Hearts of Gold

A chilling wind fell over the city of Canterlot, but nothing more.

Unlike the Crystal Empire, already buried in snow from the frozen north, Canterlot and the rest of Equestria had not yet received winter at its fullest.

As the sun rose over the mountain tops, its light burned away the mist and dew.

Amethyst watched the arrival of the morning from a balcony jutting out from her room.

She leaned against the carved railing and closed her eyes as the light from the rising sun hit her face.

The day she had been looking forward to for so long had finally arrived.

In a matter of hours, later that evening, she would be attending the greatest of all Equestrian parties, the Grand Galloping Gala.

She could hardly contain her excitement just thinking about the dancing, eating, and drinking with her closest friends.

Nothing would be able to stop her from enjoying herself, not even the loss of her leg.

Again…

She looked down at her mutilated stump and let out a sad sigh.

Her prosthetic leg, the one Shining spent weeks developing for her, was lost.

It was somewhere in the valleys miles below the train tracks, deep in the mountains north of Canterlot where it fell.

Perhaps a squirrel or some other creature made a home out of it.

The thought of her prosthetic leg in some tree amused Amethyst, and she managed to crack a smile.

“What's so funny?”

She spun around, startled by the sudden break in the quiet.

It was only Onyx.

The stallion stood in the doorway leading inside, smiling back at her.

When Amethyst didn't answer his question, he stepped forward, meeting her by the railing.

“You weren't thinking about that lame joke I told at dinner last night, were you?”

Amethyst smirked at him and rolled her eyes.

“Ha! You have the audacity to call that a joke? I could court martial you for that. I should, in fact.”

She waved her flanks in his direction, catching his gaze.

“… but, you did pretty well after dinner, when we got back to our room. I had never felt so full, and I'm not talking about the food…”

Onyx’s cheeks turned bright red as he realize he was staring at her rear, but it was what she wanted.

Amethyst opened her mouth and laughed, gently swatting her tail against his face.

“I meant that as a compliment, honey. You're always so sensitive… What happened to the gruff, stoic stallion that would yell at me during morning drills?”

Onyx turned his head and shrugged.

“You happened…”

That made Amethyst grin.

Onyx took his place by the captain’s side, and she leaned against him, resting most of her weight on him.

Together, they stood in silence, watching the sun climb higher and higher into the sky.

It was hard to believe that one alicorn princess could posses the power to move such a celestial object.

To them, it almost seemed unreal.

Onyx subtly cleared his throat.

“I suppose everypony has the capacity to change.”

He glanced towards her.

“You became a leader, Amethyst. Amber grew more mature. Then, there's Emerald and Gem. A year ago, I never could have imagined working with them, let alone calling them ‘friends’.”

Amethyst nodded her head, keeping her eyes fixed on the horizon.

“Yeah… Gem is somethin’ special. After everything that's happened, she needs close friends to support her.”

She turned her gaze at last, meeting Onyx’s eyes.

“That reminds me… How is she doing, anyway? I mean, what is she doing with Corporal Nickel?”

Onyx looked puzzled by her question.

“Doing? I don't know if they are really ‘doing’ anything. They only met last night. After dinner, they went off alone to have a few drinks, and that's the last I saw of them.”

He could see the gears turning in Amethyst's mind.

Even without her morning coffee, her inner thoughts were coming together to form ideas about what her friend was up to, and she could only draw one conclusion.

“Onyx…”

She spoke in a hushed tone, as though she was afraid of being overheard by somepony that wasn't even there.

Excited by her tone and intrigued, he leaned in.

“Yeah? What is it, Amy?”

Amethyst looked towards the door and into the room inside, confirming once and for all that they were alone.

“What if…”

She paused.

“… they had se-”

Onyx rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“I'm gonna stop you right there, Amy. You're obviously not thinking straight. I'm going to find you some coffee.”

Amethyst’s jaw fell as she watched him walk back inside.

“Don't… Don't you walk away from me, mister! I am thinking straight, and I don't need coffee!”

Then, her gaze fell.

“I mean… I want coffee…” Her glare resumed, and she faced Onyx again. “… but I don't need it!”

Onyx was already preparing two mugs, filling both with a steaming, black liquid from a pot that had been cooking since the sun rose.

“Here, sweetie.”

He passed her a mug, which she took unhappily before taking a long sip, no added cream of sugar, just the black coffee.

Onyx chuckled as a disgusted look came over her face, but she kept drinking, determined to prove to her fiancé that she was capable of thinking rationally.

When she finished the mug, Amethyst set it down next to the brewer that made the stuff.

“I’m serious, Onyx, and you know that I could be right.”

Onyx took his coffee slow.

After adding a little sugar, he sipped on the scalding hot beverage carefully.

“You said it yourself. The last time either of us heard from Gem, she had wandered off with Nickel. Who knows what they did together!”

Onyx smirked and shook his head.

