Black Gold

Chapters

Part 1: The Pickpocket
Part 2: Cat and Mouse
Part 3: Lost In Thought
Part 4: The Guardian
Part 5: The Little Trickster

Part 1: The Pickpocket

It was a cold, Winter day in the Crystal Empire. Magical barriers created by the weather ponies had once protected the imperial city from the relentless blizzard from the Frozen North, but now, those barriers were gone, and the ponies of the empire quickly became blanketed in thick layers of snowfall. The palace pierced through the snow like a beacon of blue and pink jade. All across the elegant city that surrounded the towering crystal palace, ponies went about their daily lives, bundled up in preparation for the long Winter months that they would soon face and wishing for warmer days.

There was, however, a pony who didn’t mind the cold so much as she walked down the street, clad in golden armor that signified to everypony around her that she was a high-ranking officer in her majesty’s Royal Guards. She wasn’t really a pony, but a changeling in disguise. Her real name, known only to her closest friends within the ranks of the Royal Guards, was Cicada. She was known more commonly by her pony persona, Gemini, but her friends liked to call her Gem.

The guard was on patrol, walking the streets of the Crystal Empire with an almost aimless state of mind. Everywhere she went, ponies greeted her with warm smiles and friendly waves. Some even offered her short bows and thanked her for her service. It was times like this when old, unpleasant memories resurfaced and pulled at her thoughts.

Gem wasn’t always a guard. She wasn’t even a nice pony. Before her transformation, she was a ruthless psychopath with an unrivaled hatred for ponies that burned in her merciless heart. She would lie, cheat, and kill in the service of her former queen, Chrysalis, and she often enjoyed it. Then, everything changed when she met Amethyst.

The before mentioned pony was a crystal guard with a stubbornly loyal disposition. Amethyst foiled Queen Chrysalis’ sinister plots time and time again, and no matter how much pain Gem put her through, the guard forgave her and offered her compassion and companionship, two things she’d never experienced in her hive. Now, Amethyst was captain of the guard, and Gem served as her first lieutenant as well as her best friend.

The unpleasant memories were quickly replaced by happier ones as Gem remembered the time she spearheaded an operation to surprise Amethyst’s daughter, Pyrite, with a birthday party a couple of months ago. Pyrite actually had no official birthday, just the day that she was rescued and adopted by Amethyst. The little filly was turning four, and Gem wanted to show her just how fond she’d grown of her, despite having tried on numerous occasions to kill Pyrite in years prior. She would even go so far as to say that she loved Amethyst and the rest of her new friends. Not out loud, of course.

Gem was so lost in her own memories that she failed to notice the sound of little hooves galloping up the sidewalk behind her. Before she knew it, somepony had collided straight into her from behind, and both of them went tumbling onto the ground. When the guard’s eyes opened, she was on her back, dazed and confused as to what hit her. She rolled onto her side and, for the first time, caught sight of the pony that ran her into the ground.

He was a little unicorn, probably no older than thirteen. He sported a jet black fur coat, and his mane was bright red, as though it was on fire, with a tail to match.

The colt got to his hooves shakily and rubbed a hoof along the back of his head, letting out a groan as he did. “Ow... Ouch...” Then, he spotted Gem, and his eyes widened. By now, other ponies had stopped and gathered around to see if they were alright. He quickly approached the mare and offered her a hoof.

Gem looked at the hoof before her, then up at the colt. His blue eyes shimmered in early morning snowfall. After a moment of hesitation, she took his smaller hoof in her own, and he pulled her up. Now at her full height, she towered over the little colt. She took a moment to brush herself off, sending clouds of snow away from her shiny armor. “Th-Thank you.”

The colt looked beyond scared, maybe even frightened of her as he shook before her. “I’m so sorry, Miss Guard... I wasn’t looking where I was going, and...” His voice trailed away. “Well, I’m really, really sorry.”

Gem raised an eyebrow as she stared down her snout at him. “It’s quite alright. Nothing more than youthful exuberance, I’m sure.” Then, she let out a long, frosty breath. “Would you mind telling me where you were going in such a hurry?”

The colt shrugged innocently and raised a hoof, pointing somewhere up ahead in the direction they had both been walking before the collision. “I was just heading home. It’s really cold today, and I don’t have the thickest fur.”

The guard took a moment to process the colt’s story. Schools across the empire were out for a short Winter break that separated the cold season from the Fall, so his absence checked out. Then again, there was something odd about the little colt that set her off. He seemed rushed and agitated, like she was holding him back, but he was too afraid to say anything. “If you’re cold, you should be wearing a proper coat. It’s far too cold for a young stallion such as yourself to run around the streets of the empire as you are.”

Again, he shrugged her off, treating her words with little to no care. “I can manage, Miss Guard, really.” He backed away, ever so slowly. “I have to be going home, now. My parents are expecting me, and I don’t want to keep them waiting.” Then, he turned and bolted into the crowd of ponies, disappearing from sight.

Gem looked just as puzzled and perplexed as she felt. He was an odd figure, to say the least. As she collected herself, she mentally hopped Amethyst would keep better track of her own daughter than the parents of the colt that had just pushed her down. Figuring the best thing to do would be to continue her patrol of the district, she turned around to walk into the opposite direction, and the level of excitement in her day shifted once again, skyrocketing as she ran straight into another pony.

