//------------------------------//
// Part 6: Where It Began 
// Story: Fool's Gold 
// by Cardinal Dan Productions 
//------------------------------//

Amethyst coughed and wheezed as she tried to sit upright. The howling wind was soaring from every possible direction, blinding her completely in the storm of snow.

“Py-Pyrite!” She groaned as she got to her hooves, only to fall forward. “Pyrite!”

Through the snow and ice, Amethyst crawled forward, following the distant cries of her daughter. She couldn't see through the sheer power of the blizzard around her. Keeping her head low, she crawled forward, one hoof at a time. “Pyrite, I'm coming! Mommy’s coming!”

Amethyst reached forward again, and a sharp pain enveloped her right side. She cried out as she held her inflamed abdomen. Bits of molten rock had seared her fur and skin during the explosion, but Amethyst bit her lip and fought through the pain. “Pyrite, where are you?!”

Through the blinding, white blizzard, she could make out two dark shapes. Rejuvenated by what she saw ahead and fueled by her maternal rage, Amethyst forced herself to her hooves and let out a blood curdling yell. “Pyrite! Pyrite, is that you?!”

There was no response. Instead, one of the ghostly figures turned to look at her, and a flood of tears began to surge, freezing solid against her cheeks. “Pyrite! No!”


***Earlier***


When Amethyst first envisioned the inner workings of a sophisticated, changeling hive, she imagined it would be a lot more… busy. Corridor after corridor, turn after turn, left and right, deeper and deeper into the hive they went, and they had not come across a single changeling. The longer they went without any resistance, the more uneasy Amethyst felt. Statistically, they shouldn't have made it this far without encountering the thousands of changelings that called this hive ‘home’.

Though the eerie silence told her that they were alone, Amethyst count shake the feeling that a pair of eyes was following her. Every turn, she would look behind her, only to find a pitch black corridor looking back.

Onyx wasn't so paranoid, though. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on Mantis, whom he couldn't help distrusting. Amethyst wondered quietly how she got where she was. What could she have done differently to prevent herself from ending up in the heart of a changeling hive?

Onyx must have had similar thoughts, because he slowed his pace slightly until he was walking next to her. “I never thought I'd end up in a place like this…” He muttered his words so quietly, it couldn't have possibly be qualified as whispering. “It makes me wonder what else might be out here that we've missed.”

Amethyst admired his charm and ability to ease her mind. “The Frozen North is a wild place… It can't possibly be tamed by us ponies. The day this place is fully understood by ponies is the day the ice melts.”

She cracked a meek grin as she recalled her very first assignment in the Frozen North. Amethyst had been so unprepared and made the mistake of showering before venturing north with her team. Her mane and tail were still slightly damp when they left the Crystal Empire, and they froze solid in the sub-zero temperatures, earning her the name ‘Snow Angel’ for a short time. Amethyst was so caught up in her memory that she didn't notice the sudden stop of the changeling walking in front of her.

Mantis spun around and swiftly raised a hoof to his mouth. He then opened his mouth and formed the words ‘Don't make a sound.’ without uttering a single word. He had a wide look in his eyes as he sniffed the stale air.

Watching this, Amethyst and Onyx both froze. They stood motionless and soundless while Mantis circled around them, stopping directly behind the guards. Amethyst looked over her shoulder ever so slightly, just in time to see his horn ignite. A wave of fear washes over her, a fear of betrayal, and a fear of death. With no time to react, Amethyst held her ground and closed her eyes, waiting for the worst to come.

Mantis discharged his horn, sending a bolt of magic towards the guards. The magic flashed a brilliant light as it neared them, and Amethyst winced as her death drew near, but the bolt never hit them. Instead, the bolt of magic launched by Mantis flew between the guards, hitting a target behind them.

After opening her eyes, Amethyst looked down, observing her form. She counted her hooves and made sure the rest of her body was safe. Onyx too let out a relieved sigh, but this emotion was short lived. The sergeant bared his teeth and immediately readied himself to attack Mantis.

