Amethyst didn't get a wink of sleep that night. In her bed, she tossed and turned as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind over and over again. Every so often, her eyes would glance towards the door, then to Pyrite’s crib, then back to the door. As hard as she tried to think about something else, she couldn't bring herself to shake the notion that she wasn't safe.
A changeling infiltrating the barracks was a huge deal and a crippling blow to the security of the Crystal Empire. No pony, except for Onyx, knew about her secret mission to find the guard wasn't who he claimed to be, but the entire palace was still on high alert.
Then, her mind shifted to Onyx. She couldn't get the stallion out of her head, and it was driving her mad. Unable to sit still any longer, she rose from her bed and hopped to the floor.
Pyrite stirred in her sleep at the sound of her mother approaching the crib, and she looked up with tired eyes. “Mmmm… Mama?”
Amethyst smiled down at her. “Hey, baby…” She reached into the crib and lifted the little changeling up into her hooves, cradling her affectionately. “You’ve really managed to make my life more exciting, haven't you?”
Pyrite cooed softly in her mother’s grasp, extending her hooves as she stretched. Amethyst slowly spun in circles while bouncing the baby tucked between her leg and chest. She could hardly remember what her life was like before she had Pyrite. She was happy, there was no arguing that point. Amethyst worked with ponies she liked and respected while protecting the empire she loved every single day. Her duties as a guard were her passion, not her chore, but meeting the changeling definitely had a strong impact on her.
Amethyst had been taught her whole life to believe that changelings devoured love, like a parasite draining its host victim. In most cases, that might have been true, like when Shining Armor was under the control of Queen Chrysalis at his wedding so long ago, but Amethyst felt no such drain of love.
This was because Pyrite loved her in return. They shared the love they felt for each other. Amethyst truly loved Pyrite, and Pyrite loved her more than anything in the world. There was nothing parasitic about her. It was the sharing of love that made her feel stronger than she ever had before.
“You're getting so big, Pyrite…” Amethyst laughed softly as she poked her baby’s belly, extracting a fit of giggles from her. “You don't have to grow up so fast… I won't mind if you stay the way you are…”
Pyrite reached up with a chubby hoof and began batting at a lock of Amethyst’s green mane. That was usually her behavioral response to anything the mare said. Amethyst often wondered how much got through to Pyrite when she spoke to her, but her happy thought was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. It startled them both.
The guard quickly set Pyrite down inside her crib and raised a hoof to her lips, silently telling her to stay quiet. Amazingly, she understood and took cover underneath her blankets. Amethyst quietly approached the door, making sure not to alert anypony on the other side. Her horn began to glow, and she tore the door wide open, pointing her horn out into the corridor. When she saw who it was, she raised her horn, and the glow faded.
“Onyx…”
The stallion nodded his head as he rubbed his eyes. The sudden glow from Amethyst’s horn had left him blinded and disoriented. When his vision returned, he glanced around the room inside before meeting the mare’s gaze. “I'm guessing the two of you couldn't sleep either?”
Amethyst let out a long, tired sigh, nodding her head. “Well… Pyrite was sleeping just fine, actually. Me, on the other hoof…”
Onyx smiled sadly. “Yeah, I understand.” His gaze shifted to the floor. He looked deep in thought. “May… I come in?”
Amethyst didn't see any reason as to why he couldn't. Technically, it was strictly forbidden for a stallion to be in a mare’s quarters or vice versa, but that would be just another one of the many rules Amethyst had broken. Needless to say, it was already a long list, and Amethyst didn't mind breaking a few more. She stepped aside, letting Onyx walk into her quarters.
He spotted Pyrite in her crib and smiled at her reassuringly. “It's alright, little one. It's only me.”
Amethyst smirked as she lifted her baby out of the crib using her magical cloud. “Yeah, it's just Onyx. It's not like he's anypony important or threatening…”
His ears folded back as a frown came across his face. Amethyst saw and mockingly rolled her eyes. “By Celestia’s name… I was joking, Onyx. I thought you were tough.”
His smile returned as he let out a light chuckle. “What? I can't be sensitive?”
Amethyst laughed aloud and shook her head. There is was again, that feeling she got in her chest when talking to him. It was like her chest was swelling to the point of bursting open. She kissed Pyrite on the cheek before setting her back down.
