Hearts of Gold

***For: shadow wolf1573***

Phasmid landed in Canterlot completely out of breath and a broken mare.

Never before had she flown so far without so much as a bite to eat.

Needless to say, the changeling was starving, but a disguise was her priority.

The local authorities wouldn’t take too kindly to a changeling waltzing around the city.

After following the tracks for miles, Phasmid had landed on the train station.

Below her, dozens of ponies shifted around as they boarded and disembarked their trains.

The crowd and the noise it created gave her an abundance of ponies to copy.

She only worried if she would have the energy to change her looks.

Using any kind of magic was difficult on an empty stomach.

Then, there was the scar on her chest.

That would be impossible to cover up, no matter what she did to change her appearance.

Her gaze drifted towards the city before her.

Azalea, her little charge, might have been out of her reach, but she could still find Amethyst.

If Cicada had really been telling the truth, which Phasmid found unlikely, then Amethyst was the one pony she could trust to reunite her with Azalea.

Phasmid wasn’t a fan of the ponies, but at this point, she was out of options.

She had no money to ride a train, and flying was out of the question.

She had to find Amethyst.

Luckily, her nose worked just fine, and she quickly picked up the scent of the pony she had encountered on top the train.

Phasmid leaped from the top of the station down onto the platform.

Staying close to the wall, in the shadows, she inched forward.

A mare stood up ahead with her back turned.

Phasmid watched the pony for a few seconds before closing her eyes.

In an instant, she assumed the form of the pony that stood before her.

The freshly disguised mare made her way past the pony that had unintentionally helped her and towards the city.

***

Sadri didn’t know how much time had passed, but she was certain that the stallion behind her was finished.

It had been ages since she gotten intimate with anypony.

She’d be lying if she denied enjoying it in the heat of the moment, but hooking up with kind stallion’s wasn’t her reasoning for being in Canterlot.

The store associate fell off of her rather clumsily, apologizing over and over again.

He seemed as though he had just come out of a trance, but in his case, it was Sadri’s influence.

The golden domina was just happy to give something in return for taking the dress she needed for the gala.

“Don’t worry about me, my dear... I just need this to be paid for. Can you do that for me?”

She batted her eyes sweetly as she turned to face the stallion.

In the close quarters of the fitting room, their exhausted breaths hit each other as they recovered from the session they had endured.

“I... Of course, m’lady, anything you say. Will... Will see you again?”

Sadri planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, but I won’t be coming back. I can’t explain, but you’re not the pony for me.”

The look on his face caused her chest to hurt.

She couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she quietly slipped past him, leaving the stallion alone in the fitting room.

All the while she walked towards the exit of the store, she kept reminding herself that it was all for Twilight.

Everything she did was for Twilight.

All of the crimes she committed and the hearts she broke were for Twilight.

Then, for the first time, she did something completely irrational.

Sadri doubted herself.

For so long, ever since she had been defeated and thrown in prison, she had been longing for Twilight Sparkle, and now, she wondered if her ex-wife was even worth all of the trouble she was going through.

What did the princess even mean to her?

Sadri shook the thoughts out of her head.

She couldn’t give up, not now, not when Twilight was so close.

Everything she was worked for was finaly coming together.

The palace was almost within sight.

Memories began to resurface, ones Sadri would have preferred to forget.

She would never forget, though.

Her past would haunt her forever, but she knew that didn’t have to stop her from having a future, one that included a happy ending.

Still... Sadri didn’t want to run into any princesses on her way to Twilight that might resent her return to the palace she once tried to overthrow.

Up the grand steps she climbed, straight towards the palace.

The gala hadn’t yet started, but a large gathering of ponies had formed around the entrance, making it easy for her to slip inside without being noticed by the guards.

Her gown fit better than she had originally anticipated, and thanks to the time she spent with the stallion in the fitting room, her mind was a little clearer.

A few ponies stopped to stare in awe at Sadri’s beauty, mares and stallions alike, young and old.

The golden mare blushed with a sense of pride and modesty as she brushed past them quickly, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself.

After walking around, investigating ballroom after ballroom, Sadri came to the conclusion that Twilight had not arrived yet.