Her clothing and jewelry signified her as a mare of immense wealth and class, but the look on her face was one of shock and disbelief. The pony looked straight at Gem, saw that she was a guard, and let out an exhausted breath. “Oh, thank Celestia! It’s you! You’ve got to help me!”

Gem could hardly believe the chances of being run down twice during the same five minutes, much less on the same day. She raised a calming hoof in an attempt to subdue the ecstatic mare. “Alright... Just breathe for a moment and tell me what’s going on. What happened?”

The mare fanned herself as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Well... I... I was just leaving my stylist down the block and going to... to visit some friends in the shopping area... You know, the one by the Palisades Strip. Then, out of nowhere, this colt came running up behind me, and we both fell.”

The guard froze, and her eyes widened. What the pony before her was describing sounded awfully familiar. “Go on, please. I need to hear more.”

Full on crying now, the mare nodded and tried to collect herself. “Well... I thought nothing of it, at first. He was so polite and pleasant, and he even helped me up, but when I felt for my broach to fix it... I chaff easily, you see, and the precious metals on the broach can sometimes irritate my fur, but I just love the color pallet, and-“

“Ma’am, focus!” Gem’s sudden outburst stunned the rambling mare. “I’m sorry. Please, I just need you to get back to your story. What happened after the colt helped you up?”

The tearful mare nodded again before she broke down completely. “It... It was gone! My beautiful broach is gone, and that miserable little monster stole it right from around my neck!”

At last, Gem understood. There was a pickpocket loose on the streets of the Crystal Empire, and she’d just let him slip through her hooves. She placed a reassuring hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “I need you to get a hold of yourself, ma’am. I’m going to look into this immediately and find your little thief.”

The mare choked up but agreed as her sobbing came to an end.

Gem turned and looked in the direction she last saw the colt run, and her thoughts started to drift. She wondered who he was and where he came from. Both were questions that pulled her back towards the barracks, leaving the streets behind.

The barracks were the center of all police and military operations in the Crystal Empire. It was also the place she spent the most of her time when on duty, but now that she was first lieutenant to Captain Amethyst, she had her own apartment in a nice part of the city close to the palace. It offered her a quite place to herself but mostly acted as a status symbol reflecting her prestigious position as an officer. Needless to say, Gem enjoyed the perks of command. Now, she was approaching Amethyst’s office, where the pony was no doubt being buried by paperwork.

Sure enough, as Gem turned the corner and looked into the open door that lead into the captain’s office, she saw a mountain of forms and other assorted documents come into view. She gently tapped on the frame of the door with her hoof. “Hello? Amethyst, are you available?”

At her desk, the purple unicorn’s eyes lit up and a huge grin came over her face as she saw Gem. “Yes!” She stood up and circumnavigated the large, wooden desk until she was in front of her. “I always have time for you, Gem. I don’t care what it is, just say you need me for something, anything to get me away from this.” She gestured to her desk. “I swear... If I see another requisition order for helmet plumages, I’ll shred it and use the scraps for kindling.”

Gem let out a light-hearted chuckle and nodded towards the door. “Well, if you’d like to walk and talk, I’ve got a favor to ask you regarding a potential case.”

Amethyst nodded quickly and followed her out into the corridor, and the two guards began walking towards the commissary. Once she was sure nopony else was around to overhear them, the captain looked over at Gem. “Alright, what’s this about? You’re not still searching for Chrysalis, are you?”

Gem shook her head quickly. “No, Amethyst... It’s nothing like that at all. I’ve almost given up on hunting her down entirely. Azalea is still determined, though... I’ve tried talking her out of it, but she has fire for revenge in her heart. Anyway, this is about something else. I’ve encountered what I believe to be a pickpocket this morning, and I need access to all case files on the subject.”

Amethyst raised an eyebrow at her. “A pickpocket? Really, Gem? I honestly think we have more pressing issues than petty theft.”

Gem shook her head. “No, captain, I think there’s more to it. He was only a colt, and he took something from another mare, her jewelry or something like it.”

The purple pony frowned and narrowed her eyes. “I see your point... If this colt isn’t straightened out now, he could be a bigger problem in the future. Let’s get you that case file.”

Gem felt a sense of relief wash over her, happy that Amethyst was on her side. Together, they passed the interrogation rooms and entered evidence storage. There, hundreds of filing cabinets held the records of every case ever conducted by the Royal Guards grouped by type, race, age, color, and any other categorizing features even Princess Twilight would be proud of. Because of the crystal guards’ efficiency, it didn’t take Amethyst long to find what they were looking for. “I think I’ve found something, Gem... Here’s a case file from nine months ago. An elderly mare reported having been pickpocketed by a little colt with black fur and red hair. She stated that he appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old.”

Gem took the file offered to her and looked it over. The age matched almost perfectly, and the fur and mane were a total match. “This is a good start. Is there more?”