The changeling was happy to be back inside her crib, and she quickly found a spot to settle on. In a matter of moments, she was snoring softly. Amethyst wished it was that easy for her. She could tell Onyx was thinking the same thing, but his eyes kept glancing towards the open door.
He sighed softly, not wanting to wake up Pyrite. “Maybe it's time for me to head back… I've held enough of your time.”
A feeling of despair washed over Amethyst. She didn't want him to leave. Not now that he was within her grasp.
“Wait…” Her hoof reached out without her even thinking, firmly holding his shoulder. Onyx quickly spun around to face her, meeting her pleading gaze. “Don't leave me…” Her eyes fell. “I won't be able to sleep on my own…”
The stallion cocked his head to the side. “You… want me to sleep… with you?”
Without meeting his eyes, Amethyst nodded her head. “Yes… If you’ll stay...”
Onyx didn't know how to respond. He wasn't normally the rule breaker, and sleeping with other guards was most certainty prohibited. Amethyst stood before him, shifting back and forth on her hooves, waiting patiently for an answer.
After what seemed like an eternity, Onyx slowly nodded his head. “Al-Alright…”
He closed the door behind him and followed Amethyst to her bed. She climbed in first, opening the covers for him to follow her. Onyx climbed into the bed behind her, carefully positioning himself so as to not touch her inappropriately, but Amethyst nestled against him, pressing her back into his stomach. After overcoming his initial surprise, he draped his left leg over her shoulder, completing the ‘spoon’ position.
The lack of opposition from Amethyst told him he was doing something right. Then, he heard a long sigh escape on the tip of her breath, and her chest slowly began to rise and fall. “Thank you… Onyx…”
The stallion’s eyes also began to close. Surrounded by warmth and the comfort of Amethyst’s company, Onyx realized just how tired he truly was. In no time at all, he too fell victim to his desire for rest, and his eyes closed completely, remembering only the smell of Amethyst’s emerald mane.
***
When Amber came by to collect Pyrite the following morning, she was surprised by the locked door. Amethyst usually left it open so she could take Pyrite off of her hooves during morning drills.
“Amethyst?” She pounded her hoof against the door several times. “Amethyst, I'm here for Py-”
The door cracked open, and the sergeant poked her head out. When she saw it was Amber, her lips curled into a huge grin. “Oh, great, you're here! Hold on, and let me get Pyrite for you.”
Amber wanted to say something, but she was never given the chance. Amethyst ducked back into her room and slammed the door in the young mare’s face. Seconds later, the door opened again, a little wider this time. Pyrite walked through the door and into the hall, stopping just before Amber’s hooves. This time, Amber got a better look at Amethyst.
“Here you go… Have fun, you two!”
She was about to close the door again before Amber stuck her hoof into the door, stopping it. “Hold on… Is your mane wet? I've never seen you take morning showers, Amethyst. You allways take them at night, before you go to bed.”
Amethyst froze and quickly raised a hoof to her dripping mane. “I… uh… Well, you see…”
Her sentence went nowhere as she tried to formulate a believable response, but it was far too late. “Hey, Amy, are you coming back? I got the water temperature just right!”
Amber’s eyes widened. The voice had belonged to none other than Onyx. Her eyes shifted back and forth between Amethyst and the room inside. When her gaze met the sergeant’s again, her lips curled into a sly grin. “Amethyst, you didn't…”
Amethyst let out a quiet sigh of relief. It was obvious her friend wasn't going to tell anypony about her little secret. “I did…” Amethyst looked over her shoulder. “I'll be there in a second, Onyx! Amber is here for Pyrite!”
The stallion behind her turned bright red, eyes wide, before retreating quickly back into the bathroom. Amber caught only a fleeting glimps of him before he dissapeared. She turned her attention back towards Amethyst. “Wh… When did this happen?”
The mare smiled as she recalled the intimate ‘alone time’ she had shared with Onyx the night before. “Just last night… Neither of us could sleep, so he came over, and…”
Amber had to bit her lower lip to keep herself from squealing. “Amethyst, you bad mare!” Then, she broke into a fit of laughter and snorts. “Did… Did he call you ‘Amy’, just now?”
Amethyst firmly planted a hoof on Amber’s chest and pushed her gently into the corridor. “Yes, but we’ll have to talk later… Have fun with Pyrite.”
