The Sinister Plotby Cardinal Dan ProductionsChaptersPart 2: Adoring MotherhoodPart 5: Selfless Love [1]Part 6: Selfless Love [2]Part 7: Selfless Love [3]Finale: Walk OnShort 1: Bonding With The BratShort 2: Phasmid Meets Her DemiseShort 3: At First SightPart 1: Darkess RisingPart 3: The InvitationPart 4: Trust and LiesPart 2: Adoring MotherhoodSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Part 5: Selfless Love [1]Amethyst couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. The pouring rain and blinding wind blew her mane with a ferocity she had never experienced before. All around her, Royal Guards and changelings were locked in a ferocious battle, on the train or in the sky. Occasionally, one would be hit with a bolt of magic and fall, plummeting towards Equestria. She struggled to roll on her side and stand up, only to realize that her leg was missing. “Onyx!” Amethyst cried as she felt blindly for her missing leg. “Onyx, help me!” But Onyx didn't come. He was too far away, locked in a struggle with several changelings, desperately trying to reach her. Instead, a hoof came down in front of her, stopping the guard in her tracks. She looked up at the shadowy figure standing over her, her tattered wings and shining fangs glistening in the light of the sun overhead. “Gem… please…” Amethyst whimpered sadly, sobbing almost. “I know you're in there, and I know this isn't who you are…” The changeling snarled viciously, raising her hoof to strike. “Shut up! My name is not Gem! I’m not a f*cking pony!” Tears streamed down her cheeks from her pale eyes. “You know nothing about me!” Amongst her tears, Amethyst cracked a bloody smile, startling Cicada. “I know…” She coughed violently, spitting blood all over her chin. “I know you're my friend…” The changeling raised her hoof even higher. With the raging storm beating down on her, and the sound of the roaring wind fading to silence, Amethyst prepared herself for the end. ***Earlier*** When Amethyst woke up the next morning, she felt a warm pair of hooves wrap around her. A smile crossed her lips, but her eyes didn't open until she felt somepony’s mouth brush against her neck. Soft, gentle, and slightly wet, the kisses on her neck grew more passionate with every passing moment. He spoke at last. “Good morning, captain…” Amethyst turned to look at the stallion and saw that he had a huge grin on his face. She narrowed her eyes and gave him an ‘unimpressed’ look, catching Onyx off guard. “Why’d you stop?” Then, they both fell into a fit of laughter, and the kissing resumed. This time, their lips made contact. Again and again, they kissed hotly, swapping tongues and saliva back and forth between their respective mouths. The sudden surge of love and passion woke a very hungry changeling filly from her crib in the corner. Not noticing this, the ponies continued their foreplay, becoming more and more ‘aggressive’ as passion turned into a burning desire for physical pleasure. “Mama?” Amethyst let out a scream and thrusted her hooves outward, pushing Onyx off of the bed and onto the floor. She bolted upright, and her eyes scanned the room. In her crib, Pyrite stood on her rear legs with her front hooves hanging over the railing. In her changeling form, she watched her mother and Onyx as they struggled to recover from their initial fright. “Amy…” The stallion groaned as he climbed off of the floor and back onto the bed. He held a hoof across his chest where Amethyst’s kick left its mark. “That wasn't necessary…” As her own breathing slowed and grew more steady, she fell back onto her pillow and let out a long sigh. “Pyrite doesn't need to see us doing… those kinds of things…” Onyx rolled his eyes at her paranoia. “I've told you before that she needs her own room. She's a big filly, now.” Onyx regretted saying what he said almost immediately, because Amethyst turned on him with a fire in her eyes. “Pyrite is my baby.” Her voice was rigid and cold. “She could need me at any moment.” Onyx knew it was a lost cause to argue with her. In situations like this, which happened quite often, he'd change his tone and agree with her. He loved her with all of his heart. There was no arguing that, but he couldn't stand the mare when she got overly protective of Pyrite. There was being a parent and being a guard, and Amethyst often forgot she was a parent and became Pyrite’s personal guard. “If you're really so concerned about her, why not train her?” That got Amethyst’s attention. Her glare softened, and she cocked her head. Onyx could tell that she was suddenly interested in what he had to say. “Well, I mean… We train our own Royal Guards every day. We could train Pyrite to be a guard herself. That way, she could guard… herself…” Only after speaking did he realize the redundant structure of his idea. Still, Amethyst didn't seem to hate the idea, by the look he was getting from her. She had a very subtle smile, almost crooked, like you only notice it from a specific angle. “You really think Pyrite could be a Royal Guard one day?” Both ponies looked towards the crib, at the changeling looking back at them. Only let out a long sigh. “If she learns from the best, she could be a captain, just like her mother.” Amethyst’s chest felt lighter, and her cheeks turned red. “Oh, Onyx… That's so nice of you to say…” He fired her a confused look. “What? I was talking about Amber.” Onyx didn't have time to laugh or explain his side of the joke before he ended up on the floor once again, this time with a stinging hoof mark on his rear. *** It was early. Really, really early. The sun hadn't even risen, and the royal family of the Crystal Empire, along with their escorts, was boarding the train that would take them to Canterlot. Flood lights illuminated the platform where over a dozen guards stood in front of their respective cars, ready and waiting with their bags to board the train. Amethyst stood with her officers and Gem, huddling for warmth as they prepared to embark. “Why?” Gem looked to her left and right, at the rest of the guards who were about to board. “Why must we all be out here before the crack of dawn while Mantis and Pyrite sleep in? This is most unfair…” Amber didn't always agree with their former enemy, but in this instance, she most certainly did. “The train looks like it won't be leaving any time soon.” She sounded cold and bitter, and Amethyst could perfectly understand why. It wasn't ideal for them to be up so early. “It'll be a long ride.” Onyx pointed towards the edge of the city where the railway stretched far into the dark horizon. “We’ll be traveling all day, if we're going to reach the gala on time.” Gem looked like she was going to collapse right there and go back to sleep. “But… I thought the Grand Galloping Gala was tomorrow…” Shining and Princess Cadence had finally arrived. Their daughter, Flurry Heart, was with them. Luckily, the little princess was still sound asleep, or the tired guards might be far more aggravated. Shining and Cadence stopped several cars away from Amethyst’s. He turned and waved, managing a weary grin, and Amethyst waved back. “It was Prince Armor and Princess Cadence’s idea to arrive a day early. I imagine they want to spend some time with their friends in Equestria before the gala.” At long last, a loud whistle sounded across the platform, signaling to everypony that it was time to board the train. The guards quickly and eagerly gathered their bags and climbed into the car, one after the other. Amethyst, Onyx, and Amber filed into their own car with Gem following close behind. Once inside, they were immediately greeted by a blast of warm air. A soft, yellow glow illuminated the entire car from the lights overhead. The train car was split into two parts. On the end they entered was a comfortable-looking arrangement of sofas and tables, in addition to a small fridge. Gem looked impressed by the setup. Having spent most of her days living in a dark cave or inside the barracks, she wasn't used to traveling so luxuriously, but what was on the other end of the car captivated her attention. There were three small rooms, each housing a bed and a dresser. An even smaller room housed what she believed to be a bathroom. Amber set her suitcase down on one of the sofas and too noticed the sleeping quarters. “Wait… There's three beds and four of us.” Gem realized this as well and looked towards the door, perhaps wondering if they had entered the wrong car. Amethyst didn't seem fazed by this as she approached the first room. “That's alright, Amber.” Then, she turned to look at her fiancé. “Onyx and I can share. Isn't that right, babe?” The stallion’s cheeks turned bright red as he nodded his head, following her into the room with his suitcase in tow. That left only two rooms, the one next to Amethyst’s and the one at the end of the car. Amber took her things into the middle room while Gem settled into the farthest one. As the changeling sat down, she heard the muffled cry of train’s whistle, signaling the beginning of their great journey from the Crystal Empire to Canterlot. The train lurched forward, causing her to stumble as she neared the bed. As speed increased, the car became stable once again, and the disorientation began to wear off. “Whoa! You all need to see this!” It was Amber. Gem poked her head out of her room to see Amethyst and Onyx doing the same. At the other end of the car, Amber was investigating the fridge. “It's fully loaded!” Gem realized that she hadn't eaten since she woke up, and she could see the same sparkle in Amethyst’s eyes. The captain tried to reach the fridge, but she was stopped before she could leave her room. “Oh, no you don't.” Onyx held his hoof across the door, blocking her path. “I packed us healthy snacks, Amy. You're not going near that fridge.” Amethyst let out a muffled snarl as she tried to push her way through. “Let me go, Onyx. Don't make me pull rank!” Gem laughed quietly to herself before stepping out of her own room, closing the door behind her. She walked across the car, passing Amethyst, who had a very sad and defeated look on her face. Gem stopped, looked towards the captain, and leaned in closely. Onyx had his back turned as he set up the bed and was out of earshot. “I'll get you something…” Amethyst smiled and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ before returning to Onyx’s side. Gem walked on to join Amber on one of the sofas. As she sat down, her body sank into the soft cushions, enveloping her almost completely. The feeling was so pleasing that she couldn't help letting out a satisfied moan as the silky texture rubbed her fur coat the right way. “Ahhhh… The luxuries of the pony lifestyle are truly… breathtaking…” Amber had already devoured one chocolate chip cookie and was working diligently on her second. Curious and hungry, Gem too peeked inside the fridge. Dozens of cookies, muffins, small cakes, fruit bars, seasoned oat bars, and many fizzy drinks stocked the gently whirring appliance. Interested by the oats, Gem took one and eagerly tore away the wrapping. It smelled deliciously enticing. Unable to help herself, she devoured the snack whole, causing a shower of crumbs to rain down on her chest. Amber snickered softly at Gem, before passing her a bubbling bottle with her magic. “We've come a long way, huh, Gem?” The changeling frowned as she accepted the drink, removing its cap. “What do you mean? We've only been moving for a minute, maybe two.” Amber laughed again, shaking her head. “No… I mean, you’ve changed so much since we first met. Any changeling can shift their appearance to mask themselves, but it takes somepony special to change who they really are.” Gem blushed slightly as she brought the bottle to her lips. She took a long sip before lowering the drink, savoring the feeling of the fizzing substance as it traveled down her throat and into her stomach. “Mantis was like me, but he changed his ways… I figured I could do the same, if his actions were redeemable.” Amber knew she was referring to her coltfriend, Emerald. “In the frozen north, when we last fought, he told me that he was better than me, because he was trying to make things right. Even by the act of trying, he could atone for all of the wrong he did…” Her gaze fell. “… to ponies and changelings alike.” Amber reached towards her, placing her hoof on Gem’s. “Doing right is only half of the battle, Gem. To be the new you, it's also important that you let your past go.” Gem shook her head. “Amethyst says the same thing. She says she forgives me for everything I did to her. She says I need to forgive myself, but it's not that simple.” She could feel tears build behind her eyes. “I hurt so many who didn't deserve it, and there are many I will never have the opportunity to apologize to. I've forever silenced so many voices, but now it seems I can't stop hearing them in my mind and my nightmares.” Amber shook her head as she scooted closer towards the changeling. Gem was startled by the mare’s hoof as it fell across her back. “I get it, Gem… You're haunted by your past, but thinking about the old you will drag you down like an anchor. You'll never be free unless you cut those chains.” *Free…* The word echoed in Gem’s mind. Freedom. Total and utter freedom. Freedom to go her own way and to make her own choices. Freedom from a tyrannical and ruthless queen. Free from her past. Free from the hive. Free from all she once knew. *You’ll never be free…* Gem winced as she heard the voice of Queen Chrysalis in her mind. She shut her eyes in an attempt to shut her out, but it didn't work. *You forget, Cicada… You're mine. You belong to me.* “No…” *My most loyal agent… My most loyal servant… My most loyal slave…* “No!” Gem cried out, opening her eyes. Looking around the car, she realized Amethyst was standing over her. Onyx watched from the door of their room. “Are you alright, Gem?” The changeling quickly shook her head as she realized she had been sweating. “No… I mean, yes. I'm fine, really…” She took a swig from the bottle in her magical grasp before setting it down. She knew she'd regret it. The sugar would never allow her to sleep, now. Luckily, Amethyst appeared to have bought her fast response, and a smile came over her. “Alright, tough girl.” Gem smiled back as the captain sat down beside her, opposite to Amber. In between the two mares, Gem’s rapidly beating heart began to slow down and relax. She felt warm inside, the feeling of being loved by her friends. She'd never admit it to Emerald, but she loved them too, especially Amethyst. The warm feelings grew hotter until they began to hurt. Gem winced. The poison was beginning to take effect in her system. Slowly, it would drain her until her body gave up, shutting down forever. She didn't know how much time she had left. Gem had never used it on anypony, let alone herself. She could have a few hours to a few days before she closed her eyes, never to open them again. Despite the unavoidable, her smile didn't waver. Gem knew she had made the right decision. Amethyst’s life would be spared, the queen’s sinister plot would be foiled, and she would at long last know peace. Lost in her own thoughts, Gem was brought back to the train car by the laughter of Amber and Amethyst. Realizing the conversation had gone on without her, she opted to jump back in. “… and your first idea was Emerald? Really, Amethyst? There are much better foal sitters out there.” Amethyst smirked as her eyes rolled. “He's a trusted friend, Amber. He's your coltfriend.” “That's exactly what I mean, Amethyst. I spend a lot of time with the guy, and let me tell you, he is not ‘daddy’ material.” Gem nodded her head slowly. “I can confirm. When I had a… relationship with Mantis, or tried to insure one, he always seemed to care more about his mission.” Amethyst leaned against her, looking her in the eyes. “Gem, can changelings… can they mate?” It was a simple question, but Gem knew she was really asking two. She knew that Amethyst wanted to know if changelings ever got intimate with each other and if they could reproduce as a result. “Yes, and no…” Gem shook her head. “It's pretty common for changelings to engage in those kinds of activities, the ones you might call ‘mating’. Since the females outnumber the males twenty to one in a single hive, a male like Mantis might have a dozen mates at a time, but only a select few changelings can ever reproduce, and I am not one of them.” Amethyst’s smile faded. “You mean Pyrite, don't you?” Gem nodded her head. “She is a queen, and when she comes of age, it will be her time to take males, as many as it takes to begin her own hive. It's… an internal desire. You can try to prolong it, but stopping it from happening is… unlikely.” Amethyst put on a brave smile, but Gem could tell it was only to mask her true feelings. “Don't worry about my little baby, Gem. No colt is going to lay a hoof, or anything else, on her while I'm around.” She sounded confident enough. Besides, Amethyst was a good mother. Maybe she would be able to raise Pyrite against her natural desire to mate and start her own hive. Their gazes shifted, towards Amber. “What about you? Have you ever considered having foals?” Amber’s eyes fell, and she lowered herself to her drink. “Like I said before…” She took a long sip. “Enerald’s not exactly ‘daddy’ material…” That pretty much butchered the conversation, and the mares sat in silence. After a while, Gem’s discomfort began to fade. She stood, quietly excusing herself to her quarters. She entered her room and closed the door behind her. That's when she felt the chill riding up her spine. Gem didn't know how, but she could feel Queen Chrysalis’ presence. The changeling queen was on the train. *Amethyst will never reach Canterlot or the Grand Galloping Gala alive.* ***Up Next: Selfless Love [2]*** Part 6: Selfless Love [2]The train hummed and shook gently as it roared down the tracks towards Canterlot. On board, the royal family of the Crystal Empire and just over a dozen guards, as well as a few more passengers, enjoyed the luxuries the train had to offer. Gem didn't know how long she had been asleep, but when her eyes opened, it was still dark outside. She had failed to brush her teeth before she climbed into her bed, and as a result, a bad taste lingered in her mouth. In need of some water and a quick stretch of her legs, she rose from the bed, quickly brushed her mane and grabbed her toothbrush and paste before opening the door to the rest of the car. At the far end, Amethyst and Onyx too were awake, sitting on a sofa and talking. Gem could only overhear a little of what they were saying, something about a storm scheduled by the weather ponies later in the morning, but they didn't seem to notice her. Amber must have still been asleep in her room. Quietly, she glided across the car towards the door and opened it, stepping into another car. This one resembled her own car. Several guards were sitting on a sofa, drinking what she assumed to be coffee. At her arrival, they looked up at her. Embarrassed, Gem sheepishly took a step back and lowered her head. “I… was just looking for the mares’ restroom…” The guards shared a quick glance, and one pointed towards the other end of the car. “The bath car is just through that door, two cars down. It's not far.” Gem nodded her head appreciatively, showing she understood. “Thank you.” With nothing left to say, she stepped past them and went on her way. To the rest of the guards, she was just a pony. Not even Shining knew, though Amethyst considered telling him several times. The captain figured it would be best to let him fully trust Emerald before telling him about the second changeling to join their ranks. Only Amethyst, Onyx, Amber, and Emerald knew who and ‘what’ she really was. Then again, did her closest friends even know her? She entered the next car and found it full of ponies. It didn't look like the special car she and the other guards had been issued. It had a more traditional feel to it, with rows upon rows of seats lined by the windows. Gem shut her previous thoughts out of her head. She didn't want to think about the mission or her treasonous betrayal. As she walked down the aisle, she got a good look at some of the regular passengers traveling to Canterlot from the Crystal Empire. Some ponies leaned back in their seats, snoring softly, while others read or talked quietly. As Gem walked up the aisle, she passed by a mare holding her sleeping foal, a little unicorn. His horn glowed softly as he slept. The mother saw Gem staring and smiled towards her. “He does that sometimes when he's dreaming.” Gem smiled back. “Your son is a precious one. I can tell he loves you with all of his heart.” The mother cocked her head, but before she could ask what Gem meant, she had already moved on. Gem left the car behind and entered the bath car. The guard’s directional advice had been sound. It was like a public bathhouse. Several, compact showers lined the walls in addition to toilet stalls and sinks. The air was hot and steamy from a shower already in progress. The sound of running water and the feel of the steam against her fur tempted her. Gem figured a shower wouldn't hurt as long as she was here. It would feel good to relax underneath the cascade of hot water and let her troubles melt away, if only temporarily. Her teeth came first, though. She stopped by the first sink to her right and set her brush down. With her magic, she opened the toothpaste and squirted an ample amount onto the bristles of the brush and went to work, scrubbing the brush against her teeth. The mint was a refreshing change to the foul taste that had accumulated earlier. As she continued to brush her teeth, savoring the minty taste, the sound of running water behind her stopped. The squeaky handle turned, cutting off the flow of water from the shower head. Looking at the mirror in front of her, Gem could see the shower curtains part behind her. She didn't mean to peak, but her curiosity got the better of her. A unicorn mare climbed through the curtain with a towel in her grasp. As she came to a stop in front of the sinks, Gem looked towards her and gave her a gentle nod. “Good morning…” The mare looked back at her and frowned. She said nothing, but she raised her towel towards her mane to dry as she looked back at the mirror. Gem figured the mare wasn't interested in talking to a stranger. Completely understandable, but still rude. She bit her lip and rinsed her mouth, spitting out what was left after she had finished brushing. Next, she set her eyes on the shower behind her, the one the mare had just stepped out of. She was about to step into the shower when she heard a chilling voice. “Was she worth it?” Gem stopped, her hoof outstretched as she reached for the shower. The voice had belonged to the mare behind her. “Drinking that poison yourself so Amethyst could live was pretty brave, but was she really worth it?” Gem spun around. The mare faced her, and for the first time, Gem got a clear look at her. Her features seemed like that of any pony, but one detail stood out. A jagged scar, previously hidden by the towel she wore, carved a path across her lower neck. A green flame flickered in the mare’s eyes. Gem’s eyes narrowed. “You're a changeling…” She bared her teeth. “What do you want?” The mare smirked as she stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “Our queen is disappointed in you. You betrayed your own kind for the ponies you call your ‘friends’.” She brushed her wet mane out of her eyes as she backed Gem into the shower. “You were the best of her agents, but in your absence, Chrysalis has needed a new, more loyal servant to maintain order inside the hive.” Gem’s back was against the cold, tile wall. The mare turned the water on, releasing the cascade to drown out their voices so they would not be overheard. “What do you want from me then? Just kill me and get it over with. I'm a dead mare, anyway, but if you think you can lay a hoof on Amethyst, you're in for a surprise…” Was she bluffing? Maybe, but Gem knew that Amethyst was surrounded by her closest friends and some of the best guards in the empire. Chrysalis wouldn't be able to get close without a fight. The mare nodded her head as she raised a hoof to Gem’s cheek. “Oh, I will… Believe me, Cicada, I intend to kill you myself, but before you die, I also intend to make you suffer, in return for all the suffering I have endured at your hooves.” Gem flinched at the sound of her real name. “I… I don't know what you're talking about… I don't even know you. What did I ever do to you?” The mare snarled and forced Gem against the wall, pressing her hoof against the guard’s head. “If you're truly so blinded by this… false love of the ponies that you can't recognize me, allow me to jog your memory…” A spark ignited beneath the mare’s hooves. Despite the raining water, the flames grew, consuming her, seemingly burning away her fur and leaving behind blackened skin, riddled with holes. The changeling revealed her true form. Gem saw her, and a sharp gasp escaped her lips. “It… It can't be… That's not possible…” Her eyes widened. “… Phasmid?” The changeling gave her a malicious grin, showing off her razor sharp fangs and leaving Gem’s head spinning more and more. “You died…” Phasmid pressed her hoof against Gem’s head, causing her to groan under the pain and pressure. “You left me to die at the hooves of Mantis, but I survived. The snow saved me, freezing me in time until Chrysalis could revive me.” Gem struggled to breath under her hoof. “What about the others? What about Aphid? Is he…” Phasmid glared at her. “Don't you dare speak his name… I was the only survivor of your ruthless attack. You took my friends… You took Azalea… You took everything from me!” With the changeling’s hoof crushing her, she couldn't bring herself to speak. Only a garbled mess spilled out of her mouth. “You will know true pain before you die, Cicada, and after I kill you, I'll be coming for Mantis… I'll tear him apart, just like he did to my friends.” Phasmid lowered her hoof, setting Gem free. The guard collapsed onto the shower floor, gasping as her lungs filled with air once again. When her eyes opened again, Phasmid was stepping out of the shower. Gem crawled after her, throwing one hoof out in front of her after the other. “Ph… Phasmid, wait! I'm sorry!” The changeling had disguised herself again, as the same mare she had been before. “You have to listen to me!” She stopped just before she reached the door that would take her into the next car. “Phasmid, please… I know you'll never forgive me for what I did to your friends. I won't forgive myself, but…” She groaned as she climbed to her hooves, standing up behind her. “… Azalea is alive.” The mare’s ears twitched, but she refused to turn around. Her whole body seemed to be shuddering at the sound of Gem’s voice. “Liar…” Gem shook her head. “It's the truth, Phasmid. Her name is Pyrite, and she's a beautiful and kind filly under the care of a beautiful and kind pony.” Finally, Phasmid turned to face her. “You speak only lies, Cicada. Queen Chrysalis would have told me if my little Azalea survived.” Gem frowned and narrowed her eyes. “Would she? The queen is the one who wanted her dead in the first place. Chrysalis is the real liar…” Phasmid looked at the floor, then back up at her. Then, she wound her hoof back and hit Gem in the face. The guard saw a bright flash of light before she hit the ground, knocked out cold. She could still hear her and the running water. It all sounded so far away and echoey. “A dark sun will rise. Amethyst will not escape us this time, and you, Cicada… you will watch her die.” *** Amethyst and Onyx kissed quietly, so as not to disturb Amber, who was sleeping in her room just a little ways away. Onyx beamed as the kiss broke just long enough for them to catch their breaths. “We should do this more often…” Amethyst wiped a hoof across her mouth, cleaning away any saliva from her lips. “What? Make out?” Onyx shrugged. “Well, yeah, that too, but I mean ‘this’.” He gestured to the train car they were sitting in. “We should travel more. I don't know about you, but it feels really exciting going somewhere warm. You know, getting out of the Crystal Empire for a change.” Amethyst smiled and nodded her head. “I agree. From what I have heard, Canterlot actually has four seasons, and only one of them has snow.” Outside, the sky was beginning to grow lighter. The once blackened picture had become a dark blue, revealing the countryside rushing by as the sun gradually rose in the distance. “Aren't you worried at all about Pyrite?” Amethyst’s ears twitched at the sound of her daughter’s name. “I don't want to set off any maternal alarms, but this is the first time you've really left her alone for a lengthy period of time.” Her gaze shifted towards the window. “Pyrite is in good hooves. I'm sure Emerald has everything under control.” Her eyes shifted towards Onyx. “You did give him the instructions I wrote out, right?” Onyx knew what she was talking about. Amethyst had left Emerald a very detailed list of things to do and not to do when caring for Pyrite, but now that she mentioned it, he wasn't entirely certain if he gave the instructions to him or not. “Um…” ***Meanwhile*** “Alright, Pyrite! Who's ready to start the day!” The little changeling looked up at him, completely disinterested in everything he had to say. She turned her back to him and rolled over on her side. “Mmmmm… bed…” Emerald let out a soft sigh. This might be harder than the originally anticipated. “Come on, Pyrite. Up and at ‘em!” Her horn ignited, raising the gate on her own crib to lock Emerald out, causing him to let out a startled cry. She looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out. Emerald’s eyes narrowed, and he reached into the crib. “Oh, no you don't. Amethyst left very clear instructions, and she says you have a strict, time-based diet. Right now, it's time to get up and find you some breakfast.” Pyrite made no attempt to move. Emerald was losing patience now. He was about to go in after her when several knocks thundered from the door. “Hey, Emerald! Are you up, buddy?” He let out a soft groan. “Uhh… Not now, Shale. I'm pretty tied up, right now.” The door opened anyway, and a fully armored guard stepped inside. “What's going on? Can I help?” Emerald gestured towards the crib. “I can't get Pyrite out of bed. She needs to eat, but she isn't cooperating.” Shale observed the situation thoughtfully. “Have you tried-” “Yes.” “Well, what about-” “It didn't work.” Both guards were stumped. It looked like Pyrite might win and get her way, but Shale had one more idea they could fall back on as a last resort. “You know, I saw some cuffs a little while ago…” Emerald shook his head. “No! We are not binding her to force cooperation.” They're voices must have been pretty loud, because they were starting to attract more attention. “Hey, guys! What's going on?” Shale looked towards the door as another guard stepped through and waved him over. “Hey, Thallium. Come over here for a second.” Emerald raised his hoof towards his face and groaned aloud. The situation was progressively getting worse with every moment that passed. How many clueless guards did it take to feed a changeling queen? That was a question the world might never get an answer to. “This shouldn't be this hard… Guys, I just need to get her to the commissary for some breakfast.” Thallium help up his hoof in an ‘I got this.’ motion and proceeded to approach the crib. “Ye of little faith, just you watch. When my baby sister didn't want to get out of bed, my mama always rocked the crib so she'd want to get out on her own.” He placed his hooves on the edge of the gate and began pulling and pushing the crib, tipping it back and forth on its legs. Amazingly, it worked. As Thallium began rocking the crib a little harder, Pyrite shot up to her hooves, but things went south real quick. The little changeling had a murderous look in her eyes as her horn ignited. All three guards panicked and scrambled for the door as bolts of magic sailed towards them. “Run, Shale! Run!” Pyrite had leaped from her crib, and now she was in full pursuit, chasing the three guards out of the room and down the corridor. *** Onyx dismissed the idea and felt more confident that he had left Emerald the right instructions. “You're right, Amethyst. What am I thinking? I'm sure everything's fine.” Amethyst smiled as she fell into his embrace. As his hooves closed in around her, a soft sigh escaped her lips. They sat in silence for several moments, both looking out the window at the rising sun and the landscape far below. As it became lighter outside, it became clear that a low overcast had set in. A blanket of dark gray clouds settled over the land, and thunder gently rumbled in the distance. Amethyst didn't realize the weather ponies in Equestria had scheduled a storm that morning. She hoped it wouldn't last too long. “Onyx?” The stallion looked down at her, meeting her gaze as she looked back. “Yeah?” She craned her neck back and kissed him on the cheek. “I'm ready to get married…” Onyx smiled and returned the kiss, pressing his lips against her forehead, just next to her horn. “We don't have too much longer, Amy. When we get back to the empire from the Grand Galloping Gala, we'll be together with all of our friends, and…” His voice trailed off as he realized how intensely she was listening to his every word. “Why'd you stop?” Her voice was almost at a whisper. Each breath that escaped her lips gently brushed against his chin. “Keep going… Tell me what it'll be like…” Amethyst readjusted herself, nestling her body tightly against his. With his train of thought broken, Onyx struggled to piece his words back together. “We… We’ll be with our friends, and we'll meet at the palace. You'll be in your gown, and I'll probably wear something nice. The entirety of the Royal Guards is going to be there, for sure. Princess Cadence will administer the ceremony, and not too long after, we’ll be… married…” Amethyst closed her eyes and dreamed of a bright future with Onyx and Pyrite. “You know, Onyx… I sometimes try to think about what it was that got me here, what I did to arrive at this moment in time…” She looked back up at him and raised a hoof to caress his cheek. “… but as long as I can remember, ever since I became a guard, you've always been there, by my side.” She lowered her hoof and shifted herself so her head rested on his chest. “I guess what I'm trying to say is… I never could have imagined, back then, that I'd be here with you. I love you, Onyx…” Onyx smiled and nuzzled his snout against hers. He opened his mouth like he was about to speak, but the door at the far end of the car opened, and a weary-looking Gem stepped through. Amethyst turned her head to look at the approaching mare and grinned. “Well, good morning, Gem. We didn't see you leave.” Then, she noticed the water dripping from her mane and tail. “Why… are you soaking wet?” Gem looked down and observed herself. “Huh? Oh, yeah… I, uh… was taking a shower, three cars that way.” She pointed back the direction she came. Amethyst looked at the growing puddle of water accumulating under her. “And you didn't think to dry yourself off?” Gem shook her head. “They were out of towels.” Amethyst frowned, but she let the conversation drop. Amber must have heard the commotion, because she too emerged from her room, looking quite tired and unkempt. “Hey, gals… Onyx…” They said their hellos, and Amethyst got up to brew them some coffee. Amber joined Onyx on the couch, blatantly ignoring his attempts to suggest that she should brush her mane and make herself look ‘presentable’. Gem opted to follow after Amethyst. As she joined the captain by the coffee machine, she caught a glimpse of the outside work through a window. The clouds had grown darker, it seemed. They looked violent and volatile, like they might unravel and unleash a monsoon on the land *A dark sun will rise.* Gem’s heart fell in her chest. Whatever had been approaching for so long had arrived, and there was nothing she could do now to stop it. *Amethyst will not escape us this time, and you, Cicada… you will watch her die.* She closed her eyes, holding back the tears that had been building up. She couldn't cry, not now. Her friends would need her. “Amethyst, there's something I have to tell you…” The purple mare turned and smiled. “You can tell me anything, Gem. What is it?” Gem said nothing, but she threw her hooves around Amethyst, pulling her into a tight embrace. The captain was taken by surprise, but after a second, she began to relax, and she put her hoof around Gem in return. “I'm so happy that you're my friend, Amethyst, and no matter what happens, I'll be there for you.” They stood like that for several moments, enjoying the feeling of each other’s company, but the happy moment did not last. That's when heard it, a screeching cry outside the car. The changelings had begun their attack on the train. ***Up Next: Selfless Love [3]*** Part 7: Selfless Love [3]The first explosion to hit the side of the train sent a shockwave throughout the cars that caused everypony inside to stumble. Amethyst fell to the floor as a second explosion rocked the entire train, threatening to tip the car over the edge of the tracks. Considering how high up they were, twisting through the mountainous regions of northern Equestria, falling off would certainly mean the end for everypony on board. Amber was halfway inside her room, reaching for the suitcase that housed her armor. “What's going on out there?!” Panic could be heard in the neighboring cars as guards and passengers alike scrambled from their once comfortable positions. A third explosion thundered throughout the car, shattering their eardrums. It became plainly obvious that this was an attack, and that it wasn't about to stop. Onyx and Gem rushed to the windows. The clouds had split open, and a downpour rained from the sky. Sparks of lightning streaked across the black clouds, followed by claps of thunder. Outside, dozens of changelings flew beside the train, each taking shots at the cars using magic from their horns. “This is no pegasus weather…” Gem pointed towards the clouds. “The changelings made this to mask their approach…” Every time a bolt of magic hit, the train would shudder and groan. Sensing the imminent danger, Onyx quickly turned around and leaped into his and Amethyst’s room to find his armor. The captain was already dressed in her own armor. She quickly finished by placing her helmet over her head, allowing her plumage to rise to its full height. “Amber!” She pointed a hoof towards the young guard. “I need you to get to Shining, Cadence, and Flurry Heart. Protecting them has to be your top priority.” Amber nodded her head before donning her helmet. In an instant, she was running out the door, into the next car. Now, only she remained with Onyx and Gem. Both guards had dressed and readied themselves to fight. Gem put her helmet over her head and stepped forward. “What about us, captain?” Amethyst glanced towards the window, at the swarm of changelings outside. They were getting closer and more bold, some going so far as to get close enough to hit the train and bash the windows with their hooves. They were breaking into the train. “We hold this train, no matter what. There are a lot of innocent ponies on board, and we can't afford to let them down.” Gem thought back to the mother with her little colt. She wondered how scared they must feel. She was a guard, now. She was here to protect and serve them. Onyx took off towards the door Amber had left through. “I'm going rally as many guards as I can and see if we can establish some defenses up top.” Amethyst saw understood what he meant, on top of the train. Holding the line up there would definitely give them a fighting chance in holding off the changelings. They needed to keep the enemy’s attention on them and away from the passengers. She nodded her head. “Do it, Onyx. Go!” Now, only her and Gem remained. Gem stood by her side, awaiting orders. She didn't want to leave Amethyst, but whatever the captain wanted, she would make sure to deliver. “What's the plan, Amethyst? What do we do?” Amethyst said nothing. Instead, she turned on Gem and lowered her horn. Before she could react, the captain’s horn ignited and fired a beam of magic that threw her back across the car. The magic wasn't lethal, but it packed a punch that knocked the wind out of Gem. She hit the far wall with a loud ‘thud’ before sliding to the floor. Her breathing was rapid and shallow as she blurry vision came back into focus. She had no time to register what was happening as a metal hoof found its way onto her chest. “You had something to do with this…” Amethyst snarled as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I know you did… I know you did!” Gem swallowed, hard. She could see the pain in Amethyst’s eyes, the confusion, rage, and sorrow. “You knew this was coming… All along, you knew, and I let you play me like a fool…” Amethyst was crushing her, pressing forcefully on her chest and limiting her air. “Amethyst, please… I…” The captain pushed down on her chest, silencing her. “I believed you! I actually believed that you had changed, that you had become a new mare, but you lied to me!” Gem could only make desperate gurgling sounds as saliva fell from the corner of her mouth. “P-P-Please…” Her eyes were rolling backwards. Her very life was fading. Losing the will to hold her form, a green fire consumed her, revealing the pony to be who she really was. A changeling in armor laid under the guard’s hoof, quietly gasping for air. Just as her vision was about to fade completely, Amethyst’s hoof raised off of her chest. Cicada coughed and wheezed furiously as her lungs filled with air once again. “Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you, Gem… Give me one reason, right now!” The changeling’s breaths were deep and dramatic, and she held a hoof across her broken chest. When she could bring herself to speak again, she looked up, her eyes meeting the guard’s. “I can't…” Amethyst’s hoof was already raised, poised to strike again, but she hesitated. “Wh-What?” Cicada shook her head as she struggled to stand, only for her legs to buckle. She collapsed again. “I can't… give you a reason… After all I've done, this is what I deserve.