Amethyst nodded before showing her another document. “Here’s a case report for the pickpocket. He was found by guards and processed. He has no parents or legal guardians, so he was going to be sent to a local orphanage, but before his sentence could be carried out, he escaped. His name is Carbon, and he’s fourteen years old. He hasn’t been seen since.”

Gem let out a long, shaky breath. “Until now...” She hadn’t known he was an orphan, but how could she? “I can find him, captain. I’ll bring him in, so we can put this behind us for good.”

Amethyst nodded and offered her a supportive smile. “Good to hear. You can have point on this one, but I want this done quick and clean. That means no repeats of last year and the petting zoo fiasco.”

The guard’s ears folded back, and her cheeks turned red. “You promised you wouldn’t bring that up again... Emerald’s never going to let that go, and you know it.” She took the case file and report up in her cloud of magic and tucked them both in her saddle pack. Gem turned to leave, but before she could reach the door, Amethyst stopped her.

“Gem, wait...”

She turned around, expecting her captain to offer her one last piece of advice, but she instead encountered a friendly embrace that pushed her cold, metal armor against fur. Amethyst had wrapped her prosthetic hoof around her back and pulled her close. “Be careful, alright?”

Gem felt herself melt in her friend’s hooves. The touch assured her that everything was fine and that it all would turn out fine. She nodded slowly as she breathed into the purple pony’s neck. “I will.” When they pulled away, she turned and left the evidence room before taking the case report back out of her saddle pack and studying the document in depth.

Determined now more than ever, she marched out of the barracks and back onto the streets of the empire. Gem tucked the report back away and looked in the direction she first walked earlier that morning. To find her suspect, she knew she’d have to retrace her steps, and of course, her plan to capture him would require a little changeling trickery. With everything she felt she would need for her new assignment, Gem began the long walk back to her personal quarters.

Along the way, she passed by her former enemies, now her friends and allies dressed in their shining armor. A group of guards stood outside of the commissary, talking amongst themselves, but they quickly grew silent when one of them spotted her. All of them saluted her, and one stepped forward to greet the officer with a stern look, saluting her as well. “Good morning, lieutenant.”

Gem didn’t bother waving back or returning the salute. She knew the private very well and in more ways than one. “Good morning, Private Azalea.” She quickly glanced over the other three guards and flashed them a smile. “You’re all at ease. May we speak alone, please?”

Without a word, the other guards nodded and disappeared into the commissary, leaving Gem and Azalea alone by the entrance. With the degree of privacy they both shared now, Gem removed her helmet and tucked it under her right leg before leaning in to plant a quick kiss on her fillyfriend’s lips.

Azalea reciprocated the action, pressing her mouth to Gem’s, but the kiss ended as quickly as it started, and she pulled away. “You’re on duty, Gemini. There’s rules and regulations against such intimacy between Royal Guards.”

Though her words said one thing, Gem knew she enjoyed it. She could tell Azalea was struggling to retain a smile. “Maybe... Captain Amethyst and Sergeant Onyx are married, though, and they break that rule all the time.”

Azalea looked at her indifferently and rolled her eyes. “Yes, but they have the professionalism you lack. Why I put up with you, I’ll never know. I suppose it’s just another one of life’s greatest mysteries.”

Gem let out a soft chuckle and took a step closer, shortening the distance between them. “You know exactly why you put up with me. You like me.” She raised the mare’s chin with her free hoof. “I like you too, Azalea...” Gem kissed her again, more tenderly this time and over a greater length of time. When it finally ended, both mares let out a long sigh. “I have some work to do, but I want to see you in my quarters tonight. Am I clear, Private Azalea?”

The younger guard snapped to attention, raising a hoof to her brow to salute the lieutenant, all while she wore a wide smile on her face. “Ma’am, yes ma’am!”

Gem cracked a silly grin and put her helmet back on. “Very good. Carry on.” She then continued on her way, leaving Azalea behind to meet back up with her friends. She had her own task to carry out, and the sooner she accomplished it, the better off everypony would be. She stopped by her quarters to undress and relieve herself from her armor, choosing to brave the cold Winter in her regular clothes before leaving the barracks and stepping outside. “Alright, Carbon...” She let out a shaky breath, watching the frost dissipate into the crisp air. “Let’s play your little game.”

***Up Next: Cat and Mouse***

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Part 2: Cat and Mouse

Gem moved throughout the busy streets of the Crystal Empire in search of the little urchin she had encountered before. That was some time ago, now, but she never lost track of her motivation to capture Carbon and bring him in for questioning. The streets were crowded and congested as ponies went about their lives, totally unaware of the changeling among them. The thought amused her, causing a smile to creep over Gem’s face as she envisioned herself in her true form amidst the bright and colorful ponies. Now that she was reformed, she might actually fit in, but there was no telling how the ponies might react. Besides, she liked the way she looked.

She turned onto a less traveled road that took her further and further away from the palace towards the street where Carbon hit her. Her reasoning was to return to the site of first contact with the little colt and go from there. With luck, he might even still be there. Gem tightened the grip her coat had on her body, snuggling it against her back as she braved the winter winds.

She passed by an ally, hardly taking the time to even glance inside, but something caught her attention. Two ponies, both of whom she assumed were stallions, were talking around the corner. They were concealed by garbage bins and snowfall, but that didn’t stop Gem from taking a second look and stopping just outside the ally with her ear to the corner of the wall that separated them.