The changeling took a cautious step back, raising his hoof defensively. “Easy, Onyx… I wasn't trying to hit you.” Then, his gaze shifted to the darkness behind the guards. “We were being followed…”

At hearing this, Onyx raised his horn and turned around. Sure enough, a changeling was sitting on the floor of the cave, twitching as the paralyzing effects of Mantis’ spell took hold. Onyx was the first to reach the changeling, and he placed a heavy hoof on the incapacitated enemy’s body.

The changeling’s eyes widened with horror at the sight of the guard above him. Unable to raise his hooves in self defense, the changeling began to cry. It started out softly but quickly grew louder with every passing second.

Mantis quickly ran towards them. “Shut him up! They'll hear him, and we'll all be caught!”

Thinking quickly, Amethyst summoned a small cloud of magic and placed it over the changeling’s snout, muffling his fearful cries. Their situation had become infinitely more complicated. Amethyst looked back and forth between Mantis and Onyx. “What do we do?”

Mantis shook his head and sighed. “We don't have time for this… Just kill him. We need to keep moving.”

Amethyst fired him a mortified look. Even Onyx looked hesitant to do anything so harsh. At their responses, Mantis pointed an accusing hoof at the changeling. “If we let him go, he’ll warn the hive, and we’ll have no chance of saving Pyrite. It’d be easier for us to get him out of the way while we have the chance.”

Amethyst had heard enough from Mantis, and she turned towards the changeling on the floor. As she reached forward, the changeling flinched, but her hoof never made contact with him. Instead, she pushed Onyx off of him.

Both Onyx and Mantis watched with stunned expressions as Amethyst attempted to calm the shaking changeling. “Easy… I'm not going to hurt you… If I release you, will you stay quiet?” After a few moments, the changeling nodded his head. Shortly after, Amethyst released the magic binding his snout. “There… Now, what's your name?”

The changeling looked up at her and Onyx.

His lip still quivered, but he was quiet, as promised. “I… I-I-I’m Thorax… I-I-I-I've never seen a-a-actual po-ponies this close… I was just c-c-curious…” He was shaking so badly, he could nearly formulate his thoughts into coherent sentences. “I'm s-s-sorry… Pl-Please don't k-k-kill me…”

Amethyst smiled reassuringly. “We won't…” Her gaze shifted towards Mantis, and her eyes hardened. “Right?”

The changeling that called himself Thorax accepted Amethyst’s hoof and was helped to his hooves. With the paralysis spell fading, he was able to shift and stretch his legs and neck.

Mantis approached him quickly. “What are you doing here, Thorax? Why aren't you watching the execution?”

Thorax shrugged, casually glancing at the floor as he shifted his hooves. “Oh… Well, Mistress Cicada doesn't like me all that much… She told me I wasn't allowed to the execution or the feast afterwards…”

Mantis frowned and exchanged worried looks with the guards. “Feast? What are they feasting on?”

Thorax didn't look like he was paying him any attention. “… It's alright, I guess. I don't mind being out here. I'm not that interested in big gatherings… They make me nervous.”

“Thorax!” Mantis startled the changeling with the sharpness of his voice. “Listen to me… What's going on down there? What is Cicada doing?”

Amethyst’s ears twitched as she picked up faint noises from the corridor behind her. She looked at Onyx and silently motioned for him to follow her. He looked uncertain, his gaze switching between her and the two changelings, but he eventually decided to follow after her. Alone, the two guards followed the echoing sounds of chatter and moderate commotion. They walked for some distance along the straight corridor. Then, they saw it, a dim light at the end of the cave.

Amethyst ran to the end with Onyx right behind her. At the end of the corridor, it opened up into a huge cavern. There was a drop, a very far drop. Below them, at the bottom of the vast room, was a sea of changelings. The guards were at their backs, luckily. All of the changelings were interested in the stage before them.

A large, platform rose above the massive crowd of changelings, supporting a sinister-looking throne. Above the throne, two green, cocoon chandeliers descended from the roof of the cavern. Amethyst’s eyes began to water at the sight of the closer cocoon.

“Pyrite…”

It was her baby, suspended far above the empty throne.

Onyx leaned forward, getting a closer look at the second cocoon. Then, his eyes widened, and he jabbed his partner in her side. “Amethyst! Look, Amethyst, it's Prince Armor!”

