “Just like my mother.” Then she turned to see Amethyst and Silver Spoon approaching her.

“Diamond! You’ll never guess what happened!”

“What happened?” Diamond feigned ignorance as she beamed to her friend’s elevated happiness.

Silver Spoon bounced as she giggled. “Amethyst and I are back together!” She held Diamond Tiara’s hooves as they both jumped in a circle together.

“Oh my word, that’s great!” She looked behind Silver Spoon and saw Amethyst chuckling at the two friends. She let go of Silver Spoon, making her way to Amethyst. “I’m glad you two are back together,” she leaned into Amethyst’s ear, her smile vanishing in mere seconds. “If you ever break her heart, I will end you,” she whispered in a calm soft voice, an eerie calm voice.

Amethyst started to sweat before nodding nervously. “N-never, ever!”

“Good!” She pulled both him and Silver in a group hug. “Why don’t we go see what the others are up to?”

When all of her friends were finally together, Apple Bloom and the others decided to inspect the various stands in the town center. The aroma of baked goods and other treats was dominant in the air, as crowds of ponies were stacking up at the various stands’ unique goods.

Silver Spoon and Amethyst were observing a muffin stand that was moderated by a crossed-eye gray pegasus mare named Derpy Hooves. They bought a few muffins from her, but Silver stopped in her tracks when she turned around.

Before her was a brown elderly stallion, carrying a box on his back. He was starting to lose balance of it.

“Hold on!” Silver called out, rushing towards the stallion and catching the box in time before it could be destroyed in its fall. “Are you alright, sir?”

The stallion sighed in relief, wiping his forehead clean of sweat. “Much better now, my dear. Thank you,” he answered her with a wavery smile, his glasses nearly falling off from his muzzle.

“Where do you need to go with this, Sir?”

“At my stand just over there,” he pointed to a vacant stand that had a ginger-pony logo on the top.

Silver Spoon smiled, taking the box on her own back. Her face contorted a little at the weight, but she smiled nonetheless. “Let me carry this for you, Sir.”

“Ah, thank you, Miss Spoon,” he said. His breath came out in a few gasps, his age clearly catching up to him far more quickly than he would have liked.

As Silver Spoon placed the box upon the stand, Apple Bloom came trotting over, having not looked so excited since receiving her own cutie mark. “Silver! I think I figured it out!”

She blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Your cutie mark! I figured it out! When I saw you help that old stallion!”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s simple. Do you remember what you told us you did during that day you got your cutie mark? You spent the whole day helping ponies! That’s your special talent?”

“You... you really think so?”

“Well, you are a wonderful filly,” Amethyst said, causing her to blush.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Well, look at your cutie mark. It’s a spoon with a heart in it, right? Well, maybe the spoon means that you give ponies something, and the heart means that the something is help! You help ponies that are helpless, just like a spoon is used to feed a foal who is helpless.”

Silver opened her mouth to reply, stopped, and thought a moment. “Well... maybe that is it. I do like helping ponies.”

“See! That’s it!” Apple Bloom cheered. She jumped around in a sing-song voice. “I figured it out! I figured it out.”

“That would make sense,” Amethyst said. “I must be blessed to have such a generous filly for my own.”

“Come on, Amethyst... if you keep that up, I’m going to turn permanently red.”

Giving a wicked grin, Amethyst planted a kiss on her cheek. “But thou looks so cute flustered.”

“Amethyst...”

“I kid,” he smiled. “Besides, you shouldn’t be so embarrassed about your beauty.”

Silver Spoon playfully punched Amethyst on the shoulder. “Stop making me blush, please!” She told him through her giggles, not bothering to hide her crimson cheeks.

Before Amethyst could reply, trumpets were heard from across the area. The foals tried to locate the source of the music, but were rather greeted by Rarity, Applejack and Silver Spoon’s butler, Clear Glass.

“Come along now, we don’t want to miss this,” Rarity said as she beamed, placing a hoof to her mouth as she looked rather ecstatic.

“Darn tootin’,” Applejack agreed with her friend, helping Apple Bloom on her back. “Yer gonna want to be on my back fer this, Apple Bloom,” she said plainly to her little sister, who only shrugged and saw the other foals being deposited on the backs of their elders. “Let’s go, y’all.”

The crowd in the centre of town began to increase. Luckily for Twilight and her friends, they were able to squeeze their way through to the front of the crowd and stage. Every foal of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were on the back of their respectable guardian, with Pinkie Pie the only one not to have a foal on her back. She squinted her eyes, rushing off to an unknown location before returning with the Cake Twins on her back.

Pinkie Pie sighed and smiled. “Much better…” she trailed off as she looked to the stage, not noticing Pound Cake flying over to her mane and chewing on it.