“Where is that brat? He’s long overdue, and the boss is getting impatient.”

Then, she heard the second stallion.

“Forget about the little colt. I’m freezing my ass off here. I can’t stand the cold, but the boss wants this job done smoothly. You know, without the authorities knowing.”

“Yeah, but how well is that going? The brat got careless today, ran right into a guard. I saw the whole thing. He’s gonna have a lot to answer for when he shows his pathetic hide around here again.”

“He’s just a colt, Albite. Cut him a little slack. There wasn’t any harm done to the boss’ plan, was there?”

Gem began to back away slowly. They were talking about Carbon. It had to be him. She was almost certain of it. She turned to put some distance between her and the ally, and immediately tripped, falling over the hooves of another pony and hitting the ground. The commotion attracted several ponies walking by.

She looked up to see the pony that had tripped her and came face to face with Carbon. The colt recognized her instantly, despite her lack of armor. With wide eyes, the two of them stared at each other until Gem broke the stalemate and bared her teeth. “You...”

Carbon swallowed hard, wide-eyed and still as a statue. Then, in the blink of an eye, he bolted upright and ran. Gem struggled to get to her hooves, and she began to give chase, pushing aside two ponies that had gotten close after her fall. “Move! Get out of my way!” Carbon was small and fast, navigating through the pedestrians on the sidewalk with ease while the older mare forced her way through the crowds with brute force. “Stop him! Stop that colt!”

A random stallion up ahead tried to put himself in front of Carbon, but the little black unicorn sidestepped him easily and continued to evade her. Gem leaped over the stallion, clearing the top of him before hitting the pavement and continuing her pursuit. Carbon made a sharp turn onto another street, and a grave mistake.

As Gem rounded the corner, she realized that Carbon had been stopped by a pair of ponies moving a heavy crate from a wagon into a business. Before he could turn to make his getaway, she stomped on his red tale, and her horn began to glow. “Don’t you make a single move, kid. You’re mine, now.” Carbon looked around frantically, his eyes shifting from her hoof on his tail to the stallion movers that had blocked his path. Gem fired them a quick look. “This is Royal Guard business. It’s none of your concern, sirs.”

Then, with the magic from her horn, she began to pull Carbon by his ear, all the way back to the palace where she could question him. He offered little resistance, aside from the occasional pull from her magical grasp, but he didn’t say a word during the entire trip.

***

Back at the palace, Gem had thrown Carbon into an interrogation room before returning to Amethyst’s office to give her the good news. She knocked against the side of the door with her hoof to get the captain’s attention. “Amethyst... May I come in?”

Her friend’s eyes lit up when she saw her, and a wide smile came across her face. “Yes, Gem. Absolutely. Please, come in.” She stood up from her desk to greet the out of uniform guard. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon. Are you having trouble with your assignment?”

Gem beamed and shook her head. “No, Amethyst. Quite the opposite, actually. I’ve found Carbon. He’s waiting in interrogation room four right now.”

Amethyst raised an eyebrow at her. “Interrogation? Don’t you think that’s a little much?” Her words and the tone of her voice sounded like those of a mother, but in a sense, she really was.

Gem shook her head. “No, ma’am. I found something else, too. While I was out, I came across a two ponies talking about some job their boss wanted completed. It hardly sounded legal, and it involved Carbon. I’m sure of it. I think this is something bigger than petty theft, and we have to know more. Carbon could have the answers we need.”

Amethyst looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding her head. “Alright, Gem. I trust you on this. I’ll have Bismuth question Carbon. Then, we’ll see about getting him processed and put into foster care.”

Gem thought back to the two stallion’s she overheard. One of them had called Carbon ‘brat’, a term she had frequently used in reference to Pyrite a couple of years ago. She felt there was more to Carbon’s story that she wanted to uncover. Part of her felt sorry for his situation, a feeling she was not yet used to. Then, she let out a sigh. “Actually, Amethyst... I wanted to interrogate Carbon myself. It should be my responsibility. I caught him, after all.”

The captain raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you sure, Gem? You’ve never been in an interrogation room. You know, except for that time when we had to question you after the incident at the petting zoo.”

She felt her cheeks turn hot, and she bared her teeth. “Amethyst, you promised you’d stop bringing that up.” Then, she let out a long sigh. “Yes, please. I want to do this. Just give me ten minutes with the colt, and I’ll find out as much as I can about this operation he’s mixed up in.”

Amethyst nodded slowly and slumped against the desk behind her. “Alright, fine... You have ten minutes. Good luck, Gem.” Then, her lips curled into a smile. “You know I like to tease you. You’re just as sensitive as my husband.”

Gem didn’t want to believe that was true. Onyx was a hardened drill sergeant that could cry during emotional romance films. It was his rigidness that allowed him to connect so well with a wild mare like Amethyst. She bowed to her captain and smiled. “Thank you, ma’am. You won’t regret it.”

***

Dressed in her armor again, she peered through the one-way window looking into the small interrogation room. Carbon was sitting on a lone chair next to a table in the center of the otherwise empty box. After a few moments of silence, she braved herself for what was to come and left the window, rounding the corner and approaching the door.