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to sob. “I'm so sorry, Amethyst. I'm so sorry I lied to you. At first… it was just orders. I was just doing my queen’s bidding, but then, I fell in love…” Cicada cried out as she dragged herself to her hooves, forcing herself to stand and meet Amethyst’s gaze at eye level. “I fell in love with the pony world, with you, Amethyst. I love you with all of my black heart. I would move the sun and moon for you, for your friends, for Pyrite, and for all of the ponies in the Crystal Empire…” She removed her helmet, tossing it aside and letting Amethyst see her face. “You're my best friend, and you've never stopped showing me kindness… and generosity… and selfless love… I don't deserve your mercy, and I don't deserve to live… If I'm going to die today, I want it to be by your hooves, Amethyst.” Cicada stood before Amethyst, her head bowed. She closed her eyes, waiting for it all to end, but the end never came. She felt the guard’s hooves, but not in the way she had anticipated. Amethyst threw her hooves around the changeling’s neck, hugging her tightly. “I never knew…” She cried into Cicada’s neck, wetting the changeling’s skin with her tears. “… that you’d grown to love.” She pulled away, wiping the tears from her reddened eyes. “Why didn't you say anything?” Cicada sniffled as she nuzzled Amethyst’s neck. “I was scared… I was afraid of my own feelings and how I might fit into this new world… I didn't mean for all of this to happen…” The train shook violently as another blast erupted outside. Things weren't going well for the guards. Through the walls, they could hear the cries of desperation as they fought to defend the train and its passengers. Amethyst pulled away, staring Cicada down. “We can stop this, right? We can beat them back, right?” The changeling sniffed as she shook her head. “I… I want that more than anything, right now, but Queen Chrysalis is here. I can feel her presence on board. I don't know if we're powerful enough to stop her…” Amethyst gently smacked Cicada’s face, taking her by surprise. “Hey! That's not how a Royal Guard thinks! We've stopped her before, at the wedding. We can do it again!” Cicada’s jaw dropped. The look of pure determination in Amethust’s eyes scared her. Then, she remembered… This was the mare who stood in between a baby changeling and certain death. This was the mare who sacrificed so much for those she cared about most. This was the mare who traveled into the frozen north to save the love of her life when all hope seemed lost and gave up her own leg in the process. This was a mare who would not stop until her friends and family were safe from harm. “Now, are you going to help me save this train, or not?” Cicada closed her eyes and concentrated. A spark ignited under her hooves and rose to consume her entire body. In a fraction of a second, Gem stood tall, and a weary smile formed along her lips. “I told you before… No matter what happens, I'll be there for you.” They heard a loud ‘thump’ over head, followed by the sound of hooves running up and down the top of the car. Both guards looked up, and Amethyst spotted the access hatch in the corner over the sofas. “We need to get up there.” Gem agreed, but she knew Phasmid would be waiting for her. Amethyst was already underneath the hatch. Even on her hind legs on top of the sofa, she wasn't tall enough to reach it. “Come on, Gem… Give me a boost.” The mare ran to the sofa and climbed under Amethyst, allowing her a jumping-off point from her back. The captain hit the lever on the hatch, sending it flying open. The hole in the ceiling allowed the storm to enter the car. Rain and wind flooded inside, causing the lights to flicker and clothes from open suitcases to fly around. Using all of her might, she hoisted herself through the hatch and onto the roof of the train car. Once she was outside, she quickly turned around, lowering her hoof down into the car. “Jump, Gem!” She had to scream over the howling wind and rumbling thunder. “Jump, and I'll pull you up!” Gem lifted herself up onto her rear legs and leaped into the air, catching a hold of Amethyst’s metal leg. The captain groaned as she pulled the mare up and through the open hatch. At the top, they fell over, breathing heavily, but there was no time to rest. The changelings overhead had spotted them, and several dove for the train, firing a volley of magical bolts towards them. “Amethyst, run!” Gem pushed her forward as they both began sprinting along the top of the train. The three changelings landed in front of them, stopping the mares in their tracks. They advanced slowly, baring down on them. One changeling, the one in the middle, laughed, showing his fangs as the got closer. “Look, brothers and sisters! Mistress Cicada has already captured our prize! What luck!” Amethyst was no pony’s prize. She took a defensive stance, preparing herself to fight, but Gem calmly walked out in front of her. She looked back at the confused guard and fired her a sly grin. Then, she turned her attention back to the changelings. “Not today, Stag… This mare is mine…” When they saw that she stood in defense of the guard, they hesitated. Amethyst saw it in their eyes. They actually feared Gem. The one she assumed was ‘Stag’ quickly overcame Gem’s threat and narrowed his eyes. “So, Phasmid really was telling the truth… You’ve betrayed the hive…” Gem lowered her horn, causing the changelings flanking Stag to take nervous steps backwards. “This is your last chance, Stag… Back off!” A dark shadow flew over them, causing them all to look up. The shadow disappeared into the swirling clouds, but Gem didn't need to see who it was to know. Stag must have been thinking the same thing, because he lowered his horn. “That's not possible, Cicada. I'm more afraid of Queen Chrysalis than I am of you.” Then, the changelings charged. Amethyst prepared herself to fight, but Gem kicked her in the chest, sending her onto her falling onto her rear. “Stay back, Amethyst! I'll handle them…” The guard sat where she landed, completely stunned as she watched Gem run forwards to meet the changelings. She caught Stag first, using her weight to slam into him, knocking him off balance before kicking his disoriented body into the other changelings. They landed in a heap, struggling to stand as they fell over each other. One raised her horn at Gem and fired a bolt of magic towards her. Gem’s horn flared to life, forming a shield that deflected the magic, sending it back towards the changeling. She cried out in terror, choosing to leap over the side of the moving train to avoid the bolt of magic. She opened her tattered wings, but the turbulent winds caused by the raging storm sent her spiraling into the distance. The other changeling tried to rush Gem and catch her by surprise, but the guard was waiting for him. She quickly spun around, startling the changeling before throwing a hoof into his jaw. He reared back in pain, but it wasn't enough to stop him. He returned in kind, hitting Gem beneath her armor, causing her to wince. At the same time, Stag had recovered, and he circled the fight, looking for an opening to jump into. Amethyst saw it, but Gem didn't. She was too busy with the other changeling. “Gem! Gem, look out!” But Gem couldn't hear her over the wind and rain. She was locked in a struggle with the changeling, and Stag had found his chance. With Stag at her back, Gem couldn't see as his horn began to glow. Gem let out a vicious snarl and bit into the changeling's neck, causing him to scream before she snapped one of his legs, ending the stalemate. He fell to his hooves, desperately crying out in pain as he struggled to stand on his broken leg with green blood leaking from his neck. “You bitch!” Gem spun around and gasped, finding Stag’s horn pointed between her eyes. “You may have been on top in the hive, but out here, you've met your… you…” His glowing horn faded, and he fell over, motionless and lifeless. Gem was shocked, but then, she saw it, a smoking hole in his chest where green blood poured out. She turned around to see Amethyst standing behind her, her own horn glowing bright purple. Gem let out a soft sigh. “Amethyst… I… I don't know what to say…” Amethyst managed a weary grin as the glow surrounding her horn faded. “You could start by saying ‘thank you’. It looks like I've got your back now, Gem.” Gem looked down at Stag’s dead body. “Indeed… You have my thanks, Amethyst. Stag was always a bit of an ass…” Then, she looked up ahead. A band of guards was locked in a struggle with more changelings several cars ahead. “We should hurry and help the others.” Amethyst saw what she was talking about. Through the pouring rain, she could make out the colored plumage on a guard’s helmet marking the status of an officer. Onyx was among them. “Right… Come on!” She took off, sprinting across the top of the train car. Gem ran after her, following the guard through the wind and rain as they leaped over the gap that bridged the next car, but she was struggling to keep up. With every step, Amethyst got further ahead, leaving her behind. Gem’s muscles were growing tired. Her fight with the changelings had left her without much of her energy, and the poison was beginning to have a serious effect on her. She knew what would soon happen. First, her muscles would give up. Then, most of her internal organs would shut down. Finally, her heart would stop, and she would die a slow and painfully agonizing death as her body stalled. Gem was running out of time, and Amethyst had no clue. She kept on running, only thinking about reaching her lover, Onyx. “Come on, Gem! We're almost there!” Then, the shadow returned. Out of the corner of her eye, Gem caught a glimpse of an angry-looking changeling. Phasmid was in the air, flying alongside the train, and she was diving straight for them. “Cicada!” With her wings spread, she let out a furious cry before plowing into Gem, sending both of them tumbling across the top of the car. Amethyst turned around just in time to see Gem sail over the side, disappearing into the void below. She looked over her shoulder, back at Onyx and the other guards. They were too far away still, too far away to help. When she turned to face Phasmid, the changeling had vanished. Amethyst was alone, spinning in circles as she looked for any sign of her friend. “Gem!” She screamed as loudly as her lungs would allow, but the storm drowned her out. “Gem, where are you!” Then, she heard it, the muffled whimper of a struggling mare. Through the rain, she followed the sound towards the edge of the car and looked over. “Gem!” Amethyst immediately dropped to her stomach and reached out, extending her prosthetic hoof towards the guard as she held onto the side of the train. “Help me up!” Amethyst groaned as the weight of the armored mare put a lot of strain on her leg, but she managed to pull her up and onto the train. Exhausted beyond all belief, the captain fell on her back, gasping for air as she recovered. Gem rolled onto her side and climbed to her hooves. “We… We make a… great team… right, Gem?” The mare smiled, but something was off. Her lips were curled upward, but there was nothing happy about her expression. Then, Gem drew back her hoof and threw it towards Amethyst’s face. The captain reacted solely on instinct and her training, rolling out of the way to avoid the hoof as it hit the very spot she once sat. Adrenaline flowed through her, and Amethyst jumped to her hooves. “Gem, what… what are you doing?!” She dodged every hoof the mare sent her way, but she was growing tired. Her sudden burst of energy had been expended. The wind and rain weren't helping, and the storm had only grown more volatile since it started. “You destroyed my nest!” The mare grappled onto her neck, holding Amethyst down long enough to hit her in the face with her hoof. “You tried to make me believe I'm something I'm not!” She brought her hoof down a second time, hard. The force was so intense that it knocked Amethyst's helmet off, sending it flying over the edge of the car. “Gem, please…” The mare let out a furious cry as she wailed on Amethyst, slicing the edges of her hooves across the guard’s cheeks and pummeling her face. “Shut up! Shut up, Amethyst! I'm not a pony!” When her hoof came down again, it landed on Amethyst’s prosthetic leg, tearing it away from the guard’s body. She threw the leg behind her, over the edge of the train, never to be seen again. The captain’s mind went blank as indescribable pain pulsed through her body. Amethyst couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. The rushing wind blew her mane with an unseen ferocity. All around her, the swirling storm raged, and lightning cracked across the sky, followed by deafening booms of thunder. She struggled to roll on her side and stand up, only to realize that her leg was missing. “Onyx!” Amethyst cried as she felt blindly for her missing leg. “Onyx, help me!” But Onyx didn't come. He was too far away, locked in a struggle with several changelings, desperately trying to reach her. Instead, a hoof came down in front of her, stopping the guard in her tracks. She looked up at the shadowy figure standing over her, her eyes glowing bright green. “Gem… please…” Amethyst whimpered sadly, sobbing almost. “I know you're in there, and I know this isn't who you are…” The changeling snarled viciously, raising her hoof to strike. “Shut up! My name is not Gem! I’m not a f*cking pony!” The captain’s eyes filled with tears as her vision blurred. “You know nothing about me!” Despite her tears, Amethyst cracked a bloody smile, startling Cicada. “I know…” She coughed violently, spitting blood all over her chin. “I know you're my… my friend…” The changeling raised her hoof even higher. With the sun beating down on her, and the sound of the roaring wind fading to silence, Amethyst prepared herself for the end. She heard the charging of a horn and closed her eyes. The horn discharged, expelling concentrated magic, but Amethyst didn't feel a thing. The mare standing over her let out a pained wail as she flew back several feet before landing on her side. When Amethyst opened her eyes, the Gem standing over her was gone, and another Gem stood in her place, offering her hoof to the captain. “It's me, Amethyst… It's really me…” Amethyst grinned, showing off her broken and bloody smile. Then, Gem looked down and saw the state of her leg, where a terrifyingly large puddle of blood had pooled, despite the rain washing it in every direction. “Amethyst, you're hurt… I have to get you to a hospital…” The captain could hardly understand her. Blood loss was having negative consequences on her abilities to function. “Hold on, Amethyst… You're not going to die today…” She was about to pick the captain up and carry her inside, but a monstrous bellow sent shivers down her spine. “YOU WHORSE!” Gem spun around and took a defensive stance over the wounded Amethyst. Amethyst didn't know if what she was seeing was real or not, or if it was just the loss of blood, but she could have sworn there were two Gems facing off in front of her. “I've had enough of you, Cicada… First, I'm going to kill that stupid pony. Then, I'm going to tear your f*cking throat out!” She lowered her horn. “Queen Chrysalis will reward me when I deliver to her the head of a guard and a traitor…” Gem panted heavily. Under the downpour, she struggled to stand upright as the poison ate away at her very life. “Phasmid, please stop this… I am sorry… I am so, so sorry for what I did to you and Aphid, to all of you. Don't hurt Amethyst for my wrongdoings… If…” She sniffled as she stepped forward to meet the other ‘Gem’. “If you kill her, you'll be taking away Azalea’s mother.” The other Gem paused, and her glare softened. “Wh… What?” Gem nodded her head. “That's right, Phasmid… Amethyst found Azalea in that cave, and she rescued her, taking her in to raise as her own daughter…” The other Gem had a blank expression on her face. Unable to concentrate, her disguise fell, revealing her to be the changeling she really was. “You can come with us, Phasmid. Come with us and live in the empire. You can be free of Chrystalis. You can see Azalea again.” She looked Phasmid dead in the eyes. “If you kill Amethyst… Azalea will never forgive you…” Lightning streaked across the sky, lighting up the entire world. Phasmid looked completely stunned by Gem’s offer, like she might actually be considering it, but a dark shadow fell over them. The temperature of the air around them dropped, and a menacing laugh shook Gem to her very core. Queen Chrysalis herself descended onto the train car, landing next to Phasmid. “I have to give credit where it is due, Cicada. That was an excellent display, but it was little more than a futile attempt to stop the inevitable. You see…” She raised her hoof, caressing Phasmid’s cheek gently. “… Phasmid is my loyal servant.” The changeling’s gaze lowered, and she looked to her hooves as Chrysalis continued to stroke behind her ears. “Unlike you, a miserable traitor to your queen and your kind, she is obedient, and she does whatever I tell her.” Phasmid winced with every word. “You cannot promise her something as useless as freedom…” Phasmid closed her eyes, remembering the night she tried to escape the hive with Aphid and Azalea. “Phasmid is mine, and she will never be free.” Her eyes opened, and she stepped forward, shaking away the heavy hoof of Chrysalis. “No…” The queen’s eyes widened, surprised by the sudden act of defiance. “What… did you just say?” For a moment, all that could be hear was the sound of rain pouring onto the top of the train and the low rumbling of thunder. Phasmid turned around, facing the changeling queen. “No… I said ‘no’. I am not your slave…” Chrysalis’ eyes narrowed. “And you, my queen… You are a tyrant! You're the one who lied to me! You told me my Azalea died by Cicada’s hooves!” The queen bared her teeth. “Watch your tone, Phasmid… It would be unwise for you to forestall my judgement…” Phasmid shook her head. “No more… I'm done listening to you. I will be free!” Then, she charged the queen, only to be swept away by magic from Chrysalis’ horn. Phasmid cried out as the wave of green magic pushed her back, sending her flying towards the edge of the car. She held on before falling off, but the queen was on her in seconds. “Treachery…” Then, she stomped her hooves, causing Phasmid to fall towards the Equestrian landscape so far below. Gem’s eyes filled with tears as she watched her disappear. Chrysalis turned on Gem, and her horn began to glow. “Two traitors in one day… This has been most disappointing…” Already drastically weakened by the poison, Gem crawled towards the critically injured Amethyst. Her will to move was failing her, and a green flame engulfed her body, burning away the pony Gem. Cicada reached Amethyst and collapsed next to her. When she got a closer look at the wound, she realized it was worse than she originally thought. Cicada needed to stop the bleeding, or Amethyst would die in minutes. She could use her magic, but that could only work for as long as she could keep her horn active. No… She needed something that would hold, something like… Cicada’s eyes landed on her back, on her own wings, and she knew what she had to do. Out of love and desperation, Cicada bit into her own, insect-like wing and tore it off. She howled through her teeth as she took the wing with her magic and began applying it to Amethyst’s stump. “You… will live… Amethyst…” She tied off the wing, putting a tremendous amount of pressure on the gaping wound. Cicada didn't have any time to admire her work, because a chilling laugh came from behind her. “Marvelous, Cicada… Now, you and that wretched pony can die together…” Chrysalis stood over them, spreading her massive wings. “I treated you well, Cicada… You were my favorite subject, my best agent…” Her horn began to glow a sickly green color. “… but I have no sympathy for those who hold a false love for ponies…” Cicada looked up at her, meeting the queen’s eyes, and a sly grin formed along her lips. “You… You call it false…” She wheezed something terrible as her lungs struggled to work. “… but I can say, with… no doubt in my mind… that I love Amethyst with all of my heart…” Chrysalis snarled, growling like a beast as she pointed her horn towards Cicada. “My love for her… and her love for me… makes me stronger than the fear of your disapproval ever did.” Cicada threw her hooves around Amethyst, embracing her tightly as they awaited the end. As Amethyst wrapped her one leg around Cicada, she brought the changeling’s ear towards her lips. “I love you, Gem…” Cicada closed her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I love you too, Amethyst…” Then, their horns began to glow. Instead of the normal colors that represented their magic, Amethyst’s horn and Cicada’s both flowed a soft, pink hue. Chrysalis took a nervous step back. “What… What is this…” Their horns lit up, glowing brightly as heat and pink magic expanded, growing wider and wider by the second. Chrysalis’ eyes widened. “No… No, this can't be happening! This love cannot be real!” It was real, and the cloud of pink magic exploded violently, sending a wave of pure energy that carried Chrysalis and the other changelings far, far away, out of sight. The wave of energy arched across the sky, driving back the storm and breaking through the clouds, letting the rays of Celestia’s sun shine down on the land. Cicada beamed as she felt the warmth hit her face, and the last thing she saw, before her vision faded to black, was the look of content on an unconscious, but very much alive, Amethyst. “You will live… Amethyst… You will…” A long breath escaped her lips before she fell silent, at last. ***Up Next: Walk On*** Finale: Walk On*Gem! Gem, come back! Please, Gem, you have to come back!* Cicada’s eyes fluttered open, and a lengthy yawn escaped her lips, as though she had just awoken from a satisfying nap. As her vision began to clear, she took in more of her surroundings. She rose to her hooves and stood at the end of a vast, white corridor. The ceiling was invisible, reaching high into the air to the point where it couldn't be seen, and the long, white walls that made up the hall seemed endless as they stretched as far as the eye could see. Her ears twitched slightly. She thought she had heard somepony speak, but the air around her was quiet and still. Cicada looked down at her hooves and the floor beneath her. It wasn't a floor. It moved and shifted like a fluffy cloud, constantly changing shape. They were clouds! She was standing on clouds! Puzzled, she pressed her hoof into the floor. Despite the flurry appearance, it was firm and very much solid. Cicada was growing impatient. She didn't know where she was or how she got there, but she wanted somepony to talk to. “Hello?” Her voice echoed in the vast corridor. When her call was met with silence, she opened her mouth again. “Hello? Is anypony there?” “I'm here!” Cicada let out a terrified scream as she nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around and came face to face with a tall mare. The mare had a ghostly appearance, having white fur and a light gray mane with a tail to match. Cicada caught a glimpse of her cutie mark, a stringed instrument. She made a mad dash past the changeling and bolted towards a podium in the center of the walkway that the changeling hadn't noticed before. “I'm so, so sorry I was late to meet you, uh…” The mare fumbled through a massive book with the magic from her horn, turning page after page as she tried to find what she was looking for. “… Cicada, is it? You've also gone by many other names, it seems. There's Opal, Sapphire, Adamant, and… Gem.” The mare looked up from her podium. “Do you have a preference?” The changeling had recovered from her initial shock and approached the podium. As she got closer, she noticed the mare had a unique set of wings to compliment her horn. She was an alicorn. She cocked her head to the side as she observed the mysterious greeter. “Who… are you?” The alicorn frowned, but her expression was quickly replaced by an apologetic laugh. “Oh… How silly of me… I forgot to introduce myself. You run late after one meeting, and suddenly, your mind is a jumbled mess…” She cleared her throat. “I am Serenity, princess of death.” She wore a huge, bright smile. “You may call me Sarah, if you like. All of my friends do. At least, they would, if I had any…” Cicada’s ears folded back. “The princess of… death? I'm… I’m dead?” It was all beginning to come back to her. The train… The attack… She didn't feel dead. In fact, she never felt better. Cicada looked over her shoulder. Strangely, she had both of her wings again. Serenity pursed her lips and nodded her head. “I'm afraid so, Miss- Ah, you still haven't given me a ‘preferred name’. Is ‘Cicada’ alright?” The changeling waved her hoof dismissively. “Wait… Hold on… Are you telling me I've died?” Serenity looked sympathetic towards her. She nodded her head again. “Yes, I'm afraid. All who die pass me on their way to their paradise, the ones who were good enough in life to achieve a paradise, anyway. The bad ones pass through my sister, Distress.” Cicada’s eyes widened. She tried to look past the podium in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what might await her. “I get paradise? Seriously?” Serenity beamed, nodding her head. She had a look on her face like a school filly on a field trip, but the look didn't last long. Cicada remembered all of the horrible things she did and all of the ponies she wronged. “I… I mean no disrespect, princess, but I don't think I should be here…” Serenity frowned and leaned over the podium. “What do you mean by that, Miss Cicada?” The changeling shrugged as she gestured to herself. “Well… I mean, look at me. I'm a monster. I've done so many terrible things to ponies who didn't deserve it, and for what?” She tried sniffed back her tears, but she was unable to stop the them from rolling down her cheeks. “I've lied… I've cheated… I've stolen, and I've killed… I learned too late that love is not something to be selfishly devoured, but something to be cherished and shared with those you care most about…” She heard the sound of pages turning, then Serenity cleared her throat. “I am well aware of your… extensive resume, Miss Cicada, and if you truly believe you don't belong here, I can arrange for you to be sent to my sister, but I want you to listen very carefully to what I have to say…” Cicada blinked the tears out of her eyes and looked up, meeting the princess’ gaze. “You and I would not be here right now, having this conversation if you didn't deserve to be here.” The smile on her face resembled that of the mother’s on the train as she held her infant son. “You, my little changeling, have done more in the service of others than give yourself credit for, and to top it all off, just as you said yourself, you discovered what it truly means to love.” She reached forward, raising Cicada’s chin. “You gave your life so that somepony you truly loved can live. There is no greater act of love.” Cicada dried her eyes and wiped a hoof across her wet snout. “Am… Amethyst is alive?” Serenity smiled and nodded her head. “She is, thanks to you.” That was enough to set Cicada’s mind at ease. She felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off of her back, and she shifted her wings so they fit more comfortably against her sides. Her death was not in vain. Just like Phasmid, she died so Amethyst could live to see another day. Cicada eyed the book on top of the podium. “Does that thing have the all the names of ponies that have died?” Serenity nodded. “Yes, why?” Cicada shifted her weight on her hooves sheepishly. “I was just wondering if another changeling came through here recently, a mare by the name of ‘Phasmid’.” She really wanted to know if Phasmid received a paradise as well. Maybe, she'd get to see her again and personally thank her for what she did. Serenity pursed her lips as she flipped through the tens of thousands of pages. Finally, she came to a stop and closed the book. “Hmmm… No… Nope, no pony or changeling with that name has passed through me. I can check with my sister and see what she has on file.” Serenity materialized a scroll and quill out of thin air, and she began writing. “That's ‘Phasmid’ with a ‘Ph’, right?” Cicada nodded her head. Moments later, the scroll was gone, vanishing in a flash of light. “It may take her a minute to respond. Do you know this changeling personally?” Again, Cicada nodded, but her lips fell into a frown. “Yeah… There's so much I want to say to her. She died so I could have a chance to save my friend.” Serenity opened her mouth like she was about to respond, but she was interrupted by the arrival of a scroll. “Ah… That's my sister.” She opened the letter and read its contents. “Hmm… That's interesting…” Serenity looked up from the letter, meeting Cicada’s eyes. “Are you certain this ‘Phasmid’ is really dead?” The changeling gave her a puzzled look. “I… I saw her fall. She fell off of the train in the mountains north of Canterlot. There's no way she could have survived, is there?” The princess set the scroll down. “Well, according to Distress, Phasmid hasn't passed through her realm either. The only explanation is that she is alive.” That last word echoed in Cicada’s mind. She remembered watching Phasmid fall. She had seen it with her own eyes, but if there was really a chance that anypony could survive such a deadly fall, it would be her. Serenity circled the podium, meeting the stunned Cicada face to face. “Are you ready, Miss Cicada? Your paradise is just at the end of this corridor. Once you enter, you'll never return… Of course, you'll never want to return. That's the whole point…” The princess laughed at her own joke, and Cicada couldn't help smirking along with her. She liked the sound of having her own realm of eternal peace and happiness. “… However, should you chose to leave now, you will return to the world you died in.” Cicada froze. “Wait… What?!” She looked completely dumbfounded. “I can… I can go back?!” Serenity held a hoof to her face and let out a long sigh. “Yes… I am so sorry I forgot to mention this. It's not every day I get to meet a hero.” Cicada was getting more and more confused by the second, and the princess could tell. “Let me start over. You see, not only did you die having done good deeds in service to others, but you died a ‘hero’s death’, as I like to call them.” She materialized a new scroll and unrolled it to show the changeling. It was a list of names, some of ponies who died centuries ago or longer. Then, she spotted her name at the very bottom, along with the date and time that she died. ~Cicada~ “All who die hero’s deaths are given the option to have a second chance. As you can see, many of them wanted to accept their fate and walk onto their paradises, leaving the world of the living behind for good.” Serenity rolled the scroll and put sent it away in a flash of light. “It is very rare for a hero to chose another chance at life, and for good reason.” Cicada cocked her head. “Why is that?” The princess placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “You were in a lot of pain when you died, my little changeling. You tore off your own wing, if I recall correctly. If you go back, you'll feel all of that pain again. You'll be alive, but in a world of pain, wishing you'd stayed with me and gone to your paradise.” Cicada didn't give it a second thought. “I want to go back.” Her quick response startled Serenity. “Are… you certain? If you do, I won't see you again until you… well, you know.” She nodded her head. “I'm positive. I can deal with the pain. I always have before…” Serenity smiled sadly. “You really want to see your friends, don't you?” Cicada beamed up at her. “More than anything… My paradise can wait.” The princess nodded her head slowly as she rose to her full height. “Very well, Miss Cicada. If you will follow me…” She watched as the princess walked past her, towards a door that she hadn't noticed before. It was white, like everything else in the corridor, with a shimmering, gold handle. Using her magic, Serenity turned the handle, opening the door. As it opened, Cicada was met by a blinding light shining through the other side. “Step through, and you will awaken, Miss Cicada.” She walked up to the door, shielding her eyes from the light. Standing next to Serenity, she prepared herself to walk through. If any of what the princess said was true, she would face a world of pain, and she wasn't sure if she was really ready, but she needed to see her friends again. She wasn't ready to leave them behind just yet. Cicada looked at Serenity. “Thank you, princess, for everything.” Serenity waved as Cicada leaped into the light. “Farewell, my little changeling!” Cicada fell through the light. Warmth engulfed her entire body as the light began to fade. It grew hotter and hotter until her skin began to burn. Her muscles tightened, and she let out a pained scream. She felt like she was on fire. Then, everything around her became dark. The fire and pain were replaced by a cool, gentle breeze, and she something firm, landing flat on her back. *** Cicada gasped as air filled her lungs, and her eyes opened wide. She stared straight up. A warm glow from a light shined down on her, and an air vent blew a cold wind against her face. Cicada looked around the room. She was on a sofa back in her train car, facing a window. Outside, familiar mountains passed by quickly. They were nearing the city of Canterlot. Then, she heard it, the sound of soft snoring. Cicada looked to her right and saw Amethyst sleeping on the sofa opposite to hers. That sight was enough to put a weak smile on her face. She extended a hoof towards the purple mare, but every fiber of her being felt stiff to the core. “Amethyst…” Cicada was startled by the sound of her own voice. It sounded rough and scratchy, nothing like herself. She waited until saliva built up in her mouth and swallowed, wetting her throat. “Hey, Amethyst…” She stirred in her sleep and rolled on her side, facing Cicada. Her stump had been properly bandaged, but she still held the changeling's torn wing tight against her chest. Cicada mustered as much strength as she could, filling her lungs with air and causing her chest to swell. “Amethyst!” The captain let out a shrill scream as she fell off of the sofa, hitting the floor with a hard ‘thud’ Her head swung in every direction until her eyes finally fell on Cicada. Amethyst stared at the changeling for several seconds. Then, her jaw dropped. “Gem… You're alive…” A huge smile broke across Cicada’s face as Amethyst crawled towards her. Using her three good legs, she rose shakily and hobbled over to the sofa. “I don't believe it… I thought… I thought you were gone…” Cicada reared her head back and laughed. It caused her entire body to hurt, but she couldn't help herself. “Ha! You would wish that, Amethyst, but…” She groaned as she hoisted herself upright, meeting the captain at eye level. “… it's going to take more than what Chrysalis has to kill me.” Her gaze fell to Amethyst's stump, and her smile faded. “I'm… sorry, about your leg.” Amethyst shook her head, dismissing her apology. “There's no need for that, Gem. I can get a new leg, but you…” She held up Cicada’s tattered wing, which was now mostly red after being soaked by the pony's blood. “… you did this for me. You did this to save my life, and I am forever grateful.” Cicada eyed her wing. She knew now that she's never be able to fly again, but Amethyst was alive. That was all that mattered. “You better be. I only have one wing left, and I can't afford to lose it.” Both mares shared a light-hearted chuckle before the far door at the end of the car swung open. Amber hummed as she backed through the door with a silver tray in the cloud of her magic. “Hmmm… Hm, Hm, Hmmmmmm! Hey, Amethyst, I brought you some-” She turned and dropped the tray. Words failed the young mare as she saw Cicada sitting on the sofa. Cicada wondered how long she must have been gone. She hadn't considered how everypony might react to her sudden awakening. “Um… Hello-” “SHE’S ALIVE!” Amber bolted out the door, running through the next car cheering and screaming as loudly as she could. More guards came, poking their heads into the car to see, sharing brief glances and wide grins. Cicada felt unease. She wasn't used to the attention, and she certainty wasn't used to so many Royal Guards smiling at her. Amethyst placed her hoof on the changeling's. “They've all heard about what you did, Gem. Some are even calling you a hero…” In the span of a few moments, the whole car was packed with armored guards. Even Onyx was there, though he had a slight limp. One by one, the guards approached her to thank her. Cicada was star struck. She couldn't keep herself from smiling as her cheeks turned red from all of the praise. Eventually, they all filed out of the car, mostly being pushed out by Onyx and Amber until only Shining Armor and Princess Cadence remained. Shining approached her first. He looked cross, causing Cicada to descend from the high of praise she just received. “So… You're the ‘secret’ Amethyst had been hiding from me.” Then, he did something Cicada couldn't have predicted in a thousand years. He bowed to her. “You saved this train, from a disaster that would have crippled the Crystal Empire. I hope you understand that means you can't remain a private in the ranks of the Royal Guards.” He turned towards Amethyst. “Isn't that right, captain?” Amethyst nodded her head, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “That's right, sir. I can't have her as anything less than my first lieutenant.” Cicada’s eyes widened. That was quite the promotion. Before she had any time to react, she was approached by the princess and her daughter. “That was an interesting display of love, Cicada… Your selfless love saved the day. We are honored to have you…” She too bowed to the changeling. When Cadence rose to her full height again, an announcer overhead announced their imminent arrival. They were nearing Canterlot and would soon be disembarking. Shining and Cadence excused themselves, and Cicada’s gaze shifted towards the window. In the distance, the sun would be setting on the greatest day of her life, her new birthday. The whole world and her entire life was ahead of her. However long that was, she had no idea, but she had to make it worthwhile. Feeling stronger, she summoned her green fire, and became the pony she was always meant to be. Gem rose from the sofa and stood upright before her legs buckled. She would have fallen, but Onyx and Amethyst caught her. “Easy, Gem…” Onyx let her lean on him, since Amethyst couldn't bare anyone's weight but her own. “You look like you're starving. When we get off the train, we're getting you a meal.” Amethyst smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, a big one. I think we all need to try out some of these Canterlot restaurants. Then, we have a gala to attend tomorrow.” The idea sounded like a good one. Leaning on Onyx and staying close to Amethyst, Gem walked on. Quietly, she hoped the rest of their trip would be uneventful. She didn't need any more excitement, but an event as big as the Grand Galloping Gala can attract the most interesting of guests… ***The End: Volume 2*** Short 1: Bonding With The Brat***The Sinister Plot: Short 1*** “Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Onyx and Amethyst watched from the door as the most intense ‘stare down’ they had ever witnessed took place. Amethyst shrugged her shoulders as she donned her helmet. “It's the only option we have. All of out other friends are busy, and no pony else can spare the time to take care of Pyrite for us.” In Amethyst’s personal quarters, across the room, Gem and Pyrite sat with their backs to opposite walls, not daring to break eye contact. “It'll be fine. Pyrite is a tough girl, and Amber promised to check in on them, but we have to go.” Onyx didn't like it. He still wasn't sure about Gem or her motives. Sure, she promised to help them against the fury of Queen Chrysalis, but what was her word worth? It had been a month since Gem came to them for help, and tensions were still pretty high after their previous engagement in the frozen north. “Alright, but if she lays one hoof on Pyrite, I'll kill her.” Amethyst cracked a weary smile. She knew he meant well. It was obvious that he had grown more protective of Pyrite ever since he assumed the role of a father figure. “I'm sure you will, babe. Now, let's go.” She turned her attention to the pony and her little changeling inside her room. “Bye, Gem! Bye, Pyrite! We’ll be back in a few hours!” The stalemate finally broke as Pyrite responded to her mother’s call, and she turned and bolted towards the door. “Mama! Mama!” Amethyst knew what she wanted, or what she didn't want, rather. Pyrite didn't want to be left alone with Gem, who she knew as Cicada. “I'm sorry, baby, but mommy has to go to work. I'll be back soon. I love you!” Then, she closed the door, locking her inside with Gem. Gem smirked at the little changeling as she sulked back away from the door. “Hmmm… Well, brat, it looks like it's just you and me…” Pyrite scowled at the false pony and stuck her tongue out. This actually surprised Gem. “That was quite unnecessary. I would have thought Amethyst taught you better manners.” She let out a long sigh. “Look… I hate to say this, but we have to come to some sort of mutual understanding. I don't want to be here, foalsitting you, any more than you want me here, so let's just agree to… stay out of each other's’ way. I'm only here to look after you and make sure you don't do anything to hurt yourself.” Gem couldn't tell, but it looked like Pyrite was alright with that plan. She watched as the little changeling shuffled her hooves as she moved towards a large box beneath her crib. Using her magic, Pyrite opened the box and began emptying its contents onto the floor. Several building blocks and a toy train fell out, along with prices of train tracks and little ‘tree’ models. Pyrite picked up the blocks and placed them on the floor, stacking them up two or three blocks high. Gem watched with interest as her great creation began to unfold. *What is she making?