The Mayor of Ponyville, Mayor Mare, came from the side of the stage before stopping before a podium at the centre. The crowd began to cheer, but simmered down when she raised her hoof to speak.

“Welcome, Ponyville, to this very special evening!” she spoke with pride, raising her hooves and hearing the ponies cheer for her. “Now now, settle down please…” she calmly said, waving her hooves. “I cannot take all of your cheers… as we have two special guests here today with us. Allow me to present to you; Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!”

When she called out the princesses’ name, the curtains opened revealing the sisters standing on stage. The crowd gave a thunderous cheer to their princesses, surprising Luna slightly when she felt the force from the bottom of her hooves.

Both princesses came walking to the side of the mayor, giving off a motherly smile to the ponies before them. Mayor Mare kindly stepped away from her podium to let Princess Celestia approach it, raising her wings to silence the crowd.

“Welcome my dear ponies to Winter Moon Celebration!” she joyfully shouted out to the crowd, who responded in kind to her words.

“It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. Now, I wish to welcome you to the first night of winter. We will begin the ceremonies at once!”

With a small bow, Celestia backed away from the podium, lighting up her horn. The sun began to lower in the sky, and with the rays giving her radiance, Luna stepped forward.

Luna spread her wings and lit up her horn. As the last bit of sun dipped under the horizon, then she began lifting herself into the air. As she did, the moon began to peek out, slowly coming up as if Luna was raising it with a particularly long rope. As it did, clouds began forming in the sky, blanketing the town in shadow, and leaving only one opening, a window large enough to bathe the crowd in moonlight. The moon rose higher and higher, until finally it was at its peek.

Then Luna spun around in three twirls, letting out a bright flash of light. When it faded, snow began falling from the clouds hanging overhead.

The ponies cheered as, in moments, the ground was covered in pure, white snow. The Cutie Mark Crusaders jumped from their family members’ backs and immediately began forming snowballs to throw at one another. Every other foal old enough was joining in, while the older ones were satisfying themselves with making snowponies and snow angels.

Luna looked over the crowd, and Twilight could swear she could see a tear forming in her eye. Obviously, this was quite a drastic change to a thousand years ago, when winter meant hardship and night meant fear. Celestia placed a wing over her sister. Luna waited until they had turned away from the crowd before nuzzling her sister.

Apple Bloom couldn’t resist pegging Diamond Tiara with a snowball. After a few seconds of scowling, her expression turned both playful and sinister. Apple Bloom couldn’t run far enough before three of Diamond’s own snowballs hit her.

After an hour of playing, the dancing began. Rarity took her first with Big Macintosh, and found the stallion to be surprisingly graceful despite his big size. There was a few whispering voices, the gossips of Ponyville excited at the new couple.

That made her sad. Not this gossip, she knew it was positive, but of what would inevitably happen in Canterlot. There was already those who muttered “She comes from the country... handles herself well for one of them, doesn’t she?” Now there would be the added, “You know she’s dating a farmer? It looks like she’s going to be stuck in that backwater town. Regrettable. She has such talent.”

She shook that off. She would not allow voices such as those to guide her relationships. Not like Twilight’s birthday. No...

“Something wrong, Miss Rarity?” Big Macintosh asked her, seeing Rarity looking into nothingness.

Shaking her head to bring herself back to reality, Rarity looked up to Big Macintosh and pecked his cheek before resting her head on his neck as they danced away. “Nothing is wrong, nothing at all…” she trailed off, closing her eyes slowly as she felt the softness of his coat against hers.

Feeling her head resting on his neck, Big Macintosh was grateful he had a red coat. Otherwise, the whole of Ponyville would have thought his head was replaced with a tomato. Some ponies however, knew the stallion was blushing furiously at that moment. One of them was snickering from a distance where Big Macintosh spotted her. Applejack.

He furrowed his brow at her, but then smirked and brought his attention back to Rarity. Big Macintosh held onto her hoof and had her whirl around once, before catching her and leaning down as though both were professional dancers. He then brought his muzzle to hers, closing his eyes as his lips connected with hers.

Surprised by this, Rarity’s eyes widened but slowly closed as she embraced Big Macintosh. She could have sworn she heard ponies gasping, even a whistle. But she didn’t care, she was happy. She and Big Macintosh.

From a distance, Amethyst and his friends looked in awe at what they were seeing. After a moment of silence, Apple Bloom finally spoke. “Well, Ah didn’t see tha’ one comin’.”

“Yeah, I always thought he would be with somepony like Fluttershy…” Spike trailed off, feeling a slight chill running down his spine. He shook it off, looking to his fillyfriend smiling. “Happy that your sister has a special somepony now?”