She gave Amber a wide smile before closing the door, leaving her alone in the corridor with the little changeling. Pyrite looked up at her with a blank expression. Then, she looked back down the corridor, towards the door.
“Mama?” She turned around and took one step in the opposite direction she was supposed to be going before Amber stopped her.
Amber chuckled, shaking her head. “No, Pyrite. Your mother has some…” Her mind entertained the thought of Amethyst and Onyx in the shower together. “She’s got some things she needs to take care of. I'm certain she'll come find you when she's through.”
Reluctantly, Pyrite quietly agreed to follow Amber further and further away from the sergeant’s quarters. Several guards passed them by, some dressed in their suits of armor. Amber kept a wary eye on them. She knew that, by now, most guards in the barracks accepted Pyrite, but there were exceptions. These guards would mostly keep to themselves and offer Pyrite and anypony with her a mean glare, but it wouldn't be long before they would be brave enough to physically harass them. Regardless, it paid to stay alert at all times when it came to Pyrite’s safety.
As Amber turned around a corner, she spotted another guard at the far end of the corridor. At first, she wasn't sure, but as they got closer, Amber became certain that the guard ahead was looking directly at her. A unicorn stood in their path, blocking their way to the commissary. Not wanting to cross paths with any unfriendly guard that might want to harm Pyrite, Amber looked to her left and to her right, searching for any alternate routes to the dining hall, but there were none. To get where they were going, Amber and Pyrite would have to pass by the guard.
“Stick close to me, Pyrite. I don't want to lose you again…”
Her message had been received, loud and clear. Pyrite took refuge under Amber’s legs, walking with the guard with their hooves in sync. They were dangerously close to the guard ahead, now, and Amber was feeling more and more nervous. It looked as though the guard was sizing her up, watching her every move while assessing her.
Then, the guard in front of them removed her helmet, revealing a bright smile as she began walking towards them. “You must be Amethyst!” She had an elated look on her face, like a filly on her birthday.
Amber, having never met the mysterious mare before her, returned only a confused expression and cocked her head. “I… I don't mean to be rude, but do I know you?”
The mare before her quickly shook her head. “No, of course not… I'm new here, you see, but I've heard so much about you. What you did in the Frozen North is nothing short of heroic. Is…”
Her eyes widened as she spotted Pyrite hiding under Amber’s legs. “Is this her? Is this your daughter?”
“Wh-What? My daughter?” Amber looked down at Pyrite, who looked back at her. She quickly shook her head. “You must be confused… I'm Amber, a friend of Amethyst.” Amber raised her hoof and pointed down the corridor, towards the bunk rooms and officers’ quarters. “Amethyst is down that way, uh… talking to Sergeant Onyx.”
The mysterious mare’s look of excitement deflated like a poorly tied balloon. “Oh… My apologies… I saw you with this… young filly, and I assumed you were her adopted mother.”
Diverting her attention away from Amber, she extended a hoof towards Pyrite. “Come out, little thing… I promise, I won't bite…”
Amber let out a light chuckle. “Don't worry if she ignores you. Pyrite is always afraid of strangers, and she won't go near…”
Her voice trailed away until it fell silent. As the words were coming out of her mouth, Pyrite had emerged from the shelter that was Amber’s legs, and she was boldly approaching the new mare. Pyrite looked up at her with big, curious eyes, and the mare looked back at her, grinning from ear to ear.
“She's a remarkable filly, from what I've heard…”
A statement like that could mean anything, and considering everything that had already happened, Amber wasn't ready to take any chances with Pyrite. Amber quickly put a protective hoof around the little changeling, pulling her back. “What… have you heard about her?”
It was no big secret to the guards around the barracks that Pyrite wasn't really Amethyst’s daughter, but Amber didn't want to say more than the new guard needed to know. The guard eyed Pyrite as she put her helmet back on, her eyes never leaving the filly. “I've heard that she's changeling foal a mare named ‘Amethyst’ stole from the Frozen North…”
Now, that was a new word to describe what had happened in the snowy wasteland. Amber had heard ‘found’, ‘saved’, and ‘adopted’, but never ‘stole’. She frowned at the new guard.
“Amethyst stole nothing. She rescued Pyrite from a cave in the frozen north. Without Amethyst, Pyrite would…” Amber looked down at the little changeling, carefully deciding her next words. “She'd be dead…”
The new guard took on a softer expression as she looked back and forth between Amber and Pyrite. “Pyrite? Is that her name?” She extended her hoof towards the changeling once again.