* The tracks had been pieced together too, and the set was taking shape. In Pyrite’s mind, the blocks became a train station for the train to pick up its passengers. Gem immediately lost interest and found the whole ‘game’, if it could even be called such a thing, to be incredibly boring. She rose to her hooves and approached Pyrite. “This will not do. I cannot possibly be expected to sit here all day while to play with stupid blocks. Is this what you really do for fun when Amethyst is away?” Pyrite looked up at her with a blank expression, drawing out a frustrated snarl from Gem. “Uhg! This is torture!” She held a hoof against her forehead in an attempt to suppress the migraine that was rapidly growing. Then, she got an idea. In a flash of light and green fire, she was gone, and Amethyst stood in her place. “Huh? Huh? How is this, little brat?” Amethyst spun in a circle, showing off her new form to the confused Pyrite, but she didn't buy it. Not only did Pyrite know she was obviously not her mother, they smelled completely different. “Is this not convincing? Hmm… What about this?” Amethyst was engulfed by green flames and Amber emerged from the fire. “Surely you must have some kind of connection to this mare. I know how fondly you think of her.” Pyrite still had no interest in Cicada’s game. “Oh, come on, brat! What would it take to get you to interact with me?” Amber had no idea if the changeling foal could even understand her or if she was purposefully ignoring her. Amazingly, Pyrite actually appeared to be listening, and she turned back towards her chest of toys. After rummaging through the box for a few seconds, she came back out with a small doll. It was a blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane in a black outfit. Pyrite help up the doll for Amber to see. “Zapp!” Amber frowned as she took the doll from the little changeling. “Is… Isn't this just a silly comic book hero? You want me to look like this?” Pyrite nodded her head quickly. Amber passed the doll back to her before closing her eyes. “Alright… I suppose anything is better than watching you play ‘train’ for the entire morning.” A green fire sparked beneath her hooves and rose to cover her legs, quickly burning away the rest of her body. As though she came straight from the pages of a comic book, Zapp stood before Pyrite, and the little changeling let out a delighted squeal. At her obvious happiness, Zapp managed a small smile. It wasn't wide enough to be noticeable by anypony else, but her lips curled upward ever so slightly. Then, there was the strange feeling in her chest. It felt weird to cause somepony so much joy, but she didn't dare stop there. Zapp reached forward, extending a hoof towards Pyrite. “Come, Pyrite! There's crime to fight!” *** Amber walked down the corridor towards Amethyst's quarters. As she neared the door, she heard a bellowing cry, and the door flung open, slamming against the wall and creating a loud ‘crash’. Amber let out a terrified scream as a masked mare with a little changeling riding on her back leaped out of the room and into the middle of the corridor. Both were laughing hysterically as they ran down the corridor, leaving Amber standing by a ruined door as her heart recovered from the initial fright. *** Short 2: Phasmid Meets Her Demise***The Sinister Plot: Short 2*** The sky burned bright orange, like a fire consumed the entire land, marking the setting of the sun and the end of an exhausting day. Phasmid let out a soft groan as she rolled from her side onto her back. High above her, birds chirped and chased each other through the trees. Squirrels and other little creatures jumped from branch to branch, playing a similar game. Through the trees, she could see the train tracks, now empty of any trains. It took all of the strength she could muster, but Phasmid pulled herself upright and began taking in her surroundings. She was in the middle of nowhere, and she had no sense of direction or how to make it back to civilization. As the changeling tried to stand, a sharp pain erupted in her side, and she quickly fell back down. Phasmid gasped as she observed the cause of the pain. A jagged tree root had pierced her side and was sticking out of her. The green blood gushing from the wound had dried, sealing the gaping hole from bleeding any more, but it also held the broken root firmly in place. Phasmid knew that if she tried to remove the sharp object, she would reopen the wound, and she would likely bleed to death. She spun in a circle, but there was no pony around, no pony to help her. She was dying. Phasmid looked up, through the trees. The train tracks were still visible. She figured, by following them, she could reach Canterlot, but that was a long shot. Her vision was darkening. She wasn't sure how long she could remain conscious. A lack of food, water, and love had left her void of any energy. Phasmid could feel the life draining from her body. “No…” Her voice was coarse and rough as it came from her dry throat. “Not like… this…” The changeling's thoughts turned to Azalea, her one true love, and she remembered what Cicada had told her. Her little Azalea was out there, somewhere, and she would never get to hold her again. Phasmid began to sob. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she slumped against a tree. She would die soon, right there, and she didn't want to. She didn't want to die. Phasmid wanted to see her little Azalea and hold her tight, but deep down, she knew that wouldn't be possible. If Cicada really was telling her the truth, then Azalea was somewhere in the Crystal Empire, and Phasmid would never make it. She remembered the smell of Azalea on that pony, Amethyst, the smell of her little Azalea. The smell made her chest feel lighter, and she cried aloud as tears poured from her eyes. Then, Phasmid’s sight faded to black, and she cried herself into a deep sleep, one she knew she would not awaken from. *** Phasmid woke up with a throbbing pain in her side. It stretched from her lower back to her neck. She had no idea of how much time had passed. She opened her mouth, but as she breathed in, her muscles tensed, and the pain escalated. “Do you sleep still, little changeling?” The sound of the mare’s voice seemed to sooth her. As more of her senses came back to her, Phasmid began to notice the peaceful sounds around her. Birds chirped, wind rustled through the trees, and a spring bubbled gently somewhere behind her. Finally, her eyes opened, and a big, blue sky opened above her. Strangely, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Tall trees swayed slowly from side to side, and their leaves shook before fluttering to the ground, one by one. It was beautiful. “Ah! You're up! Do not move, please.” Phasmid bolted upright with her head spinning to find the speaker. Her eyes scanned her immediate surroundings. It was a sort of hidden grove. All around her, tall trees with thick trunks sprouted from the earth, reaching for the sky. To her right, a crystal clear spring bubbled and rippled as fresh water rose from an unseen source at the bottom. Opposite to the spring, a cave appeared through the trees. The rocks looked ancient, covered from top to bottom in moss and strange carvings. The world she was in was a sort of paradise. It was quiet, peaceful, and tranquil. The only problem was Phasmid had no idea of where she was or how she got there. Out of options, the curious changeling tried to climb to her hooves in order to investigate the nearby cave, but the moment she tried to put weight on her legs, they buckled, and she collapsed. “Oh, please do not try to move… You've been badly hurt, and you're only just now recovering.” Groaning on the ground, Phasmid rolled on her back and looked up. She felt a hoof behind her head, and without the strength to protest, she powerless to stop herself from being hoisted slightly upright. “Oh, I cannot possibly tell you how long it has been since I've had the pleasure of meeting a changeling. Drink this, please. It will make you feel much better.” She peered inside the goblet. The liquid inside looked like water, but as some of it passed her lips and traveled down her throat, she came to the conclusion that it had to be something else, something magical. Though it looked like water, it had the viscosity of syrup, and it tasted sweet. As she drank more and more of the strange liquid, Phasmid began to feel stronger. With each sip, the sore pains that pulsed throughout her body faded until she could no longer feel them. In a matter of moments, the goblet was empty. Phasmid almost felt a longing for the mysterious substance. She was sitting upright now, without the support of whoever offered her the goblet. Phasmid knew now that she hadn't been imagining that, so she sought to find whoever it was that had helped her. Her eyes scanned the grove until she saw her, a tall mare standing in the entrance to the cave. Her back was turned, but the changeling could make out a few details. The mare’s coat was a light grey color, and she had a shimmering, golden mane with a tail to match. Then, there was her cutie mark, or her lack of one. The mare’s flanks were completely bare. “Are you at a loss for words, my dear Phasmid? It is alright for you to speak, you know.” The changeling cocked her head to the side as she eyed the mare. The mare looked back at her, looking over her shoulder, and smiled before returning to whatever it was that she was doing. At last, Phasmid found her voice. “How… How do you know my name? Have we met?” The mare turned around finally, revealing a new goblet, filled with more of the rejuvenating liquid. “I know the names of every inhabitant that calls this world ‘home’. It's one of my duties, after all…” Then, Phasmid saw them, a pair of wings. In addition to the horn sprouting from her forehead, the mare also sported a pair of large, majestic wings tucked against her sides. She was an Alicorn, a princess. “Here… Drink this. It will help with the pain.” She offered Phasmid the goblet, which she took graciously. “Thank you, but…” Phasmid interrupted herself to take a sip of the liquid. A small sigh of content escaped her lips as the warm feelings of ease and tranquility returned. “… Who are you?” The mare wore a huge grin and bowed slightly. “I am Demise, princess of time. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my little changeling.” *** Short 3: At First Sight***The Sinister Plot: Short 3*** The table was quiet except for the sounds of muffled chewing and satisfaction. Freshly showered and dressed in their fatigues, the guards settled down in a restaurant in Canterlot, the Sun Royale. Amethyst and Onyx shared a salad, Amber enjoyed a seasoned pasta plate, and Gem watched while sipping from a glass of water. The gala wouldn't take place until sundown, the following evening, so the Royal Guards of the Crystal Empire were given the night off and let loose into Canterlot to rest, relax, and enjoy themselves. It was their night, Shining had told them. A few other guards were scattered across tables in the restaurant, but most had disappeared into the city and likely wouldn't been seen again until the morning after. As she set her glass down, after taking a sip, Gem noticed a guard several tables away was looking at her. She would catch him looking, and he would quickly look away, turning his attention back to whatever was on his plate in front of him. “Gem?” The call of her name startled her. Gem turned and realized it was Amethyst who was trying to get her attention. The captain had a concerned look on her face. “You look troubled, Gem. Is something wrong? Are you still hungry? We can order more food, if that's what you-” Gem quickly shook her head, cutting her off. “No… That's alright, Amethyst. I'm fine, really.” She held a hoof across her stomach. After having consumed so much earlier, nearly making herself sick, Gem didn't have the stomach for another ‘big’ meal. Canterlot had treated her well enough. Everypony had, actually, unlike her first visit to the capital of Equestria. Gem was deep in thought as memories of the changeling attack resurfaced. She was there, rounding up and subduing the Royal Guards, leaving the innocent ponies defenseless against the onslaught before coming face to face with a wingless Twilight Sparkle and her friends. The battle was a confusing cluster of changelings and ponies. As the changeling army disguised themselves as the mane six to distract them, they ended up confusing themselves. Gem figured there was no mystery to their defeat. The leadership of Queen Chrysalis was flawed from the start. “I'm just surprised at how different this city is to our own.” Gem wanted the topic to be away from her. “I mean, it's still grand, in every aspect of the word, but it's a lot less… shiny.” Amethyst cracked a smile, and a gentle laugh escaped her lips. She looked like she was about to say something in response, but her gaze shifted towards something behind Gem. “Excuse me…” The low, gruff voice came from behind her. Assuming it was the waiter, Gem politely shook her head without turning around. “I'm good on water, thank you. I don't need a refill.” Amethyst pursed her lips and shook her head. “Gem, honey, that's not the…” Gem turned at last and looked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. It was the stallion from earlier, the one sitting across from them. He was in his fatigues as well, and by the medals across his uniform, she could see that he was a corporal, just above the rank of a private first class. His hooves shifted nervously as he tried to bring himself to speak, and his eyes darted back and forth between Gem and the table she was sitting at. Gem was growing impatient of the long silence. “Yes?” Finally, the corporal swallowed and solidified himself in place, clearing his throat. “I… Uh… Well, the gala is to t-t-tomorrow…” The entire table was silent, staring up at him. Amethyst and Onyx were dead silent and Amber held her breath. They knew exactly what was happening, but Gem, being new to the social norms of the pony world, was completely clueless. “Yes, I know.” The young stallion’s cheeks flushed bright red as he tried to keep his eyes trained on Gem. “Well, I was… I was wondering if… It's a big event, you know, a big party, and I was just wondering… if you'd like to go with…” He swallowed, hard. “… with me.” The other mares at the table, Amethyst and Amber, were doing everything they could not to jump up and scream with joy. Onyx had to hold his wife-to-be back in her seat to stop her. Gem, on the other hoof, was still lost in the dark and unaware that she was being asked out by the stallion in front of her. She frowned. “I assumed we were all going together, as guards. What difference does it make if I go with you?” That last part visibly deflated the corporal. His ears dropped, and his gaze fell. He looked like he was about to turn around and return to his table. Amethyst couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't sit still and let him get away. “Gem!” Her voice hissed like any angry snake’s, carrying across the table. “Gem! He's asking you out on a date!” Gem heard her, and her eyes widened. She looked up at the young stallion, and her cheeks began to turn red. “You… You want to take me on a… a date?” He blushed and nodded his head, managing a weak smile. “Absolutely, Miss Gem. If you want, I mean…” Gem was speechless. She couldn't bring herself to respond due to the shock that had overcome her. Across the table, Amethyst was still trying to whisper directions to her. “Say ‘yes’!” Just look at him and say ‘yes’!” Gem slowly brought her gaze to meet his. She could see a silent pleading in his eyes, hoping she would accept. The mare felt her lips beginning to move, forming the words to respond, but everything around her seemed muffled. She couldn't even hear herself think. “Yes… I would… like to go… out with you…” The look of pure joy on the young stallion’s face made her heart swell in her chest. Amber let out a soft ‘squee’, and Amethyst nearly fell back in her chair. For the first time in her life, Gem had a date, and it was the most bizarre thing she had ever felt. This didn't feel like the love she felt for Pyrite and her friends. It felt so… childish and carefree, and she liked it. A smile forced its way along her lips as Onyx welcomed the corporal to the table, help him pull up a chair next to Gem’s. He smiled at her, extending his hoof. “I'm Nickel, by the way.” Gem was still feeling the buzz after the surge of love felt. She let him take her hoof into his. “I… I'm Gem…” Amethyst was still trying to instruct her, mouthing words and making motions with her hooves, but Onyx held her back, wanting to let things play out naturally. Gem found herself giddy with excitement and filly of pure, unfiltered joy. The moon climbed high into the dark sky as the night grew longer. By that time the following evening, Gem would be on her very first date, and she couldn't wait to get started. ***Gem Will Return*** Part 1: Darkess RisingAuthor's Note Welcome back, fans of Fool’s Gold! I hope you enjoy this next installment of the ‘Gold Trilogy’. Part 1: Darkess Rising ***A Waffen Pony Production*** ***One Year Ago*** Night had fallen across the frozen north, a frozen wasteland bordering the Crystal Empire, and the already subzero temperatures plummeted as the moon rose high into the night sky. Buried deep in the ground by rock and ice, a single changeling stirred in the nest. “Shhhhh… Don't wake, little one.” She grunted softly as she hoisted an infant changeling onto her back. “Sleep, my little Azalea… We haven't much time.” Phasmid treaded carefully as she navigated her way through the endless corridors and tunnels that made up the greater nest. It was imperative that she didn't wake any others that weren't a part of what she was about to do. “Phasmid… What are you up to, now?” She quickly spun around, looking for the source of the voice, and when she saw who had snuck up on her, she smiled with uncertainty. “Aphid, how many times have I told you not to do that…” Phasmid let out a sigh as her breathing began to recover from the sudden fright. “Why are you here?” The changeling called Aphid lowered his head. “You know exactly why I'm here. Queen Chrysalis’ last egg, the infant you've been caring for, is queen…” Phasmid shut her eyes. That was exactly what she was afraid of. It was the duty of the hive to care for and raise the next generation of changelings birthed by the queen, and over the past few weeks, Phasmid had done the unthinkable and grown attached to her charge. Now, she knew why. She opened her eyes again, and more changelings appeared in the dark tunnel. She was surrounded. “Aphid, you know if Queen Chrysalis finds out that there's another queen, she'll kill her.” It was a hopeless attempt to plead with Aphid, but she had no other options. He nodded his head. “I know.” The look on Phasmid face was one of desperatation. “I… I can't let that happen, Aphid.” He raised a gentle hoof and placed it against Phasmid’s shoulder, catching her by surprise. “I know, Phas… That's why we're going to help you.” Phasmid looked around the tunnel, at the faces of the changelings around her. There had to be at least a dozen of them, and all wore sad smiles on their faces. “Aphid…” Phasmid struggled to hold back the tears of joy that had been building behind her eyes. “You don't have to do this.” He nodded his head. “I do…” Then, he gestured to the changelings around him. “It's no secret that Queen Chrysalis is leading is all down a hole. After we lost the battle at Canterlot, things have gone from bad to worse. This new queen may be the only hope we have left.” Collective nods were shared amongst the changelings. Phasmid looked over her shoulder, at the little changeling on her back. Azalea was sound asleep, snoring softly. Hope… That was something none of them had felt in months. Phasmid raised a hoof and pointed down the tunnel. “Alright… Let's get moving. We need to get out of here before the queen’s agents suspects anything.” Together, the coalition of rogue changelings ventured up through tunnel after tunnel. To any outsider, the caves would swallow them whole, and they would never see the light of day again, but the changelings navigated the maze with ease. Marking certain corridors with certain pheromones only detectable by changelings, they could determine which tunnels lead deeper into the hive, which tunnels lead to the surface, and which ones were dead ends or traps. The air began to get noticeably colder as they got closer to the surface. Eventually, Phasmid began to see her own short and rapid breaths, and the dark rock was replaced by a pale sheet of ice. They were almost out of the caves, out of the hive. Aphid turned to Phasmid as they walked and shot her a silly grin. “This is great… We can go far away from here, far away from this cold wasteland. We can find some nice caves in Equestria and start our own hive, and when our new queen comes of age, she can lead us to a brighter future…” Phasmid blushed and gave him a shy smile. “That's a lot to think about…” She shivered slightly as the cold washed over her. “… I do believe the next generation of changelings will thank us, though.” A chilling laughter echoed throughout the frozen tunnel, stopping the group of changelings dead in their tracks. The already freezing air seemed to drop drastically in temperature as the amused laughter sent fear down the changelings’ spines, causing their torn wings to flutter nervously. “Well… Isn't this something.” She appeared in front of them as if from out of thin air. Phasmid’s eyes narrowed, and she bared her teeth at the changeling blocking their path. “Cicada…” The changeling grinned menacingly and spread her wings in an intimidating manner. Her eyes looked wild as they glanced over each and every one of the escapees. “What's that smell?” She sniffed the air, her nose twitching like a filly’s in a bakery. “It… kind of smells like… treason.” Cicada’s eyes fell on Phasmid and the infant on her back. Aphid stepped forward, putting himself in between Phasmid and Cicada while taking a defensive stance. Her grin grew even wider, and her horn began to glow a sickly green color. “I’ll tell you what… Give me the little brat, and I won't kill every last one of you.” The group of changelings exchanged horrified looks, but Aphid stood tall. “No deal, Cicada. We're done listening you you, and we're done starving of love in this… frozen hell!” Cicada’s smile vanished. Her eyes narrowed as a slow breath escaped her lips. Then, there was a bright flash of light. Her horn discharged, releasing the concentrated energy that had been building up, and Aphid’s lifeless body fell to the ground. Phasmid’s eyes widened with terror, and her mouth quivered. A gaping hole occupied the middle of his chest, and green blood poured out onto the snow at an alarming rate as his open eyes stared blankly up at the roof of the cave. Phasmid let out a shrill cry and lowered her horn. Cicada only had a split second to react before a bolt of magic came sailing towards her head. The bolt missed its target, only grazing her shoulder, but it left a blackened mark. Cicada howled with pain. She glared at Phasmid before vanishing in a flash of light, but not before issuing a final order to her partner, who had been hiding in the shadows. “Mantis, kill them! Kill them all!” The larger changeling that had been waiting revealed himself, and a bloody massacre ensued. One by one, he tore through the rogue changelings, ripping them down in the most gruesome ways imaginable. Legs were snapped in two, and throats were torn from necks as terrified screams filled the cave. Not even the blizzard outside could drown out the sounds of fear and death. ***Current Day*** Emerald shook violently and bolted upright. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He looked to his left and to his right, at the other guards around him in the stallions’ bunk room. Everypony else was fast asleep. As the seconds passed, Emerald became more and more aware of his racing heartbeat and his shallow breaths. There was somepony he needed to see. Moving quickly and quietly, Emerald threw the covers off of his body and slid out of the bed. His hooves hit the floor softly, and he began to navigate his way through the dark towards the bunk room door. The door opened up into one of the many grand corridors that made up the barracks of the Royal Guards, a small extension of the larger palace of the Crystal Empire. Emerald shuffled down the dimly lit corridor towards the mare’s bunk room. He opened the door and slipped inside. The mares’ bunk room resembled the stallions’ in almost every way, but the sides of the rooms mirrored one another, and the general theme differentiated to meet the needs of the opposite sex. Shrouded in darkness again, Emerald walked quietly down the aisle that separated the two rows of bunks until he found the mare he was looking for. “Pssst! Amber, wake up…” He tapped her shoulder gently, causing the guard to shift in her sleep. She came to and rolled from her side onto her back, and her eyes fluttered open. “Emerald?” Her voice was hoarse and groggy, and the look on her face told Emerald that she did not appreciate being woken up. There was no going back, now. “I… I needed to see you…” Emerald rubbed the back of his head. “I had that dream again…” Amber’s gaze fell, and she slowly nodded her head. “Alright… Alright, Emerald, I'm coming…” With a great amount of difficulty, she crawled out of her bed and threw a light coat over her shoulders. Together, they walked out of the mares’ bunk room and into the corridor where they could talk and not risk being overheard. Emerald’s eyes fell to his hooves, and he let out a shaky sigh. “It… It keeps getting worse, Amber… All of those horrible things I did… It's as though it gets a little clearer every time I have that dream. Every night, I can see a new detail I couldn't before.” Amber sighed and ran a hoof through her mane. Out of all of the rigorous and dangerous tasks she had been trained to handle, therapy was not one of them. She didn't even know where to begin with helping her coltfriend. On any other night, she might have tried to kiss him a few times and coax him back to bed with sweet and reassuring words, but she knew immediately that it would take a lot more than that tonight. He was visibly shaking, and he sounded as though he might break out into a panic attack at any moment. “That… sounds awful. Have you talked to Amethyst or Onyx about this?” Just as she suspected, Emerald shook his head. “No, and I don't want them to know. This is my problem, Amber, mine.” Amber rolled her eyes and blew her messy mane out of her face. “Hey, you come talk to me, don't you?” Emerald shrugged his shoulders as his neck sagged forward, hunching over. “I need to vent sometimes… Besides, I know I can talk to you. Onyx and Amethyst… They just wouldn't understand…” Amber cracked a weak smile. “You'd be surprised by what Amethyst will understand. If there's anypony in this place you can put your absolute trust into, it's her.” She raised her hoof and planted it on Emerald’s chest. “You shouldn't think about the things you did in the past, Emerald… You're a different pony, now.” Amber leaned forward, gently rubbing her muzzle against his. “You're proud, brave, and you're a great guy. There isn't another stallion in this empire that I can honestly say I love with all of my heart.” Emerald couldn't help smiling after that. A cheeky grin forced its way into his lips just before Amber’s made contact with his own. They kissed again and again, parting their lips only just long enough to take a short breath before their mouths came crashing back together. Distracted by the oral attack from Amber, Emerald lost focus. His mind went numb, and his ability to keep his disguise up went with it. A green fire sparked beneath his feet, and in an instant, Emerald was gone. When Amber opened her eyes, she found herself staring into Mantis’ face, and a huge grin formed along her lips. Totally embarrassed, the changeling turned his head, but nothing could hide the burning red on his cheeks. “S-S-Sorry… That doesn't happen often…” Amber said nothing. Instead, she threw a hoof around his head and pulled him into a deep kiss, moaning ever so softly into his mouth. The kiss lasted for what seemed like a lifetime, but when their lips finally parted, a thin strand of saliva continued to connect their mouths. “I don't mind kissing a changeling…” Amber fired him a subtle ‘wink’. “After all, we've done much worse together… Don't you remember that time in the mares’ shower room? Mantis nodded his head as the hot feelings returned to his burning cheeks. He was beginning to feel a lot better. “Now, get changed and get your butt back to bed. I'll see ya’ in the morning, sweetie…” She gave him one last kiss, a peck on his red cheek, before returning to her bunk room. Maybe a little kissing did help after all… *** After changing back into his pony form, Emerald took off down the corridor towards the stallions’ bunk room. Once his mind had cleared, and his heart had settled, he came to realize just how tired he really was. At last, he found the door he was looking for, but as he reached out for the handle, something stopped him. A chilling presence filled the air. Emerald felt that he was being watched, and he quickly turned around. “Oh…” His initial feelings of fear were dismissed, but he didn't lower his guard. “It's just you…” A mare clad in silver armor emerged from the shadows and mockingly held a hoof to her chest as though she were offended. “Just me?” She batted her eyes at the stallion as she took another step closer. “You know, we used to be much closer, Mantis. Don't you remember when you kissed me like that?” Emerald winced, and his cheeks turned red. How long had she been watching? “Whatever happened to kinder greetings such as ‘hello’, my dear Mantis?” The mare’s name was Gem, but Emerald and his closest friends knew her better as Cicada. Emerald found himself swelling with anger at the sound of her arrogant and cocky voice. “You should count yourself lucky Captain Amethyst even allowed you to stay in the barracks. If you want greetings like ‘hello’, you go grovel at her hooves and beg.” Gem rolled her eyes. “Ah, yes… Our dearest friend, Captain Amethyst…” Then, her gaze fell, and her lips curled downward into a frown. “I've told her time and time again that my attempts to kill Pyrite were not personal in the slightest, but she refuses to believe me.” Now, it was Emerald’s turn to roll his eyes. “That's because it was personal, Cicada. It’ll be a day far from know when she is ready to forgive you for all of the trouble you caused her and her Pyrite.” Gem removed her helmet and shook her mane around, freeing it from the metal enclosure that held it down against her head. “I seem to recall you causing her much of that trouble yourself.” Emerald bared his teeth. “I helped her in the end! I made an attempt to right all of my wrongs, and in the end, I earned their trust…” He took a deep breath. “You, on the other hoof, continue to be a nuisance and a constant reminder of everything they went through to save Pyrite.” Gem’s eyes narrowed as tears began to build up. “Was I the cause of her injury? Did I rip her leg off? No! She blew herself up, like the fool she is!” She raised a hoof and jabbed it towards Emerald’s chest. “And don't you dare talk to me about righting past wrongs…” The tears came at last, flooding down Gem’s cheeks in a cascade of water with every blink. “I didn't have to warn her about Queen Chrysalis. I could have found a place to hide and live the rest of my life without having to so much as look at another damn pony!” She was sobbing, now. Emerald was shocked when she fell forward, throwing her hooves around his neck. “H-H-How do you… do it?” She cried into his neck, just behind his ear. “How do you block out all of the faces and voices? It's torture…” Emerald shook his head as he pulled away, looking Gem in her eyes. “I don't, Cicada. I have nightmares every time I close my eyes. They haunt me, every waking moment of my life…” She frowned at him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “You… You're supposed to say something to make me feel better, Mantis… Isn't that how this ‘friendship’ thing works?” Emerald held up a hoof, silencing her. “There's a point to this, I promise.” Gem pursed her lips and nodded her head, silently promising to stay quiet as he continued. “We can never forget the things we did in the past, and I certainly don't expect us to ever be forgiven, but our pasts don't have to define who we are now.” Emerald smiled at her. “You're a new mare, Cicada. Show our new friends love and kindness, and not only will you never go hungry, but you will earn their trust and respect. You don't have to be a monster any longer. What you do today is what defines you. Gem blinked once, then twice. Then, a weak smile creeped across her lips. “Th-Thank you, Mantis… I needed to hear that, I think…” Her eyes were tearing up again, but not as a result of her pain. “I should get moving. I need to patrol the eastern courtyard soon.” Emerald nodded his head as she took a few steps in reverse backing away. “I’ll… see you later, uh… Emerald.” She fired him a subtle ‘wink’ before turning around and walking down the dark corridor. “Yeah… See you later… Gem.” He turned to reach for the door again. At last, he was ready to climb back into the safety and comfort of his bunk and finish the last few hours of the night