She figured the princess would show up eventually, but waiting was not her strong suit.

It’s what nearly drove her insane during her time in prison.

Sadri was out of options, though.

It looked like she would be forced to enjoy the gala a little before she could have a chance to confront her former lover.

As she glanced towards the tables full of food and sweets, part of her believed it wouldn’t be too bad.

***

The gala was only a few hours away now.

Amethyst was on the edge of her seat, both literally and figuratively.

Onyx, usually the voice of caution and reason in their relationship, was also giddy with excitment and unable to control himself.

Like the rest of his fellow guards, he had never attended the Grand Galloping Gala.

They had only heard stories, tales of the magic that happened when thousands of ponies gathered in the capitol of Equestria for the biggest party of the year.

Emerald was in the bed room resting with Pyrite.

The both of them needed their naps after the long journey from the Chrystal Empire.

Sitting on the sofa in the common room, Amethyst tried hard not to look towards the clock on the wall to her left.

Her dress was sitting on the coffee table in front of her, and she wanted nothing more than to put it on.

Onyx warned her against it, though.

By dressing herself too early, she ran the risk of messing up the gown before the party even started.

“What are you thinking about, Amy?”

Amethyst shot him a weird look, not even realizing she must have had a pained expression on her face.

She let out a gentle sigh and held a hoof to her forehead.

“I... a lot of things, Onyx... There’s the gala, our wedding, getting Pyrite to start school...”

Onyx rolled his eyes and smirked.

“It’s a daycare, Amy, not school. It’s like magic kindergarten. She’ll be learning her shapes, colors, and magic, of course.”

Amethyst smiled at the thought.

Here she was, being the mother she never though she’d be a year ago.

“Do you think she’ll show off in front of the other foals?”

Onyx raised an eyebrow.

“Who, Pyrite? Absolutely. She’s your daughter, after all.”

Retaliation was swift, and the mare’s hoof connected with his ribs, hard.

Onyx groaned as he rubbed the sore spot.

“Ohhhh... Well, don’t ask questions if you don’t like the answer you get...”

Amethyst grinned mischeviously as she leaned into his personal space.

“It was just a love tap, babe... Look, we’ve got a little time to kill. How about you and I...”

With one hoof draped around Onyx’s neck, the other fell slowly down his chest.

The sergeant glanced quickly towards the closed bedroom door, confirming that the coast was clear.

By the time he turned his gaze back to Amethyst, her hoof had already reached its target.

“I... I, um... Amy, we already showered earlier...”

It was a pitiful attempt at a protest.

They both knew there wasn’t anything he could do to stop her from getting what she wanted.

Just as Amethyst was started to get a little more aggressive with her hoof, she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Visably annoyed, Amethyst shot up from the sofa.

Onyx stood and followed her to the door.

Agrivated, the captain swung the door open.

“What?!”

It was a mare, one much shorter than the towering guard.

She shrunk at the sound of Amethyst’s angry tone.

“Is... t-t-this the room of Captain Amethyst?

She looked like a staff employee.

It was probably a routine checkup, a means of refitting the room with fresh sheets, clean towels, ice, and other commodities.

Amethyst suddenly felt bad for taking her frustration out on a pony only trying to do her job.

She was about to let the mare inside, but Onyx stopped her.

He saw something, a faint flicker in the mare’s eyes and a hint of green.

Then, the mare at the door bared her razor sharp teeth.

“Amethyst, get back!”

Onyx grabbed her from behind and yanked the startled captain inside.

The mare leaped through the door as he guards retreated to the opposite wall.

A spark at her hooves roared into a green flame that burned away any trace of the pony, leaving behind the blackened form of a horrifying changeling.

She had a deep and jagged scar across her chest and fury in her big, pale eyes.

The guards prepared themselves to fight, but without her leg, Amethyst was unable to stand.

She leaned against Onyx for support as they stared down the advancing changeling.

“You... have no idea, pony, what I have been through in order to meet you.”

The changeling stopped at the sofa.

It was then that the guards realized she wasn’t there for a fight, but Onyx didn’t raise his horn.