Pyrite, obviously interested by the new guard’s open hoof, tried to reach her, only to be pulled back by Amber. “It was Amethyst’s idea to name her Pyrite, because of her… abilities…”
The new guard managed a soft chuckle as she retracted her hoof. “An appropriate name for such a gifted filly, no doubt.” She gave the little changeling a warm smile before turning her attention back to Amber. “I'd love to meet Amethyst… Do you know where I can find her? Surely, you must be close to Amethyst in order for her to trust you with her… uh, daughter.”
Pyrite was getting bored listening to the two older mares talk, and she began searching for the source of a smell she was familiar with. Lead by her nose, Pyrite approached the mysterious mare once again.
The closer she got, the stronger the scent became. The guard shifted nervously as Pyrite grazed her legs, sniffing the pockets of the saddlepack hanging on her back. “Wh-What is she… What is this?”
Amber was quick to grab Pyrite and pull her away from the new guard. “I'm so sorry about that. Pyrite just loves field rations. Amethyst fed her rations when we first found her in the cave. Now, she can't get enough of the disgusting things.” Amber chuckled softly at the memory. “She probably thinks you have some for her.”
The guard frowned, pursing her lips. “Rations? I'm still learning my way around, and I'm unfamiliar with a lot of the field supplies. If it's ‘rations’ she's after…” She reached into her saddle pack with her magic and pulled out a small, transparent bag filled with a dozen, little cubes. “Are these what you are looking for, little thing?”
Pyrite’s eyes lit up at the sight of the tasteless bites, and she began leaping up onto the air, trying to snatch the bag out of the guard’s grasp. The guard lifted the bag just a little, just far enough to be out of the changeling foal’s reach. “Hmmm… Very interesting…”
She shifted her gaze towards Amber. “Very well, Miss Amber, I'll give them to you. Perhaps, young Pyrite could enjoy them later, once the two of you are finished at the commissary.” The new guard passed the bag along to her, as promised. “I'm, Gemini, by the way. You can call me Gem, if you'd like. All of my friends do, or they would if I had any...”
Amber didn't know what to say. It was an act of kindness, to be certain, but one question still tugged at the back of her mind. Why? Who was this mare, and why was she so interested in Amethyst and Pyrite? “Thank you…”
She slipped the rations into her own saddlepack. “It's been… nice meeting you, Gem, but we really must be going.”
The guard nodded her head and smiled. “Of course, Miss Amber. I hope to see more of you.”
Pyrite looked back and forth between Amber and the mare that called herself ‘Gem’. “Ma… Mama?”
Amber quickly ushered the little changeling filly along, past the new guard. “Yes, Pyrite, your mother will be along soon. I'm sure if it. Now, let's get you some real food, yeah?”
No more words were exchanged between the two mares, and they parted ways at last. Amber took Pyrite by the hoof and lead her away, towards the commissary. All the while they walked, Pyrite kept turning her head to look behind them, quietly whimpering. Amber felt the same way. She too wasn't sure how to feel about her new ‘friend’.
***
Gem walked quietly past the commissary, keeping her chin low and her eyes glued to the floor. After making sure she hadn't been followed by any suspicious ponies, she slipped into the mares’ restroom and dropped her saddlepack. She looked into the mirror and removed her helmet. Letting out a long sigh, Gem began fixing her mane.
“You're a long way from home, Cicada…”
She let out a shrill cry and spun around before stumbling and knocked her helmet off of the counter. Breathing heavily, Gem slowly recovered each breath she had lost in her moment of terror. “Mantis… I should have know it was you… Is this really all the ‘hello’ I get?”
A unicorn emerged from the shadows, clad in guard armor. He wore a look that would send shivers down anypony’s spine. “Queen Chrysalis gave this assignment to me. Why are you here, Cicada?” Gem replied with silence and an innocent shrug, earning a frustrated snarl from the stallion. “Don't play games with me! Our queen’s rule is at risk as long as that little brat is still breathing.”