Amethyst forced her gaze away from her daughter and towards the second cocoon. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the stallion, frozen in place at the top of the tall cavern. “Wh-Wha… How did…”

Onyx shook his head as he slid back. “I don't know… We need a new plan.”

Amethyst agreed. This mission was about more than saving Pyrite. Now, the needed to save Shining Armor too. Her strategic mind got to work. Scanning the dimly lit cavern, she observed the many mouths leading to more corridors along the walls.

They had multiple exits to escape through, once they cut Pyrite and Shining down, but the ultimate problem was the sheer amount of changelings. They would be overwhelmed instantly. “We could use a distraction…” Amethyst muttered incoherently to herself as she eyed the lower mouths leading away from the cavern. “… something to draw them away. Onyx, if we can find a way down there, we can…”

She reached into her saddlepack, revealing a small pouch. The pony opened the top and emptied the sandy substance inside, showing it to Onyx. “I’ve got it! We can light those corridors up, and if we do enough damage, maybe we can bring a few of the tunnles down, making it easier for us to escape.”

Onyx looked at the powder on her hoof. After a quick sniff, he confirmed what it was.

Tannerite.

It was a material used primarily in target practice. Upon being hit by a bolt of magic, the brick of tannerite would explode violently. They didn't have any bricks, but the powder form would work just as well, perhaps even better.

Onyx grinned. “Great thinking, sergeant. Let's light ‘em up, give these changelings something to really worry about.”

Amethyst put the powder back into her pouch, and she stood up, making sure to keep her head low. As she turned around to find a way to the bottom of the cavern, she came face to face with Mantis. Amethyst almost let out a shriek of terror, but the changeling covered her snout, silencing her. She shook her head, breaking free of his grip. “Mantis, what are you doing?!” She spoke in a hushed tone. “Onyx and I were only-”

Mantis took her hoof and pulled her forward. “It doesn't matter anymore. We need to leave, now.”

There was something about the look on his face that troubled Amethyst. He looked afraid, but what was he afraid of? “Let go of me…” She shook herself free. “I'm not leaving until we rescue Pyrite and Shining.”

Mantis’ nostrils flared, and he let out a frustrated snarl. “Amethyst, it's a trap. Cicada knows we're here, and if we don't leave right now, we'll all be caught, and then, we'll be dead.”

At the sound of his last word, a menacing laugh echoed throughout the corridor. The laughter was followed by the faint fluttering of wings as it got louder. “Dead? Do you really think I would kill you? I hardly think you deserve something so merciful, Mantis…”

Cicada erupted into laughter as she approached them. She stood in her true, wicked form with an army of changelings behind her, effectively blocking their only exit. Amethyst, Onyx, and Mantis were backed up until their hooves were at the edge of the drop. Cicada scanned them, licking her lips as she looked them over. “Hmm… Fear tastes almost as good as love… How interesting.” Then, her eyes fell on Mantis, who was trembling. “Your pony friends will feed us well.”

Cicada grinned maliciously, laughing as her lips circled into a sadistic smile. “Thank you, Mantis… You played your role perfectly.”

Her horn ignited, and in the blink of an eye, Cicada blasted Mantis backwards, sending him flying into the cavern. With him gone, she approached the Royal Guards. Amethyst shook nervously as the vicious changeling bared down on her. “So, this is her… You must be Amethyst!” She laughed manically as she caressed the trembling guard’s cheek. “So soft… So tender...”

“Leave her alone!”

Cicada was temporarily stunned by stallion’s outburst. She retracted her hoof and turned on Onyx. “Or what, you pathetic pony?” Onyx said nothing in response, holding his breath as she closed in on him. “What will you do to stop me?”

Again, he said nothing, earning a dirty look from the changeling. “Perhaps…” She brought her hoof up to his face. “… you wish to defend her?” Cicada licked her lips as she leaned in close. “You're a handsome stallion… You'll make a fine mate for the queen…” Then, she closed the gap even further. “… but not before I get a turn with you first…”

Amethyst watched in horror as the changeling pressed her lips against Onyx’s. She moaned lewdly into his mouth. At the touch of Cicada’s lips against his own, a shimmering, green light flashed in Onyx’s eyes, as though he were caught in a trance.