“It’s nice, yeah…” Sweetie Belle beamed, but the smile slowly dissipated when a thought came to her. “I just hope Big Macintosh won’t be all ‘Shmoopy Doo’ on my sister.” She grimaced, her ears drooping and her lips scrunched when she remembered the day she and her other friends tried to set him up with Cheerilee.

Remembering that day, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo flinched. “Ah’m gonna make sure that ain’t never happenin’!” Apple Bloom declared loudly, turning her head sharply to see Big Macintosh and Rarity exiting the dance area. She saw Applejack eying the two mischieviously with a smirk on her face. Sis might be jealous now… cause she ain’t got herself a special pony yet. Maybe… She shook her head quickly, snorting. “Nah!”

“What’s wrong, Bloom?” Pip asked her, coming closer to her as he stood by her side.

“Nothing,” Apple Bloom replied plainly, suddenly nuzzling Pip. “Let’s go do and have some fun before we gotta go!”

Rarity sat at home, watching as the newly fallen snow frosted the window. The Boutique was unusually quiet tonight. With both Sweetie and Amethyst in bed, there was a serenity that wasn’t usually present.

She was glad. She had a lot to think about. There was Big Macintosh, a strong, sturdy stallion who had picked her of all ponies. He wasn’t what she expected, but he was considered quite the catch by the other mares around Ponyville. There was Amethyst, tucked in his bed, hopefully sleeping soundly. The papers would be pulled through soon enough, and she’d legally be a mother. And there was Sweetie, thankfully everything that had happened had distracted her from the fact that their parents had failed to show up yet again to a holiday event, leaving her to do all the parenting.

She couldn’t help but fume as she thought of that. Hopefully...

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Rarity silently went over and opened her front door.

“Hello, Rarity,” Princess Celestia greeted. “I apologize for visiting so late, but I thought you might like these before I left.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Rarity said as Celestia began to lift the papers out of her saddlebags. “I wasn’t...”

She trailed off when she saw it, the same kind of certificate that hung in Fluttershy’s living room, and the same kind that Twilight had hanging up before the truth came out. A Certificate of Adoption.

“It’s ready?” she said, losing her breath almost instantly.

“It wasn’t that hard,” Celestia smiled. “A few strings pulled, and we managed to speed up the process.”

Rarity wanted to bend down and kiss the Princess’s hooves, but restrained herself. There was something else to ask. “And my... other request.”

Celestia gave a regretful sigh. “I... I sent the workers undercover to check on your parents. They were actually bragging, bragging, to the ponies there about how they had dumped Sweetie on you.” She took a deep breath. “They haven’t contacted you in three months, and they lied about how long they would be gone. Legally, they have abandoned Sweetie. So, it wasn’t hard to get this, either.”

The second paper said Certificate of Custody.

Holding onto the certificate, Rarity sighed and felt her eyes becoming wet. She quickly wiped her eyes, smiling again to Celestia. “Thank you for doing this, Princess.”

“With you and your friends saving Equestria multiple times, it is the least I can do for, you Rarity,” Celestia replied as she lowered her head to Rarity’s level. “I hope you will be happy with your family here,” she leaned into Rarity’s ear. “And from what I saw earlier tonight, I’m sure you will be happy with Big Macintosh, too.”

“Oh, you!” Rarity giggled, blushing as she waved her hoof at Celestia. When she regained her composure, Rarity looked up to Celestia’s eyes. “I think you should get yourself a stallion, Princess. I am most certain you would make a fantastic mother, like Twilight,” Rarity remarked brightly, but her smile slowly vanished when Celestia’s was as dim as a candle’s light.

“Unlikely…” Celestia looked away as she muttered, trailing off as her eyes gazed downwards.

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

Brought back to reality, Celestia unfurled her wings a little before giggling and shaking her head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong,” she quickly answered Rarity, looking up at the clock on the wall. “I must be off now, or else Luna’s going to become worried about me,” she told Rarity, heading over to the door. “Have a pleasant night, Rarity.” She bid Rarity goodnight, before flying off to Canterlot.

Left alone, Rarity furrowed her brow a little as she looked to the door. Was it something I said? Why did she try to avoid me when... Rarity yawned out loud, giggling a little and shrugging before heading upstairs to her bedroom. She stopped by Sweetie and Amethyst’s room, quietly walking in.

She saw both foals sound asleep with smiles on their faces, no doubt dreaming pleasantly. Rarity felt a tear run down her cheek as she smiled. She quietly made her way to Sweetie Belle, kissing her forehead softly. “I love you, Sweetie,” she whispered softly to her sister, who continued to smile in her sleep. Rarity made her way to Amethyst, her son, caressing his cheek gently before placing her lips on his forehead. “I love you so much, my son.”