Gem smirked and caressed the stallion’s chin. “Well, if you had been done your job in the Frozen North like you were supposed to, the queen wouldn't have had to send me to clean up your mess, Mantis. Chrysalis only sends me when things go wrong…” Gem’s eyes narrowed as she leaned in towards Mantis. Her lips were only a hot breath away from his. “Things have gone very wrong, Mantis…”
The unicorn stomped his hoof objectively. “I did my job… That cave is probably buried under a mountain of snow, by now. Phasmid and the rest of those traitors have been permanently silenced.”
Gem rolled her eyes and turned back around to face the mirror. “Yes, you did an excellent job…” Her tone sounded more sarcastic, now. “However, killing an infant whose only word is ‘Mama’ is far out of your reach of abilities, it seems.” She smiled at her own figure in the mirror as she fixed her mane. “Hmm… How does this look? I'm still not sure about this coloring…”
The stallion let out a vicious snarl and spun her around. “Do you think this is easy, parading around as a Royal Guard, non-stop?! I've tried many times to strike, but the little brat is always protected. I was almost caught yesterday, trying to kill her. I think they suspect me of…”
Gem held a hoof to his lips, quickly silencing him. “Shhhhh… Don't speak… The sound of your voice irritates me…” She let out a long sigh. “What matters now is that we kill Pyrite. If Queen Chrysalis hears you've failed again, you'll be joining those traitors in the Frozen North as a mangled corpse.” Gem’s words hit the stallion like strikes from a hammer. “Pyrite cannot grow up to become a queen.”
He nodded his head. “I understand, but…”
Gem raised a swift hoof, cutting him off. “If Shining Armor suspects you of anything, then you must change your look. Now Silvershield, find another guard, kill him, and take his place. We need to befriend Amethyst, if there's to be any chance of getting close to Pyrite.”
The changeling eased a little as Gem lowered her hoof. “Amethyst will not be so easy to fool… Don't underestimate her…”
Gem chuckled menacingly. “She's drunk on love. Can't you smell it, or is your nose getting dull as your brain?” She put her helmet on and gathered her saddlepack. “You focus on finishing off the brat. Leave Amethyst to me…”
***
Amethyst gasped as she fell out of the steamy shower. Onyx stumbled after her, breathing heavily as he reached for a towel. Both guards felt better than they ever had before. No words were exchanged between them. Nothing could be said to describe what they had both experienced. Only wide grins were shared as they dried off before exiting the bathroom.
When the door opened, a billowing cloud of steam poured from the bathroom, and Amethyst and Onyx walked out into the bedroom together, both taking shallow, rapid breaths as they recovered from their exhaustion. As they finished drying off outside the bathroom, Onyx was the first to actually speak.
“Whoa…”
Amethyst raised an eyebrow towards him and smiled. “Whoa? That's all you have to say after… that?”
Onyx raised a hoof in self defense. “Look, it's been awhile for me, Amethyst. My mind’s a bit jumbled right now.”
Amethyst nodded her read respectively and let out a long breath as she sat down. “No kidding… Me too. It's been so long since I've felt so…” Her gaze fell to the floor, and her expression changed drastically. The look on her face was one of hardship and betrayal. It was a look of resentment. “Never mind… Let's get ready for work.”
She stood up and strided across the room, towards a mannequin that held the many pieces of gilded metal that made up her suit of armor. Onyx watched with disbelief as she ignored him. “Hold on, Amethyst… What did you mean by that? What happened?”
She turned her back to him as she applied her armor. “One minute, you were… you, and the next, you just… what happened?”
Amethyst spun around, and Onyx could see the fire burning in her eyes. “I said ‘never mind’, Onyx. It's none of your concern.”
Onyx frowned as he began reaching for his own suit of armor. “Well, it's causing me a lot of concern…”
The fire in her eyes was extinguished, and a meek grin forced its way onto her lips. She could tell that he really did care, that her well being was high on his list of priorities. “I… I'll tell you later, stud… Is that alright?”
The frown on his face had dissipated, but he still shifted nervously on his hooves. “So long as it isn't bad and it isn't about me…”
Amethyst laughed out loud at his innocent response. “No… Of course, it isn't about you.”
Then, there was a drastic shift in her expression. She took on a more ‘serious’ look, and the tone of her voice deepened ever so slightly. “If I was upset with you, Onyx, you would know about it, believe me.”
