The Sinister Plot

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]***