Amethyst couldn't look any longer.

She turned her head and shut her eyes, earning a collective uproar of laughter from the audience of changelings in front of her. “No… pl-please stop…” She whimpered to the point of tears.

Cicada stopped briefly, grinning wildly as she licked her own lips and swallowed Onyx’s saliva. “Does this… bother you, Amethyst?”

She chuckled softly as she moved in on Onyx again. “He's mine, now, and when he's exhausted his usefulness as a mate, he'll make a delightful meal…”

Mantis was gone, and Onyx was under Cicada’s influence. Amethyst backed away until her rear hooves ran out of floor to stand on. She could hear the changelings below her, chanting for her to fall. Everything had gone badly.

“You're all alone, guard...” Cicada left Onyx, meeting Amethyst at the edge. “Don't feel bad… You did the best you could, but Pyrite was never meant to be yours. She wasn't even meant to exist. You could only prolong the inevitable, but now, her time has run out. Queen Chrysalis will be arriving soon, and when she does, she will devour the false queen herself, and you, guard, are going to watch…”

Amethyst looked over her shoulder, at the hanging cocoons. Pyrite looked so peaceful in her suspended state, just like when Amethyst would manage to get her in bed, tucked in her blankets. Amethyst shuddered as a wave of cold air washes over her, but as the wave passed, her fear went with it. Cicada was right… She was all alone.

Amethyst’s eyes fell into a hard glare. “You've made a big mistake, taking Onyx from me…”

She took a step forward, startling the changelings. Cicada stood tall, shooting the guard a smug grin. “Why is that, Amethyst, because you have nopony left to crawl into bed with?”

Amethyst, without taking her glare off of Cicada, reached into her saddlepack and revealed the pouch. “Now, I have nothing left to lose…”

Cicada’s eyes widened as the guard threw the pouch at her, spilling the tannerite all over the floor in front of the changelings. “Wh-What is…”

Then, Amethyst lowered her horn, and fired a bolt of magic at the tannerite, igniting the volatile substance. The entire cave lit up as though the sun itself was inside it. Amethyst, Onyx, and several changelings were blasted into the cavern, where they fell onto a massive crowd of confused, panicked changelings. Amethyst fell on her back, hard.

Looking around her, she groaned as she searched for Onyx. He was there, in front of her, just as equally confused as the changelings around him. They were fleeing in every direction, not bothering to stop for the ponies on the floor. Amethyst reached for him. “Onyx! Onyx, are you alright?”

To her amazement, he nodded his head. “Ye-Yeah! Wh… What happened? Did we…”

“Shut up, and give me your tannerite!”

Onyx was in no position to question anything that was happening or argue with her. Still writhing in pain, he reached into his saddlepack and pulled out his own pouch of the explosive powder. Amethyst grabbed the pouch with her magic and stood up. In one swift motion, she swung the pouch in a large circle, spreading the tannerite all over the immediate area.

Then, she looked up.

The cocoons were swinging back and forth violently from the shockwaves produced by the first explosion. “Onyx, get up, and get ready to catch!”

She didn't know what was driving her at this point, but she didn't dare slow down and stop to ask. Amethyst concentrated, and fired several bolts of magic at the roof, tearing through the tops of the first cocoon. Onyx had just nearly gotten to his hooves when Pyrite’s cocoon fell on his back, causing him to fall back to the floor. The second cocoon fell just as quickly as the first, hitting the side of the throne before sliding down, landing next to the guards.

Amethyst used her magic to slice through the icky substance, and Shining Armor spilled out onto the floor. Before bothering to check on him and make sure he was alright, she rushed towards Pyrite. Letting out an animalistic cry, she sliced the cocoon open, freeing her daughter.

Amethyst grinned widely as she picked the little changeling up, holding her tight against her chest. “My… My baby…”

Her eyes fluttered open, like she was awakening from her afternoon nap, and she looked up into Amethyst’s. “Mmmmm… Mmmmama?”