An awkward silence fell over the two of them like a blanket as the finished dressing for the day ahead of them. Not wanting to leave on such a somber note, Amethyst approached Onyx from behind until she stood next to him, and she gently hit her rear against his, causing the metal platings covering their bodies to clash. “You were pretty good in there… Why don't we come back in a little while and pick up where we left off?”
Onyx turned red under his helmet. “Y-Y-Yeah?”
Amethyst couldn't hold back the sly grin that was creeping along her lips and the red growing in her cheeks. “Yeah…”
***
With the excitement of the day toning down, the guards returned to their normal duties or breaks, while others went to the showers or recreational areas.
In the stallion's locker room, one guard let out an exhausted sigh as he began to remove his armor. Plate by plate, the pieces came off of their straps and fell to the tile floor with a loud ‘clang’. The last piece to come off was his helmet. He set it down on the bench to his left and looked into his locker.
There was a mirror inside, hanging on the back wall. He ruffled his mane and brushed it to the side before grabbing a small bottle of polisher. It was every guard’s best friend, the polisher. Long days added a lot of grime and smudges to the surface of their armor, and the polisher was the easiest solution. It was a guard’s duty to look pristine while serving the Princess Cadence and the empire.
He picked up his helmet and began applying the polisher. With a soft cloth that was hanging inside the locker, he rubbed the paste into the metal surface of the armor plating. The result was a shimmering reflection. Satisfied with the work he had done, the guard set his helmet down and began working on another plate of armor.
“You missed a spot, Emerald.”
The guard let out a surprised yelp and dropped the plate. It hit the ground, causing him to flinch at the loud sound it created. Then, he looked towards the door, and a shocked expression came over his face. “Si-Silvershield? Is that you?”
He stood in the doorway, eyeing Emerald carefully. “Yeah, buddy… It’s me…”
The younger guard let out a sigh of relief before chuckling. “You got me good.” Then, Emerald looked around the locker room, being extra careful to make sure they were alone. “Silver, I don't know about you, but I think something weird is going on. Rumors are floating around that there was a changeling in the barracks. Can you believe that?”
Silvershield remained silent as he approached the guard. “No, I can't… Changelings wouldn't dare come this far south from the Frozen North. The empire is too well guarded.” He pat him on the back. “Ponies like us are what stand between the empire and all of the scary things out in the world.”
Emerald nodded his head and laughed. “You got that right, Silver. I don't know what I was thinking, listening to silly rumors. The Crystal Empire hasn't had any kind of excitement since a baby dragon from Ponyville lit a torch, or something, but hey, that's what friends are for, right? You keep me in line, Silver.” His smile widened. “Hell, my brother in Canterlot sees more excitement than me on a daily basis. He’s one of Princess Celestia’s guards.”
While Emerald’s back was turned, Silvershield lowered his horn, and it began to glow, but he hesitated. He knew what he had to do, what needed to be done, but for reasons he couldn't understand, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Silvershield couldn't bring himself to kill Emerald.
What the younger guard said was true. Even though he was an undercover changeling, Silvershield might go so far as to call him ‘friend’ in return.
“I… I can't… I need somepony else…”
He let out a frustrated sigh, and the glow of his horn dissipated. Confused, Emerald turned around to face him. “What? What are you talking about, Silver? Why do you need somepo- Ach!”
A sickly green cloud of magic surrounded Emerald’s neck. He couldn't even let out a gasp or a cry for help before another green cloud of magic covered his mouth, sealing it shut. His eyes were wide with horror, his legs thrashing wildly, knocking over the bench as he was lifted into the air.
Gem emerged from the shadows, her horn glowing brightly. “You disappoint me, Mantis.” Without effort, she snapped Emerald’s neck, letting his lifeless body fall to the cold floor. “You were supposed to kill this whelp and take his body. That was the plan, and what do I find?”
Silvershield stood silent, completely shocked by what he had just witnessed. His friend, his only friend, laid at his hooves, dead. His mouth hung open, but no words could come out. Mixed feelings of confusion, anger, and disbelief flooded his thoughts.
Gem approached him, stepping over Emerald’s body. “You're getting soft, Mantis. The changeling I knew would never feel pity for such a pathetic pony. I'm beginning to think Queen Chrysalis assigned the wrong assassin to murder the false queen.” She circled around him, like a shark, her eyes burning into him. “Look at me when I'm speaking to you, Mantis!”