“Amy, they just met. I don't know Nickel all that well, but I don't think he would be so quick to jump on a mare like that. Plus, this is Gem we're talking about. She can hardly stand a simple hug, let alone kissing or… whatever you're implying.”

Amethyst looked cross.

“I seem to remember her kissing you. She seemed like she was pretty into it.”

Onyx remembered too, and his cheeks flushed red.

“That was different. I was in a trance, and she wanted to use me before eating me.”

Amethyst tilted her head, but she didn't look eased by his explanation.

“If anything at all…” Onyx continued as he rubbed the back of his head. “… I'm more worried about Nickel. Gem’s a tough mare, and if anypony did try to make a move on her, they'd regret it.”

They stood there in silence for several moments.

It ended when Amethyst exhaled a long sigh, closing her eyes and expelling a frosty breath.

“You're right, Onyx… I might be overthinking things. They only met last night, and Gem would never do something so irrational.”

Onyx smiled.

“See? Once you wake up and get a little caffeine in your system, it's easy to make well thought out and calculated assessments.”

Amethyst fired him a sly grin.

“I said I'm ‘awake’, babe. That doesn't mean I've had enough coffee to deal with you or your smart words.”

The lovers shared a brief embrace, holding each other tightly and letting out soft moans.

***

The lovers shared a brief embrace, holding each other tightly and letting out soft moans.

When Gem opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with a stallion.

His eyes were still closed, and his chest rose and fell slowly.

Gem could tell he was still asleep.

Each breath that came out of his nostrils brushed against the fur on her neck.

It tickled a little, but she didn't mind.

It was strange.

That's the perfect word she would use to describe it all.

She was warm and comfortable, which was not something she was used to.

Then, there was the stallion spooning her.

Part of her wanted to push him away to regain her personal space, and the other part wanted to remain in his hooves.

She quietly decided that staying where she was would satisfy her.

His eyes opened at last, and a smile formed along his face as he saw her.

“Good morning…”

Gem saw his smile and couldn't help smiling back at him.

“Indeed…” She rolled over so she could fully face him. “I can't say I can remember a time when I've had so much fun, Nickel.”

Her compliment was honest, which made the stallion’s chest swell.

Gem noticed and pursed her lips.

“Hmm… Don't let it get to your head, though. You were good enough to meet my needs.”

Nickel smiled and rolled on his back, staring up at the ceiling as he laughed.

“You're welcome, Gemini, anytime.”

On his back still, his eyes met hers.

“You were pretty good yourself.” His eyes fell, drifting over her body briefly before landing on a wall ornament. “I didn't think this would happen, but I’m glad it did.”

Gem scoffed as she slid closer towards him in the bed.

“I don't believe that for a second. You're a stallion, and you knew exactly what you wanted.”

His gaze shifted again, and their eyes met.

“What I want to know is what you intend to do right now…”

Nickel fell silent and hoisted himself upright so he sat with his back against the headboard.

“I suppose we could talk a little. After all, we didn't get much of a chance last night before you kissed me.”

Gem rolled her eyes once more but wore a silly grin.

“You kissed me first, idiot.”

Nickel shook his head.

“No… I seem to remember you kissing me first. You had finished a few drinks already, so you were a little buzzed.” He recalled the details accurately, like the picture was still clear in his head. “It was almost ten o'clock, we were leaving the tavern, and you pulled me aside as soon as we walked out the door. You held my cheeks with your hooves and…”

His voice trailed off, and Gem could see why.

He had the widest smile on his face she had ever seen.

At last, she let out a defeated sigh and snuggled up next to him, wrapping her hooves around his body.

“You have an impeccable memory, stud… Perhaps I did have a few drinks too many.”

She held a hoof to her head, like she was trying to suppress a minor headache.

Then, she looked up at him, batting her eyes in a seductive manner.

Still holding onto him, she nuzzled his chest, breathing deeply into his fur.

“Why don't you exact your revenge? Do to me what I did to you. Punish me, if you must…”

Nickel’s body twitched with excitement at her words.

He knew what she was asking for, and he was happy to oblige her.

Looking down and meeting her eyes, their mouths drifted closer and closer until their lips connected at last.

Nickel pressed his lips against hers tenderly again and again, and as the seconds passed into minutes, the kisses grew deeper and more passionate.

Saliva and spittle passed back and forth between their mouths as they shared lips and tongues.

After a while of kissing, both ponies needed a break to catch their breath.

Gem breathed heavily as she wiped the saliva from her mouth and chin.

“What… ever happened to wanting to ‘talk’?”

She wore a sly grin as she eyed his twitching excitement beneath the covers.

Nickel shrugged happily as he fell back into the bed, resting up against the mare.

“I'm fine with this too, honestly.” Then, he looked at her. “Besides, you asked for it.”

Gem snarled, climbing on top of him as she bared her teeth.

For a second, Nickel didn't know whether he should be afraid, aroused, or both.

