The Sinister Plot

***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.

***