Walking out of the room, Rarity sighed in relief before entering her room and landing on her bed. So much had happened the last month, so much has changed for her and the others in her life. Although there was much change, there was also much happiness. For Rarity, her friends and her family.

Epilogue

Life in the Crystal Palace was slowly starting to get back to normal. The fact that supporters of Sombra had slipped through the cracks had left everypony with a feeling of unease, but it seemed to be wearing off now. For the most part.

It still meant that the guards were more jumpy than usual. They shone their lights up and down the hallways three times before moving forward. They jumped at every little noise, and always traveled in pairs.

And yet, somehow, they still managed to miss the two shadowy figures that passed above them.

Black restrained his usual snicker as he slipped in behind his employer. “Come on,” he said through his silent laugh. “Just let me ice one of them. Pretty please with a sugarcube on top?”

“Be silent. We’re here.”

“Here” happened to be an evidence room that held a few details from the previous week’s incident. Ruby’s cauldron, her spellbooks, and her notes. But there was one thing in particular that interested him.

“Yes,” the enigmatic stallion uttered as he knocked away the glass dome covering his prize. He picked up the broken crystal, examined it a moment, then sighed.

“Everything’s still in order, but one...”

He lit up his horn. A knife flew out from his cloak and, in one motion, cut his front leg. Seemingly unaffected by the pain, he held out the wounded appendage, letting his blood fall on the crystals.

The shards leapt to life instantly. They seemed to jump together, fusing back into the magnificent crystals they had been. They shook, glowing red and formed a sphere. The sphere began to levitate, as though it was being brought to life.

A pitch darker than night formed in the center, slowly growing as a body formed inside of it. Soon, two red eyes and a fangs began to appear from the darkness. What looked like armor began to form over the slowly materializing form.

Sombra was being reborn.

“No, no… we’ll have none of that!”

His horn lit up again, shooting a beam of white magic to the black orb floating above him and Black. The darkness soon faded from the sphere and was replaced by a blinding light, encircling the newly reborn dictator. It looked as though he was screaming, but no sound came from Sombra’s mouth as he was completely engulfed in light. In a few moments, the light began to blind Black and his superior, until it finally dissipated.

Opening his eyes slowly, Black looked down at where the crystals were. “Huh?” He cocked his brow, expecting to see the dark stallion Sombra. “Who's this guy?”

A white alicorn stallion, with long golden-brown mane and golden tipped hooves lay on the ground. His cutie mark was that of a sword, made of what looked to be light. He opened his eyes, revealing crystal-blue eyes. The stallion got up slowly, but his legs started to give way. He gasped as he fell, but he was caught in a white aura of magic.

“Do not strain yourself, for you have only just returned to your senses.”

With his ears perking and his eyes widening, the stallion looked to the mysterious pony. His breathing started to hasten as he looked away from the pony who was holding him in his magic.

The enigmatic pony started to trot slowly to the stallion he was holding, reaching out a hoof that caressed his cheek. “I will not harm you… please do not fear me, my son.”

“Woah woah!” Black butted into the conversation. His jaw agape, looking from his employer to the white stallion. “Son? Sombra’s your son?! That’s—” Before he could utter another word, Black felt a sharp pain to his muzzle and landed on his haunches. “Ow! What was that for?!”

Retracting his hoof, the unknown pony snarled at Black. “His name is not Sombra!” He then turned back to the stallion he was holding. “Please tell me you remember your true name…”

The stallion was placed back on his hooves, his brow furrowing as he frowned. “Yes, I do… Father.” He nodded and closed his eyes, opening them sharply as he looked up to his father’s eyes. “My name is Sol.”

“Yes… yes!” The mysterious stallion reached for Sol, holding him close as he chuckled. “Thank the Creator you have returned to me.”

“But…” Sol looked back to his wings, lifting them slowly before snapping them back down again. “I do not deserve this, all that I have done… my sins have—”

“A sin is pardoned by penance, and I have sinned by not being there for you in your hour of need…” The stallion sighed, looking away from his son.

Shaking his head, Sol’s expression started to sour as he formed a scowl on his face. “No… there is one other who must pay.”

“No. If she gets in the way...” he swallowed. “Well... we’ll have no choice. But you aren’t to touch her until it becomes necessary.”

“But...”

“No, my child. Listen to me.” The sound of hoof steps was heard outside the room the three stallions were in. Sol, Black looked to the other stallion who unfurled his wings. “Now, come on, we must escape.” With that, they flew off and exited the castle.

Once they were high in the air, Sol cleared his voice and turned to his father. “What now, Father?”

The stallion next to Sol narrowed his eyes as the sun was beginning to rise in the distance. “We have much work to do… but there is still one more pony we must find for our cause....”