A single guard stood outside, and he saluted her as she drew nearer. “Greetings, ma’am.”

Gem returned the salute and motioned with her head for him to step aside. “I’m here to question the kid.”

The guard nodded and moved out of her way, opening the door as he did so. “Yes, ma’am.”

She stepped inside, and the guard collapsed the door behind her, locking her inside the interrogation room with Carbon. The little colt looked up at her and glared but didn’t say anything. The verbal silence between them was deafening. Every time her hooves clopped against the cold, stone floor, they echoed loudly.

Gem eventually came to a stop on the opposite side of the table Carbon was sitting at, and she cleared her throat. “Hello again.” Still, the colt remained silent. Her eyes narrowed at him. “You know why you’re here, so why don’t we just make this easier on the both of us? You can’t be tried as an adult, but the trouble you’ve caused can ruin any chance you might have had at leading a decent life.” Silence. Gem bit her lower lip as she thought back to the ally. “Are you afraid, Carbon?”

Carbon shifted in the chair, and his gaze fell. “What would I have to be afraid of?”

Gem grinned. She’d finally managed to coax a few words out of him. Not wanting him to shut her out again, she pressed onward. “Those stallions you were going to meet... Are you afraid of them? If that’s the case, you needn’t be. You’re quite safe here, I can assure you.”

He looked up at her. “What do you want from me?”

Her smile faded. “I want to know what you know, Carbon. I want to know where to find the jewelry you took from that mare this morning. If you tell me what I want to know, I’ll make sure you are placed in a kind and generous foster home. You’ll be cared for and never have to worry about stealing to survive again. If you don’t... I can’t make any such guarantees.”

He glared at her, folding his hooves across his chest. “They tried to put me in foster care once, you know, after my parents died. That didn’t turn out too well.”

Gem winced, not having expected that kind of response. “I’m well aware of your previous attempts to escape the custody of your guardians, but I didn’t know about your parents... What happened to them?”

Carbon’s harsh glare softened, and the corners of his eyes began to water ever so slightly as he looked down at the table. “Why do you care?”

Seeing him cry caused her chest to twist into painful knots that she hadn’t experienced before. She circled the table until she stood beside him with her back to the window, placing a gentle hoof over his back. “Perhaps I care about what happens to you. Does that surprise you?” She paused for a brief moment. “If you don’t wish to tell me, we can talk later, alright?”

Then, she turned and began walking towards the door. Their session was over, so there was no point in continuing to pressure the colt into any more of an uncomfortable position. She didn’t want to cause him pain, but that seemed impossible to avoid the longer she remained in the room with him. As she reached the door and knocked to alert the guard outside that she was ready to leave, she heard a small voice behind her.

“My parents... They were killed by changelings...”

Gem froze by the door. Even after the guard had opened it up, her hooves remained glued to the floor. She didn’t dare turn back around to look at Carbon. She couldn’t. Overwhelming feelings she couldn’t describe began to wash over her. It was all she could do not to shake uncontrollably. “I’m so sorry...”

Then, she left the interrogation room as quickly as she could manage, shutting the door behind her.

***Up Next: Lost In Thought***

Part 3: Lost In Thought

Gem knew she wouldn’t be able to get a wink of sleep that night. After interrogating Carbon, she retreated to her room where she remained for the rest of the day, away from prying eyes so no pony could see how distraught she was. The little colt’s words burned into her mind and caused her chest to grow heavy with grief. He told her his parents had been killed by changelings. He was orphaned by her kind, and what made the whole situation worse was that she wasn’t sure if she was at fault or not. In her past, she had been the cause of misery for countless ponies. Gem was a killer, and it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities that she might have been the one to orphan Carbon.

With the sun gone from sight and the moon climbing higher into the night sky, she sat in her bed in her personal quarters and stared up at the ceiling, running over the day’s events in her mind again and again. It wasn’t until she heard a gentle knocking on the door that she came out of her trance-like state. “Who’s there?”

After a short pause, from behind the door came a muffled voice. “It’s me, Azalea.”

Gem wasn’t in the mood to see her, now, or anypony else for that matter, but she couldn’t turned her friend away. “Come in...”

The door opened, and her marefriend walked inside before closing the door behind her. As soon as she saw Gem, her eyes widened. “You look terrible. I know that look, Gem... That’s the same look you wore when you admitted you shared feelings for me. You’re remembering the past again, aren’t you?”

The lieutenant let out a long sigh and rolled over in bed to face Azalea. “You’re perceptive, I’ll give you that.” The look on her marefriend’s face told her she wasn’t about to let it go, so she sat upright and allowed Azalea to sit beside her. “I met a colt today, early this morning. He seemed so charming and sweet, but he turned out to be a little thief. He’s an orphan running around the streets of the empire, getting mixed up in Celestia knows what. Phasmid...” She looked Azalea in the eyes, knowingly using her real name. “While in questioning, he told he his parents died at the hooves of changelings.”

Azalea let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Her horn sparked to life, and her pony form burned away, revealing her true self. Even though Phasmid had metamorphosed like the vast majority of changelings, the scar on her chest was still visible from her near death experience with Gem. “Change for me.”