Onyx and Shining had managed to collect themselves too. The prince looked at his surroundings with a puzzled expression. “What in Celestia’s name is…”

Onyx helped him forward. “We’ll explain later, sir. Right now, we have to get out of here.” Shining agreed without saying a word, nodding his head quickly.

“Ponies, let's move!”

Amethyst gasped as she noticed the changeling by the nearest corridor. It was Mantis, it had to be. He waved his hooves wildly in an attempt to get their attention.

“Come on!”

Amethyst quickly stuffed Pyrite into the left, main pocket of her saddlepack. “Stay here, baby… Mama’s going to keep you safe…”

Then, with Onyx and Shining Armor right behind her, she charged towards the corridor. In the cavern behind them, the panicking changelings were beginning to recover from their surprise. Now that they had a definite target, they began to chase after the escaping ponies. Without stopping, Amethyst fired a magical bolt behind her, igniting the tannerite she had thrown earlier. Several changings went flying into the air while others were blown back against the cavern walls.

Shining looked impressed, but he couldn't bring himself to speak while he ran. Together, they sprinted through the winding corridors, but by the size of the incline, one thing was certain. They were going up.

Mantis took the lead, yelling out directions. “Two more lefts, a right, and another left!”

Amethyst didn't have to see the army pursuing them to know they were furious. Their angry cries could be heard echoing through the corridors as they chased the ponies out of the hive. The farther up they went, the colder it got.

Amethyst’s heart was racing. They were so close. They had done it, and now, they were so close to making it out. She could see the ice ahead, now. It was right there.

“Amethyst!”

Cicada came sprinting around a corner, running straight for the mare.

“You're dead!”

She lunged for her, hooves out and horn glowing. Cicada’s hooves caught Amethyst’s neck, and on the slippery ice, they both went down.

Onyx turned around just in time to see them brawling in the floor. Amethyst kicked Cicada off and tried to make a run for it, only to have the changeling grab her legs from behind. Amethyst hit the ice again, and Cicada was on her in an instant. “You damn ponies!” She hit the guard’s jaw, drawing blood. “You couldn't just leave us alone!”

She hit her again. “You just had to take the little brat for yourself!” Cicada wailed on Amethyst, hitting her again and again. “You can't even fight back! Your love for the little bitch has made you weak!”

“Amethyst!” It was Onyx, he was coming back for her.

Amethyst wanted to yell at him to stay away. Her bag had been torn in the fight with Cicada, spilling a large amount of tannerite next to her. The purple guard grinned a toothy, bloody smile, briefly confusing the changeling on top of her. “My… love for… her… d-d-didn't make me… weak…” She coughed up more blood before pointing her horn towards the powder. “It made me strong…”

“Amethyst, no!”

There was an eat-shattering clap of thunder. Then, it all went white.


***


Amethyst gasped, inhaling the sharp, freezing air that soared around her. She couldn't tell if her eyes were open or not, there was nothing to see but white. It was all white. Her ears tingled as a subtle ringing sound echoed in her mind, and her entire body felt completely numb.

*Am I… dead?*

She turned her head and reached out, touching the snow that surrounded her. Part of her knew the snow was there. It was hard and cold, but she still wasn't certain that she was even alive. Amethyst held her hooves to her face, but even when they were right in front of her, she could hardly see them through the blizzard that consumed her. She brought a hoof closer and clamped her teeth onto her own flesh. She bit into her skin until she drew blood, warm blood.

*I… I'm not dead…*

Her experiment worked. She wasn't dead, but she was going to be unless she moved. She was going to freeze to death within the span of a few minutes. That was the first rule of the Frozen North, never sit still.

Though she had confirmed that she wasn't dead, there remains many questions. Where was her partner? Where was Shining? Where was Pyrite? Her little changeling was gone, and the saddlepack was in tatters. Pyrite could have been blasted in any direction.

Amethyst rolled on her side, brushing off much of the snow that had begun to bury her alive. Then, she let out a feeble attempts at a yell. “Pyrite!” She breathed heavily, preparing her lungs to try again. “Pyrite!!!”