in the restful state that was sleep. He opened the door and slipped quietly inside. Not wanting to disturb the other guards that were still fast asleep, a glided across the floor, almost like a ghost, until he fell gently onto his bed. It took a bit of skillful maneuvering, but he managed to get himself back underneath the covers and tuck himself in. For the first time in a long time, Emerald couldn't wait to close his eyes and dream, knowing good and well that he would dream of Amber and the intimacy they shared. “Tomorrow’s a whole new day…” Then, Emerald closed his eyes, and he was out like a light. ***Up Next: Adoring Motherhood*** Part 3: The Invitation***One Year Ago*** Azalea didn't know how much time had passed when she woke up again, but it must have been quite a long time. As her eyes opened, she realized that she had been completely buried by snow. The cold felt numb to her, like it didn't bother her as much as it might have under different circumstances. Azalea quickly figured out that she was still able to move her legs, and she stretched them out in an attempt to find the way up and out of the snow. Her horn began to glow softly, melting a little of the ice around her. Then, she saw them. Little droplets of water from the melting ice were falling. Mustering as much strength as she could, Azalea tunneled upward. Her right hoof broke through the surface of the snow first. She pulled her head up and took in a deep breath of the cold air. Azalea breathed heavily as her lungs filled with oxygen before exhaling again. Exhausted after climbing out of the snow, she collapsed in a heap on the surface, and she began to shiver. Azalea look in her surroundings carefully. The cave was dark, much darker than it had ever been before. It was as though a shroud had fallen over the entire frozen north, blotting out the light of the sun. The darkness marked the age of the eternal blizzard, an eleven month period where the snow never stopped pouring from the sky. To make things even worse, great winds from the far north would ravage the the landscape, kicking up massive clouds of snow that would blind anypony foolish enough to venture into them. The eternal blizzard made the frozen north, already a treacherous place, into a land of nightmares. Azalea’s horn was the only thing granting her light, the ability to see in the dark cave. “Mmmm… Ma?” She turned her head, and the light from her horn came over the lifeless face of her caretaker, causing her to flinch. Azalea shut her eyes as she fought against the urge to cry. Phasmid’s body was all but completely buried, now. Only a little of her face and horn remained above the creeping snow. Azalea opened her eyes and nuzzled her affectionately. “Mama…” When she couldn't look any longer, she turned her gaze, looking inward. The changeling nest to her left looked inviting. Somewhere in that nest, there was warmth and food, her two greatest needs, at the moment. Azalea wanted so desperately to run back into the nest, a place she knew, but that would mean running into the agents that had tried so hard to kill her. She looked to her right, towards the certain death that was the frozen north. In the cave, she had at least some protection from the howling winds, but outside, she wouldn't last more than a few short moments. To her left, death. To her right, certain death. Out of options, Azalea fell on her rear and tried so very hard not to think about the overwhelming feelings of hunger that caused her stomach to roar like a yeti, or some other beast of the frozen north. She was starving, literally, starving of love and of nutrition. She had no idea of when her last meal was, or when she last felt any kind of affection from another living being. Since Azalea last fell asleep, it could have been a few hours, or a few days. Perhaps a week or two had passed since she curled up next to Phasmid’s body for warmth. Hungry beyond all belief, she began to think irrationally. Phasmid would never let her go hungry. She would always have something to give the little queen, but not this time. Azalea rolled back and forth, holding her hooves across her stomach. She wanted relief from the pain so badly. She wanted it to end. Just as she was considering running head first into the frozen north, a faint glow appeared far up ahead. Azalea squinted her eyes as she peered into the darkness, towards the dim light. It appeared to be getting closer, growing brighter and brighter by the second. A wave of fear washed over the little changeling, and she ran for cover. It must have been Queen Chrysalis’ agents. They had come back to make sure she was dead. The muffled sound of hooves hitting the snow grew in volume as the being approached. Azalea waited in the shadows, cowering behind the mound of snow that covered Phasmid’s body. It was too dark. The light coming from the being’s horn obscured the changeling’s view, but she could make out a few key details. It was an outsider, a pony. The being was covered from head to hoof in metal, but that didn't stop Azalea from catching brief glimpses of its purple fur and emerald mane. It walked slowly, taking in the horrific sight around it. Shortly after, the pony in armor was joined by another. “Amethyst, what's going… on…” The first pony, the one Azalea assumed was ‘Amethyst’, turned her back and pointed towards the mouth of the cave. “Go back… Get Onyx… He needs to see this…” Azalea watched the outsiders out of curiousity, but she kept quiet. Still frozen by fear, she couldn't will herself to move. “There's… so many of them… What happened here?” The two ponies continued to stare with mortified looks at the slaughtered changelings. Azalea wasn't sure of how much longer she could stay in the shadows. The ponies were coming closer and closer, and soon, she would have nowhere else to hide. Then, the two ponies were joined by a third, and Azalea felt her heart stop. “Amber, wait up! What's with… you…” As he came into the light, Azalea recognized him instantly. His outer appearance may have been changed, but she would remember the smell of the changeling agent that murdered her caretaker forever. She didn't know how or why, but the third pony was none other than Mantis. Fear caused her to shake violently. Her lower lip quivered. Images flashed through her mind, images of the moment he plunged his horn into Phasmid’s throat, causing her to drown in her own blood. Then, Azalea let out a horrified scream. “Mamaaaaa!” The cry echoed through the cave, forcing the ponies to hold their hooves against their ears in an attempt to muffle the noise. “Ma-Mamaaaaa!” Azalea cried out again and again, wanting her caretaker to save her. The ponies spotted her. “There!” Azalea curled up in a fetal position next to Phasmid’s body in an attempt to make herself as small as possible. “Mama…” She whimpered now, terrified by the arrival of the crystal guards. Azalea nuzzled the motionless body in which it was seeking refuge as though it could wake it up. “Mmm-Ma-Mama…” The pony called ‘Amethyst’ gasped as she inched closer towards the infant changeling. “It's just a baby…” She extended a hoof, and Azalea cowered away. “It's alright… I'm not going to hurt you…” The pony spoke so softly. Her voice almost soothed Azalea, giving her a fleeting sensation of security, but Mantis was still there, standing right behind the kind pony. “W-W-We should get out of here. Just leave it. Leave it here with the rest to be taken by the snow.” The two mares shot him mortified looks. “Absolutely not! I will not leave her to die. Go back, and tell Onyx what we've found.” To Azalea’s relief, Mantis turned tail and bolted down the cave without a word of hesitation. With him gone, Amethyst turned to face the other pony. “I need your rations.” She quickly opened her saddle pack and pulled out several white cubes. They looked like sugar cubes, resembling the treats in size, color, and texture. Azalea’s curiosity, and desire for food, was peaked at the sight and smell of the little cubes. “Here…” Amethyst offered the cubes to the little changeling. “Go on, take it.” She looked back at her with wide, pale eyes, no longer filled with fear. Azalea approached her carefully, one shaky hoof after the other until she reached the outstretched hoof. Once she was close enough, she gave the white cubes a cautious ‘sniff’ before turning her head and retching with pure and utter disgust. The pony cracked a weak smile at the little changeling’s reaction to the food. “I know they're gross… You'll feel better if you eat them, I promise…” Amethyst coaxed the changeling, offering the cubes again. Azalea didn't have any other options. If it really was ‘food’, she had to eat it. Cautious sniffs turned into hungry nibbled, which turned into starving bites. The more she ate, the better they tasted, and the more Azalea wanted to eat them. With every bite, she felt herself growing a little stronger, and her mind cleared a little more. Amethyst let out a sigh of relief as the little changeling ate more and more, quickly finishing the rations. When the pony’s hoof was empty, she looked up at her. Azalea didn't know who these ponies were, but she liked them immensely. She began looking for more, sniffing Amethyst’s empty hoof and exploring under the towering pony’s legs, causing her to smile. Then, she felt a warm glow envelop her before she was lifted into the air and placed on Amethyst’s back. “You're coming with me…” She chuckled softly, earning a long yawn from the little changeling. “I'll keep you safe… I promise…” After eating all of those rations, Azalea was feeling a little bloated, but for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, she felt at ease. Mantis was gone, and she had been rescued by a stranger clad in shining armor. The pony’s gentle words echoed in her mind. *I'll keep you safe… I promise…* Like a record on replay, her words looped again and again. *I'll keep you safe…* *I promise…* For what it was worth, Azalea believed the pony. Perched on her back, she could feel the mare’s emotions, and she liked what she felt. It didn't take long for Azalea to fall in love. ***Current Day*** After the skirmish in Amethyst’s quarters, Gem stormed away. She didn't know where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do. All she knew is that she needed to get as far away from the ponies as possible. Stomping down the palace steps in a huff, she found herself in a secluded courtyard and stopped in front of a large tree in the center of the garden. Gem glared at the tree with disgust before throwing her hoof into the stubborn, wooden colossus. She was angry. She was furious at… everything, and she needed to vent. Letting out a sadistic cry, she tore her helmet from her head and tossed it at the tree, creating a loud crash and ripping some of the bark away. Piece by piece, Gem ripped her armor off and threw it in a heap at the base of the tree. Now wearing nothing but her fur, she kicked her helmet, sending the protective headgear flying across the courtyard. Having nothing left to rip from her body, Gem fell on her rear, huffing and puffing as she struggled to regain her breath. After yelling for so long without taking so much as a single breath, she felt light-headed and dizzy. Her vision was disorientated, and things around her seemed to blend together and pulse. At last, she fell on her back, looking straight up through the branches of the tall tree. The sun’s rays shined through the shaking leaves above, creating a stunning effect that could only be described as ‘beautiful’. As the minutes passed, Gem’s breathing slowed, and the rising and falling if her chest became more shallow. The silence was welcomed by the changeling outcast, and for a brief moment, she felt a sense of peace she had never felt before. Her vision had cleared, and Gem sat up. No pony was around to see her, so she decided there was no harm in losing her pony form. Gem vanished in a bright blaze of green fire, and in her place, Cicada rested on her back. With her hooves behind her head, she looked up at the blue sky through the branches of the tree as they swayed in a gentle breeze. Everything around her contrasted immensely to the dark cave she had grown used to for so long. All her life, since the moment she had hatched, Cicada had been taught that the ponies were selfish and ruthless conquerors that drove the changelings from the surface world in order to govern it themselves. That was the history lesson all changelings were told, and she believed it. The ponies looked down on everything that wasn't equine, and in doing so, they created a world where two national powers, Equestria and the Crystal Empire, ruled most of the continent. Even the dragons, with all of their might, were too afraid to challenge the power of the ponies. Here she was, a changeling masquerading as a Royal Guard. What an incredible sight… Cicada let out a long sigh, completely oblivious to the armored mare approaching her from behind. “Ci… Cicada?” Amethyst cleared her throat, startling the changeling. “Cicada?” At hearing her true name, she spun around and quickly resumed her pony form, Gem. Her eyes glanced around the courtyard, making sure that no other ponies had seen her acting so carelessly. When Gem realized she was alone with Amethyst, her eyes narrowed at the guard. “You again… I came here to get away from you freaks!” Amethyst’s gaze fell, and she removed her helmet, gently placing it on the ground next to her hooves. “Did you want me to kick your ass again, or are you here because you can only feel good by showing off your authority?” The captain walked forward until she was standing right in front of Gem. She took a deep breath before looking up and meeting her former adversary's gaze again. “I'm here to apologize, Cic… I mean… Gem.” That took Gem by surprise, and for a moment, she lost her razor-sharp edge. “You're right about… everything. I don't know what's going on, and I don't know why Queen Chrysalis hasn't made a move, but someday soon, she will, and I need to be prepared to do whatever it takes to protect my friends.” Amethyst reached out with her hoof, taking Gem’s in her own. “You asked me once why I did it, why I blew myself up in the frozen north…” Gem’s eyes shifted towards the prosthetic leg and the scars that made up the right side of the pony’s body. “I did it because I love my friends, and I love my daughter, and I'll give my life if it means they get to see Celestia’s sun rise again.” Their eyes met again, and under the large tree, a warm wind swept through the garden, blowing their manes. Gem shook her mane away and retracted her hoof. “Why are you telling me this?” Amethyst took another step closer, shortening the gap between them. “I'm telling you this, because Princess Cadence and Prince Armor have tasked me with a very important assignment, and I want my closest friends by my side.” *Friends…* The word echoed in Gem’s mind, and she glared at Amethyst. “We… are not friends, pony…” Amethyst shot her a sly grin. “Is that right?” She pointed her hoof towards the pile of assorted pieces of armor by the tree. “You're a Royal Guard, Gem. You watch over Pyrite for me when I'm not around. I’ve even seen you talk and laugh with Mantis and Amber in the commissary. Even Onyx is warming up to you.” Amethyst’s grin widened. “Face it, Cicada, you like being a pony. You're practically family, now.” Gem scowled at her. “You're delusional, Amethyst…” This earned an obvious eye-roll from the captain. “What is his ‘assignment’ you so desperately need me for?” Amethyst’s smile faded as she took a step back. “Canterlot is holding its Grand Galloping Gala, and I am to attend alongside Shining and Cadence as their personal guard and guest, but in my current condition…” She raised her prosthetic leg for Gem to see. “I don't believe that's something I can do alone.” Gem looked at the ground, like she was deep in thought. “Canterlot is a long way from the Crystal Empire… If Queen Chrysalis is going to strike, she will surely do it there.” She nodded her head slowly. “Alright, pony, I'll go with you, but only because I want to make that bitch pay for what she did to me…” Gem turned around to begin reassembling her armor. “Don't think this is because I like you or your friends…” Amethyst couldn't stop herself from smiling as she picked her helmet back up and put it over her head. “Whatever you say, Gem. We leave by train in the morning.” *** They walked back into the palace together. Side by side, they made their way into the barracks and the commissary inside. Amethyst could see Emerald and Amber inside, sitting at a table while talking to Onyx. They laughed and cheered in each other's company. Pyrite was with them, looking lost and very much not apart of their conversation. She looked towards Amethyst and Gem as they stood under the archway leading into the dining area and waved. Amethyst beamed at her and waved back. She began to walk in but noticed Gem was standing still. “Are you coming? You're welcome to join us, you know.” Gem shook her head. “No… You've given me a lot to think about, Amethyst.” She turned her head, looking away from the pony’s gaze. “I want to be alone while I… get my head straight.” The purple mare gave her a kind smile. “Alright, but I want you to join us for dinner, later tonight. The officers and I are meeting at a little place on the Palisades Strip.” Gem managed a weary smile. “I thought that place was only for the wealthiest of the Crystal Empire.” Amethyst pointed to the grand plume extending from her helmet. “Hey, when you're a captain of the empire's Royal Guards, you can pull a few strings.” After a few moments of silence, Gem agreed, nodding her head. “Yes… Yes, fine…” Amethyst’s extended her hoof, and when Gem took it, expecting a shake, the pony quickly pulled her into an embrace, shocking her. The disguised changeling couldn't bring herself to say anything as the pony held her tight. “I've forgiven you… It's time you forgave yourself…” Then, Amethyst pulled away and turned around, walking into the commissary and leaving Gem alone under the archway. Gem’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the pony retreat to the table with her friends. It felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. She had grown numb to the feeling to stealing love from a victim, but never before had she been given love willingly. Her heart raced involuntarily, filling her body with the desire for more, the desire for love. Gem quickly shook her head of the thought and bolted down the corridor as quickly as her legs could carry her. She ran until she finally came to a stop outside of the mares’ wash room, and she pushed the door open, rushing inside. Gem made a dash for the sink and pulled her helmet off before turning the faucet on ‘high’. She splashed the cold, refreshing water on her face again and again in an attempt to numb the feeling that was shaking her to her very core. “Is something wrong, Cicada?” Gem froze. The air around her dropped drastically in temperature. She looked up, into the mirror, as a thin layer of frost began to cover the glass. Gem turned around just in time to see Queen Chrysalis emerge from the shadows. Like a monster from an inescapable nightmare, the queen towered above her, looking down at her with green fire in her eyes. “You look… confused…” Gem bit her lower lip as her eyes met the queen’s. “No, your majesty… I'm just… nervous…” Chrysalis’ horn glowed, and the wash room door locked. “There is no need for such fear, my child.” She raised a hoof towards Gem’s cheek, caressing her softly. “If anything at all, we should rejoice.” Gem swallowed hard and flinched at the queen’s touch. “You have played your part excellently. Not only does Captain Amethyst trust you, I believe she has come to… love you…” Chrysalis reared her head back and roared with laughter. “This will most certainly give you an advantage when the time comes to kill her. Wouldn't you agree, my loyal servant?” Gem’s eyes fell, and she nodded her head slowly. “Y-Y-Yes… Of course, your majesty…” Then, she looked up with malice and hatred burning in her eyes as she met the queen's gaze. “Amethyst will never reach Canterlot or the Grand Galloping Gala alive.” ***Up Next: Trust and Lies*** Part 4: Trust and LiesBeing a ‘spy’ is never easy for a changeling. There's the threat of being found out and captured looming over them at all times. At any moment, a pair of guards could break down the door to Cicada’s quarters and arrest her on charges of treason. Needless to say, tension and stress levels were high, but that wasn't even the worst of it, not by a long shot. No, the position she was in was far worse than that of a normal spy. She was an agent, serving her queen and her nest, the very same nest Amethyst destroyed, but she wasn't just any agent. Cicada was a double agent. Working alongside Amethyst and the other ponies to foil Queen Chrysalis’’ sinister plot was only a performance, and Cicada considered herself to be quite the actor. She dressed herself, looking in the bathroom mirror that showed her who she really was, a black beast with a jagged horn, riddled with holes. Cicada closed her eyes and concentrated, thinking about her pony form, the form of Gem. She had been masquerading around as a pony for so long that it hardly took any effort for her to change. In the blink of an eye, the changeling had been replaced by a beautiful mare. Tilting her head from side to side, she observed her face, even raising a hoof to brush her messy mane out of her eyes. Gem leaned into the mirror, staring into her own eyes. She got so close to the point where each hot breath left a cloud of steam on the reflective surface. Satisfied with her look, she took up a brush and attacked her mane, combing the thick bristles through the tangled forest behind her horn. It took some effort, but Gem knew she needed to look her best. Earlier, she had been invited by Amethyst herself to accompany her and her friends to the Palisades Strip, the ‘flashiest’ place in the entirety of the empire. Having never been there herself, Gem wasn't sure of what to expect. Silly, pony things came to mind, though. By the way Amber talked about it, she could foresee shopping in her near future. Being a changeling from the frozen north, Gem internally felt she was above such things, but Amethyst personally requested that she go with them. Then, there was that hug… As Gem stumbled out of the bathroom and towards her bed, she replayed the moment in her head again and again. Each time, her heart ached in her chest. Before she and Amethyst departed, the mare had hugged her and told her she had been forgiven. That was the moment Gem felt something she had never once felt before, and that was self-doubt. The true affection shown to her by Amethyst made the changeling doubt in her ability to carry out her mission. She had never had this kind of trouble, not once. Time and time again, she had done what needed to be done. She had lied, cheated, stolen, and killed to serve her hive, her queen, and herself. “What has she done to me…” Cicada held a hoof to her head as she began to sway. Her thoughts shifted to her mission, to her duty, but they always seemed to return to Amethyst and the hug they shared. She remembered pushing the mare away and storming off in a frenzy of conflicting emotions. Even Queen Chrysalis was beginning to suspect the truth. If the queen ever came to the conclusion that she had formed an attachment to a pony, she'd be cast out of the hive, just like Mantis. “Amethyst, you wretched mare… I am not in love…” Then again, Mantis was doing quite well for himself. He seemed to have everything going his way and more. “I… I'm not…” Cicada fell on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. Her eyes became fixed on the dim light glowing above her. “I'm not… in love…” A soft breath escaped her lips as she sank further into the sheets. Cicada kept her eyes glued to the light, repeating herself over and over again like a mad mare. “I’m not in love… I'm not in love… I'm not in love…” A loud knock on the door alarmed her, causing the mare to jump out of the bed. Quickly clambering to her hooves, she looked towards the door. “Gem? Gem, are you in there?” It was Onyx. Relaxing slightly, she approached the door, and using her magic, she turned the handle, opening it for the stallion. “Y-Y-Yes?” She brushed her fallen mane out of her eyes as they met the sergeant’s. “Is there something I can help you with?” Onyx gave her a concerned look. His eyes rose from hers and shifted around her room before coming back to meet hers again. “I… just came by to remind you about our evening plans. Amethyst wanted me to make sure you'd be ready in time.” Gem glanced over her shoulder at a clock on the nightstand by her bed. “Time? What time?” The clock read fifteen past eight. By now, the Palisades Strip would surely be teeming with activity. She quickly turned back to face Onyx, her cheeks turning red as she realized how quickly time had escaped her grasp. “Yes, of course… I was just getting ready.” Silently, Gem wondered if he had heard her rambling. She already felt like her grip was slipping. The last thing she needed was other ponies thinking the same thing. Onyx expected more of a response, but after several seconds of awkward silence between them, he came to the conclusion that it would be best for him to wait with the others. He nodded his head, taking a step back. “Right… I'll leave you to it, then.” He turned to leave before stopping with his back turned. “We’re leaving in ten minutes. Amethyst is having us meet by the steps just outside the palace.” Then, he began to walk down the corridor, the clopping of his hooves on the floor growing softer with each step. Gem bit her lower lip as she watched him leave. Then, she raised a hoof and called out after him. “Onyx, wait!” The stallion spun around, half expecting some kind of danger to jump out at him, but no such thing came. Instead, Gem approached him. Her head was low, and her eyes kept to her own hooves. “Onyx, I… I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier today… Attacking you and Amethyst like that was wrong of me.” *I’ve forgiven you…* Amethyst’s words echoed in Gem’s mind as her gaze rose to meet the stallion’s eyes. *It’s time you forgave yourself…* For a brief moment, Gem wasn't even sure why or how she was doing this. It was as though her mind was no longer controlling her movements. She screamed internally. Gem wanted to run back into her room and slam the door shut. She wanted to run far away to the cold and desolate wasteland she knew so well. She wanted things to be the way they used to be, when life as a changeling was simple, before she discovered love. Frozen in place by her conflicting emotions, she was unable to resist as Onyx placed a firm hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, it's alright, Gem.” Then, everything stopped. All of the shouting voices in her mind ceased at once, and everything was quiet. She felt still and at ease, all except for the thundering in her chest, her beating heart. “You were just testing Amethyst, making sure she was ready for a surprise attack.” He retracted his hoof, raising it and rubbing the back of his head. “I mean… You did break the door down and ruin the wall, but it's not like anypony got seriously hurt.” Gem blinked, cocking her head to the side. “I… I knocked you unconscious… How can you be so quick to forgive me?” Onyx managed a weak smile. “It was just a bump on the head… Besides, you've done worse before.” That made Gem laugh. She couldn't stop herself from bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. In a way, she knew he was right. She had done worse, and she found his simplistic way of viewing things to be hysterical. Gem had forgotten everything she was supposed to do, regarding her mission. All she could think about was her new friends and the joy they caused her. She had never laughed so hard in her entire existence. “Right…” Onyx was backing away now, smiling politely as he turned to leave once again. “Well, don't forget that we're leaving very soon. We'd hate to miss you.” Gem nodded her head quickly as she began to recover. “Yes, yes…” She waved her hoof dismissively as she fought to suppress the ‘snickers’ that were slipping through her lips. “I'll be there.” Then, she turned and bolted down the corridor, back towards her room, not to get away from the ponies, though. She needed to find her fatigues, the ones Amethyst gave her. As Royal Guards on a night out, they'd be wearing what they called ‘soft armor’. The most decorated guards had their fatigues covered in badges and medals. It was essentially a way to show off in public when off duty. Gem threw the clothes on, stepping into the coat, which boasted a royal ‘purple’ color. The finishing piece was a beret of the same color. Using her horn and the magic within, she carefully placed the cap on her head, just behind the base of her horn. Looking into the mirror on top of the dresser, Gem smiled, baring her teeth. Then, her eyes fell, and she found herself looking not at herself, but at a small vial just to the left of the mirror. It was filled with a clear liquid and topped with a black cap. Like a distant memory, Queen Chrysalis’’ instructions came trickling back. *You are to give her this…* Cicada looked at the vial, then back up at the queen. *Will this… kill her?* Chrysalis shook her head. *Not immediately, my child. This will weaken Amethyst and drain her life slowly to the point where she will pose no threat. Her death will be agonizing slow, and by the time she realizes something is wrong, it will be too late.” She grinned maliciously, causing Cicada to back up against the stall. *No pony will be able to stop it, and Amethyst will pay for what she did to us with her life.* The mares’ restroom seemed to grow much colder as Cicada took the vial. *Of course, my queen…* Gem stared at the vial. She raised a hoof, reaching for the poison, but her hoof stopped short. “No…” Her eyes narrowed and her hoof lowered. “Not this time, my queen…” Gem checked herself in the mirror one last time before storming out the door, slamming it shut behind her. *** When the guards saw Gem running towards them, they grew delighted looks. Like her, they all wore their off-duty fatigues. Amber and Onyx, the two sergeants, both had a considerable amount of shining badges and medals decorating their uniform. Amethyst, being the captain of the Royal Guards, nearly blinded Gem as she got closer. She was out of breath as she came to a stop in front of the officers. “I… I'm here…” Gem took a moment to gather herself. “Are we leaving?” Amethyst grinned at her, nodding her head. “Yeah… We’re just waiting on Shining.” Gem looked around them, searching for the prince, but he was nowhere in sight. “I wasn't aware Prince Armor would be joining us.” Amethyst realized she had been misunderstood, and quickly shook her head. “Oh, no, Shining isn't coming with us. He's promised to look after Pyrite for the night. I suggested to him that he let my baby and his own daughter have a… ‘play date’.” She smiled at the memory of that particular conversation. “He didn't exactly jump at the idea, but Princess Cadence was all for it.” Gem noticed too that the little trickster was among the group. Pyrite, who was hiding behind Amethyst’s legs, came out and stood in her favorite place, the center of everypony’s attention. “I pway with Fwurry Heart!” She seemed determined to let everypony know how much fun she'd get to have that evening. “Guess what, daddy! I get to pway with Fwurry Heart!” Onyx smiled down at her. “Yes, I know, sweetie. You've told me many times.” Gem pursed her lips and frowned slightly. “You aren't at all worried? A queen her age can have great influence on other foals around her, even though she may not mean to. That's why Chrysalis was so desperate to…” She stopped herself, not wanting to remind everypony of her checkered past. “I know what you mean, Gem.” Amethyst placed a gentle hoof on her daughter’s back and rubbed her affectionately. “Princess Cadence promised me she'd watch them the whole night. I trust her completely.” Gem nodded carefully as her eyes fell on Pyrite, and Pyrite looked back at her with wide eyes. The ponies said nothing as they waited for Shining. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long. Moments later, Shining appeared with Emerald by his side. Emerald took his place by Amber, and Pyrite, enthusiastic as ever at the promise of a play date, ran after the prince as he began walking back towards the palace. Ready to get their night underway, the guards left the palace behind them and headed into the city. *** Gem had never seen the Palisades Strip at night, and the beauty of the culture-saturated district dazzled her. Lights flashed wherever she looked. Mantis looked equally impressed. Amber had to drag him by his hoof, because he'd stop every few steps to stare at whatever captivated his attention. Everywhere they went, ponies smiled and waved, some even approaching them directly to thank them for their service. After a while, the smiling began to hurt. Gem felt like her lips were glued into position, and she couldn't feel her cheeks. Pony after pony came up to her just to shake her hoof or wish her a good night. She felt unworthy to receive such praise, after all she had done in an attempt to topple the empire. She wasn't a guard. She was a liar. “Gem? Gem, are you alright?” Emerald shook her shoulder to get her attention, and Gem realized she had been glaring. She still showed her teeth like she was smiling, but it looked more like a snarl. “Is something wrong?” Gem shook her head, quickly correction her outer appearance. “No… I'm fine. It's just…” Then, she realized just how much her cheeks hurt, her jaw too. Emerald wrapped a hoof around her as they continued to walk. “Hey, it's alright… We're here to enjoy ourselves. Let's have a little fun with our friends without thinking about the past.” Gem scoffed at him. “They may be your friends, Mantis, but to them, I'm just an asset.” Emerald shrugged his shoulders. “That's not what Amethyst told me. She seems to think the two of you are great friends.” Gem shook her head, trying to keep her voice low. “No… Friends care for each other. I don't care for her.” Emerald retracted his hoof. “Hmm…” She shot him a weird look. “What?” He shook his head as a smile came across his lips. Gem kicked his hoof with her own. “What? I demand you tell me.” But Emerald didn't say anything. He just laughed as he left her behind to join Amber up ahead. Gem felt very annoyed, but she kept walking. *** Eventually, the guards got hungry and found a place to settle down. It was an outdoor salad bar at the farthest end of the strip. A large patio rose from the ground. Tables and chairs covered the platform, and the bar itself resided towards the back. As the guards stepped onto the patio, a server immediately greeted them and lead them to a large, round table. “Thank you for joining us tonight.” The server, a pretty mare, bowed graciously. “It is a rare privilege to serve our Royal Guards. I'll return soon to take your orders, but may I start you with anything to drink?” Amethyst and Onyx shared a quick glance, both thinking the same thing. “We have a big day tomorrow… We’ll both just have water.” Mantis threw his hooves in the air. “Not me. Give me something with a buzz, please!” The server chuckled and nodded her head as she jotted down the request. “Of course, sir… For you, miss?” Amber nodded towards Amethyst. “I'm with them. I'll just take a water, please.” The other guards were talking amongst themselves now as the server circled the table, coming to a stop behind Gem. Not waiting for her to ask, she gave her order anyway, hoping the server would thank her for being decisive and not difficult. “I'll have a water as well.” The server didn't write down her request like she did with the others. Instead, she reached into the pocket of her apron and revealed something small. “Actually…” The server leaned in close, almost breathing down Gem’s neck. “I have just the thing you might need for a fun night out…” Gem wasn't interested in anything special. She only wanted water. “Thank you, but I think I'll just stick with…” Her voice trailed away until it faded completely. It was the vial, the one she had left behind. “It'll make any night one to remember…” Gem looked up at the server and saw a fleeting glimpse of ‘green’ shimmering in her eyes. At a loss for words, Gem could only hold her breath as she placed the vial in front of her. “If Amethyst doesn't drink this, you will pay the price, Cicada… Do not fail me again, or I will kill you and her myself.” Gem quickly hid the vial in her uniform, but when she turned around to spot the server, the pony had vanished. No pony else seemed to notice. Her heart pounded against her chest. She could hear it thundering in her ears, drowning out everything that was happening around her. “Gem?” Her night had completely turned around. What was supposed to be a carefree night with the other guards turned into a nightmare. “Hey, Gem?” She didn't want to do it, but she had to. It was her duty. Her queen demanded it, and she had to obey. A gentle hoof shook her shoulder. It was Amber’s. “Gem, what's wrong? You're sweating.” It dawned on her that Amethyst was trying to talk to her. Snapping back to the reality around her, she grabbed her napkin and wiped her forehead. “I'm… I’m sorry. I'm just a bit nervous about tomorrow…” It was a lazy and unbelievable excuse to explain her problem, but it was the only one Gem could pull out of thin air. Amethyst cracked a silly grin. “What… Are you talking about the gala? Come on, Gem, it'll be fun. We’ll dance, sing, and eat the best food Canterlot has to offer, all while protecting Shining and Cadence, of course.” Gem put on a fake smile. “Right… I shouldn't be nervous about something so trivial…” Onyx joined in. “Exactly. It's a huge responsibility, but it's also a great privilege. Amethyst had three guards to choose, and she chose you.” Her fake smile began to waver. *I wish you hadn't…* The thought of hurting Amethyst brought pain to her chest. She could feel her heart sinking lower and lower. Amethyst reached across the table, placing her hoof on Gem’s “The gala isn't until the day after tomorrow, but it will be a day to remember, that's for certain.” She looked at the vial tucked away in her coat. *If Amethyst must drink this tonight, then that's what she'll do…* Another server came with the drinks. Being the closest, they came by Gem first. Amethyst tried to reach for a glass that she assumed to be hers, but Gem stopped her. “Wait, Amethyst…” Thinking on her hooves, Gem took the first glass, which was hidden from the other ponies’ sight by a dessert menu. “I think mine is the one without ice…” Everypony gave her a strange look, but she brushed them off. “Wh-What? I don't like ice…” Amethyst waited patiently for her to finish, and after just a moment, Gem passed her glass along. The captain accepted it graciously. “Thank you, Gem.” Gem couldn't even bring herself to smile back at the pony. “You're… welcome…” The vial was now empty in the inside pocket of her uniform. Her job had been done. *Amethyst, forgive me…* Amethyst raised her glass into the air, followed quickly by the other guards. “Tonight, we celebrate our companionship. This one is to the Crystal Empire.” Everypony murmured in agreement before turning the glasses towards their mouths and letting the drinks fall. ***Up Next: Selfless Love [1]***