Silvershield couldn't meet her harsh gaze. He could only stare at what was left of Emerald. Then, Gem struck him with her hoof, leaving a mark on his cheek. “Listen to my words carefully… You are to assume the role and identity of Emerald. I'll take care of the body. You're next objective is to find and capture Pyrite.”
That got his attention. Silvershield looked up at last and met her gaze. “Capture?” The word fell out of his mouth so loosely that he couldn't believe he was the one speaking. “I thought the plan was to murder Pyrite…”
Gem rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh as though she were a parent dealing with a conversational foal. “The plan has changed. Queen Chrysalis wants to witness the brat’s death herself. Our mission now is to return Pyrite to the hive.” She looked down at the body at her hooves before looking back at Silvershield. “You better change before somepony comes along, Mantis.”
Silvershield felt a wrenching pain in his stomach, but he did as he was told. A green flame ignited under his hooves. Within a few moments, Silvershield was gone, and in his place, Emerald was walking again. He looked back at the body on the floor, a part of him wanting Emerald to ‘wake up’, but he knew that wasn't possible. “What… What will you do with his body, Cicada?”
Gem chuckled menacingly and licked her lips. “He's still warm… I believe he will make a delightful meal.” Then, her gaze turned dark, and she glared at Emerald. “Now, you have a task to complete. Find the brat, and take her to our nest in the frozen north. You needn't worry about Amethyst and Onyx. I think they'll be quite… busy for the next few hours. I don't know how their romance sparked, but they have already begun to have a lot of fun with each other. I'll find you there when it's over.”
Emerald nodded his head as his stomach tied itself in knots. He couldn't bare to think about Gem defiling and devouring his friend’s body, but he was in no position to oppose her. They had a job to do. “Of course, Cicada…”
Satisfied, Gem turned her hungry eyes towards the dead guard’s body, and a bright, green flame consumed her. Standing in her true, changeling form, she leaned downward and sunk her teeth into his neck.
It was a disturbing sound, even for Emerald, one that sent shivers down his spine and caused his chest to ache. He needed to leave. He couldn't stand it any longer.
“Oh, and Mantis, one more thing…”
Emerald stopped at the door and slowly turned
around. She looked ravenous. Cicada’s eyes burned with a lustful hunger, blood dripping from her open jaw. “If you fail me again, it will be you I shall feast on next.”
Emerald gulped nervously and held a hoof over his throat. Then, he darted out of the locker room as quickly as his hooves would take him. He could feel her eyes watching him the entire way. The stallion didn't feel at ease until he stepped into the corridor with the locker room door closing behind him.
Mixed feelings and emotions boiled inside of him. It was as though confusion, loss, and anger were all battling for complete control of his being. He had to focus his thoughts, concentrate on what needed to be done.
“Get Pyrite… Kill Pyrite…” He muttered those words quietly again and again. Then, his hooves began I move again, slowly leading him down the corridor. “Get Pyrite… Kill Pyrite…”
*Why?*
Emerald stopped, startled by the voice that had spoken inside his mind. He was stunned, totally unsure if the voice was his. He stood there, listening for the voice to speak again, but he was met only with silence. Emerald shrugged it off as though it were nothing, and he resumed his march towards his ultimate goal. “Get Pyrite… Kill Pyrite…”
*Why?*
Emerald stopped again. Now, he was certain the voice inside his head wasn't his own. It was his voice, yet…
*Why do you have to kill Pyrite?*
Emerald let out a ferocious growl and pushed onward. “I… I have to do this…” A pair of passing guards shot him strange looks, but they moved on, passing him by.
*Why?*
He shook his head violently. “Shut up! Shut up! Get out of my head!” Then, he collapsed onto the floor, and began to cry. “I… I'm just following orders… I'm following my queen’s orders…” He muttered to himself so quietly. “I'm following orders. I'm following orders. I'm following orders.”
It dawned on Emerald that he didn't know why he was doing what he was doing. What would it matter to Queen Chrysalis is Pyrite was able to live and grow up?
She would never become a queen, not while she was being raised by Amethyst. Why was he going through all of this trouble to murder an innocent filly that couldn't fend for itself? Of all the times he had tried to strike out at Pyrite, he had suffered pain and loss. The more Emerald thought about it, the angrier he became.He had lost his first love, Amber, and his only friend, Emerald. Cicada, on the other hoof, hadn't lost anything, and it made Emerald’s chest swell with unchecked anger and hatred as tears streamed down his cheeks.
