The Sinister Plot

*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***