Part 2: Adoring MotherhoodSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Part 5: Selfless Love [1]Amethyst couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. The pouring rain and blinding wind blew her mane with a ferocity she had never experienced before. All around her, Royal Guards and changelings were locked in a ferocious battle, on the train or in the sky. Occasionally, one would be hit with a bolt of magic and fall, plummeting towards Equestria. She struggled to roll on her side and stand up, only to realize that her leg was missing. “Onyx!” Amethyst cried as she felt blindly for her missing leg. “Onyx, help me!” But Onyx didn't come. He was too far away, locked in a struggle with several changelings, desperately trying to reach her. Instead, a hoof came down in front of her, stopping the guard in her tracks. She looked up at the shadowy figure standing over her, her tattered wings and shining fangs glistening in the light of the sun overhead. “Gem… please…” Amethyst whimpered sadly, sobbing almost. “I know you're in there, and I know this isn't who you are…” The changeling snarled viciously, raising her hoof to strike. “Shut up! My name is not Gem! I’m not a f*cking pony!” Tears streamed down her cheeks from her pale eyes. “You know nothing about me!” Amongst her tears, Amethyst cracked a bloody smile, startling Cicada. “I know…” She coughed violently, spitting blood all over her chin. “I know you're my friend…” The changeling raised her hoof even higher. With the raging storm beating down on her, and the sound of the roaring wind fading to silence, Amethyst prepared herself for the end. ***Earlier*** When Amethyst woke up the next morning, she felt a warm pair of hooves wrap around her. A smile crossed her lips, but her eyes didn't open until she felt somepony’s mouth brush against her neck. Soft, gentle, and slightly wet, the kisses on her neck grew more passionate with every passing moment. He spoke at last. “Good morning, captain…” Amethyst turned to look at the stallion and saw that he had a huge grin on his face. She narrowed her eyes and gave him an ‘unimpressed’ look, catching Onyx off guard. “Why’d you stop?” Then, they both fell into a fit of laughter, and the kissing resumed. This time, their lips made contact. Again and again, they kissed hotly, swapping tongues and saliva back and forth between their respective mouths. The sudden surge of love and passion woke a very hungry changeling filly from her crib in the corner. Not noticing this, the ponies continued their foreplay, becoming more and more ‘aggressive’ as passion turned into a burning desire for physical pleasure. “Mama?” Amethyst let out a scream and thrusted her hooves outward, pushing Onyx off of the bed and onto the floor. She bolted upright, and her eyes scanned the room. In her crib, Pyrite stood on her rear legs with her front hooves hanging over the railing. In her changeling form, she watched her mother and Onyx as they struggled to recover from their initial fright. “Amy…” The stallion groaned as he climbed off of the floor and back onto the bed. He held a hoof across his chest where Amethyst’s kick left its mark. “That wasn't necessary…” As her own breathing slowed and grew more steady, she fell back onto her pillow and let out a long sigh. “Pyrite doesn't need to see us doing… those kinds of things…” Onyx rolled his eyes at her paranoia. “I've told you before that she needs her own room. She's a big filly, now.” Onyx regretted saying what he said almost immediately, because Amethyst turned on him with a fire in her eyes. “Pyrite is my baby.” Her voice was rigid and cold. “She could need me at any moment.” Onyx knew it was a lost cause to argue with her. In situations like this, which happened quite often, he'd change his tone and agree with her. He loved her with all of his heart. There was no arguing that, but he couldn't stand the mare when she got overly protective of Pyrite. There was being a parent and being a guard, and Amethyst often forgot she was a parent and became Pyrite’s personal guard. “If you're really so concerned about her, why not train her?” That got Amethyst’s attention. Her glare softened, and she cocked her head. Onyx could tell that she was suddenly interested in what he had to say. “Well, I mean… We train our own Royal Guards every day. We could train Pyrite to be a guard herself. That way, she could guard… herself…” Only after speaking did he realize the redundant structure of his idea. Still, Amethyst didn't seem to hate the idea, by the look he was getting from her. She had a very subtle smile, almost crooked, like you only notice it from a specific angle. “You really think Pyrite could be a Royal Guard one day?” Both ponies looked towards the crib, at the changeling looking back at them. Only let out a long sigh. “If she learns from the best, she could be a captain, just like her mother.” Amethyst’s chest felt lighter, and her cheeks turned red. “Oh, Onyx… That's so nice of you to say…” He fired her a confused look. “What? I was talking about Amber.” Onyx didn't have time to laugh or explain his side of the joke before he ended up on the floor once again, this time with a stinging hoof mark on his rear. *** It was early. Really, really early. The sun hadn't even risen, and the royal family of the Crystal Empire, along with their escorts, was boarding the train that would take them to Canterlot. Flood lights illuminated the platform where over a dozen guards stood in front of their respective cars, ready and waiting with their bags to board the train. Amethyst stood with her officers and Gem, huddling for warmth as they prepared to embark. “Why?” Gem looked to her left and right, at the rest of the guards who were about to board. “Why must we all be out here before the crack of dawn while Mantis and Pyrite sleep in? This is most unfair…” Amber didn't always agree with their former enemy, but in this instance, she most certainly did. “The train looks like it won't be leaving any time soon.” She sounded cold and bitter, and Amethyst could perfectly understand why. It wasn't ideal for them to be up so early. “It'll be a long ride.” Onyx pointed towards the edge of the city where the railway stretched far into the dark horizon. “We’ll be traveling all day, if we're going to reach the gala on time.” Gem looked like she was going to collapse right there and go back to sleep. “But… I thought the Grand Galloping Gala was tomorrow…” Shining and Princess Cadence had finally arrived. Their daughter, Flurry Heart, was with them. Luckily, the little princess was still sound asleep, or the tired guards might be far more aggravated. Shining and Cadence stopped several cars away from Amethyst’s. He turned and waved, managing a weary grin, and Amethyst waved back. “It was Prince Armor and Princess Cadence’s idea to arrive a day early. I imagine they want to spend some time with their friends in Equestria before the gala.” At long last, a loud whistle sounded across the platform, signaling to everypony that it was time to board the train. The guards quickly and eagerly gathered their bags and climbed into the car, one after the other. Amethyst, Onyx, and Amber filed into their own car with Gem following close behind. Once inside, they were immediately greeted by a blast of warm air. A soft, yellow glow illuminated the entire car from the lights overhead. The train car was split into two parts. On the end they entered was a comfortable-looking arrangement of sofas and tables, in addition to a small fridge. Gem looked impressed by the setup. Having spent most of her days living in a dark cave or inside the barracks, she wasn't used to traveling so luxuriously, but what was on the other end of the car captivated her attention. There were three small rooms, each housing a bed and a dresser. An even smaller room housed what she believed to be a bathroom. Amber set her suitcase down on one of the sofas and too noticed the sleeping quarters. “Wait… There's three beds and four of us.” Gem realized this as well and looked towards the door, perhaps wondering if they had entered the wrong car. Amethyst didn't seem fazed by this as she approached the first room. “That's alright, Amber.” Then, she turned to look at her fiancé. “Onyx and I can share. Isn't that right, babe?” The stallion’s cheeks turned bright red as he nodded his head, following her into the room with his suitcase in tow. That left only two rooms, the one next to Amethyst’s and the one at the end of the car. Amber took her things into the middle room while Gem settled into the farthest one. As the changeling sat down, she heard the muffled cry of train’s whistle, signaling the beginning of their great journey from the Crystal Empire to Canterlot. The train lurched forward, causing her to stumble as she neared the bed. As speed increased, the car became stable once again, and the disorientation began to wear off. “Whoa! You all need to see this!” It was Amber. Gem poked her head out of her room to see Amethyst and Onyx doing the same. At the other end of the car, Amber was investigating the fridge. “It's fully loaded!” Gem realized that she hadn't eaten since she woke up, and she could see the same sparkle in Amethyst’s eyes. The captain tried to reach the fridge, but she was stopped before she could leave her room. “Oh, no you don't.” Onyx held his hoof across the door, blocking her path. “I packed us healthy snacks, Amy. You're not going near that fridge.” Amethyst let out a muffled snarl as she tried to push her way through. “Let me go, Onyx. Don't make me pull rank!” Gem laughed quietly to herself before stepping out of her own room, closing the door behind her. She walked across the car, passing Amethyst, who had a very sad and defeated look on her face. Gem stopped, looked towards the captain, and leaned in closely. Onyx had his back turned as he set up the bed and was out of earshot. “I'll get you something…” Amethyst smiled and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ before returning to Onyx’s side. Gem walked on to join Amber on one of the sofas. As she sat down, her body sank into the soft cushions, enveloping her almost completely. The feeling was so pleasing that she couldn't help letting out a satisfied moan as the silky texture rubbed her fur coat the right way. “Ahhhh… The luxuries of the pony lifestyle are truly… breathtaking…” Amber had already devoured one chocolate chip cookie and was working diligently on her second. Curious and hungry, Gem too peeked inside the fridge. Dozens of cookies, muffins, small cakes, fruit bars, seasoned oat bars, and many fizzy drinks stocked the gently whirring appliance. Interested by the oats, Gem took one and eagerly tore away the wrapping. It smelled deliciously enticing. Unable to help herself, she devoured the snack whole, causing a shower of crumbs to rain down on her chest. Amber snickered softly at Gem, before passing her a bubbling bottle with her magic. “We've come a long way, huh, Gem?” The changeling frowned as she accepted the drink, removing its cap. “What do you mean? We've only been moving for a minute, maybe two.” Amber laughed again, shaking her head. “No… I mean, you’ve changed so much since we first met. Any changeling can shift their appearance to mask themselves, but it takes somepony special to change who they really are.” Gem blushed slightly as she brought the bottle to her lips. She took a long sip before lowering the drink, savoring the feeling of the fizzing substance as it traveled down her throat and into her stomach. “Mantis was like me, but he changed his ways… I figured I could do the same, if his actions were redeemable.” Amber knew she was referring to her coltfriend, Emerald. “In the frozen north, when we last fought, he told me that he was better than me, because he was trying to make things right. Even by the act of trying, he could atone for all of the wrong he did…” Her gaze fell. “… to ponies and changelings alike.” Amber reached towards her, placing her hoof on Gem’s. “Doing right is only half of the battle, Gem. To be the new you, it's also important that you let your past go.” Gem shook her head. “Amethyst says the same thing. She says she forgives me for everything I did to her. She says I need to forgive myself, but it's not that simple.” She could feel tears build behind her eyes. “I hurt so many who didn't deserve it, and there are many I will never have the opportunity to apologize to. I've forever silenced so many voices, but now it seems I can't stop hearing them in my mind and my nightmares.” Amber shook her head as she scooted closer towards the changeling. Gem was startled by the mare’s hoof as it fell across her back. “I get it, Gem… You're haunted by your past, but thinking about the old you will drag you down like an anchor. You'll never be free unless you cut those chains.” *Free…* The word echoed in Gem’s mind. Freedom. Total and utter freedom. Freedom to go her own way and to make her own choices. Freedom from a tyrannical and ruthless queen. Free from her past. Free from the hive. Free from all she once knew. *You’ll never be free…* Gem winced as she heard the voice of Queen Chrysalis in her mind. She shut her eyes in an attempt to shut her out, but it didn't work. *You forget, Cicada… You're mine. You belong to me.* “No…” *My most loyal agent… My most loyal servant… My most loyal slave…* “No!” Gem cried out, opening her eyes. Looking around the car, she realized Amethyst was standing over her. Onyx watched from the door of their room. “Are you alright, Gem?” The changeling quickly shook her head as she realized she had been sweating. “No… I mean, yes. I'm fine, really…” She took a swig from the bottle in her magical grasp before setting it down. She knew she'd regret it. The sugar would never allow her to sleep, now. Luckily, Amethyst appeared to have bought her fast response, and a smile came over her. “Alright, tough girl.” Gem smiled back as the captain sat down beside her, opposite to Amber. In between the two mares, Gem’s rapidly beating heart began to slow down and relax. She felt warm inside, the feeling of being loved by her friends. She'd never admit it to Emerald, but she loved them too, especially Amethyst. The warm feelings grew hotter until they began to hurt. Gem winced. The poison was beginning to take effect in her system. Slowly, it would drain her until her body gave up, shutting down forever. She didn't know how much time she had left. Gem had never used it on anypony, let alone herself. She could have a few hours to a few days before she closed her eyes, never to open them again. Despite the unavoidable, her smile didn't waver. Gem knew she had made the right decision. Amethyst’s life would be spared, the queen’s sinister plot would be foiled, and she would at long last know peace. Lost in her own thoughts, Gem was brought back to the train car by the laughter of Amber and Amethyst. Realizing the conversation had gone on without her, she opted to jump back in. “… and your first idea was Emerald? Really, Amethyst? There are much better foal sitters out there.” Amethyst smirked as her eyes rolled. “He's a trusted friend, Amber. He's your coltfriend.” “That's exactly what I mean, Amethyst. I spend a lot of time with the guy, and let me tell you, he is not ‘daddy’ material.” Gem nodded her head slowly. “I can confirm. When I had a… relationship with Mantis, or tried to insure one, he always seemed to care more about his mission.” Amethyst leaned against her, looking her in the eyes. “Gem, can changelings… can they mate?” It was a simple question, but Gem knew she was really asking two. She knew that Amethyst wanted to know if changelings ever got intimate with each other and if they could reproduce as a result. “Yes, and no…” Gem shook her head. “It's pretty common for changelings to engage in those kinds of activities, the ones you might call ‘mating’. Since the females outnumber the males twenty to one in a single hive, a male like Mantis might have a dozen mates at a time, but only a select few changelings can ever reproduce, and I am not one of them.” Amethyst’s smile faded. “You mean Pyrite, don't you?” Gem nodded her head. “She is a queen, and when she comes of age, it will be her time to take males, as many as it takes to begin her own hive. It's… an internal desire. You can try to prolong it, but stopping it from happening is… unlikely.” Amethyst put on a brave smile, but Gem could tell it was only to mask her true feelings. “Don't worry about my little baby, Gem. No colt is going to lay a hoof, or anything else, on her while I'm around.” She sounded confident enough. Besides, Amethyst was a good mother. Maybe she would be able to raise Pyrite against her natural desire to mate and start her own hive. Their gazes shifted, towards Amber. “What about you? Have you ever considered having foals?” Amber’s eyes fell, and she lowered herself to her drink. “Like I said before…” She took a long sip. “Enerald’s not exactly ‘daddy’ material…” That pretty much butchered the conversation, and the mares sat in silence. After a while, Gem’s discomfort began to fade. She stood, quietly excusing herself to her quarters. She entered her room and closed the door behind her. That's when she felt the chill riding up her spine. Gem didn't know how, but she could feel Queen Chrysalis’ presence. The changeling queen was on the train. *Amethyst will never reach Canterlot or the Grand Galloping Gala alive.* ***Up Next: Selfless Love [2]***
Part 6: Selfless Love [2]The train hummed and shook gently as it roared down the tracks towards Canterlot. On board, the royal family of the Crystal Empire and just over a dozen guards, as well as a few more passengers, enjoyed the luxuries the train had to offer. Gem didn't know how long she had been asleep, but when her eyes opened, it was still dark outside. She had failed to brush her teeth before she climbed into her bed, and as a result, a bad taste lingered in her mouth. In need of some water and a quick stretch of her legs, she rose from the bed, quickly brushed her mane and grabbed her toothbrush and paste before opening the door to the rest of the car. At the far end, Amethyst and Onyx too were awake, sitting on a sofa and talking. Gem could only overhear a little of what they were saying, something about a storm scheduled by the weather ponies later in the morning, but they didn't seem to notice her. Amber must have still been asleep in her room. Quietly, she glided across the car towards the door and opened it, stepping into another car. This one resembled her own car. Several guards were sitting on a sofa, drinking what she assumed to be coffee. At her arrival, they looked up at her. Embarrassed, Gem sheepishly took a step back and lowered her head. “I… was just looking for the mares’ restroom…” The guards shared a quick glance, and one pointed towards the other end of the car. “The bath car is just through that door, two cars down. It's not far.” Gem nodded her head appreciatively, showing she understood. “Thank you.” With nothing left to say, she stepped past them and went on her way. To the rest of the guards, she was just a pony. Not even Shining knew, though Amethyst considered telling him several times. The captain figured it would be best to let him fully trust Emerald before telling him about the second changeling to join their ranks. Only Amethyst, Onyx, Amber, and Emerald knew who and ‘what’ she really was. Then again, did her closest friends even know her? She entered the next car and found it full of ponies. It didn't look like the special car she and the other guards had been issued. It had a more traditional feel to it, with rows upon rows of seats lined by the windows. Gem shut her previous thoughts out of her head. She didn't want to think about the mission or her treasonous betrayal. As she walked down the aisle, she got a good look at some of the regular passengers traveling to Canterlot from the Crystal Empire. Some ponies leaned back in their seats, snoring softly, while others read or talked quietly. As Gem walked up the aisle, she passed by a mare holding her sleeping foal, a little unicorn. His horn glowed softly as he slept. The mother saw Gem staring and smiled towards her. “He does that sometimes when he's dreaming.” Gem smiled back. “Your son is a precious one. I can tell he loves you with all of his heart.” The mother cocked her head, but before she could ask what Gem meant, she had already moved on. Gem left the car behind and entered the bath car. The guard’s directional advice had been sound. It was like a public bathhouse. Several, compact showers lined the walls in addition to toilet stalls and sinks. The air was hot and steamy from a shower already in progress. The sound of running water and the feel of the steam against her fur tempted her. Gem figured a shower wouldn't hurt as long as she was here. It would feel good to relax underneath the cascade of hot water and let her troubles melt away, if only temporarily. Her teeth came first, though. She stopped by the first sink to her right and set her brush down. With her magic, she opened the toothpaste and squirted an ample amount onto the bristles of the brush and went to work, scrubbing the brush against her teeth. The mint was a refreshing change to the foul taste that had accumulated earlier. As she continued to brush her teeth, savoring the minty taste, the sound of running water behind her stopped. The squeaky handle turned, cutting off the flow of water from the shower head. Looking at the mirror in front of her, Gem could see the shower curtains part behind her. She didn't mean to peak, but her curiosity got the better of her. A unicorn mare climbed through the curtain with a towel in her grasp. As she came to a stop in front of the sinks, Gem looked towards her and gave her a gentle nod. “Good morning…” The mare looked back at her and frowned. She said nothing, but she raised her towel towards her mane to dry as she looked back at the mirror. Gem figured the mare wasn't interested in talking to a stranger. Completely understandable, but still rude. She bit her lip and rinsed her mouth, spitting out what was left after she had finished brushing. Next, she set her eyes on the shower behind her, the one the mare had just stepped out of. She was about to step into the shower when she heard a chilling voice. “Was she worth it?” Gem stopped, her hoof outstretched as she reached for the shower. The voice had belonged to the mare behind her. “Drinking that poison yourself so Amethyst could live was pretty brave, but was she really worth it?” Gem spun around. The mare faced her, and for the first time, Gem got a clear look at her. Her features seemed like that of any pony, but one detail stood out. A jagged scar, previously hidden by the towel she wore, carved a path across her lower neck. A green flame flickered in the mare’s eyes. Gem’s eyes narrowed. “You're a changeling…” She bared her teeth. “What do you want?” The mare smirked as she stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “Our queen is disappointed in you. You betrayed your own kind for the ponies you call your ‘friends’.” She brushed her wet mane out of her eyes as she backed Gem into the shower. “You were the best of her agents, but in your absence, Chrysalis has needed a new, more loyal servant to maintain order inside the hive.” Gem’s back was against the cold, tile wall. The mare turned the water on, releasing the cascade to drown out their voices so they would not be overheard. “What do you want from me then? Just kill me and get it over with. I'm a dead mare, anyway, but if you think you can lay a hoof on Amethyst, you're in for a surprise…” Was she bluffing? Maybe, but Gem knew that Amethyst was surrounded by her closest friends and some of the best guards in the empire. Chrysalis wouldn't be able to get close without a fight. The mare nodded her head as she raised a hoof to Gem’s cheek. “Oh, I will… Believe me, Cicada, I intend to kill you myself, but before you die, I also intend to make you suffer, in return for all the suffering I have endured at your hooves.” Gem flinched at the sound of her real name. “I… I don't know what you're talking about… I don't even know you. What did I ever do to you?” The mare snarled and forced Gem against the wall, pressing her hoof against the guard’s head. “If you're truly so blinded by this… false love of the ponies that you can't recognize me, allow me to jog your memory…” A spark ignited beneath the mare’s hooves. Despite the raining water, the flames grew, consuming her, seemingly burning away her fur and leaving behind blackened skin, riddled with holes. The changeling revealed her true form. Gem saw her, and a sharp gasp escaped her lips. “It… It can't be… That's not possible…” Her eyes widened. “… Phasmid?” The changeling gave her a malicious grin, showing off her razor sharp fangs and leaving Gem’s head spinning more and more. “You died…” Phasmid pressed her hoof against Gem’s head, causing her to groan under the pain and pressure. “You left me to die at the hooves of Mantis, but I survived. The snow saved me, freezing me in time until Chrysalis could revive me.” Gem struggled to breath under her hoof. “What about the others? What about Aphid? Is he…” Phasmid glared at her. “Don't you dare speak his name… I was the only survivor of your ruthless attack. You took my friends… You took Azalea… You took everything from me!” With the changeling’s hoof crushing her, she couldn't bring herself to speak. Only a garbled mess spilled out of her mouth. “You will know true pain before you die, Cicada, and after I kill you, I'll be coming for Mantis… I'll tear him apart, just like he did to my friends.” Phasmid lowered her hoof, setting Gem free. The guard collapsed onto the shower floor, gasping as her lungs filled with air once again. When her eyes opened again, Phasmid was stepping out of the shower. Gem crawled after her, throwing one hoof out in front of her after the other. “Ph… Phasmid, wait! I'm sorry!” The changeling had disguised herself again, as the same mare she had been before. “You have to listen to me!” She stopped just before she reached the door that would take her into the next car. “Phasmid, please… I know you'll never forgive me for what I did to your friends. I won't forgive myself, but…” She groaned as she climbed to her hooves, standing up behind her. “… Azalea is alive.” The mare’s ears twitched, but she refused to turn around. Her whole body seemed to be shuddering at the sound of Gem’s voice. “Liar…” Gem shook her head. “It's the truth, Phasmid. Her name is Pyrite, and she's a beautiful and kind filly under the care of a beautiful and kind pony.” Finally, Phasmid turned to face her. “You speak only lies, Cicada. Queen Chrysalis would have told me if my little Azalea survived.” Gem frowned and narrowed her eyes. “Would she? The queen is the one who wanted her dead in the first place. Chrysalis is the real liar…” Phasmid looked at the floor, then back up at her. Then, she wound her hoof back and hit Gem in the face. The guard saw a bright flash of light before she hit the ground, knocked out cold. She could still hear her and the running water. It all sounded so far away and echoey. “A dark sun will rise. Amethyst will not escape us this time, and you, Cicada… you will watch her die.” *** Amethyst and Onyx kissed quietly, so as not to disturb Amber, who was sleeping in her room just a little ways away. Onyx beamed as the kiss broke just long enough for them to catch their breaths. “We should do this more often…” Amethyst wiped a hoof across her mouth, cleaning away any saliva from her lips. “What? Make out?” Onyx shrugged. “Well, yeah, that too, but I mean ‘this’.” He gestured to the train car they were sitting in. “We should travel more. I don't know about you, but it feels really exciting going somewhere warm. You know, getting out of the Crystal Empire for a change.” Amethyst smiled and nodded her head. “I agree. From what I have heard, Canterlot actually has four seasons, and only one of them has snow.” Outside, the sky was beginning to grow lighter. The once blackened picture had become a dark blue, revealing the countryside rushing by as the sun gradually rose in the distance. “Aren't you worried at all about Pyrite?” Amethyst’s ears twitched at the sound of her daughter’s name. “I don't want to set off any maternal alarms, but this is the first time you've really left her alone for a lengthy period of time.” Her gaze shifted towards the window. “Pyrite is in good hooves. I'm sure Emerald has everything under control.” Her eyes shifted towards Onyx. “You did give him the instructions I wrote out, right?” Onyx knew what she was talking about. Amethyst had left Emerald a very detailed list of things to do and not to do when caring for Pyrite, but now that she mentioned it, he wasn't entirely certain if he gave the instructions to him or not. “Um…” ***Meanwhile*** “Alright, Pyrite! Who's ready to start the day!” The little changeling looked up at him, completely disinterested in everything he had to say. She turned her back to him and rolled over on her side. “Mmmmm… bed…” Emerald let out a soft sigh. This might be harder than the originally anticipated. “Come on, Pyrite. Up and at ‘em!” Her horn ignited, raising the gate on her own crib to lock Emerald out, causing him to let out a startled cry. She looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out. Emerald’s eyes narrowed, and he reached into the crib. “Oh, no you don't. Amethyst left very clear instructions, and she says you have a strict, time-based diet. Right now, it's time to get up and find you some breakfast.” Pyrite made no attempt to move. Emerald was losing patience now. He was about to go in after her when several knocks thundered from the door. “Hey, Emerald! Are you up, buddy?” He let out a soft groan. “Uhh… Not now, Shale. I'm pretty tied up, right now.” The door opened anyway, and a fully armored guard stepped inside. “What's going on? Can I help?” Emerald gestured towards the crib. “I can't get Pyrite out of bed. She needs to eat, but she isn't cooperating.” Shale observed the situation thoughtfully. “Have you tried-” “Yes.” “Well, what about-” “It didn't work.” Both guards were stumped. It looked like Pyrite might win and get her way, but Shale had one more idea they could fall back on as a last resort. “You know, I saw some cuffs a little while ago…” Emerald shook his head. “No! We are not binding her to force cooperation.” They're voices must have been pretty loud, because they were starting to attract more attention. “Hey, guys! What's going on?” Shale looked towards the door as another guard stepped through and waved him over. “Hey, Thallium. Come over here for a second.” Emerald raised his hoof towards his face and groaned aloud. The situation was progressively getting worse with every moment that passed. How many clueless guards did it take to feed a changeling queen? That was a question the world might never get an answer to. “This shouldn't be this hard… Guys, I just need to get her to the commissary for some breakfast.” Thallium help up his hoof in an ‘I got this.’ motion and proceeded to approach the crib. “Ye of little faith, just you watch. When my baby sister didn't want to get out of bed, my mama always rocked the crib so she'd want to get out on her own.” He placed his hooves on the edge of the gate and began pulling and pushing the crib, tipping it back and forth on its legs. Amazingly, it worked. As Thallium began rocking the crib a little harder, Pyrite shot up to her hooves, but things went south real quick. The little changeling had a murderous look in her eyes as her horn ignited. All three guards panicked and scrambled for the door as bolts of magic sailed towards them. “Run, Shale! Run!” Pyrite had leaped from her crib, and now she was in full pursuit, chasing the three guards out of the room and down the corridor. *** Onyx dismissed the idea and felt more confident that he had left Emerald the right instructions. “You're right, Amethyst. What am I thinking? I'm sure everything's fine.” Amethyst smiled as she fell into his embrace. As his hooves closed in around her, a soft sigh escaped her lips. They sat in silence for several moments, both looking out the window at the rising sun and the landscape far below. As it became lighter outside, it became clear that a low overcast had set in. A blanket of dark gray clouds settled over the land, and thunder gently rumbled in the distance. Amethyst didn't realize the weather ponies in Equestria had scheduled a storm that morning. She hoped it wouldn't last too long. “Onyx?” The stallion looked down at her, meeting her gaze as she looked back. “Yeah?” She craned her neck back and kissed him on the cheek. “I'm ready to get married…” Onyx smiled and returned the kiss, pressing his lips against her forehead, just next to her horn. “We don't have too much longer, Amy. When we get back to the empire from the Grand Galloping Gala, we'll be together with all of our friends, and…” His voice trailed off as he realized how intensely she was listening to his every word. “Why'd you stop?” Her voice was almost at a whisper. Each breath that escaped her lips gently brushed against his chin. “Keep going… Tell me what it'll be like…” Amethyst readjusted herself, nestling her body tightly against his. With his train of thought broken, Onyx struggled to piece his words back together. “We… We’ll be with our friends, and we'll meet at the palace. You'll be in your gown, and I'll probably wear something nice. The entirety of the Royal Guards is going to be there, for sure. Princess Cadence will administer the ceremony, and not too long after, we’ll be… married…” Amethyst closed her eyes and dreamed of a bright future with Onyx and Pyrite. “You know, Onyx… I sometimes try to think about what it was that got me here, what I did to arrive at this moment in time…” She looked back up at him and raised a hoof to caress his cheek. “… but as long as I can remember, ever since I became a guard, you've always been there, by my side.” She lowered her hoof and shifted herself so her head rested on his chest. “I guess what I'm trying to say is… I never could have imagined, back then, that I'd be here with you. I love you, Onyx…” Onyx smiled and nuzzled his snout against hers. He opened his mouth like he was about to speak, but the door at the far end of the car opened, and a weary-looking Gem stepped through. Amethyst turned her head to look at the approaching mare and grinned. “Well, good morning, Gem. We didn't see you leave.” Then, she noticed the water dripping from her mane and tail. “Why… are you soaking wet?” Gem looked down and observed herself. “Huh? Oh, yeah… I, uh… was taking a shower, three cars that way.” She pointed back the direction she came. Amethyst looked at the growing puddle of water accumulating under her. “And you didn't think to dry yourself off?” Gem shook her head. “They were out of towels.” Amethyst frowned, but she let the conversation drop. Amber must have heard the commotion, because she too emerged from her room, looking quite tired and unkempt. “Hey, gals… Onyx…” They said their hellos, and Amethyst got up to brew them some coffee. Amber joined Onyx on the couch, blatantly ignoring his attempts to suggest that she should brush her mane and make herself look ‘presentable’. Gem opted to follow after Amethyst. As she joined the captain by the coffee machine, she caught a glimpse of the outside work through a window. The clouds had grown darker, it seemed. They looked violent and volatile, like they might unravel and unleash a monsoon on the land *A dark sun will rise.* Gem’s heart fell in her chest. Whatever had been approaching for so long had arrived, and there was nothing she could do now to stop it. *Amethyst will not escape us this time, and you, Cicada… you will watch her die.* She closed her eyes, holding back the tears that had been building up. She couldn't cry, not now. Her friends would need her. “Amethyst, there's something I have to tell you…” The purple mare turned and smiled. “You can tell me anything, Gem. What is it?” Gem said nothing, but she threw her hooves around Amethyst, pulling her into a tight embrace. The captain was taken by surprise, but after a second, she began to relax, and she put her hoof around Gem in return. “I'm so happy that you're my friend, Amethyst, and no matter what happens, I'll be there for you.” They stood like that for several moments, enjoying the feeling of each other’s company, but the happy moment did not last. That's when heard it, a screeching cry outside the car. The changelings had begun their attack on the train. ***Up Next: Selfless Love [3]***
