Vengeance at nightfall

(chapter 40) another visitor?

The feeling of being snuggled up to almost didn't register in Nightshade's mind, it had been so long since she had felt Sapphire's smooth scales on her side. Wait, Sapphire's scales? Nightshade quickly lifted her head up to see that sapphire had turned off the heart monitor, and that she had snuggled up to her side and under her wing. Nightshade was so happy in that moment, she couldn't stop herself from hugging her daughter. And although it was brief, it was full of love and joy that was practically blinding.

“mom, I'm okay, can you please let me breathe?”

Sapphire said, trying to force herself out of her mother's arms. When she finally managed to she sat in front of her and frowned,

“it's nice to know that you care about my recovery so much, but what about Mantis? He might need a little more than just blood if he's going to get through this,”

Nightshade sat back and thought, trying to find a way to speed up his healing, a healthy method that didn't require medication.

“the gem bracelets, I still have the one from our battles, I'll just get one and speed up his healing,”

She quickly sprung to her hooves and began to gallop away, leaving Sapphire at the side of her brother.

“I hope it hasn't been damaged, I don't know where I'm going to find another rose quartz gem like that,”

Nightshade said to herself, as she galloped to her room and felt unusually tired from the sudden change in action. But she got to her room in no time, and immediately began searching for the familiar box she hid under her bed. While she crawled under the bottom mattress a soft, masculine voice chuckled behind her, and she froze, with her rump and hind legs being the only thing that wasn't under the bed.

“when the Queen sent me here upon request, I never would have imagined that you would be so indecent,”

He chuckled again, his voice would have been chilling to hear but Nightshade heard the lust in this mystery pony’s voice, and she merely rolled her eyes as she grabbed the box.

“perhaps your queen didn't tell you how I work: when you come to talk to me you get right to the point,”

She pulled the wooden box out, and it's black stained wood seemed to be untouched, and Nightshade didn't even look up as she opened it. Inside was a simple leather bracelet, with around eight gems lining into it the length of it, and she put it on before looking up. When she did her eyes widened, it was the male changeling from before, except, he was now wearing a smirk and he looked a lot less mesmerized by her.

“y-you're that creepy staring changeling! What are you doing here, and in my room?”

Nightshade was shocked and outraged as she stood up, and she didn't attempt to get closer to him; he was rather bulky for a regular drone, and his frill looked different too.

“your highness, my Queen sent me here to help get your mind off of things, and as a breeder drone, I know how to do that better than, anyone~”

He stepped a little bit closer to her, and seemed to smirk a little more, and Nightshade opened her wings and flew right over his head.

“I don't need sex, go talk to my sister if you're pent up or something,”

She landed outside of her room and trotted back to the medical ward, but he didn't leave, he just followed her wordlessly. It bugged her a little bit, but she was more focused on helping her son recover more. When they did get there, Nightshade made a direct beeline straight for Mantis’s bed, and sat down beside it as she began to charge up the gems with her magic. They flickered slightly but began to glow normally, and the male changeling was confused and a little curious about what she was doing. When the gems seemed bright enough she leaned over Mantis’s small body, resting her hoof on his chest as a pinkish gem began to glow, making his veins glow under his chitin. After a few long minutes he took a long deep breath, and slowly eased back into his bed, which made Sapphire and Nightshade smile at each other.

“it worked, oh thank Celestia it worked,”

A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she kissed Mantis’s little forehead as Sapphire moved to give him a gentle hug.

“I have my little brother back,”

Her long tail wagged slightly, and she crawled up to lie down beside him, while Nightshade looked back at the male changeling.

“you. Me. Outside. Now”

As she said this, she dragged him out by his tail, and he wished that his queen didn't choose him for this job.