Guard Tiara: The Grand Guard Games

"My name is Wind Whistler," the pegasus said. "I was sent to look for you and The Crystal Heart." She took a step toward Diamond Tiara.

"Hold it!" Diamond snapped, stepping back. "Just stay right where you are." Her eyes narrowed as she studied the other mare.

Wind Whistler did as she was told, head tilted and one eyebrow raised curiously. It was a little difficult for Diamond Tiara to accurately make out the mare's colors in the red glow of the crystals. It was all lightly colored and pale, that much she could guess. The mane and tail were either white or some shade of red or pink, seeing how it looked just red from the light. The coat, however, was another story. It was definitely a different color. Perhaps a shade of blue or purple?

There was also something bothering Diamond Tiara about her, but she could not quite put her hoof on it.

"Listen," Wind Whistler said. "We don't have much time. We need The Crystal Heart. The Crystal Empire is vulnerable without it. Give it to me, and I can take it back to make sure everypony is safe. Then I can tell the others where to find you." She held out a hoof.

"Prove who you say you are first," Diamond stated.

"What?"

"The heart was stolen by a changeling, and they are able to take the form of ponies. Before you come any closer, or I do anything you say, I want you to prove to me that you are who you claim and not a changeling in disguise."

"How do you expect me to do that?" Wind Whistler asked. "We never met each other before now. You don't know anything about me, so you can't confirm if I'm telling the truth or not." She let out a sigh and shook her head. "Look. We don't have time for this. You're just going to have to trust I am who I say and give me The Crystal Heart." She held out her hoof.

That was when it finally clicked.

"What makes you think I have the heart?"

"What?" Wind Whistler blurted out.

"You keep asking me for The Crystal Heart and telling me it's urgent," Diamond said, narrowing her eyes. "What even makes you think I have it? If anypony had seen what happened, they would have seen the changeling leaving with it. So most would be looking for the changelings with the heart. You didn't even ask if I had it. So, what makes you think I do?"

With a sigh, Wind Whistler rolled her eyes.

"You know, this would have been a lot easier if you just gave it to me."

In a flash of green, Wind Whistler disappeared to reveal a changeling. With an insectoid hiss, it lunged forward. Its wings buzzed as it charged, aiming for Diamond Tiara.

The sudden change caught Diamond off guard. The changeling slammed into her, causing a grunt to escape and knocking her backwards. The impact of her back against the ground got her moving again. Reaching out, she grabbed the changeling with her forelegs, locking them around its neck and squeezing. She then drove up one of her hind legs, slamming it into the changeling's underside.

With a squeal of pain, the thing tried to jump back. Its wings flapped, kicking up snow and creating a deafening buzz as it started pulling the two of them off the ground.

Before they could get too far up, Diamond wrapped her hind legs around the changeling's body as well. Closing her eyes, she twisted her body with all her strength, upper half twisting left while her lower went right. There was another squeal from the changeling, followed by an audible cracking sound.

The two of them fell back to the ground. The impact jarred Diamond Tiara, her limbs going slack. With a hard shove, the changeling pulled free, rolling away from Diamond and getting back up on its hooves. Whatever had cracked did not hurt the changeling very much since it seemed to be moving fine. Still, it gave Diamond Tiara time to get up as well, and breathe. Now she just needed to figure out how to stop the changeling.

Again the changeling charged at Diamond Tiara. This time, Diamond lunged toward it, slamming her head into its. There was flash of pain as they collided, followed by a burning sensation in Diamond's forehead. She stumbled backwards, trying to shake away the throb. Something wet ran down her face, getting into one eye. A metallic smell filled her nose.

Right. Headbutting something with a sharp horn; bad idea. Don't try that again.

She resisted the urge to wipe at the blood, keeping the eye closed and her attention on the changeling. It crouched low, baring its fangs and letting out a hiss. Its wings flickered against its back, giving off a buzzing sound.

An ideas suddenly came to Diamond Tiara. It was a long-shot, but it could give her an edge in the fight. She just had to hope that the damn changeling was stupid enough to try the same thing a third time.

"Come on, beetle brain!" she called out, baring her teeth. "I'm right here! What's the matter? Can't take down one hurt little earth mare? I'll even make it easy on you!" She then reared up onto her hind legs.

As she hoped, the changeling charged at her a third time.

Diamond Tiara shifted to a side and dropped down, slamming down on top of the changeling. Wrapping her forelegs around its neck, she pulled up hard. A grunt of effort escaped her as she lifted the changeling up off the ground. With its momentum and her own movement, she managed to lift it all the way up to over her head. Diamond Tiara then threw herself backwards, bringing the changeling with her.

Instead of a thump of them hitting the ground, there was an audible cracking sound followed by an ear piercing shriek.

Getting back up onto her hooves, she looked to where the changeling should have hit the ground.

Unfortunately, Diamond Tiara had made a mistake. She had lost track of the crystal formation, and had gotten too close. So when she had suplexed the changeling, she had done it directly onto the crystals.

Instead of shattering, they had impaled it.

As Diamond Tiara looked, the red crystals were sticking out through the changeling's body, with one large one right where the heart would be in a pony. The glowing green ichor that was changeling blood flowed out of the wound, running down the black shell of its body before dripping onto the ground. Crying out, the changeling kicked and squirmed, trying to do... something... escape maybe?

At the moment, Diamond Tiara's eyes met the changeling's, and her stomach dropped. It was dying, it was in pain, and it was scared.

"No," Diamond said softly, shaking her head. "No, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen." Vision starting to blur with tears, she tried to figure what to do. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

There was nothing Diamond could do. Pulling the changeling off would just leave a massive hole in her chest, which Diamond Tiara could do nothing about. That was assuming that she could even survive Diamond Tiara pulling her off. A hole like that would definitely be fatal to a pony.

Diamond Tiara could not save her. The best she could do is either put her out of her misery, or stay and try to calm her down.

"I'm sorry," Diamond said again, reaching out to place a hoof against the changeling's cheek.

At the touch, she looked up at Diamond Tiara, blinking. She then placed her hoof on top of Diamond's, tears filling her own eyes. The hoof then fell away as the changeling went limp, her eyes glassing over.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." Diamond Tiara sobbed out, taking a step away.

It was at that point that she lost control of her stomach. Before she could finish turning away, she felt the burning wetness rushing through her chest and up her throat. Soon, she was bent over, the acid in her stomach and remains of her lunch pouring out onto the snow.

Coughing and tears running down her face, Diamond had to resist the urge to collapse. If she did, she would be there, crying until she passed out. She had to get away from the spot. From the death (that she caused), from the crystals, and from the rapidly freezing mess she had left in the snow. It did not matter which way any longer. She just had to get away.

Stepping around the mess, Diamond Tiara started walking again.