“I did ask for it, and you delivered, my dear stallion, but now that I have you in a position I can control you from, we can use the time we have to learn a little more about each other…”

She sighed deeply.

“You did me a great service last night, so I suppose I could share my secret with you…”

Gem looked towards the door.

She knew it was locked, but part of her wanted to make sure that there was no chance of anypony walking in at the worst possible moment.

There was no putting it off any longer.

Nickel was a nice pony, from what she had seen so far, and not telling him who she really was would feel like lying, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt the stallion.

Still straddling him, Gem bit her lower lip as she tried to formulate the right words.

“Though I'm a guard, I'm also a-”

“Changeling?”

Silence filled the room.

Gem’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Nickel.

The stallion beneath her shrugged his shoulders and smiled innocently.

“Yeah, I know… I was on that train too, you know. I was there when you saved us all.”

Gem’s look of anger fell apart, and she began to blush.

“Indeed… I have been called a ‘hero’ more than once, even by the princess of death.”

That last part made Nickel frown.

“Wait, what?”

Gem quickly shook her head, dismissing her previous words and quickly moving on.

“Don't worry about that, my sweet.” Then, her causal, sly grin returned. “Now, if you are so ‘at ease’ with my true identity…”

A green fire engulfed her body, causing Nickel to cower and wince under the sheets beneath her.

The fire felt hot, but it didn't burn him or set the bed ablaze.

It seemed to cling only to her body as it burned away her fur and mane, slowly revealing her true form.

Cicada smiled sheepishly from above, baring her razor-sharp teeth.

“… Do you still feel the same way?”

Once Nickel was sure she wasn't going to hurt him, he began to relax.

“Ye-Yeah…”

He cleared his throat before meeting her eyes again.

“Yes.” Speaking more confidently this time, he placed his hoof on hers, gently grazing over one of the many holes that riddled her legs. “I do.”

Nickel caught a glimpse of her back.

She had only one wing.

Where the other should have been, an ugly scar took its place.

“I didn't ask you out because of your appearance. I found your bravery and dedication to your friends to be… charming, I guess.”

He held a hoof to his head.

“I'm sorry, I'm terrible at this.”

Cicada beamed and shook her head, ever so slowly grinding her body against his through the sheets.

“I disagree… Keep going, please…”

Nickel managed a weak smile as he stared into her pale eyes.

It was difficult to concentrate on anything other than what she was doing to him.

“I… I just saw you last night, at the restaurant…” He gasped as her legs wrapped around his waist, forcing her lower body against his. “I couldn't help myself… All I wanted… was… a chance to talk to you…”

Cicada bit her lower lip as she continued to grind the stallion.

“Oh, Nickel, I'm so glad you did… I've never been so happy…”

There was a brief moment of silence between them as they stared at each other.

Both were thinking the same thing.

“So…” Nickel’s eyes drifted south, along her neck and down her body. “Do you want to go again?”

Cicada made a face like she was considering his offer.

“Now, that is a wild idea.”

She leaned forward, gliding across the top of his body until her mouth was only a breath away from his.

“I might be interested, if you think you can handle me… My people are known for our stamina.”

Nickel managed a light-hearted laugh as he nodded his head.

“Show me what you've got.”

***

Amethyst and Onyx sat at a table in the kitchen.

The coffee was gone, and now, it was a race to the shower.

Onyx was on his hooves in an instance, but Amethyst was ready too.

Her horn ignited, and her magic grabbed a hold of his legs.

Onyx let out a shrill cry as he fell to the floor, landing on his side with a hard ‘thud’.

Amethyst laughed as she ran past him, hobbling along on her three legs.

She seemed to move almost effortlessly.

The stallion on the floor was amazed by her display of agility, despite her missing leg.

She reached the door to the bathroom, but Onyx was beaten yet.

After collecting himself off of the floor, he reached for the bathroom door, using the magic from his horn.

He closed the door, locking it and holding it shut.

Amethyst let out an angry snarl as she pounded her hoof against the door.

“Damnit, Onyx! Let me in!”

She spun around to face him and lowered her horn.

What came out was a harmless bolt of magic, but it packed enough of a punch to send Onyx flying back across the room, towards the kitchen area.

His connection to the door had broken, allowing Amethyst to enter the bathroom.

“Thank you, sweetie! I'll be sure to leave you some hot water.”

Onyx nodded his head slowly as he sat up, dazed and stunned.

She closed the door behind her, and the sound of running water began.

Steam could be seen seeping through the cracks of the door.

After a few seconds, the door opened again, releasing a thick cloud of steam into the room.

Amethyst, slightly wet already, poked her head through the door and gave Onyx a ‘get over here’ look.

“Oh, come on, you big hunk.”

She wore a huge grin and fired him a subtle wink.

“You know I don't mind if we ]share…”

Onyx beamed and shot to his hooves.

He definitely liked the sound of that, mostly because he knew that showering together usually meant very little focus first on cleaning themselves and more focus on physical intimacy.

***Up Next: To Canterlot***