Gem didn’t want to change. She felt safe in her pony form, like a vail covered her body and protected her from all kinds of harm, but Phasmid coaxed her anyway. She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes, finally giving in to her marefriend’s request. Her own horn began to glow, and in no time at all, Cicada was free from her pony form.

Phasmid and Cicada were once bitter enemies, and both came very close to killing the other. Now, they say in bed together, sharing their love for each other instead of selfishly devouring it. Now, the two mares sat beside each other in their natural forms.

Phasmid looked her over and nodded approvingly. “Very good... Tell me, Cicada. Do you believe you believe you’re responsible for this colt’s situation?”

Cicada sighed and very gently lowered her head. “I do... I cannot forget my past wrongdoings, no matter how much I try or how much good I do to make up for it. My past hangs on my neck like a weight, and there are times when I cannot even breathe. Sometimes, I get lost in my own thoughts, thinking about the ways I could have done things differently, but at the end of the day, those are only dreams, nothing more.” She turned to look Phasmid in the eyes. “If my fears are true, that I am the reason that poor colt is without a family, then I will never be able to live with myself.”

Out of the corner of her gaze, she saw a hoof swinging towards her. Then, she heard a snack and felt the sting of the hoof connecting with her cheek. The burning mark began to throb, and Cicada rubbed tender area carefully. She stared at Phasmid. She was the one who had just struck her across the face, now wearing a dangerous look.

Phasmid glared at her, baring her teeth viciously. “Stop that... Don’t you dare say things like that. Don’t you ever think that.” Then, she wrapped her hooves around the shaking mare. “I understand that you have problems letting your past go, but you have friends now who depend upon you. Whether or not you’re the changeling he spoke of is something we might never know, so don’t put yourself in that position.” The two stared into each other’s eyes. “I love you, Cicada. It’s alright for you to love yourself a little. You deserve it.”

Then, she planted a kiss on her cheek, right where her hoof had made contact moments before. Cicada felt Phasmid’s lips cool the sting and let out a gentle gasp. “You’ve been speaking with Amethyst. I can tell.”

Phasmid kissed her cheek a second time. “I have indeed... Amethyst is a strong and wise mare, beautiful too. If she wasn’t already married to Sergeant Onyx, I would be trying to get into her bed, rather than yours.”

Cicada chuckled half-heartedly as she stroked her marefriend’s mane. “I’ve had similar thoughts about Amethyst, I must admit. There was a time when I even desired Onyx. You, on the other hoof... You are lucky to be granted the privilege to enter my bed with me.”

The kissing ceased, and Phasmid reared her head back and scoffed at her. “Privilege?! Now, that is funny, Cicada. I seem to recall you inviting me into your private quarters, not the other way around.” She pushed Cicada over in such a way that the she landed on her back. With the advantage now in her corner, Phasmid broke free from the older changeling’s grasp and pinned her down, grinning maliciously all the while. “Ha! I guess this proves who gets to be on top tonight...”

Cicada rolled her eyes and blew her mane out of her face. “Now you’re the one who’s having dreams, Phasmid.” In one, swift action, she used her rear legs to knock the rebellious changeling off balance and reverse their positions, efectivly pinning Phasmid down against the mattress sheets. “You seem to have forgotten that I’m always on top.”

Phasmid’s playful glare softened into a far more seductive look, and she batted her eyes up at her. “So you are... Very well, then. Ravish me, my love.”

***

The following morning, Cicada awoke to an empty bed, cold sheets, and a small note. It read:

Cicada, I have gone back to the mare’s bunk room to change and shower. I will see you on the field at drill practice. Thank you for the lovely night. I look forward to the next time you can put me in my place.

Yours and yours alone, Phasmid

She read the note twice more before holding it tightly against her chest. It wasn’t the first time Phasmid had left her before she woke up, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, but just once, she’d like the chance to actually wake up beside the mare she care so much for. Cicada folded the little note in two before opening her bedside drawer and placing it inside with the others she had received from her lover. She then quickly rose from her bed and stumbled to the shower on wobbly legs in order to ready herself for whatever the day offered.

Minutes later, she emerged from the steamy shower dripping wet. Staring at her full and healthy form in the mirror, she smiled. The love from her friends had made her constant hunger a thing of the past. Now, she never feared starvation. Cicada closed her eyes and concentrated on her pony persona. When her eyes opened again, Cicada was gone, and Gemini stood in her place.

Gem quickly worked with a brush to fix her mane the way she liked it and left her room behind. With a new day before her and a fresh sense of clarity, she sought out Amethyst. There was something weighing on her mind that needed to be addressed. It was Carbon. He was still being held in captivity, but she wanted to change that.

Out on the practice fields, a dozen squads of guards were already hard at work. Unicorn teams fired volley after volley of magic bolts across the field at targets made of wood and straw, pegasi fliers soared overhead, performing all kinds of intense maneuvers and tricks, and the earth ponies matched off against each other in hoof to hoof combat games. The captain of the Royal Guards, Amethyst, stood on a stone platform overlooking the fields.