Amethyst cocked her head to the side as she met the changeling’s cold gaze.

“You’re... here to see me?”

Then, the insect-like mare looked over her shoulder, and with the magic from her horn, she revealed something long and metal.

Amethyst gasped, and Onyx’s eyes widened.

“Is that...”

“It can’t be...”

The changeling threw a prosthetic leg at Amethyst’s hooves.

It was battered, scratched, and filthy, covered in mud, twigs, leaves, and who knows what.

It was a prosthetic leg alright.

It was Amethyst’s leg.

Onyx was speechless, but Amethyst found her voice.

“I don’t... I can’t beileve this... I lost that leg on the t...”

Her voice trailed away as she put two and two together.

“Yo-You! You’re the one who ripped my leg off!”

The changeling rolled her eyes.

“So ungrateful... I brought it back, didn’t I? It’s payment.”

Amethyst wanted to scream.

She wanted to punch the smug changeling right in her snout.

Luckily, Onyx was there to hold her back.

“What are you talking about? Payment for what?”

The changeling didn’t make eye contact with him.

She kept her gaze fixed on Amethyst.

“You have something of mine, pony, and you’re going to take me to her.”

Amethyst stood defiantly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t even know you!”

A door opened, and everypony was dead silent.

Emerald stood in the door leading into the bedroom with Pyrite by his side.

The little changeling looked up at Amethyst and the larger changeling, her eyes full of confusion.

“Mama?”

***

In another wing of the building, Gem was fixing her mane.

Her eyes were situated on herself as she stared down a mirror.

Nickel approached her from behind, having just emerged from the bathroom.

Gem caught a glimpse of him through the mirror.

“Are you ready for tonight, Nick?”

He smiled sheepishly and nodded.

“Yeah... This is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. It was always my dream to attend the gala, my brother’s too.”

Still focusing on her mane, Gem raised an eyebrow.

“Brother? You never told me you had siblings, Nick.”

The stallion shrugged.

“We only met last night. I figured it wasn’t really that important. Besides, he died last year. It’s not exactly something I like to share on the first date...”

Gem frowned but kept her eyes forward.

“I... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something like that. You don’t have to continue.”

Nickel shook his head.

“It’s alright, Cicada. You’re my fillyfriend, so you deserve to know.”

Gem winced at the sound of her real name, but Nickle knew about her and who she really was, so she let it slide.

In all honesty, she didn’t want to know about Nickle’s family if it brought him pain and discomfort, but she kept her mouth closed.

“He was a guard, like me. The guy always looked up to me, his big bro, so he enlisted and joined the Royal Guards, but he died not long after.”

The room felt a little colder.

Gem set her comb down and turned to face Nickel.

“Nick, I’m really sorry to hear about your brother, but I just don’t-“

A powerful bolt of magic hit her square in the chest, sending Gem flying back and into the wall.

The mirror shattered against her back, causing her to cry out in pain, but she couldn’t yell.

A cloud of magic covered her mouth, silencing her as Nickel closed in with a fire burning in his eyes.

“You don’t remember him, do you Cicada? You don’t remember what you did to my brother?”

His magic closed around her neck, squeezing tightly.

“You broke his neck, just like this...”

He choked her harder, causing Gem to lose her pony form.

“You murdered my brither, and then you ate his corpse... leaving me nothing to bury!”

Her mind was a mess.

Cicada couldn’t think or breath, but she did remember.

She tried to spit out the word as she gasped for air.

“E... Em... Emerald?”

Nickel let out a roar and slammed her back against the wall, causing the broken pieces of glass to cut into her back.

“Don’t say his name! Don’t you dare say it! You don’t deserve to...”

The stallion dropped her, hard.

On the floor, Cicada coughed and wheezed furiously.

“I’m going to kill you, Cicada, and when I’m through with you, I’m going to finish off Mantis, the fool masquerading around as my brother.”

The changeling’s eyes widened with horror.

“No! You can’t!”

Nickel looked down at her with disgust.

“This is the end of the line, Cicada.”

Then, his hoof connected with her head, knocking the changeling out cold.

***Up Next: Ugly Reunions***