Part 7: Selfless Love [3]The first explosion to hit the side of the train sent a shockwave throughout the cars that caused everypony inside to stumble. Amethyst fell to the floor as a second explosion rocked the entire train, threatening to tip the car over the edge of the tracks. Considering how high up they were, twisting through the mountainous regions of northern Equestria, falling off would certainly mean the end for everypony on board. Amber was halfway inside her room, reaching for the suitcase that housed her armor. “What's going on out there?!” Panic could be heard in the neighboring cars as guards and passengers alike scrambled from their once comfortable positions. A third explosion thundered throughout the car, shattering their eardrums. It became plainly obvious that this was an attack, and that it wasn't about to stop. Onyx and Gem rushed to the windows. The clouds had split open, and a downpour rained from the sky. Sparks of lightning streaked across the black clouds, followed by claps of thunder. Outside, dozens of changelings flew beside the train, each taking shots at the cars using magic from their horns. “This is no pegasus weather…” Gem pointed towards the clouds. “The changelings made this to mask their approach…” Every time a bolt of magic hit, the train would shudder and groan. Sensing the imminent danger, Onyx quickly turned around and leaped into his and Amethyst’s room to find his armor. The captain was already dressed in her own armor. She quickly finished by placing her helmet over her head, allowing her plumage to rise to its full height. “Amber!” She pointed a hoof towards the young guard. “I need you to get to Shining, Cadence, and Flurry Heart. Protecting them has to be your top priority.” Amber nodded her head before donning her helmet. In an instant, she was running out the door, into the next car. Now, only she remained with Onyx and Gem. Both guards had dressed and readied themselves to fight. Gem put her helmet over her head and stepped forward. “What about us, captain?” Amethyst glanced towards the window, at the swarm of changelings outside. They were getting closer and more bold, some going so far as to get close enough to hit the train and bash the windows with their hooves. They were breaking into the train. “We hold this train, no matter what. There are a lot of innocent ponies on board, and we can't afford to let them down.” Gem thought back to the mother with her little colt. She wondered how scared they must feel. She was a guard, now. She was here to protect and serve them. Onyx took off towards the door Amber had left through. “I'm going rally as many guards as I can and see if we can establish some defenses up top.” Amethyst saw understood what he meant, on top of the train. Holding the line up there would definitely give them a fighting chance in holding off the changelings. They needed to keep the enemy’s attention on them and away from the passengers. She nodded her head. “Do it, Onyx. Go!” Now, only her and Gem remained. Gem stood by her side, awaiting orders. She didn't want to leave Amethyst, but whatever the captain wanted, she would make sure to deliver. “What's the plan, Amethyst? What do we do?” Amethyst said nothing. Instead, she turned on Gem and lowered her horn. Before she could react, the captain’s horn ignited and fired a beam of magic that threw her back across the car. The magic wasn't lethal, but it packed a punch that knocked the wind out of Gem. She hit the far wall with a loud ‘thud’ before sliding to the floor. Her breathing was rapid and shallow as she blurry vision came back into focus. She had no time to register what was happening as a metal hoof found its way onto her chest. “You had something to do with this…” Amethyst snarled as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I know you did… I know you did!” Gem swallowed, hard. She could see the pain in Amethyst’s eyes, the confusion, rage, and sorrow. “You knew this was coming… All along, you knew, and I let you play me like a fool…” Amethyst was crushing her, pressing forcefully on her chest and limiting her air. “Amethyst, please… I…” The captain pushed down on her chest, silencing her. “I believed you! I actually believed that you had changed, that you had become a new mare, but you lied to me!” Gem could only make desperate gurgling sounds as saliva fell from the corner of her mouth. “P-P-Please…” Her eyes were rolling backwards. Her very life was fading. Losing the will to hold her form, a green fire consumed her, revealing the pony to be who she really was. A changeling in armor laid under the guard’s hoof, quietly gasping for air. Just as her vision was about to fade completely, Amethyst’s hoof raised off of her chest. Cicada coughed and wheezed furiously as her lungs filled with air once again. “Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you, Gem… Give me one reason, right now!” The changeling’s breaths were deep and dramatic, and she held a hoof across her broken chest. When she could bring herself to speak again, she looked up, her eyes meeting the guard’s. “I can't…” Amethyst’s hoof was already raised, poised to strike again, but she hesitated. “Wh-What?” Cicada shook her head as she struggled to stand, only for her legs to buckle. She collapsed again. “I can't… give you a reason… After all I've done, this is what I deserve.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to sob. “I'm so sorry, Amethyst. I'm so sorry I lied to you. At first… it was just orders. I was just doing my queen’s bidding, but then, I fell in love…” Cicada cried out as she dragged herself to her hooves, forcing herself to stand and meet Amethyst’s gaze at eye level. “I fell in love with the pony world, with you, Amethyst. I love you with all of my black heart. I would move the sun and moon for you, for your friends, for Pyrite, and for all of the ponies in the Crystal Empire…” She removed her helmet, tossing it aside and letting Amethyst see her face. “You're my best friend, and you've never stopped showing me kindness… and generosity… and selfless love… I don't deserve your mercy, and I don't deserve to live… If I'm going to die today, I want it to be by your hooves, Amethyst.” Cicada stood before Amethyst, her head bowed. She closed her eyes, waiting for it all to end, but the end never came. She felt the guard’s hooves, but not in the way she had anticipated. Amethyst threw her hooves around the changeling’s neck, hugging her tightly. “I never knew…” She cried into Cicada’s neck, wetting the changeling’s skin with her tears. “… that you’d grown to love.” She pulled away, wiping the tears from her reddened eyes. “Why didn't you say anything?” Cicada sniffled as she nuzzled Amethyst’s neck. “I was scared… I was afraid of my own feelings and how I might fit into this new world… I didn't mean for all of this to happen…” The train shook violently as another blast erupted outside. Things weren't going well for the guards. Through the walls, they could hear the cries of desperation as they fought to defend the train and its passengers. Amethyst pulled away, staring Cicada down. “We can stop this, right? We can beat them back, right?” The changeling sniffed as she shook her head. “I… I want that more than anything, right now, but Queen Chrysalis is here. I can feel her presence on board. I don't know if we're powerful enough to stop her…” Amethyst gently smacked Cicada’s face, taking her by surprise. “Hey! That's not how a Royal Guard thinks! We've stopped her before, at the wedding. We can do it again!” Cicada’s jaw dropped. The look of pure determination in Amethust’s eyes scared her. Then, she remembered… This was the mare who stood in between a baby changeling and certain death. This was the mare who sacrificed so much for those she cared about most. This was the mare who traveled into the frozen north to save the love of her life when all hope seemed lost and gave up her own leg in the process. This was a mare who would not stop until her friends and family were safe from harm. “Now, are you going to help me save this train, or not?” Cicada closed her eyes and concentrated. A spark ignited under her hooves and rose to consume her entire body. In a fraction of a second, Gem stood tall, and a weary smile formed along her lips. “I told you before… No matter what happens, I'll be there for you.” They heard a loud ‘thump’ over head, followed by the sound of hooves running up and down the top of the car. Both guards looked up, and Amethyst spotted the access hatch in the corner over the sofas. “We need to get up there.” Gem agreed, but she knew Phasmid would be waiting for her. Amethyst was already underneath the hatch. Even on her hind legs on top of the sofa, she wasn't tall enough to reach it. “Come on, Gem… Give me a boost.” The mare ran to the sofa and climbed under Amethyst, allowing her a jumping-off point from her back. The captain hit the lever on the hatch, sending it flying open. The hole in the ceiling allowed the storm to enter the car. Rain and wind flooded inside, causing the lights to flicker and clothes from open suitcases to fly around. Using all of her might, she hoisted herself through the hatch and onto the roof of the train car. Once she was outside, she quickly turned around, lowering her hoof down into the car. “Jump, Gem!” She had to scream over the howling wind and rumbling thunder. “Jump, and I'll pull you up!” Gem lifted herself up onto her rear legs and leaped into the air, catching a hold of Amethyst’s metal leg. The captain groaned as she pulled the mare up and through the open hatch. At the top, they fell over, breathing heavily, but there was no time to rest. The changelings overhead had spotted them, and several dove for the train, firing a volley of magical bolts towards them. “Amethyst, run!” Gem pushed her forward as they both began sprinting along the top of the train. The three changelings landed in front of them, stopping the mares in their tracks. They advanced slowly, baring down on them. One changeling, the one in the middle, laughed, showing his fangs as the got closer. “Look, brothers and sisters! Mistress Cicada has already captured our prize! What luck!” Amethyst was no pony’s prize. She took a defensive stance, preparing herself to fight, but Gem calmly walked out in front of her. She looked back at the confused guard and fired her a sly grin. Then, she turned her attention back to the changelings. “Not today, Stag… This mare is mine…” When they saw that she stood in defense of the guard, they hesitated. Amethyst saw it in their eyes. They actually feared Gem. The one she assumed was ‘Stag’ quickly overcame Gem’s threat and narrowed his eyes. “So, Phasmid really was telling the truth… You’ve betrayed the hive…” Gem lowered her horn, causing the changelings flanking Stag to take nervous steps backwards. “This is your last chance, Stag… Back off!” A dark shadow flew over them, causing them all to look up. The shadow disappeared into the swirling clouds, but Gem didn't need to see who it was to know. Stag must have been thinking the same thing, because he lowered his horn. “That's not possible, Cicada. I'm more afraid of Queen Chrysalis than I am of you.” Then, the changelings charged. Amethyst prepared herself to fight, but Gem kicked her in the chest, sending her onto her falling onto her rear. “Stay back, Amethyst! I'll handle them…” The guard sat where she landed, completely stunned as she watched Gem run forwards to meet the changelings. She caught Stag first, using her weight to slam into him, knocking him off balance before kicking his disoriented body into the other changelings. They landed in a heap, struggling to stand as they fell over each other. One raised her horn at Gem and fired a bolt of magic towards her. Gem’s horn flared to life, forming a shield that deflected the magic, sending it back towards the changeling. She cried out in terror, choosing to leap over the side of the moving train to avoid the bolt of magic. She opened her tattered wings, but the turbulent winds caused by the raging storm sent her spiraling into the distance. The other changeling tried to rush Gem and catch her by surprise, but the guard was waiting for him. She quickly spun around, startling the changeling before throwing a hoof into his jaw. He reared back in pain, but it wasn't enough to stop him. He returned in kind, hitting Gem beneath her armor, causing her to wince. At the same time, Stag had recovered, and he circled the fight, looking for an opening to jump into. Amethyst saw it, but Gem didn't. She was too busy with the other changeling. “Gem! Gem, look out!” But Gem couldn't hear her over the wind and rain. She was locked in a struggle with the changeling, and Stag had found his chance. With Stag at her back, Gem couldn't see as his horn began to glow. Gem let out a vicious snarl and bit into the changeling's neck, causing him to scream before she snapped one of his legs, ending the stalemate. He fell to his hooves, desperately crying out in pain as he struggled to stand on his broken leg with green blood leaking from his neck. “You bitch!” Gem spun around and gasped, finding Stag’s horn pointed between her eyes. “You may have been on top in the hive, but out here, you've met your… you…” His glowing horn faded, and he fell over, motionless and lifeless. Gem was shocked, but then, she saw it, a smoking hole in his chest where green blood poured out. She turned around to see Amethyst standing behind her, her own horn glowing bright purple. Gem let out a soft sigh. “Amethyst… I… I don't know what to say…” Amethyst managed a weary grin as the glow surrounding her horn faded. “You could start by saying ‘thank you’. It looks like I've got your back now, Gem.” Gem looked down at Stag’s dead body. “Indeed… You have my thanks, Amethyst. Stag was always a bit of an ass…” Then, she looked up ahead. A band of guards was locked in a struggle with more changelings several cars ahead. “We should hurry and help the others.” Amethyst saw what she was talking about. Through the pouring rain, she could make out the colored plumage on a guard’s helmet marking the status of an officer. Onyx was among them. “Right… Come on!” She took off, sprinting across the top of the train car. Gem ran after her, following the guard through the wind and rain as they leaped over the gap that bridged the next car, but she was struggling to keep up. With every step, Amethyst got further ahead, leaving her behind. Gem’s muscles were growing tired. Her fight with the changelings had left her without much of her energy, and the poison was beginning to have a serious effect on her. She knew what would soon happen. First, her muscles would give up. Then, most of her internal organs would shut down. Finally, her heart would stop, and she would die a slow and painfully agonizing death as her body stalled. Gem was running out of time, and Amethyst had no clue. She kept on running, only thinking about reaching her lover, Onyx. “Come on, Gem! We're almost there!” Then, the shadow returned. Out of the corner of her eye, Gem caught a glimpse of an angry-looking changeling. Phasmid was in the air, flying alongside the train, and she was diving straight for them. “Cicada!” With her wings spread, she let out a furious cry before plowing into Gem, sending both of them tumbling across the top of the car. Amethyst turned around just in time to see Gem sail over the side, disappearing into the void below. She looked over her shoulder, back at Onyx and the other guards. They were too far away still, too far away to help. When she turned to face Phasmid, the changeling had vanished. Amethyst was alone, spinning in circles as she looked for any sign of her friend. “Gem!” She screamed as loudly as her lungs would allow, but the storm drowned her out. “Gem, where are you!” Then, she heard it, the muffled whimper of a struggling mare. Through the rain, she followed the sound towards the edge of the car and looked over. “Gem!” Amethyst immediately dropped to her stomach and reached out, extending her prosthetic hoof towards the guard as she held onto the side of the train. “Help me up!” Amethyst groaned as the weight of the armored mare put a lot of strain on her leg, but she managed to pull her up and onto the train. Exhausted beyond all belief, the captain fell on her back, gasping for air as she recovered. Gem rolled onto her side and climbed to her hooves. “We… We make a… great team… right, Gem?” The mare smiled, but something was off. Her lips were curled upward, but there was nothing happy about her expression. Then, Gem drew back her hoof and threw it towards Amethyst’s face. The captain reacted solely on instinct and her training, rolling out of the way to avoid the hoof as it hit the very spot she once sat. Adrenaline flowed through her, and Amethyst jumped to her hooves. “Gem, what… what are you doing?!” She dodged every hoof the mare sent her way, but she was growing tired. Her sudden burst of energy had been expended. The wind and rain weren't helping, and the storm had only grown more volatile since it started. “You destroyed my nest!” The mare grappled onto her neck, holding Amethyst down long enough to hit her in the face with her hoof. “You tried to make me believe I'm something I'm not!” She brought her hoof down a second time, hard. The force was so intense that it knocked Amethyst's helmet off, sending it flying over the edge of the car. “Gem, please…” The mare let out a furious cry as she wailed on Amethyst, slicing the edges of her hooves across the guard’s cheeks and pummeling her face. “Shut up! Shut up, Amethyst! I'm not a pony!” When her hoof came down again, it landed on Amethyst’s prosthetic leg, tearing it away from the guard’s body. She threw the leg behind her, over the edge of the train, never to be seen again. The captain’s mind went blank as indescribable pain pulsed through her body. Amethyst couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. The rushing wind blew her mane with an unseen ferocity. All around her, the swirling storm raged, and lightning cracked across the sky, followed by deafening booms of thunder. She struggled to roll on her side and stand up, only to realize that her leg was missing. “Onyx!” Amethyst cried as she felt blindly for her missing leg. “Onyx, help me!” But Onyx didn't come. He was too far away, locked in a struggle with several changelings, desperately trying to reach her. Instead, a hoof came down in front of her, stopping the guard in her tracks. She looked up at the shadowy figure standing over her, her eyes glowing bright green. “Gem… please…” Amethyst whimpered sadly, sobbing almost. “I know you're in there, and I know this isn't who you are…” The changeling snarled viciously, raising her hoof to strike. “Shut up! My name is not Gem! I’m not a f*cking pony!” The captain’s eyes filled with tears as her vision blurred. “You know nothing about me!” Despite her tears, Amethyst cracked a bloody smile, startling Cicada. “I know…” She coughed violently, spitting blood all over her chin. “I know you're my… my friend…” The changeling raised her hoof even higher. With the sun beating down on her, and the sound of the roaring wind fading to silence, Amethyst prepared herself for the end. She heard the charging of a horn and closed her eyes. The horn discharged, expelling concentrated magic, but Amethyst didn't feel a thing. The mare standing over her let out a pained wail as she flew back several feet before landing on her side. When Amethyst opened her eyes, the Gem standing over her was gone, and another Gem stood in her place, offering her hoof to the captain. “It's me, Amethyst… It's really me…” Amethyst grinned, showing off her broken and bloody smile. Then, Gem looked down and saw the state of her leg, where a terrifyingly large puddle of blood had pooled, despite the rain washing it in every direction. “Amethyst, you're hurt… I have to get you to a hospital…” The captain could hardly understand her. Blood loss was having negative consequences on her abilities to function. “Hold on, Amethyst… You're not going to die today…” She was about to pick the captain up and carry her inside, but a monstrous bellow sent shivers down her spine. “YOU WHORSE!” Gem spun around and took a defensive stance over the wounded Amethyst. Amethyst didn't know if what she was seeing was real or not, or if it was just the loss of blood, but she could have sworn there were two Gems facing off in front of her. “I've had enough of you, Cicada… First, I'm going to kill that stupid pony. Then, I'm going to tear your f*cking throat out!” She lowered her horn. “Queen Chrysalis will reward me when I deliver to her the head of a guard and a traitor…” Gem panted heavily. Under the downpour, she struggled to stand upright as the poison ate away at her very life. “Phasmid, please stop this… I am sorry… I am so, so sorry for what I did to you and Aphid, to all of you. Don't hurt Amethyst for my wrongdoings… If…” She sniffled as she stepped forward to meet the other ‘Gem’. “If you kill her, you'll be taking away Azalea’s mother.” The other Gem paused, and her glare softened. “Wh… What?” Gem nodded her head. “That's right, Phasmid… Amethyst found Azalea in that cave, and she rescued her, taking her in to raise as her own daughter…” The other Gem had a blank expression on her face. Unable to concentrate, her disguise fell, revealing her to be the changeling she really was. “You can come with us, Phasmid. Come with us and live in the empire. You can be free of Chrystalis. You can see Azalea again.” She looked Phasmid dead in the eyes. “If you kill Amethyst… Azalea will never forgive you…” Lightning streaked across the sky, lighting up the entire world. Phasmid looked completely stunned by Gem’s offer, like she might actually be considering it, but a dark shadow fell over them. The temperature of the air around them dropped, and a menacing laugh shook Gem to her very core. Queen Chrysalis herself descended onto the train car, landing next to Phasmid. “I have to give credit where it is due, Cicada. That was an excellent display, but it was little more than a futile attempt to stop the inevitable. You see…” She raised her hoof, caressing Phasmid’s cheek gently. “… Phasmid is my loyal servant.” The changeling’s gaze lowered, and she looked to her hooves as Chrysalis continued to stroke behind her ears. “Unlike you, a miserable traitor to your queen and your kind, she is obedient, and she does whatever I tell her.” Phasmid winced with every word. “You cannot promise her something as useless as freedom…” Phasmid closed her eyes, remembering the night she tried to escape the hive with Aphid and Azalea. “Phasmid is mine, and she will never be free.” Her eyes opened, and she stepped forward, shaking away the heavy hoof of Chrysalis. “No…” The queen’s eyes widened, surprised by the sudden act of defiance. “What… did you just say?” For a moment, all that could be hear was the sound of rain pouring onto the top of the train and the low rumbling of thunder. Phasmid turned around, facing the changeling queen. “No… I said ‘no’. I am not your slave…” Chrysalis’ eyes narrowed. “And you, my queen… You are a tyrant! You're the one who lied to me! You told me my Azalea died by Cicada’s hooves!” The queen bared her teeth. “Watch your tone, Phasmid… It would be unwise for you to forestall my judgement…” Phasmid shook her head. “No more… I'm done listening to you. I will be free!” Then, she charged the queen, only to be swept away by magic from Chrysalis’ horn. Phasmid cried out as the wave of green magic pushed her back, sending her flying towards the edge of the car. She held on before falling off, but the queen was on her in seconds. “Treachery…” Then, she stomped her hooves, causing Phasmid to fall towards the Equestrian landscape so far below. Gem’s eyes filled with tears as she watched her disappear. Chrysalis turned on Gem, and her horn began to glow. “Two traitors in one day… This has been most disappointing…” Already drastically weakened by the poison, Gem crawled towards the critically injured Amethyst. Her will to move was failing her, and a green flame engulfed her body, burning away the pony Gem. Cicada reached Amethyst and collapsed next to her. When she got a closer look at the wound, she realized it was worse than she originally thought. Cicada needed to stop the bleeding, or Amethyst would die in minutes. She could use her magic, but that could only work for as long as she could keep her horn active. No… She needed something that would hold, something like… Cicada’s eyes landed on her back, on her own wings, and she knew what she had to do. Out of love and desperation, Cicada bit into her own, insect-like wing and tore it off. She howled through her teeth as she took the wing with her magic and began applying it to Amethyst’s stump. “You… will live… Amethyst…” She tied off the wing, putting a tremendous amount of pressure on the gaping wound. Cicada didn't have any time to admire her work, because a chilling laugh came from behind her. “Marvelous, Cicada… Now, you and that wretched pony can die together…” Chrysalis stood over them, spreading her massive wings. “I treated you well, Cicada… You were my favorite subject, my best agent…” Her horn began to glow a sickly green color. “… but I have no sympathy for those who hold a false love for ponies…” Cicada looked up at her, meeting the queen’s eyes, and a sly grin formed along her lips. “You… You call it false…” She wheezed something terrible as her lungs struggled to work. “… but I can say, with… no doubt in my mind… that I love Amethyst with all of my heart…” Chrysalis snarled, growling like a beast as she pointed her horn towards Cicada. “My love for her… and her love for me… makes me stronger than the fear of your disapproval ever did.” Cicada threw her hooves around Amethyst, embracing her tightly as they awaited the end. As Amethyst wrapped her one leg around Cicada, she brought the changeling’s ear towards her lips. “I love you, Gem…” Cicada closed her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I love you too, Amethyst…” Then, their horns began to glow. Instead of the normal colors that represented their magic, Amethyst’s horn and Cicada’s both flowed a soft, pink hue. Chrysalis took a nervous step back. “What… What is this…” Their horns lit up, glowing brightly as heat and pink magic expanded, growing wider and wider by the second. Chrysalis’ eyes widened. “No… No, this can't be happening! This love cannot be real!” It was real, and the cloud of pink magic exploded violently, sending a wave of pure energy that carried Chrysalis and the other changelings far, far away, out of sight. The wave of energy arched across the sky, driving back the storm and breaking through the clouds, letting the rays of Celestia’s sun shine down on the land. Cicada beamed as she felt the warmth hit her face, and the last thing she saw, before her vision faded to black, was the look of content on an unconscious, but very much alive, Amethyst. “You will live… Amethyst… You will…” A long breath escaped her lips before she fell silent, at last. ***Up Next: Walk On***
Finale: Walk On*Gem! Gem, come back! Please, Gem, you have to come back!* Cicada’s eyes fluttered open, and a lengthy yawn escaped her lips, as though she had just awoken from a satisfying nap. As her vision began to clear, she took in more of her surroundings. She rose to her hooves and stood at the end of a vast, white corridor. The ceiling was invisible, reaching high into the air to the point where it couldn't be seen, and the long, white walls that made up the hall seemed endless as they stretched as far as the eye could see. Her ears twitched slightly. She thought she had heard somepony speak, but the air around her was quiet and still. Cicada looked down at her hooves and the floor beneath her. It wasn't a floor. It moved and shifted like a fluffy cloud, constantly changing shape. They were clouds! She was standing on clouds! Puzzled, she pressed her hoof into the floor. Despite the flurry appearance, it was firm and very much solid. Cicada was growing impatient. She didn't know where she was or how she got there, but she wanted somepony to talk to. “Hello?” Her voice echoed in the vast corridor. When her call was met with silence, she opened her mouth again. “Hello? Is anypony there?” “I'm here!” Cicada let out a terrified scream as she nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around and came face to face with a tall mare. The mare had a ghostly appearance, having white fur and a light gray mane with a tail to match. Cicada caught a glimpse of her cutie mark, a stringed instrument. She made a mad dash past the changeling and bolted towards a podium in the center of the walkway that the changeling hadn't noticed before. “I'm so, so sorry I was late to meet you, uh…” The mare fumbled through a massive book with the magic from her horn, turning page after page as she tried to find what she was looking for. “… Cicada, is it? You've also gone by many other names, it seems. There's Opal, Sapphire, Adamant, and… Gem.” The mare looked up from her podium. “Do you have a preference?” The changeling had recovered from her initial shock and approached the podium. As she got closer, she noticed the mare had a unique set of wings to compliment her horn. She was an alicorn. She cocked her head to the side as she observed the mysterious greeter. “Who… are you?” The alicorn frowned, but her expression was quickly replaced by an apologetic laugh. “Oh… How silly of me… I forgot to introduce myself. You run late after one meeting, and suddenly, your mind is a jumbled mess…” She cleared her throat. “I am Serenity, princess of death.” She wore a huge, bright smile. “You may call me Sarah, if you like. All of my friends do. At least, they would, if I had any…” Cicada’s ears folded back. “The princess of… death? I'm… I’m dead?” It was all beginning to come back to her. The train… The attack… She didn't feel dead. In fact, she never felt better. Cicada looked over her shoulder. Strangely, she had both of her wings again. Serenity pursed her lips and nodded her head. “I'm afraid so, Miss- Ah, you still haven't given me a ‘preferred name’. Is ‘Cicada’ alright?” The changeling waved her hoof dismissively. “Wait… Hold on… Are you telling me I've died?” Serenity looked sympathetic towards her. She nodded her head again. “Yes, I'm afraid. All who die pass me on their way to their paradise, the ones who were good enough in life to achieve a paradise, anyway. The bad ones pass through my sister, Distress.” Cicada’s eyes widened. She tried to look past the podium in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what might await her. “I get paradise? Seriously?” Serenity beamed, nodding her head. She had a look on her face like a school filly on a field trip, but the look didn't last long. Cicada remembered all of the horrible things she did and all of the ponies she wronged. “I… I mean no disrespect, princess, but I don't think I should be here…” Serenity frowned and leaned over the podium. “What do you mean by that, Miss Cicada?” The changeling shrugged as she gestured to herself. “Well… I mean, look at me. I'm a monster. I've done so many terrible things to ponies who didn't deserve it, and for what?” She tried sniffed back her tears, but she was unable to stop the them from rolling down her cheeks. “I've lied… I've cheated… I've stolen, and I've killed… I learned too late that love is not something to be selfishly devoured, but something to be cherished and shared with those you care most about…” She heard the sound of pages turning, then Serenity cleared her throat. “I am well aware of your… extensive resume, Miss Cicada, and if you truly believe you don't belong here, I can arrange for you to be sent to my sister, but I want you to listen very carefully to what I have to say…” Cicada blinked the tears out of her eyes and looked up, meeting the princess’ gaze. “You and I would not be here right now, having this conversation if you didn't deserve to be here.” The smile on her face resembled that of the mother’s on the train as she held her infant son. “You, my little changeling, have done more in the service of others than give yourself credit for, and to top it all off, just as you said yourself, you discovered what it truly means to love.” She reached forward, raising Cicada’s chin. “You gave your life so that somepony you truly loved can live. There is no greater act of love.” Cicada dried her eyes and wiped a hoof across her wet snout. “Am… Amethyst is alive?” Serenity smiled and nodded her head. “She is, thanks to you.” That was enough to set Cicada’s mind at ease. She felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off of her back, and she shifted her wings so they fit more comfortably against her sides. Her death was not in vain. Just like Phasmid, she died so Amethyst could live to see another day. Cicada eyed the book on top of the podium. “Does that thing have the all the names of ponies that have died?” Serenity nodded. “Yes, why?” Cicada shifted her weight on her hooves sheepishly. “I was just wondering if another changeling came through here recently, a mare by the name of ‘Phasmid’.” She really wanted to know if Phasmid received a paradise as well. Maybe, she'd get to see her again and personally thank her for what she did. Serenity pursed her lips as she flipped through the tens of thousands of pages. Finally, she came to a stop and closed the book. “Hmmm… No… Nope, no pony or changeling with that name has passed through me. I can check with my sister and see what she has on file.” Serenity materialized a scroll and quill out of thin air, and she began writing. “That's ‘Phasmid’ with a ‘Ph’, right?” Cicada nodded her head. Moments later, the scroll was gone, vanishing in a flash of light. “It may take her a minute to respond. Do you know this changeling personally?” Again, Cicada nodded, but her lips fell into a frown. “Yeah… There's so much I want to say to her. She died so I could have a chance to save my friend.” Serenity opened her mouth like she was about to respond, but she was interrupted by the arrival of a scroll. “Ah… That's my sister.” She opened the letter and read its contents. “Hmm… That's interesting…” Serenity looked up from the letter, meeting Cicada’s eyes. “Are you certain this ‘Phasmid’ is really dead?” The changeling gave her a puzzled look. “I… I saw her fall. She fell off of the train in the mountains north of Canterlot. There's no way she could have survived, is there?” The princess set the scroll down. “Well, according to Distress, Phasmid hasn't passed through her realm either. The only explanation is that she is alive.” That last word echoed in Cicada’s mind. She remembered watching Phasmid fall. She had seen it with her own eyes, but if there was really a chance that anypony could survive such a deadly fall, it would be her. Serenity circled the podium, meeting the stunned Cicada face to face. “Are you ready, Miss Cicada? Your paradise is just at the end of this corridor. Once you enter, you'll never return… Of course, you'll never want to return. That's the whole point…” The princess laughed at her own joke, and Cicada couldn't help smirking along with her. She liked the sound of having her own realm of eternal peace and happiness. “… However, should you chose to leave now, you will return to the world you died in.” Cicada froze. “Wait… What?!” She looked completely dumbfounded. “I can… I can go back?!” Serenity held a hoof to her face and let out a long sigh. “Yes… I am so sorry I forgot to mention this. It's not every day I get to meet a hero.” Cicada was getting more and more confused by the second, and the princess could tell. “Let me start over. You see, not only did you die having done good deeds in service to others, but you died a ‘hero’s death’, as I like to call them.” She materialized a new scroll and unrolled it to show the changeling. It was a list of names, some of ponies who died centuries ago or longer. Then, she spotted her name at the very bottom, along with the date and time that she died. ~Cicada~ “All who die hero’s deaths are given the option to have a second chance. As you can see, many of them wanted to accept their fate and walk onto their paradises, leaving the world of the living behind for good.” Serenity rolled the scroll and put sent it away in a flash of light. “It is very rare for a hero to chose another chance at life, and for good reason.” Cicada cocked her head. “Why is that?” The princess placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “You were in a lot of pain when you died, my little changeling. You tore off your own wing, if I recall correctly. If you go back, you'll feel all of that pain again. You'll be alive, but in a world of pain, wishing you'd stayed with me and gone to your paradise.” Cicada didn't give it a second thought. “I want to go back.” Her quick response startled Serenity. “Are… you certain? If you do, I won't see you again until you… well, you know.” She nodded her head. “I'm positive. I can deal with the pain. I always have before…” Serenity smiled sadly. “You really want to see your friends, don't you?” Cicada beamed up at her. “More than anything… My paradise can wait.” The princess nodded her head slowly as she rose to her full height. “Very well, Miss Cicada. If you will follow me…” She watched as the princess walked past her, towards a door that she hadn't noticed before. It was white, like everything else in the corridor, with a shimmering, gold handle. Using her magic, Serenity turned the handle, opening the door. As it opened, Cicada was met by a blinding light shining through the other side. “Step through, and you will awaken, Miss Cicada.” She walked up to the door, shielding her eyes from the light. Standing next to Serenity, she prepared herself to walk through. If any of what the princess said was true, she would face a world of pain, and she wasn't sure if she was really ready, but she needed to see her friends again. She wasn't ready to leave them behind just yet. Cicada looked at Serenity. “Thank you, princess, for everything.” Serenity waved as Cicada leaped into the light. “Farewell, my little changeling!” Cicada fell through the light. Warmth engulfed her entire body as the light began to fade. It grew hotter and hotter until her skin began to burn. Her muscles tightened, and she let out a pained scream. She felt like she was on fire. Then, everything around her became dark. The fire and pain were replaced by a cool, gentle breeze, and she something firm, landing flat on her back. *** Cicada gasped as air filled her lungs, and her eyes opened wide. She stared straight up. A warm glow from a light shined down on her, and an air vent blew a cold wind against her face. Cicada looked around the room. She was on a sofa back in her train car, facing a window. Outside, familiar mountains passed by quickly. They were nearing the city of Canterlot. Then, she heard it, the sound of soft snoring. Cicada looked to her right and saw Amethyst sleeping on the sofa opposite to hers. That sight was enough to put a weak smile on her face. She extended a hoof towards the purple mare, but every fiber of her being felt stiff to the core. “Amethyst…” Cicada was startled by the sound of her own voice. It sounded rough and scratchy, nothing like herself. She waited until saliva built up in her mouth and swallowed, wetting her throat. “Hey, Amethyst…” She stirred in her sleep and rolled on her side, facing Cicada. Her stump had been properly bandaged, but she still held the changeling's torn wing tight against her chest. Cicada mustered as much strength as she could, filling her lungs with air and causing her chest to swell. “Amethyst!” The captain let out a shrill scream as she fell off of the sofa, hitting the floor with a hard ‘thud’ Her head swung in every direction until her eyes finally fell on Cicada. Amethyst stared at the changeling for several seconds. Then, her jaw dropped. “Gem… You're alive…” A huge smile broke across Cicada’s face as Amethyst crawled towards her. Using her three good legs, she rose shakily and hobbled over to the sofa. “I don't believe it… I thought… I thought you were gone…” Cicada reared her head back and laughed. It caused her entire body to hurt, but she couldn't help herself. “Ha! You would wish that, Amethyst, but…” She groaned as she hoisted herself upright, meeting the captain at eye level. “… it's going to take more than what Chrysalis has to kill me.” Her gaze fell to Amethyst's stump, and her smile faded. “I'm… sorry, about your leg.” Amethyst shook her head, dismissing her apology. “There's no need for that, Gem. I can get a new leg, but you…” She held up Cicada’s tattered wing, which was now mostly red after being soaked by the pony's blood. “… you did this for me. You did this to save my life, and I am forever grateful.” Cicada eyed her wing. She knew now that she's never be able to fly again, but Amethyst was alive. That was all that mattered. “You better be. I only have one wing left, and I can't afford to lose it.” Both mares shared a light-hearted chuckle before the far door at the end of the car swung open. Amber hummed as she backed through the door with a silver tray in the cloud of her magic. “Hmmm… Hm, Hm, Hmmmmmm! Hey, Amethyst, I brought you some-” She turned and dropped the tray. Words failed the young mare as she saw Cicada sitting on the sofa. Cicada wondered how long she must have been gone. She hadn't considered how everypony might react to her sudden awakening. “Um… Hello-” “SHE’S ALIVE!” Amber bolted out the door, running through the next car cheering and screaming as loudly as she could. More guards came, poking their heads into the car to see, sharing brief glances and wide grins. Cicada felt unease. She wasn't used to the attention, and she certainty wasn't used to so many Royal Guards smiling at her. Amethyst placed her hoof on the changeling's. “They've all heard about what you did, Gem. Some are even calling you a hero…” In the span of a few moments, the whole car was packed with armored guards. Even Onyx was there, though he had a slight limp. One by one, the guards approached her to thank her. Cicada was star struck. She couldn't keep herself from smiling as her cheeks turned red from all of the praise. Eventually, they all filed out of the car, mostly being pushed out by Onyx and Amber until only Shining Armor and Princess Cadence remained. Shining approached her first. He looked cross, causing Cicada to descend from the high of praise she just received. “So… You're the ‘secret’ Amethyst had been hiding from me.” Then, he did something Cicada couldn't have predicted in a thousand years. He bowed to her. “You saved this train, from a disaster that would have crippled the Crystal Empire. I hope you understand that means you can't remain a private in the ranks of the Royal Guards.” He turned towards Amethyst. “Isn't that right, captain?” Amethyst nodded her head, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “That's right, sir. I can't have her as anything less than my first lieutenant.” Cicada’s eyes widened. That was quite the promotion. Before she had any time to react, she was approached by the princess and her daughter. “That was an interesting display of love, Cicada… Your selfless love saved the day. We are honored to have you…” She too bowed to the changeling. When Cadence rose to her full height again, an announcer overhead announced their imminent arrival. They were nearing Canterlot and would soon be disembarking. Shining and Cadence excused themselves, and Cicada’s gaze shifted towards the window. In the distance, the sun would be setting on the greatest day of her life, her new birthday. The whole world and her entire life was ahead of her. However long that was, she had no idea, but she had to make it worthwhile. Feeling stronger, she summoned her green fire, and became the pony she was always meant to be. Gem rose from the sofa and stood upright before her legs buckled. She would have fallen, but Onyx and Amethyst caught her. “Easy, Gem…” Onyx let her lean on him, since Amethyst couldn't bare anyone's weight but her own. “You look like you're starving. When we get off the train, we're getting you a meal.” Amethyst smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, a big one. I think we all need to try out some of these Canterlot restaurants. Then, we have a gala to attend tomorrow.” The idea sounded like a good one. Leaning on Onyx and staying close to Amethyst, Gem walked on. Quietly, she hoped the rest of their trip would be uneventful. She didn't need any more excitement, but an event as big as the Grand Galloping Gala can attract the most interesting of guests… ***The End: Volume 2***