*Good guards follow orders.*
Emerald sniffled as he reined his sobbing under control. “Good guards follow orders…” He was repeating himself now, the voice in his head, as though he were in a trance. “Good guards follow… orders…” He blinked twice, squeezing out the last of his last tears. “I… I'm a guard… I'm a good guard.”
The voice inside him was silenced, and Emerald felt a warm wave of relief wash over him. His thoughts had been calmed, and his mind was clear. “I've got to… get Pyrite…”
*Why?*
Emerald got to his hooves shakily, wearing a huge grin on his face. “I've got to get Pyrite… to save her from Cicada…”
***
Amethyst gasped for air. She was completely out of breath and very much out of shape. Most of her body was drenched in sweat. No workout of training session could have ever prepared her for the physical feat she managed. “Whoa…”
Onyx was also struggling to breath. He fell onto his side, landing next to her. “Yeah… Whoa…” He turned his head to face her. A huge smile was plastered across his face. “That was… great…”
Amethyst nodded her head in agreement. “It was… I haven't tried a position like that since…”
Her voice trailed away until it fell silent. The look of joy and pleasure she once had was gone, replaced by a resentful frown. “What do you mean? Since ‘what’?” Onyx wasn't normally one to stick his nose where it didn't belong, but after what he and Amethyst had just been through, he couldn't bare the sight of seeing her upset. “What's wrong, Amethyst? Does this… have anything to do with what you said earlier?”
Amethyst pursed her lips as a smile creeped back onto her face.
She shook her head and leaned into Onyx’s embrace. “It's nothing… Don't worry about it…”
Onyx didn't look convinced. He caressed her cheek, pulling her gaze upward to meet his. “No, Amethyst, you said that last time. Please, tell me. Maybe I can help.”
Amethyst shook her head once again. “I appreciate it, but it’s nothing you can help, Onyx.”
They sat there in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Onyx looked her over before his eyes fell on a dresser across the room. Having nothing else to do or talk about, he focused on the dresser. First, he counted the drawers. Then, he began to analyze what type of wood the piece of furniture was crafted from.
It was a loud sigh from Amethyst that recaptured his attention. Amethyst had tears building in her eyes. That, combined with her messy mane, made her look like an addict that enjoyed sticking forks into magical outlets. “Years ago, before I became a Royal Guard, I worked in a small retail store in the northern province of the empire… There, I met a nice stallion, and we hit it off. We…” She choked on each word as though it burned like fire. “We dated… We went out for two years. I thought I was in love, and when he asked to marry me, I couldn't help but say ‘yes’. While we were engaged, he wanted to have a baby with me…”
She absentmindedly rubbed her abdomen. “We tried, and tried, and tried… Every time, the results came back negative… It was then that I found out that… that I'm… infertile…” She looked up at Onyx, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I can't have foals, Onyx… ever…”
The story was a complete shock to him. He felt like he had known Amethyst for a long time, but that was something he never knew. “What about the stallion, your fiancé?”
Amethyst’s expression turned dark. Her sad look fell into an angry and bitter one. “He left me… He left me, because of my infertility. I had devoted my entire life to that ass, and when he left me, I had nothing to live for. When I was out of options and out of hope, it was my parents that encouraged me to apply at the academy.” She raised her free hoof and gestured around the room. “Well, here I am…”
Onyx wasn't sure how he should respond to such an eye-opening tale. A small part of him wanted to track down the ‘ass’ Amethyst spoke of an teach him a lesson, but that would be appropriate. Amethyst was in the here and now. She needed him more than anypony else.
The news that she was infertile was a little disappointing. Onyx had teased the idea of one day having a foal with her, but he would never leave her because of it. Then, it finally dawned on him. “Pyrite… That's why you love her so much.” Onyx hated himself for not seeing it before. “You took her in because you couldn't have one of your own.”
Amethyst nodded her head. “I really do love her. She means everything to me…” Then, her gaze shifted to her hooves, and her eyes began to close. “Just like you, Onyx…”
Onyx looked down at her and smiled. “Amethyst, that really means alot, coming from you… Amethyst? Amethyst? Hey, Amethyst.”
She was already fast asleep, snoring softly as she snuggled in Onyx’s legs.
***Up Next: Green Fire***