Gem approached her from behind and cleared her throat, capturing Amethyst’s attention. “Good morning, captain.”

She smiled back, holding up a steaming cup as an offering to the changeling. “Good morning, Gem. Would you like some? You look like you’ve just crawled out of bed.”

Gem nodded her head and accepted the delicious gift. “I did... Azalea failed to wake me... It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Amethyst wasn’t the most strict disciplinary. Before she was a leader, she was a rebellious rule breaker herself. “Well, you haven’t missed much. Everypony is performing admirably, but I do enjoy watching Onyx chew out the new recruits.” She pointed towards the unicorns on the field. “Some have been missing their mark, and he feels the best solution is to yell in order to help them concentrate.”

Gem let out a light chuckle. “Your husband sounds like he’s the one who could use a little coffee. Why don’t you offer him some?” The two mares shared a laugh before returning their attention to the guards in training. Gem took a long sip from her beverage, pondering on how to proceed with her idea. “Captain, I have a question regarding Carbon.”

Amethyst let out a sigh. “I’m sorry the interrogation didn’t go the way you wanted, but I can’t allow you to question him again. He’s to be processed today and moved into foster care.”

The changeling shook her head. “No... That wasn’t what I was about to ask. I don’t wish to question him again, but I think sending the colt back into foster care would be a bad idea.” Amethyst raised an eyebrow at her. Now that she had her attention, Gem took in and let out a deep breath. “I would like to take Carbon into my custody. I could take full responsibility for him and keep him out of trouble.”

Silence filled the space between them as Gem impatiently waited for a response. The longer the silence lingered, the more nervous she became. Wanting to take care of Carbon was not an easy decision to come to, but deep down, she felt like she owed that much to the little colt.

Amethyst looked thoughtful, but the frown on her face told her that she was not thrilled by her notion. “Gem, that’s a big request. If things went wrong, and there’s a lot that could go wrong, you could be put in prison. I don’t want that to happen to you because of this colt. You need to let this go.”

Gem shook her head. “I can’t... I feel responsible for his care.” She wondered if Amethyst knew about her revelation, about Carbon being orphaned by changelings. “I mean... What I’m trying to say is that this is really important to me. I have a house outside of the palace I’ve never had a use for until now. I can keep him there, clothe him, feed him, and be in charge of his care. Please, Amethyst, allow me this.”

She was on the verge of pleading, hoping to change her captain’s mind. To her amazement, she did.

Amethyst held up a hoof to cut her off. “Alright... Alright, Gem. Meet me in my office after practice, and we’ll talk about this some more. I’ll need approval from Princess Cadence, to give you custody of the colt, but once I do, you should be able to take him.”

Gem’s heart exploded in her chest, and she threw her hooves around Amethyst’s neck. “Oh, thank you!” Then, she planted a big kiss on the captain’s cheek. “Mmmmmuah! You won’t regret this. I’ll turn him around before you know it.”

The three-legged unicorn couldn’t help smiling in response to her joy. “Glad to hear it.” She turned and pointed towards the training ponies. “Feel free to step in wherever you feel is necessary. I’m going to head down there and make sure Onyx isn’t being too hard on them.”

Gem watched as Amethyst stepped down from the platform and began walking down the hill towards the practice field. Now that she was alone, she could stare at the guards as long as she pleased, but she couldn’t bring herself to focus on them. Her thoughts were with Carbon, and she wouldn’t rest until he was safely in her clutches.

***Up Next: The Guardian***

Part 4: The Guardian

Against all odds, Gem’s wish was granted. She didn’t know how Amethyst was able to convince her superiors to allow the transfer, but it went through anyway. She figured it to be just another example of her persuasive and convincing nature.

She approached the holding cells with a sense of excitement in her steps. The rest of the day was already hers. Now, all there was to collect was the colt. Gem came to a stop in front of a lonely cell and motioned for a nearby guard to bring the keys.

From inside the cell, Carbon looked up at her and scowled. “You again... What do you want now? I don’t have anything to say to you.”

The guard arrived with the keys and began unlocking the cell door, surprising the colt.

Gem chuckled at his taken expression. “I’m releasing you, Carbon. You should be grateful.” As the door opened, she beckoned for him to follow her. “Come, now. We’re leaving.”

He looked back and forth between her and the other guard with a feeling of disbelief in his eyes. In an effort to reassure him of her intentions, Gem beckoned him with an open hoof and the friendliest smile she could manage.

To her astonishment, he actually came forward, leaving the cell behind and joining her in the corridor. “Where am I going? What’s going to happen?”

Gem’s smile widened. “You are being transferred into my custody, little Carbon. We are going home where you will stay until such time has passed that the captain and I deem you of legal age and release you.”

His ears folded back. “Wh-What? That’s four years away. I don’t want to stay locked in some guard’s house for that long!”

Defiance rode on the edge of his voice, troubling Gem and causing her smile to vanish. “The Alternative is less forgiving, Carbon. If you don’t come with me, the captain will have no choice but to place you back under foster care.” Carbon stayed silent and made no more arguments, earning a nod of approval from the guard towering over him. “Very well... Let us depart immediately. There is a lot to do in the way of making preparations.”