Short 1: Bonding With The Brat***The Sinister Plot: Short 1*** “Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Onyx and Amethyst watched from the door as the most intense ‘stare down’ they had ever witnessed took place. Amethyst shrugged her shoulders as she donned her helmet. “It's the only option we have. All of out other friends are busy, and no pony else can spare the time to take care of Pyrite for us.” In Amethyst’s personal quarters, across the room, Gem and Pyrite sat with their backs to opposite walls, not daring to break eye contact. “It'll be fine. Pyrite is a tough girl, and Amber promised to check in on them, but we have to go.” Onyx didn't like it. He still wasn't sure about Gem or her motives. Sure, she promised to help them against the fury of Queen Chrysalis, but what was her word worth? It had been a month since Gem came to them for help, and tensions were still pretty high after their previous engagement in the frozen north. “Alright, but if she lays one hoof on Pyrite, I'll kill her.” Amethyst cracked a weary smile. She knew he meant well. It was obvious that he had grown more protective of Pyrite ever since he assumed the role of a father figure. “I'm sure you will, babe. Now, let's go.” She turned her attention to the pony and her little changeling inside her room. “Bye, Gem! Bye, Pyrite! We’ll be back in a few hours!” The stalemate finally broke as Pyrite responded to her mother’s call, and she turned and bolted towards the door. “Mama! Mama!” Amethyst knew what she wanted, or what she didn't want, rather. Pyrite didn't want to be left alone with Gem, who she knew as Cicada. “I'm sorry, baby, but mommy has to go to work. I'll be back soon. I love you!” Then, she closed the door, locking her inside with Gem. Gem smirked at the little changeling as she sulked back away from the door. “Hmmm… Well, brat, it looks like it's just you and me…” Pyrite scowled at the false pony and stuck her tongue out. This actually surprised Gem. “That was quite unnecessary. I would have thought Amethyst taught you better manners.” She let out a long sigh. “Look… I hate to say this, but we have to come to some sort of mutual understanding. I don't want to be here, foalsitting you, any more than you want me here, so let's just agree to… stay out of each other's’ way. I'm only here to look after you and make sure you don't do anything to hurt yourself.” Gem couldn't tell, but it looked like Pyrite was alright with that plan. She watched as the little changeling shuffled her hooves as she moved towards a large box beneath her crib. Using her magic, Pyrite opened the box and began emptying its contents onto the floor. Several building blocks and a toy train fell out, along with prices of train tracks and little ‘tree’ models. Pyrite picked up the blocks and placed them on the floor, stacking them up two or three blocks high. Gem watched with interest as her great creation began to unfold. *What is she making?* The tracks had been pieced together too, and the set was taking shape. In Pyrite’s mind, the blocks became a train station for the train to pick up its passengers. Gem immediately lost interest and found the whole ‘game’, if it could even be called such a thing, to be incredibly boring. She rose to her hooves and approached Pyrite. “This will not do. I cannot possibly be expected to sit here all day while to play with stupid blocks. Is this what you really do for fun when Amethyst is away?” Pyrite looked up at her with a blank expression, drawing out a frustrated snarl from Gem. “Uhg! This is torture!” She held a hoof against her forehead in an attempt to suppress the migraine that was rapidly growing. Then, she got an idea. In a flash of light and green fire, she was gone, and Amethyst stood in her place. “Huh? Huh? How is this, little brat?” Amethyst spun in a circle, showing off her new form to the confused Pyrite, but she didn't buy it. Not only did Pyrite know she was obviously not her mother, they smelled completely different. “Is this not convincing? Hmm… What about this?” Amethyst was engulfed by green flames and Amber emerged from the fire. “Surely you must have some kind of connection to this mare. I know how fondly you think of her.” Pyrite still had no interest in Cicada’s game. “Oh, come on, brat! What would it take to get you to interact with me?” Amber had no idea if the changeling foal could even understand her or if she was purposefully ignoring her. Amazingly, Pyrite actually appeared to be listening, and she turned back towards her chest of toys. After rummaging through the box for a few seconds, she came back out with a small doll. It was a blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane in a black outfit. Pyrite help up the doll for Amber to see. “Zapp!” Amber frowned as she took the doll from the little changeling. “Is… Isn't this just a silly comic book hero? You want me to look like this?” Pyrite nodded her head quickly. Amber passed the doll back to her before closing her eyes. “Alright… I suppose anything is better than watching you play ‘train’ for the entire morning.” A green fire sparked beneath her hooves and rose to cover her legs, quickly burning away the rest of her body. As though she came straight from the pages of a comic book, Zapp stood before Pyrite, and the little changeling let out a delighted squeal. At her obvious happiness, Zapp managed a small smile. It wasn't wide enough to be noticeable by anypony else, but her lips curled upward ever so slightly. Then, there was the strange feeling in her chest. It felt weird to cause somepony so much joy, but she didn't dare stop there. Zapp reached forward, extending a hoof towards Pyrite. “Come, Pyrite! There's crime to fight!” *** Amber walked down the corridor towards Amethyst's quarters. As she neared the door, she heard a bellowing cry, and the door flung open, slamming against the wall and creating a loud ‘crash’. Amber let out a terrified scream as a masked mare with a little changeling riding on her back leaped out of the room and into the middle of the corridor. Both were laughing hysterically as they ran down the corridor, leaving Amber standing by a ruined door as her heart recovered from the initial fright. ***
Short 2: Phasmid Meets Her Demise***The Sinister Plot: Short 2*** The sky burned bright orange, like a fire consumed the entire land, marking the setting of the sun and the end of an exhausting day. Phasmid let out a soft groan as she rolled from her side onto her back. High above her, birds chirped and chased each other through the trees. Squirrels and other little creatures jumped from branch to branch, playing a similar game. Through the trees, she could see the train tracks, now empty of any trains. It took all of the strength she could muster, but Phasmid pulled herself upright and began taking in her surroundings. She was in the middle of nowhere, and she had no sense of direction or how to make it back to civilization. As the changeling tried to stand, a sharp pain erupted in her side, and she quickly fell back down. Phasmid gasped as she observed the cause of the pain. A jagged tree root had pierced her side and was sticking out of her. The green blood gushing from the wound had dried, sealing the gaping hole from bleeding any more, but it also held the broken root firmly in place. Phasmid knew that if she tried to remove the sharp object, she would reopen the wound, and she would likely bleed to death. She spun in a circle, but there was no pony around, no pony to help her. She was dying. Phasmid looked up, through the trees. The train tracks were still visible. She figured, by following them, she could reach Canterlot, but that was a long shot. Her vision was darkening. She wasn't sure how long she could remain conscious. A lack of food, water, and love had left her void of any energy. Phasmid could feel the life draining from her body. “No…” Her voice was coarse and rough as it came from her dry throat. “Not like… this…” The changeling's thoughts turned to Azalea, her one true love, and she remembered what Cicada had told her. Her little Azalea was out there, somewhere, and she would never get to hold her again. Phasmid began to sob. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she slumped against a tree. She would die soon, right there, and she didn't want to. She didn't want to die. Phasmid wanted to see her little Azalea and hold her tight, but deep down, she knew that wouldn't be possible. If Cicada really was telling her the truth, then Azalea was somewhere in the Crystal Empire, and Phasmid would never make it. She remembered the smell of Azalea on that pony, Amethyst, the smell of her little Azalea. The smell made her chest feel lighter, and she cried aloud as tears poured from her eyes. Then, Phasmid’s sight faded to black, and she cried herself into a deep sleep, one she knew she would not awaken from. *** Phasmid woke up with a throbbing pain in her side. It stretched from her lower back to her neck. She had no idea of how much time had passed. She opened her mouth, but as she breathed in, her muscles tensed, and the pain escalated. “Do you sleep still, little changeling?” The sound of the mare’s voice seemed to sooth her. As more of her senses came back to her, Phasmid began to notice the peaceful sounds around her. Birds chirped, wind rustled through the trees, and a spring bubbled gently somewhere behind her. Finally, her eyes opened, and a big, blue sky opened above her. Strangely, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Tall trees swayed slowly from side to side, and their leaves shook before fluttering to the ground, one by one. It was beautiful. “Ah! You're up! Do not move, please.” Phasmid bolted upright with her head spinning to find the speaker. Her eyes scanned her immediate surroundings. It was a sort of hidden grove. All around her, tall trees with thick trunks sprouted from the earth, reaching for the sky. To her right, a crystal clear spring bubbled and rippled as fresh water rose from an unseen source at the bottom. Opposite to the spring, a cave appeared through the trees. The rocks looked ancient, covered from top to bottom in moss and strange carvings. The world she was in was a sort of paradise. It was quiet, peaceful, and tranquil. The only problem was Phasmid had no idea of where she was or how she got there. Out of options, the curious changeling tried to climb to her hooves in order to investigate the nearby cave, but the moment she tried to put weight on her legs, they buckled, and she collapsed. “Oh, please do not try to move… You've been badly hurt, and you're only just now recovering.” Groaning on the ground, Phasmid rolled on her back and looked up. She felt a hoof behind her head, and without the strength to protest, she powerless to stop herself from being hoisted slightly upright. “Oh, I cannot possibly tell you how long it has been since I've had the pleasure of meeting a changeling. Drink this, please. It will make you feel much better.” She peered inside the goblet. The liquid inside looked like water, but as some of it passed her lips and traveled down her throat, she came to the conclusion that it had to be something else, something magical. Though it looked like water, it had the viscosity of syrup, and it tasted sweet. As she drank more and more of the strange liquid, Phasmid began to feel stronger. With each sip, the sore pains that pulsed throughout her body faded until she could no longer feel them. In a matter of moments, the goblet was empty. Phasmid almost felt a longing for the mysterious substance. She was sitting upright now, without the support of whoever offered her the goblet. Phasmid knew now that she hadn't been imagining that, so she sought to find whoever it was that had helped her. Her eyes scanned the grove until she saw her, a tall mare standing in the entrance to the cave. Her back was turned, but the changeling could make out a few details. The mare’s coat was a light grey color, and she had a shimmering, golden mane with a tail to match. Then, there was her cutie mark, or her lack of one. The mare’s flanks were completely bare. “Are you at a loss for words, my dear Phasmid? It is alright for you to speak, you know.” The changeling cocked her head to the side as she eyed the mare. The mare looked back at her, looking over her shoulder, and smiled before returning to whatever it was that she was doing. At last, Phasmid found her voice. “How… How do you know my name? Have we met?” The mare turned around finally, revealing a new goblet, filled with more of the rejuvenating liquid. “I know the names of every inhabitant that calls this world ‘home’. It's one of my duties, after all…” Then, Phasmid saw them, a pair of wings. In addition to the horn sprouting from her forehead, the mare also sported a pair of large, majestic wings tucked against her sides. She was an Alicorn, a princess. “Here… Drink this. It will help with the pain.” She offered Phasmid the goblet, which she took graciously. “Thank you, but…” Phasmid interrupted herself to take a sip of the liquid. A small sigh of content escaped her lips as the warm feelings of ease and tranquility returned. “… Who are you?” The mare wore a huge grin and bowed slightly. “I am Demise, princess of time. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my little changeling.” ***
Short 3: At First Sight***The Sinister Plot: Short 3*** The table was quiet except for the sounds of muffled chewing and satisfaction. Freshly showered and dressed in their fatigues, the guards settled down in a restaurant in Canterlot, the Sun Royale. Amethyst and Onyx shared a salad, Amber enjoyed a seasoned pasta plate, and Gem watched while sipping from a glass of water. The gala wouldn't take place until sundown, the following evening, so the Royal Guards of the Crystal Empire were given the night off and let loose into Canterlot to rest, relax, and enjoy themselves. It was their night, Shining had told them. A few other guards were scattered across tables in the restaurant, but most had disappeared into the city and likely wouldn't been seen again until the morning after. As she set her glass down, after taking a sip, Gem noticed a guard several tables away was looking at her. She would catch him looking, and he would quickly look away, turning his attention back to whatever was on his plate in front of him. “Gem?” The call of her name startled her. Gem turned and realized it was Amethyst who was trying to get her attention. The captain had a concerned look on her face. “You look troubled, Gem. Is something wrong? Are you still hungry? We can order more food, if that's what you-” Gem quickly shook her head, cutting her off. “No… That's alright, Amethyst. I'm fine, really.” She held a hoof across her stomach. After having consumed so much earlier, nearly making herself sick, Gem didn't have the stomach for another ‘big’ meal. Canterlot had treated her well enough. Everypony had, actually, unlike her first visit to the capital of Equestria. Gem was deep in thought as memories of the changeling attack resurfaced. She was there, rounding up and subduing the Royal Guards, leaving the innocent ponies defenseless against the onslaught before coming face to face with a wingless Twilight Sparkle and her friends. The battle was a confusing cluster of changelings and ponies. As the changeling army disguised themselves as the mane six to distract them, they ended up confusing themselves. Gem figured there was no mystery to their defeat. The leadership of Queen Chrysalis was flawed from the start. “I'm just surprised at how different this city is to our own.” Gem wanted the topic to be away from her. “I mean, it's still grand, in every aspect of the word, but it's a lot less… shiny.” Amethyst cracked a smile, and a gentle laugh escaped her lips. She looked like she was about to say something in response, but her gaze shifted towards something behind Gem. “Excuse me…” The low, gruff voice came from behind her. Assuming it was the waiter, Gem politely shook her head without turning around. “I'm good on water, thank you. I don't need a refill.” Amethyst pursed her lips and shook her head. “Gem, honey, that's not the…” Gem turned at last and looked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. It was the stallion from earlier, the one sitting across from them. He was in his fatigues as well, and by the medals across his uniform, she could see that he was a corporal, just above the rank of a private first class. His hooves shifted nervously as he tried to bring himself to speak, and his eyes darted back and forth between Gem and the table she was sitting at. Gem was growing impatient of the long silence. “Yes?” Finally, the corporal swallowed and solidified himself in place, clearing his throat. “I… Uh… Well, the gala is to t-t-tomorrow…” The entire table was silent, staring up at him. Amethyst and Onyx were dead silent and Amber held her breath. They knew exactly what was happening, but Gem, being new to the social norms of the pony world, was completely clueless. “Yes, I know.” The young stallion’s cheeks flushed bright red as he tried to keep his eyes trained on Gem. “Well, I was… I was wondering if… It's a big event, you know, a big party, and I was just wondering… if you'd like to go with…” He swallowed, hard. “… with me.” The other mares at the table, Amethyst and Amber, were doing everything they could not to jump up and scream with joy. Onyx had to hold his wife-to-be back in her seat to stop her. Gem, on the other hoof, was still lost in the dark and unaware that she was being asked out by the stallion in front of her. She frowned. “I assumed we were all going together, as guards. What difference does it make if I go with you?” That last part visibly deflated the corporal. His ears dropped, and his gaze fell. He looked like he was about to turn around and return to his table. Amethyst couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't sit still and let him get away. “Gem!” Her voice hissed like any angry snake’s, carrying across the table. “Gem! He's asking you out on a date!” Gem heard her, and her eyes widened. She looked up at the young stallion, and her cheeks began to turn red. “You… You want to take me on a… a date?” He blushed and nodded his head, managing a weak smile. “Absolutely, Miss Gem. If you want, I mean…” Gem was speechless. She couldn't bring herself to respond due to the shock that had overcome her. Across the table, Amethyst was still trying to whisper directions to her. “Say ‘yes’!” Just look at him and say ‘yes’!” Gem slowly brought her gaze to meet his. She could see a silent pleading in his eyes, hoping she would accept. The mare felt her lips beginning to move, forming the words to respond, but everything around her seemed muffled. She couldn't even hear herself think. “Yes… I would… like to go… out with you…” The look of pure joy on the young stallion’s face made her heart swell in her chest. Amber let out a soft ‘squee’, and Amethyst nearly fell back in her chair. For the first time in her life, Gem had a date, and it was the most bizarre thing she had ever felt. This didn't feel like the love she felt for Pyrite and her friends. It felt so… childish and carefree, and she liked it. A smile forced its way along her lips as Onyx welcomed the corporal to the table, help him pull up a chair next to Gem’s. He smiled at her, extending his hoof. “I'm Nickel, by the way.” Gem was still feeling the buzz after the surge of love felt. She let him take her hoof into his. “I… I'm Gem…” Amethyst was still trying to instruct her, mouthing words and making motions with her hooves, but Onyx held her back, wanting to let things play out naturally. Gem found herself giddy with excitement and filly of pure, unfiltered joy. The moon climbed high into the dark sky as the night grew longer. By that time the following evening, Gem would be on her very first date, and she couldn't wait to get started. ***Gem Will Return***
Part 1: Darkess RisingAuthor's Note Welcome back, fans of Fool’s Gold! I hope you enjoy this next installment of the ‘Gold Trilogy’. Part 1: Darkess Rising ***A Waffen Pony Production*** ***One Year Ago*** Night had fallen across the frozen north, a frozen wasteland bordering the Crystal Empire, and the already subzero temperatures plummeted as the moon rose high into the night sky. Buried deep in the ground by rock and ice, a single changeling stirred in the nest. “Shhhhh… Don't wake, little one.” She grunted softly as she hoisted an infant changeling onto her back. “Sleep, my little Azalea… We haven't much time.” Phasmid treaded carefully as she navigated her way through the endless corridors and tunnels that made up the greater nest. It was imperative that she didn't wake any others that weren't a part of what she was about to do. “Phasmid… What are you up to, now?” She quickly spun around, looking for the source of the voice, and when she saw who had snuck up on her, she smiled with uncertainty. “Aphid, how many times have I told you not to do that…” Phasmid let out a sigh as her breathing began to recover from the sudden fright. “Why are you here?” The changeling called Aphid lowered his head. “You know exactly why I'm here. Queen Chrysalis’ last egg, the infant you've been caring for, is queen…” Phasmid shut her eyes. That was exactly what she was afraid of. It was the duty of the hive to care for and raise the next generation of changelings birthed by the queen, and over the past few weeks, Phasmid had done the unthinkable and grown attached to her charge. Now, she knew why. She opened her eyes again, and more changelings appeared in the dark tunnel. She was surrounded. “Aphid, you know if Queen Chrysalis finds out that there's another queen, she'll kill her.” It was a hopeless attempt to plead with Aphid, but she had no other options. He nodded his head. “I know.” The look on Phasmid face was one of desperatation. “I… I can't let that happen, Aphid.” He raised a gentle hoof and placed it against Phasmid’s shoulder, catching her by surprise. “I know, Phas… That's why we're going to help you.” Phasmid looked around the tunnel, at the faces of the changelings around her. There had to be at least a dozen of them, and all wore sad smiles on their faces. “Aphid…” Phasmid struggled to hold back the tears of joy that had been building behind her eyes. “You don't have to do this.” He nodded his head. “I do…” Then, he gestured to the changelings around him. “It's no secret that Queen Chrysalis is leading is all down a hole. After we lost the battle at Canterlot, things have gone from bad to worse. This new queen may be the only hope we have left.” Collective nods were shared amongst the changelings. Phasmid looked over her shoulder, at the little changeling on her back. Azalea was sound asleep, snoring softly. Hope… That was something none of them had felt in months. Phasmid raised a hoof and pointed down the tunnel. “Alright… Let's get moving. We need to get out of here before the queen’s agents suspects anything.” Together, the coalition of rogue changelings ventured up through tunnel after tunnel. To any outsider, the caves would swallow them whole, and they would never see the light of day again, but the changelings navigated the maze with ease. Marking certain corridors with certain pheromones only detectable by changelings, they could determine which tunnels lead deeper into the hive, which tunnels lead to the surface, and which ones were dead ends or traps. The air began to get noticeably colder as they got closer to the surface. Eventually, Phasmid began to see her own short and rapid breaths, and the dark rock was replaced by a pale sheet of ice. They were almost out of the caves, out of the hive. Aphid turned to Phasmid as they walked and shot her a silly grin. “This is great… We can go far away from here, far away from this cold wasteland. We can find some nice caves in Equestria and start our own hive, and when our new queen comes of age, she can lead us to a brighter future…” Phasmid blushed and gave him a shy smile. “That's a lot to think about…” She shivered slightly as the cold washed over her. “… I do believe the next generation of changelings will thank us, though.” A chilling laughter echoed throughout the frozen tunnel, stopping the group of changelings dead in their tracks. The already freezing air seemed to drop drastically in temperature as the amused laughter sent fear down the changelings’ spines, causing their torn wings to flutter nervously. “Well… Isn't this something.” She appeared in front of them as if from out of thin air. Phasmid’s eyes narrowed, and she bared her teeth at the changeling blocking their path. “Cicada…” The changeling grinned menacingly and spread her wings in an intimidating manner. Her eyes looked wild as they glanced over each and every one of the escapees. “What's that smell?” She sniffed the air, her nose twitching like a filly’s in a bakery. “It… kind of smells like… treason.” Cicada’s eyes fell on Phasmid and the infant on her back. Aphid stepped forward, putting himself in between Phasmid and Cicada while taking a defensive stance. Her grin grew even wider, and her horn began to glow a sickly green color. “I’ll tell you what… Give me the little brat, and I won't kill every last one of you.” The group of changelings exchanged horrified looks, but Aphid stood tall. “No deal, Cicada. We're done listening you you, and we're done starving of love in this… frozen hell!” Cicada’s smile vanished. Her eyes narrowed as a slow breath escaped her lips. Then, there was a bright flash of light. Her horn discharged, releasing the concentrated energy that had been building up, and Aphid’s lifeless body fell to the ground. Phasmid’s eyes widened with terror, and her mouth quivered. A gaping hole occupied the middle of his chest, and green blood poured out onto the snow at an alarming rate as his open eyes stared blankly up at the roof of the cave. Phasmid let out a shrill cry and lowered her horn. Cicada only had a split second to react before a bolt of magic came sailing towards her head. The bolt missed its target, only grazing her shoulder, but it left a blackened mark. Cicada howled with pain. She glared at Phasmid before vanishing in a flash of light, but not before issuing a final order to her partner, who had been hiding in the shadows. “Mantis, kill them! Kill them all!” The larger changeling that had been waiting revealed himself, and a bloody massacre ensued. One by one, he tore through the rogue changelings, ripping them down in the most gruesome ways imaginable. Legs were snapped in two, and throats were torn from necks as terrified screams filled the cave. Not even the blizzard outside could drown out the sounds of fear and death. ***Current Day*** Emerald shook violently and bolted upright. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He looked to his left and to his right, at the other guards around him in the stallions’ bunk room. Everypony else was fast asleep. As the seconds passed, Emerald became more and more aware of his racing heartbeat and his shallow breaths. There was somepony he needed to see. Moving quickly and quietly, Emerald threw the covers off of his body and slid out of the bed. His hooves hit the floor softly, and he began to navigate his way through the dark towards the bunk room door. The door opened up into one of the many grand corridors that made up the barracks of the Royal Guards, a small extension of the larger palace of the Crystal Empire. Emerald shuffled down the dimly lit corridor towards the mare’s bunk room. He opened the door and slipped inside. The mares’ bunk room resembled the stallions’ in almost every way, but the sides of the rooms mirrored one another, and the general theme differentiated to meet the needs of the opposite sex. Shrouded in darkness again, Emerald walked quietly down the aisle that separated the two rows of bunks until he found the mare he was looking for. “Pssst! Amber, wake up…” He tapped her shoulder gently, causing the guard to shift in her sleep. She came to and rolled from her side onto her back, and her eyes fluttered open. “Emerald?” Her voice was hoarse and groggy, and the look on her face told Emerald that she did not appreciate being woken up. There was no going back, now. “I… I needed to see you…” Emerald rubbed the back of his head. “I had that dream again…” Amber’s gaze fell, and she slowly nodded her head. “Alright… Alright, Emerald, I'm coming…” With a great amount of difficulty, she crawled out of her bed and threw a light coat over her shoulders. Together, they walked out of the mares’ bunk room and into the corridor where they could talk and not risk being overheard. Emerald’s eyes fell to his hooves, and he let out a shaky sigh. “It… It keeps getting worse, Amber… All of those horrible things I did… It's as though it gets a little clearer every time I have that dream. Every night, I can see a new detail I couldn't before.” Amber sighed and ran a hoof through her mane. Out of all of the rigorous and dangerous tasks she had been trained to handle, therapy was not one of them. She didn't even know where to begin with helping her coltfriend. On any other night, she might have tried to kiss him a few times and coax him back to bed with sweet and reassuring words, but she knew immediately that it would take a lot more than that tonight. He was visibly shaking, and he sounded as though he might break out into a panic attack at any moment. “That… sounds awful. Have you talked to Amethyst or Onyx about this?” Just as she suspected, Emerald shook his head. “No, and I don't want them to know. This is my problem, Amber, mine.” Amber rolled her eyes and blew her messy mane out of her face. “Hey, you come talk to me, don't you?” Emerald shrugged his shoulders as his neck sagged forward, hunching over. “I need to vent sometimes… Besides, I know I can talk to you. Onyx and Amethyst… They just wouldn't understand…” Amber cracked a weak smile. “You'd be surprised by what Amethyst will understand. If there's anypony in this place you can put your absolute trust into, it's her.” She raised her hoof and planted it on Emerald’s chest. “You shouldn't think about the things you did in the past, Emerald… You're a different pony, now.” Amber leaned forward, gently rubbing her muzzle against his. “You're proud, brave, and you're a great guy. There isn't another stallion in this empire that I can honestly say I love with all of my heart.” Emerald couldn't help smiling after that. A cheeky grin forced its way into his lips just before Amber’s made contact with his own. They kissed again and again, parting their lips only just long enough to take a short breath before their mouths came crashing back together. Distracted by the oral attack from Amber, Emerald lost focus. His mind went numb, and his ability to keep his disguise up went with it. A green fire sparked beneath his feet, and in an instant, Emerald was gone. When Amber opened her eyes, she found herself staring into Mantis’ face, and a huge grin formed along her lips. Totally embarrassed, the changeling turned his head, but nothing could hide the burning red on his cheeks. “S-S-Sorry… That doesn't happen often…” Amber said nothing. Instead, she threw a hoof around his head and pulled him into a deep kiss, moaning ever so softly into his mouth. The kiss lasted for what seemed like a lifetime, but when their lips finally parted, a thin strand of saliva continued to connect their mouths. “I don't mind kissing a changeling…” Amber fired him a subtle ‘wink’. “After all, we've done much worse together… Don't you remember that time in the mares’ shower room? Mantis nodded his head as the hot feelings returned to his burning cheeks. He was beginning to feel a lot better. “Now, get changed and get your butt back to bed. I'll see ya’ in the morning, sweetie…” She gave him one last kiss, a peck on his red cheek, before returning to her bunk room. Maybe a little kissing did help after all… *** After changing back into his pony form, Emerald took off down the corridor towards the stallions’ bunk room. Once his mind had cleared, and his heart had settled, he came to realize just how tired he really was. At last, he found the door he was looking for, but as he reached out for the handle, something stopped him. A chilling presence filled the air. Emerald felt that he was being watched, and he quickly turned around. “Oh…” His initial feelings of fear were dismissed, but he didn't lower his guard. “It's just you…” A mare clad in silver armor emerged from the shadows and mockingly held a hoof to her chest as though she were offended. “Just me?” She batted her eyes at the stallion as she took another step closer. “You know, we used to be much closer, Mantis. Don't you remember when you kissed me like that?” Emerald winced, and his cheeks turned red. How long had she been watching? “Whatever happened to kinder greetings such as ‘hello’, my dear Mantis?” The mare’s name was Gem, but Emerald and his closest friends knew her better as Cicada. Emerald found himself swelling with anger at the sound of her arrogant and cocky voice. “You should count yourself lucky Captain Amethyst even allowed you to stay in the barracks. If you want greetings like ‘hello’, you go grovel at her hooves and beg.” Gem rolled her eyes. “Ah, yes… Our dearest friend, Captain Amethyst…” Then, her gaze fell, and her lips curled downward into a frown. “I've told her time and time again that my attempts to kill Pyrite were not personal in the slightest, but she refuses to believe me.” Now, it was Emerald’s turn to roll his eyes. “That's because it was personal, Cicada. It’ll be a day far from know when she is ready to forgive you for all of the trouble you caused her and her Pyrite.” Gem removed her helmet and shook her mane around, freeing it from the metal enclosure that held it down against her head. “I seem to recall you causing her much of that trouble yourself.” Emerald bared his teeth. “I helped her in the end! I made an attempt to right all of my wrongs, and in the end, I earned their trust…” He took a deep breath. “You, on the other hoof, continue to be a nuisance and a constant reminder of everything they went through to save Pyrite.” Gem’s eyes narrowed as tears began to build up. “Was I the cause of her injury? Did I rip her leg off? No! She blew herself up, like the fool she is!” She raised a hoof and jabbed it towards Emerald’s chest. “And don't you dare talk to me about righting past wrongs…” The tears came at last, flooding down Gem’s cheeks in a cascade of water with every blink. “I didn't have to warn her about Queen Chrysalis. I could have found a place to hide and live the rest of my life without having to so much as look at another damn pony!” She was sobbing, now. Emerald was shocked when she fell forward, throwing her hooves around his neck. “H-H-How do you… do it?” She cried into his neck, just behind his ear. “How do you block out all of the faces and voices? It's torture…” Emerald shook his head as he pulled away, looking Gem in her eyes. “I don't, Cicada. I have nightmares every time I close my eyes. They haunt me, every waking moment of my life…” She frowned at him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “You… You're supposed to say something to make me feel better, Mantis… Isn't that how this ‘friendship’ thing works?” Emerald held up a hoof, silencing her. “There's a point to this, I promise.” Gem pursed her lips and nodded her head, silently promising to stay quiet as he continued. “We can never forget the things we did in the past, and I certainly don't expect us to ever be forgiven, but our pasts don't have to define who we are now.” Emerald smiled at her. “You're a new mare, Cicada. Show our new friends love and kindness, and not only will you never go hungry, but you will earn their trust and respect. You don't have to be a monster any longer. What you do today is what defines you. Gem blinked once, then twice. Then, a weak smile creeped across her lips. “Th-Thank you, Mantis… I needed to hear that, I think…” Her eyes were tearing up again, but not as a result of her pain. “I should get moving. I need to patrol the eastern courtyard soon.” Emerald nodded his head as she took a few steps in reverse backing away. “I’ll… see you later, uh… Emerald.” She fired him a subtle ‘wink’ before turning around and walking down the dark corridor. “Yeah… See you later… Gem.” He turned to reach for the door again. At last, he was ready to climb back into the safety and comfort of his bunk and finish the last few hours of the night in the restful state that was sleep. He opened the door and slipped quietly inside. Not wanting to disturb the other guards that were still fast asleep, a glided across the floor, almost like a ghost, until he fell gently onto his bed. It took a bit of skillful maneuvering, but he managed to get himself back underneath the covers and tuck himself in. For the first time in a long time, Emerald couldn't wait to close his eyes and dream, knowing good and well that he would dream of Amber and the intimacy they shared. “Tomorrow’s a whole new day…” Then, Emerald closed his eyes, and he was out like a light. ***Up Next: Adoring Motherhood***
Part 3: The Invitation***One Year Ago*** Azalea didn't know how much time had passed when she woke up again, but it must have been quite a long time. As her eyes opened, she realized that she had been completely buried by snow. The cold felt numb to her, like it didn't bother her as much as it might have under different circumstances. Azalea quickly figured out that she was still able to move her legs, and she stretched them out in an attempt to find the way up and out of the snow. Her horn began to glow softly, melting a little of the ice around her. Then, she saw them. Little droplets of water from the melting ice were falling. Mustering as much strength as she could, Azalea tunneled upward. Her right hoof broke through the surface of the snow first. She pulled her head up and took in a deep breath of the cold air. Azalea breathed heavily as her lungs filled with oxygen before exhaling again. Exhausted after climbing out of the snow, she collapsed in a heap on the surface, and she began to shiver. Azalea look in her surroundings carefully. The cave was dark, much darker than it had ever been before. It was as though a shroud had fallen over the entire frozen north, blotting out the light of the sun. The darkness marked the age of the eternal blizzard, an eleven month period where the snow never stopped pouring from the sky. To make things even worse, great winds from the far north would ravage the the landscape, kicking up massive clouds of snow that would blind anypony foolish enough to venture into them. The eternal blizzard made the frozen north, already a treacherous place, into a land of nightmares. Azalea’s horn was the only thing granting her light, the ability to see in the dark cave. “Mmmm… Ma?” She turned her head, and the light from her horn came over the lifeless face of her caretaker, causing her to flinch. Azalea shut her eyes as she fought against the urge to cry. Phasmid’s body was all but completely buried, now. Only a little of her face and horn remained above the creeping snow. Azalea opened her eyes and nuzzled her affectionately. “Mama…” When she couldn't look any longer, she turned her gaze, looking inward. The changeling nest to her left looked inviting. Somewhere in that nest, there was warmth and food, her two greatest needs, at the moment. Azalea wanted so desperately to run back into the nest, a place she knew, but that would mean running into the agents that had tried so hard to kill her. She looked to her right, towards the certain death that was the frozen north. In the cave, she had at least some protection from the howling winds, but outside, she wouldn't last more than a few short moments. To her left, death. To her right, certain death. Out of options, Azalea fell on her rear and tried so very hard not to think about the overwhelming feelings of hunger that caused her stomach to roar like a yeti, or some other beast of the frozen north. She was starving, literally, starving of love and of nutrition. She had no idea of when her last meal was, or when she last felt any kind of affection from another living being. Since Azalea last fell asleep, it could have been a few hours, or a few days. Perhaps a week or two had passed since she curled up next to Phasmid’s body for warmth. Hungry beyond all belief, she began to think irrationally. Phasmid would never let her go hungry. She would always have something to give the little queen, but not this time. Azalea rolled back and forth, holding her hooves across her stomach. She wanted relief from the pain so badly. She wanted it to end. Just as she was considering running head first into the frozen north, a faint glow appeared far up ahead. Azalea squinted her eyes as she peered into the darkness, towards the dim light. It appeared to be getting closer, growing brighter and brighter by the second. A wave of fear washed over the little changeling, and she ran for cover. It must have been Queen Chrysalis’ agents. They had come back to make sure she was dead. The muffled sound of hooves hitting the snow grew in volume as the being approached. Azalea waited in the shadows, cowering behind the mound of snow that covered Phasmid’s body. It was too dark. The light coming from the being’s horn obscured the changeling’s view, but she could make out a few key details. It was an outsider, a pony. The being was covered from head to hoof in metal, but that didn't stop Azalea from catching brief glimpses of its purple fur and emerald mane. It walked slowly, taking in the horrific sight around it. Shortly after, the pony in armor was joined by another. “Amethyst, what's going… on…” The first pony, the one Azalea assumed was ‘Amethyst’, turned her back and pointed towards the mouth of the cave. “Go back… Get Onyx… He needs to see this…” Azalea watched the outsiders out of curiousity, but she kept quiet. Still frozen by fear, she couldn't will herself to move. “There's… so many of them… What happened here?” The two ponies continued to stare with mortified looks at the slaughtered changelings. Azalea wasn't sure of how much longer she could stay in the shadows. The ponies were coming closer and closer, and soon, she would have nowhere else to hide. Then, the two ponies were joined by a third, and Azalea felt her heart stop. “Amber, wait up! What's with… you…” As he came into the light, Azalea recognized him instantly. His outer appearance may have been changed, but she would remember the smell of the changeling agent that murdered her caretaker forever. She didn't know how or why, but the third pony was none other than Mantis. Fear caused her to shake violently. Her lower lip quivered. Images flashed through her mind, images of the moment he plunged his horn into Phasmid’s throat, causing her to drown in her own blood. Then, Azalea let out a horrified scream. “Mamaaaaa!” The cry echoed through the cave, forcing the ponies to hold their hooves against their ears in an attempt to muffle the noise. “Ma-Mamaaaaa!” Azalea cried out again and again, wanting her caretaker to save her. The ponies spotted her. “There!” Azalea curled up in a fetal position next to Phasmid’s body in an attempt to make herself as small as possible. “Mama…” She whimpered now, terrified by the arrival of the crystal guards. Azalea nuzzled the motionless body in which it was seeking refuge as though it could wake it up. “Mmm-Ma-Mama…” The pony called ‘Amethyst’ gasped as she inched closer towards the infant changeling. “It's just a baby…” She extended a hoof, and Azalea cowered away. “It's alright… I'm not going to hurt you…” The pony spoke so softly. Her voice almost soothed Azalea, giving her a fleeting sensation of security, but Mantis was still there, standing right behind the kind pony. “W-W-We should get out of here. Just leave it. Leave it here with the rest to be taken by the snow.” The two mares shot him mortified looks. “Absolutely not! I will not leave her to die. Go back, and tell Onyx what we've found.” To Azalea’s relief, Mantis turned tail and bolted down the cave without a word of hesitation. With him gone, Amethyst turned to face the other pony. “I need your rations.” She quickly opened her saddle pack and pulled out several white cubes. They looked like sugar cubes, resembling the treats in size, color, and texture. Azalea’s curiosity, and desire for food, was peaked at the sight and smell of the little cubes. “Here…” Amethyst offered the cubes to the little changeling. “Go on, take it.” She looked back at her with wide, pale eyes, no longer filled with fear. Azalea approached her carefully, one shaky hoof after the other until she reached the outstretched hoof. Once she was close enough, she gave the white cubes a cautious ‘sniff’ before turning her head and retching with pure and utter disgust. The pony cracked a weak smile at the little changeling’s reaction to the food. “I know they're gross… You'll feel better if you eat them, I promise…” Amethyst coaxed the changeling, offering the cubes again. Azalea didn't have any other options. If it really was ‘food’, she had to eat it. Cautious sniffs turned into hungry nibbled, which turned into starving bites. The more she ate, the better they tasted, and the more Azalea wanted to eat them. With every bite, she felt herself growing a little stronger, and her mind cleared a little more. Amethyst let out a sigh of relief as the little changeling ate more and more, quickly finishing the rations. When the pony’s hoof was empty, she looked up at her. Azalea didn't know who these ponies were, but she liked them immensely. She began looking for more, sniffing Amethyst’s empty hoof and exploring under the towering pony’s legs, causing her to smile. Then, she felt a warm glow envelop her before she was lifted into the air and placed on Amethyst’s back. “You're coming with me…” She chuckled softly, earning a long yawn from the little changeling. “I'll keep you safe… I promise…” After eating all of those rations, Azalea was feeling a little bloated, but for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, she felt at ease. Mantis was gone, and she had been rescued by a stranger clad in shining armor. The pony’s gentle words echoed in her mind. *I'll keep you safe… I promise…* Like a record on replay, her words looped again and again. *I'll keep you safe…* *I promise…* For what it was worth, Azalea believed the pony. Perched on her back, she could feel the mare’s emotions, and she liked what she felt. It didn't take long for Azalea to fall in love. ***Current Day*** After the skirmish in Amethyst’s quarters, Gem stormed away. She didn't know where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do. All she knew is that she needed to get as far away from the ponies as possible. Stomping down the palace steps in a huff, she found herself in a secluded courtyard and stopped in front of a large tree in the center of the garden. Gem glared at the tree with disgust before throwing her hoof into the stubborn, wooden colossus. She was angry. She was furious at… everything, and she needed to vent. Letting out a sadistic cry, she tore her helmet from her head and tossed it at the tree, creating a loud crash and ripping some of the bark away. Piece by piece, Gem ripped her armor off and threw it in a heap at the base of the tree. Now wearing nothing but her fur, she kicked her helmet, sending the protective headgear flying across the courtyard. Having nothing left to rip from her body, Gem fell on her rear, huffing and puffing as she struggled to regain her breath. After yelling for so long without taking so much as a single breath, she felt light-headed and dizzy. Her vision was disorientated, and things around her seemed to blend together and pulse. At last, she fell on her back, looking straight up through the branches of the tall tree. The sun’s rays shined through the shaking leaves above, creating a stunning effect that could only be described as ‘beautiful’. As the minutes passed, Gem’s breathing slowed, and the rising and falling if her chest became more shallow. The silence was welcomed by the changeling outcast, and for a brief moment, she felt a sense of peace she had never felt before. Her vision had cleared, and Gem sat up. No pony was around to see her, so she decided there was no harm in losing her pony form. Gem vanished in a bright blaze of green fire, and in her place, Cicada rested on her back. With her hooves behind her head, she looked up at the blue sky through the branches of the tree as they swayed in a gentle breeze. Everything around her contrasted immensely to the dark cave she had grown used to for so long. All her life, since the moment she had hatched, Cicada had been taught that the ponies were selfish and ruthless conquerors that drove the changelings from the surface world in order to govern it themselves. That was the history lesson all changelings were told, and she believed it. The ponies looked down on everything that wasn't equine, and in doing so, they created a world where two national powers, Equestria and the Crystal Empire, ruled most of the continent. Even the dragons, with all of their might, were too afraid to challenge the power of the ponies. Here she was, a changeling masquerading as a Royal Guard. What an incredible sight… Cicada let out a long sigh, completely oblivious to the armored mare approaching her from behind. “Ci… Cicada?” Amethyst cleared her throat, startling the changeling. “Cicada?” At hearing her true name, she spun around and quickly resumed her pony form, Gem. Her eyes glanced around the courtyard, making sure that no other ponies had seen her acting so carelessly. When Gem realized she was alone with Amethyst, her eyes narrowed at the guard. “You again… I came here to get away from you freaks!” Amethyst’s gaze fell, and she removed her helmet, gently placing it on the ground next to her hooves. “Did you want me to kick your ass again, or are you here because you can only feel good by showing off your authority?” The captain walked forward until she was standing right in front of Gem. She took a deep breath before looking up and meeting her former adversary's gaze again. “I'm here to apologize, Cic… I mean… Gem.” That took Gem by surprise, and for a moment, she lost her razor-sharp edge. “You're right about… everything. I don't know what's going on, and I don't know why Queen Chrysalis hasn't made a move, but someday soon, she will, and I need to be prepared to do whatever it takes to protect my friends.” Amethyst reached out with her hoof, taking Gem’s in her own. “You asked me once why I did it, why I blew myself up in the frozen north…” Gem’s eyes shifted towards the prosthetic leg and the scars that made up the right side of the pony’s body. “I did it because I love my friends, and I love my daughter, and I'll give my life if it means they get to see Celestia’s sun rise again.” Their eyes met again, and under the large tree, a warm wind swept through the garden, blowing their manes. Gem shook her mane away and retracted her hoof. “Why are you telling me this?” Amethyst took another step closer, shortening the gap between them. “I'm telling you this, because Princess Cadence and Prince Armor have tasked me with a very important assignment, and I want my closest friends by my side.” *Friends…* The word echoed in Gem’s mind, and she glared at Amethyst. “We… are not friends, pony…” Amethyst shot her a sly grin. “Is that right?” She pointed her hoof towards the pile of assorted pieces of armor by the tree. “You're a Royal Guard, Gem. You watch over Pyrite for me when I'm not around. I’ve even seen you talk and laugh with Mantis and Amber in the commissary. Even Onyx is warming up to you.” Amethyst’s grin widened. “Face it, Cicada, you like being a pony. You're practically family, now.” Gem scowled at her. “You're delusional, Amethyst…” This earned an obvious eye-roll from the captain. “What is his ‘assignment’ you so desperately need me for?” Amethyst’s smile faded as she took a step back. “Canterlot is holding its Grand Galloping Gala, and I am to attend alongside Shining and Cadence as their personal guard and guest, but in my current condition…” She raised her prosthetic leg for Gem to see. “I don't believe that's something I can do alone.” Gem looked at the ground, like she was deep in thought. “Canterlot is a long way from the Crystal Empire… If Queen Chrysalis is going to strike, she will surely do it there.” She nodded her head slowly. “Alright, pony, I'll go with you, but only because I want to make that bitch pay for what she did to me…” Gem turned around to begin reassembling her armor. “Don't think this is because I like you or your friends…” Amethyst couldn't stop herself from smiling as she picked her helmet back up and put it over her head. “Whatever you say, Gem. We leave by train in the morning.” *** They walked back into the palace together. Side by side, they made their way into the barracks and the commissary inside. Amethyst could see Emerald and Amber inside, sitting at a table while talking to Onyx. They laughed and cheered in each other's company. Pyrite was with them, looking lost and very much not apart of their conversation. She looked towards Amethyst and Gem as they stood under the archway leading into the dining area and waved. Amethyst beamed at her and waved back. She began to walk in but noticed Gem was standing still. “Are you coming? You're welcome to join us, you know.” Gem shook her head. “No… You've given me a lot to think about, Amethyst.” She turned her head, looking away from the pony’s gaze. “I want to be alone while I… get my head straight.” The purple mare gave her a kind smile. “Alright, but I want you to join us for dinner, later tonight. The officers and I are meeting at a little place on the Palisades Strip.” Gem managed a weary smile. “I thought that place was only for the wealthiest of the Crystal Empire.” Amethyst pointed to the grand plume extending from her helmet. “Hey, when you're a captain of the empire's Royal Guards, you can pull a few strings.” After a few moments of silence, Gem agreed, nodding her head. “Yes… Yes, fine…” Amethyst’s extended her hoof, and when Gem took it, expecting a shake, the pony quickly pulled her into an embrace, shocking her. The disguised changeling couldn't bring herself to say anything as the pony held her tight. “I've forgiven you… It's time you forgave yourself…” Then, Amethyst pulled away and turned around, walking into the commissary and leaving Gem alone under the archway. Gem’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the pony retreat to the table with her friends. It felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. She had grown numb to the feeling to stealing love from a victim, but never before had she been given love willingly. Her heart raced involuntarily, filling her body with the desire for more, the desire for love. Gem quickly shook her head of the thought and bolted down the corridor as quickly as her legs could carry her. She ran until she finally came to a stop outside of the mares’ wash room, and she pushed the door open, rushing inside. Gem made a dash for the sink and pulled her helmet off before turning the faucet on ‘high’. She splashed the cold, refreshing water on her face again and again in an attempt to numb the feeling that was shaking her to her very core. “Is something wrong, Cicada?” Gem froze. The air around her dropped drastically in temperature. She looked up, into the mirror, as a thin layer of frost began to cover the glass. Gem turned around just in time to see Queen Chrysalis emerge from the shadows. Like a monster from an inescapable nightmare, the queen towered above her, looking down at her with green fire in her eyes. “You look… confused…” Gem bit her lower lip as her eyes met the queen’s. “No, your majesty… I'm just… nervous…” Chrysalis’ horn glowed, and the wash room door locked. “There is no need for such fear, my child.” She raised a hoof towards Gem’s cheek, caressing her softly. “If anything at all, we should rejoice.” Gem swallowed hard and flinched at the queen’s touch. “You have played your part excellently. Not only does Captain Amethyst trust you, I believe she has come to… love you…” Chrysalis reared her head back and roared with laughter. “This will most certainly give you an advantage when the time comes to kill her. Wouldn't you agree, my loyal servant?” Gem’s eyes fell, and she nodded her head slowly. “Y-Y-Yes… Of course, your majesty…” Then, she looked up with malice and hatred burning in her eyes as she met the queen's gaze. “Amethyst will never reach Canterlot or the Grand Galloping Gala alive.” ***Up Next: Trust and Lies***
Part 4: Trust and LiesBeing a ‘spy’ is never easy for a changeling. There's the threat of being found out and captured looming over them at all times. At any moment, a pair of guards could break down the door to Cicada’s quarters and arrest her on charges of treason. Needless to say, tension and stress levels were high, but that wasn't even the worst of it, not by a long shot. No, the position she was in was far worse than that of a normal spy. She was an agent, serving her queen and her nest, the very same nest Amethyst destroyed, but she wasn't just any agent. Cicada was a double agent. Working alongside Amethyst and the other ponies to foil Queen Chrysalis’’ sinister plot was only a performance, and Cicada considered herself to be quite the actor. She dressed herself, looking in the bathroom mirror that showed her who she really was, a black beast with a jagged horn, riddled with holes. Cicada closed her eyes and concentrated, thinking about her pony form, the form of Gem. She had been masquerading around as a pony for so long that it hardly took any effort for her to change. In the blink of an eye, the changeling had been replaced by a beautiful mare. Tilting her head from side to side, she observed her face, even raising a hoof to brush her messy mane out of her eyes. Gem leaned into the mirror, staring into her own eyes. She got so close to the point where each hot breath left a cloud of steam on the reflective surface. Satisfied with her look, she took up a brush and attacked her mane, combing the thick bristles through the tangled forest behind her horn. It took some effort, but Gem knew she needed to look her best. Earlier, she had been invited by Amethyst herself to accompany her and her friends to the Palisades Strip, the ‘flashiest’ place in the entirety of the empire. Having never been there herself, Gem wasn't sure of what to expect. Silly, pony things came to mind, though. By the way Amber talked about it, she could foresee shopping in her near future. Being a changeling from the frozen north, Gem internally felt she was above such things, but Amethyst personally requested that she go with them. Then, there was that hug… As Gem stumbled out of the bathroom and towards her bed, she replayed the moment in her head again and again. Each time, her heart ached in her chest. Before she and Amethyst departed, the mare had hugged her and told her she had been forgiven. That was the moment Gem felt something she had never once felt before, and that was self-doubt. The true affection shown to her by Amethyst made the changeling doubt in her ability to carry out her mission. She had never had this kind of trouble, not once. Time and time again, she had done what needed to be done. She had lied, cheated, stolen, and killed to serve her hive, her queen, and herself. “What has she done to me…” Cicada held a hoof to her head as she began to sway. Her thoughts shifted to her mission, to her duty, but they always seemed to return to Amethyst and the hug they shared. She remembered pushing the mare away and storming off in a frenzy of conflicting emotions. Even Queen Chrysalis was beginning to suspect the truth. If the queen ever came to the conclusion that she had formed an attachment to a pony, she'd be cast out of the hive, just like Mantis. “Amethyst, you wretched mare… I am not in love…” Then again, Mantis was doing quite well for himself. He seemed to have everything going his way and more. “I… I'm not…” Cicada fell on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. Her eyes became fixed on the dim light glowing above her. “I'm not… in love…” A soft breath escaped her lips as she sank further into the sheets. Cicada kept her eyes glued to the light, repeating herself over and over again like a mad mare. “I’m not in love… I'm not in love… I'm not in love…” A loud knock on the door alarmed her, causing the mare to jump out of the bed. Quickly clambering to her hooves, she looked towards the door. “Gem? Gem, are you in there?” It was Onyx. Relaxing slightly, she approached the door, and using her magic, she turned the handle, opening it for the stallion. “Y-Y-Yes?” She brushed her fallen mane out of her eyes as they met the sergeant’s. “Is there something I can help you with?” Onyx gave her a concerned look. His eyes rose from hers and shifted around her room before coming back to meet hers again. “I… just came by to remind you about our evening plans. Amethyst wanted me to make sure you'd be ready in time.” Gem glanced over her shoulder at a clock on the nightstand by her bed. “Time? What time?” The clock read fifteen past eight. By now, the Palisades Strip would surely be teeming with activity. She quickly turned back to face Onyx, her cheeks turning red as she realized how quickly time had escaped her grasp. “Yes, of course… I was just getting ready.” Silently, Gem wondered if he had heard her rambling. She already felt like her grip was slipping. The last thing she needed was other ponies thinking the same thing. Onyx expected more of a response, but after several seconds of awkward silence between them, he came to the conclusion that it would be best for him to wait with the others. He nodded his head, taking a step back. “Right… I'll leave you to it, then.” He turned to leave before stopping with his back turned. “We’re leaving in ten minutes. Amethyst is having us meet by the steps just outside the palace.” Then, he began to walk down the corridor, the clopping of his hooves on the floor growing softer with each step. Gem bit her lower lip as she watched him leave. Then, she raised a hoof and called out after him. “Onyx, wait!” The stallion spun around, half expecting some kind of danger to jump out at him, but no such thing came. Instead, Gem approached him. Her head was low, and her eyes kept to her own hooves. “Onyx, I… I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier today… Attacking you and Amethyst like that was wrong of me.” *I’ve forgiven you…* Amethyst’s words echoed in Gem’s mind as her gaze rose to meet the stallion’s eyes. *It’s time you forgave yourself…* For a brief moment, Gem wasn't even sure why or how she was doing this. It was as though her mind was no longer controlling her movements. She screamed internally. Gem wanted to run back into her room and slam the door shut. She wanted to run far away to the cold and desolate wasteland she knew so well. She wanted things to be the way they used to be, when life as a changeling was simple, before she discovered love. Frozen in place by her conflicting emotions, she was unable to resist as Onyx placed a firm hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, it's alright, Gem.” Then, everything stopped. All of the shouting voices in her mind ceased at once, and everything was quiet. She felt still and at ease, all except for the thundering in her chest, her beating heart. “You were just testing Amethyst, making sure she was ready for a surprise attack.” He retracted his hoof, raising it and rubbing the back of his head. “I mean… You did break the door down and ruin the wall, but it's not like anypony got seriously hurt.” Gem blinked, cocking her head to the side. “I… I knocked you unconscious… How can you be so quick to forgive me?” Onyx managed a weak smile. “It was just a bump on the head… Besides, you've done worse before.” That made Gem laugh. She couldn't stop herself from bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. In a way, she knew he was right. She had done worse, and she found his simplistic way of viewing things to be hysterical. Gem had forgotten everything she was supposed to do, regarding her mission. All she could think about was her new friends and the joy they caused her. She had never laughed so hard in her entire existence. “Right…” Onyx was backing away now, smiling politely as he turned to leave once again. “Well, don't forget that we're leaving very soon. We'd hate to miss you.” Gem nodded her head quickly as she began to recover. “Yes, yes…” She waved her hoof dismissively as she fought to suppress the ‘snickers’ that were slipping through her lips. “I'll be there.” Then, she turned and bolted down the corridor, back towards her room, not to get away from the ponies, though. She needed to find her fatigues, the ones Amethyst gave her. As Royal Guards on a night out, they'd be wearing what they called ‘soft armor’. The most decorated guards had their fatigues covered in badges and medals. It was essentially a way to show off in public when off duty. Gem threw the clothes on, stepping into the coat, which boasted a royal ‘purple’ color. The finishing piece was a beret of the same color. Using her horn and the magic within, she carefully placed the cap on her head, just behind the base of her horn. Looking into the mirror on top of the dresser, Gem smiled, baring her teeth. Then, her eyes fell, and she found herself looking not at herself, but at a small vial just to the left of the mirror. It was filled with a clear liquid and topped with a black cap. Like a distant memory, Queen Chrysalis’’ instructions came trickling back. *You are to give her this…* Cicada looked at the vial, then back up at the queen. *Will this… kill her?* Chrysalis shook her head. *Not immediately, my child. This will weaken Amethyst and drain her life slowly to the point where she will pose no threat. Her death will be agonizing slow, and by the time she realizes something is wrong, it will be too late.” She grinned maliciously, causing Cicada to back up against the stall. *No pony will be able to stop it, and Amethyst will pay for what she did to us with her life.* The mares’ restroom seemed to grow much colder as Cicada took the vial. *Of course, my queen…* Gem stared at the vial. She raised a hoof, reaching for the poison, but her hoof stopped short. “No…” Her eyes narrowed and her hoof lowered. “Not this time, my queen…” Gem checked herself in the mirror one last time before storming out the door, slamming it shut behind her. *** When the guards saw Gem running towards them, they grew delighted looks. Like her, they all wore their off-duty fatigues. Amber and Onyx, the two sergeants, both had a considerable amount of shining badges and medals decorating their uniform. Amethyst, being the captain of the Royal Guards, nearly blinded Gem as she got closer. She was out of breath as she came to a stop in front of the officers. “I… I'm here…” Gem took a moment to gather herself. “Are we leaving?” Amethyst grinned at her, nodding her head. “Yeah… We’re just waiting on Shining.” Gem looked around them, searching for the prince, but he was nowhere in sight. “I wasn't aware Prince Armor would be joining us.” Amethyst realized she had been misunderstood, and quickly shook her head. “Oh, no, Shining isn't coming with us. He's promised to look after Pyrite for the night. I suggested to him that he let my baby and his own daughter have a… ‘play date’.” She smiled at the memory of that particular conversation. “He didn't exactly jump at the idea, but Princess Cadence was all for it.” Gem noticed too that the little trickster was among the group. Pyrite, who was hiding behind Amethyst’s legs, came out and stood in her favorite place, the center of everypony’s attention. “I pway with Fwurry Heart!” She seemed determined to let everypony know how much fun she'd get to have that evening. “Guess what, daddy! I get to pway with Fwurry Heart!” Onyx smiled down at her. “Yes, I know, sweetie. You've told me many times.” Gem pursed her lips and frowned slightly. “You aren't at all worried? A queen her age can have great influence on other foals around her, even though she may not mean to. That's why Chrysalis was so desperate to…” She stopped herself, not wanting to remind everypony of her checkered past. “I know what you mean, Gem.” Amethyst placed a gentle hoof on her daughter’s back and rubbed her affectionately. “Princess Cadence promised me she'd watch them the whole night. I trust her completely.” Gem nodded carefully as her eyes fell on Pyrite, and Pyrite looked back at her with wide eyes. The ponies said nothing as they waited for Shining. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long. Moments later, Shining appeared with Emerald by his side. Emerald took his place by Amber, and Pyrite, enthusiastic as ever at the promise of a play date, ran after the prince as he began walking back towards the palace. Ready to get their night underway, the guards left the palace behind them and headed into the city. *** Gem had never seen the Palisades Strip at night, and the beauty of the culture-saturated district dazzled her. Lights flashed wherever she looked. Mantis looked equally impressed. Amber had to drag him by his hoof, because he'd stop every few steps to stare at whatever captivated his attention. Everywhere they went, ponies smiled and waved, some even approaching them directly to thank them for their service. After a while, the smiling began to hurt. Gem felt like her lips were glued into position, and she couldn't feel her cheeks. Pony after pony came up to her just to shake her hoof or wish her a good night. She felt unworthy to receive such praise, after all she had done in an attempt to topple the empire. She wasn't a guard. She was a liar. “Gem? Gem, are you alright?” Emerald shook her shoulder to get her attention, and Gem realized she had been glaring. She still showed her teeth like she was smiling, but it looked more like a snarl. “Is something wrong?” Gem shook her head, quickly correction her outer appearance. “No… I'm fine. It's just…” Then, she realized just how much her cheeks hurt, her jaw too. Emerald wrapped a hoof around her as they continued to walk. “Hey, it's alright… We're here to enjoy ourselves. Let's have a little fun with our friends without thinking about the past.” Gem scoffed at him. “They may be your friends, Mantis, but to them, I'm just an asset.” Emerald shrugged his shoulders. “That's not what Amethyst told me. She seems to think the two of you are great friends.” Gem shook her head, trying to keep her voice low. “No… Friends care for each other. I don't care for her.” Emerald retracted his hoof. “Hmm…” She shot him a weird look. “What?” He shook his head as a smile came across his lips. Gem kicked his hoof with her own. “What? I demand you tell me.” But Emerald didn't say anything. He just laughed as he left her behind to join Amber up ahead. Gem felt very annoyed, but she kept walking. *** Eventually, the guards got hungry and found a place to settle down. It was an outdoor salad bar at the farthest end of the strip. A large patio rose from the ground. Tables and chairs covered the platform, and the bar itself resided towards the back. As the guards stepped onto the patio, a server immediately greeted them and lead them to a large, round table. “Thank you for joining us tonight.” The server, a pretty mare, bowed graciously. “It is a rare privilege to serve our Royal Guards. I'll return soon to take your orders, but may I start you with anything to drink?” Amethyst and Onyx shared a quick glance, both thinking the same thing. “We have a big day tomorrow… We’ll both just have water.” Mantis threw his hooves in the air. “Not me. Give me something with a buzz, please!” The server chuckled and nodded her head as she jotted down the request. “Of course, sir… For you, miss?” Amber nodded towards Amethyst. “I'm with them. I'll just take a water, please.” The other guards were talking amongst themselves now as the server circled the table, coming to a stop behind Gem. Not waiting for her to ask, she gave her order anyway, hoping the server would thank her for being decisive and not difficult. “I'll have a water as well.” The server didn't write down her request like she did with the others. Instead, she reached into the pocket of her apron and revealed something small. “Actually…” The server leaned in close, almost breathing down Gem’s neck. “I have just the thing you might need for a fun night out…” Gem wasn't interested in anything special. She only wanted water. “Thank you, but I think I'll just stick with…” Her voice trailed away until it faded completely. It was the vial, the one she had left behind. “It'll make any night one to remember…” Gem looked up at the server and saw a fleeting glimpse of ‘green’ shimmering in her eyes. At a loss for words, Gem could only hold her breath as she placed the vial in front of her. “If Amethyst doesn't drink this, you will pay the price, Cicada… Do not fail me again, or I will kill you and her myself.” Gem quickly hid the vial in her uniform, but when she turned around to spot the server, the pony had vanished. No pony else seemed to notice. Her heart pounded against her chest. She could hear it thundering in her ears, drowning out everything that was happening around her. “Gem?” Her night had completely turned around. What was supposed to be a carefree night with the other guards turned into a nightmare. “Hey, Gem?” She didn't want to do it, but she had to. It was her duty. Her queen demanded it, and she had to obey. A gentle hoof shook her shoulder. It was Amber’s. “Gem, what's wrong? You're sweating.” It dawned on her that Amethyst was trying to talk to her. Snapping back to the reality around her, she grabbed her napkin and wiped her forehead. “I'm… I’m sorry. I'm just a bit nervous about tomorrow…” It was a lazy and unbelievable excuse to explain her problem, but it was the only one Gem could pull out of thin air. Amethyst cracked a silly grin. “What… Are you talking about the gala? Come on, Gem, it'll be fun. We’ll dance, sing, and eat the best food Canterlot has to offer, all while protecting Shining and Cadence, of course.” Gem put on a fake smile. “Right… I shouldn't be nervous about something so trivial…” Onyx joined in. “Exactly. It's a huge responsibility, but it's also a great privilege. Amethyst had three guards to choose, and she chose you.” Her fake smile began to waver. *I wish you hadn't…* The thought of hurting Amethyst brought pain to her chest. She could feel her heart sinking lower and lower. Amethyst reached across the table, placing her hoof on Gem’s “The gala isn't until the day after tomorrow, but it will be a day to remember, that's for certain.” She looked at the vial tucked away in her coat. *If Amethyst must drink this tonight, then that's what she'll do…* Another server came with the drinks. Being the closest, they came by Gem first. Amethyst tried to reach for a glass that she assumed to be hers, but Gem stopped her. “Wait, Amethyst…” Thinking on her hooves, Gem took the first glass, which was hidden from the other ponies’ sight by a dessert menu. “I think mine is the one without ice…” Everypony gave her a strange look, but she brushed them off. “Wh-What? I don't like ice…” Amethyst waited patiently for her to finish, and after just a moment, Gem passed her glass along. The captain accepted it graciously. “Thank you, Gem.” Gem couldn't even bring herself to smile back at the pony. “You're… welcome…” The vial was now empty in the inside pocket of her uniform. Her job had been done. *Amethyst, forgive me…* Amethyst raised her glass into the air, followed quickly by the other guards. “Tonight, we celebrate our companionship. This one is to the Crystal Empire.” Everypony murmured in agreement before turning the glasses towards their mouths and letting the drinks fall. ***Up Next: Selfless Love [1]***