Carbon scowled at her again. “What does that mean for me?”

She took his jab lightly and smirked in reply. “It means, colt, that I’m going to see you taken care of.”

***

After braving the cold and trudging through the snow block after block, Gem and Carbon arrived in a part of the city that stood out above the rest, one that was more exclusive and lousy with ponies of class and breeding.

Every time she would look back at Carbon, making sure he was still behind her and hadn’t tried to make a break for it, his head would be turning in all directions to see the sights around him. His eyes lit up at everything he saw from the elaborately decorated street lamps to the expensive stores and restaurants. They passed these by, however.

Gem wore a smile on her face, her chest fluttering, as she lead him to her apartment complex. The building before them rose high above the others that surrounded it, and it glittered majestically in the snowfall.

At the door, standing outside the apartment, was a hulking brute of a stallion. Despite his size, he was dressed sharply in a mint-green uniform, and he wore a cap of the same color that sat just behind his horn.

He tipped his hat to them as they approached. “Good day, Mistress Gemini.” Then, he noticed the little colt trailing close behind her, looking up at him with a nervous look in his eyes. “Who’s this? mistress, you never told me you had a foal of your own.”

Gem’s chest twisted itself into knots as she looked back and forth between Carbon and the stallion blocking the door. “Oh... Oh, no... It’s not like that Bulk. He’s not mine. The colt is going to be in my custody for a while.” Carbon noticeably rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible, causing her to glare at him. “A long while...”

Bulk, the door steward, let out a hearty laugh and stepped aside to let them pass. “Right, Mistress Gemini. Lots of luck to you and the little guy, huh?”

Gemini sported a kind smile and offered him a short bow to show her gratitude. “Indeed, Bulk. Thank you, as always. Of all the ponies in this city, you are among my favorites.”

Once inside the apartment complex, the guard and colt made their way across the lobby towards an elevator that would take them up. Just like when they were outside, Carbon looked captivated by everything he saw. Another pony in uniform was waiting by the elevator. She opened the doors for them, and Gemini stepped inside the box with Carbon by her side. “Good day. What floor do you wish to reach, mistress?”

Gem nodded respectfully towards her. “Thank you, um... ten, please.”

The mare obliged her, and closed the gate that separated the elevator from the lobby. Then, she wrapped a hoof around a nearby lever and gave it a pull, causing the elevator to rise as gears overhead began to turn.

As the box began to rise and the lobby disappeared beneath them, Gem watched Carbon out of the corner of her eye. His gaze was fixed on the gate. She wondered what he must be thinking, being in such a strange position, but then again, she was in just as strange of a place, taking care of a colt. In her mind, she thought about what Azalea might think, but those thoughts were interrupted as the the elevator came to a stop on the tenth floor.

“Here we are.” The mare in uniform smiled at them as she opened the gate. “Have a wonderful day.”

Gem disembarked the box with Carbon, and the two of them made their way down the corridor, passing several doors along the way, until they came to a stop in front of the door that opened into her home. When Carbon hesitated to enter, she took his hoof in hers and pulled him inside.

The entry hall opened up into a large, central room that branched off into various other parts of the suit. Gem noticed that Carbon hadn’t moved from entry hall, but his eyes darted to every corner of the central room, full of wonder. She cracked a smile and motioned with her head for him to follow her. “Come in, Carbon. This is going to be your home for a while.”

To her amazement, he took several steps forward, his head remaining on a swivel as he looked at everything the suit had to offer. Gem lead him across the room to another door that lead to a small guest room. It never saw any use, because Azalea always shared her bed when she visited.

Gem opened the guest room door and allowed Carbon to look inside. With wide eyes, he stared into the room and swallowed hard before speaking for the first time since they arrived. “Is... that for me?” She nodded her head. “I’ve never had one of those...”

The guard smirked at him and coaxed the colt inside to inspect the room. “What do you mean? You’ve never had a room like this to yourself?”

Carbon shook his head. “No... this.” He placed a hoof on the bed and pressed down into the mattress.

It was then that Gem began to truly understand just what kind of life this colt had endured before she met him, living on the run, alone on the cold streets of the empire, lost and without a family. It broke her heart, and the feeling worsened at the notion that she might be the one responsible for his suffering. She shook the thought from her head, remembering what Azalea had told her.

It wouldn’t do her any good to dwell on such bad ideas. All she could do now was help Carbon in whatever way she could.

Gem cleared her throat subtly, getting his attention. “Um... Take as long as you need to get aquatinted with the space, Carbon. Would you like anything to eat?” When he nodded his head meekly, she smiled. “Very well. I don’t have much food here, but I’ll call the front desk and have them deliver something.”

She began to back out of the room and close the door when she heard a faint voice. It was Carbon. Gem wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly, but it sounded as though he had muttered ‘thank you’. A delightful feeling swelled inside of her stomach, a feeling known only to changelings when they were receiving love. It was the equivalence of sustenance. Though it was still too early to tell if Carbon truly loved her, this development was certainly a step in the right direction.

Now giddy with excitement, Gem retreated to her room to decide on what to order for herself and Carbon to eat.

***Up Next: The Little Trickster***

Part 5: The Little Trickster

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