Amethyst cried out over and over again, reaching out for her daughter with her damaged voice. Miraculously, the little changeling responded. Her infant cries and shrieks were carried across the deafening winds until they reached Amethyst’s ears, but they sounded like they were getting softer.

Amethyst coughed and wheezed as she tried to sit upright. The howling wind was soaring from every possible direction, blinding her completely in the storm of snow.

“Py-Pyrite!”

She groaned as she got to her hooves, only to fall forward.

“Pyrite!”

Through the snow and ice, Amethyst crawled forward, following the distant cries of her daughter. She couldn't see through the sheer power of the blizzard around her. Keeping her head low, she crawled forward, one hoof at a time. “Pyrite, I'm coming! Mommy’s coming!”

Amethyst reached forward again, and a sharp pain enveloped her right side. She cried out as she held her inflamed abdomen. Bits of molten rock had seared her fur and skin during the explosion, but Amethyst bit her lip and fought through the pain. “Pyrite, where are you?!”

Through the blinding, white blizzard, she could make out two dark shapes. Rejuvenated by what she saw ahead and fueled by her maternal rage, Amethyst forced herself to her hooves and let out a blood curdling yell. “Pyrite! Pyrite, is that you?!”

There was no response. Instead, one of the ghostly figures turned to look at her, and a flood of tears began to surge, freezing solid against her cheeks. “Pyrite! No!” The figure over Pyrite brought her hoof down, aiming for the helpless changeling. “NO!!!”

Time slowed down, and Amethyst leveled her horn, discharging a fiery bolt of whatever magic she had left. The figure was blasted away into the blizzard. Exhausted of all energy, Amethyst collapsed back into the snow, reaching forward. “Pyrite! I'm coming! Mama’s coming!”

She let out a pained groan with every hoof she set forward. Inch by inch, she crawled a little closer. Pyrite’s cries lead the way, leading Amethyst through the falling ice until her hooves made contact.

Amethyst screamed with delight as her hooves wrapped around Pyrite. “My baby!!!” She laughed and cried at the same time, nuzzling her changeling while holding her tight. “My little Pyrite…”

At her mother’s touch, Pyrite was silenced. She cooed softly at the feeling of being in Amethyst’s warm embrace once again. “Pyrite… It's me… It's mommy… Wake up…”

But the little changeling didn't move. Amethyst caressed her cheek, nudging her slightly. “Pyrite?”

Still no movement.

The guard gentle touched Pyrite again, and her head fell to the side, cold and limp. Then. Amethyst’s heart stopped. “No…” Tears began to freeze as they leaked out of her eyes. “No… No… Pyrite, wake up… Pyrite, please, wake up…”

Pyrite didn't move. There was no sign of any breathing. “You… You can't be… You can't…” Amethyst held her daughter tighter. “Don't do this to me, Pyrite… Wake up… WAKE UP!!!”

She screamed over the howling blizzard before she broke down completely, falling into tears.

“She won't be waking up…”

Amethyst looked up. It was Cicada. The changeling stood over them, limping badly from where the guard’s magic had hit her. Green blood poured from the wound, and the changeling winced as though every breath pained her. “Like I told you before, you stubborn ass… Pyrite was never meant to be yours…”

Cicada laughed before a wave of brutal coughs overcame her. She coughed and coughed until blood came out, hitting the snow at her hooves. “You were… t-t-too late to… sa-save her life…” She wiped her snout. “The Frozen North shows no mercy to the young and weak…”

Amethyst couldn't face it. She couldn't believe that her baby was gone. “I went through so… much… I got her… I got her… She was mine!”

Cicada made a face like a pouting foal. “Yes, you were brave… You risked your life for hers, and you managed to save her, only to have her ripped from you hooves.” Then, her horn began to glow. “Don't fret, my little pony… What you did is nothing short of admirable. You've earned my respect for that, but we both know what has to happen next…”

Amethyst lowered her head. She took in Pyrite’s lifeless form, cradling the little changeling’s body in her hooves. She wanted her to be the last thing she saw.

“Look on the bright side, pony… You'll be reuniting with your precious daughter after all…” Then, she coughed up more blood as she pointed her horn at Amethyst. “Uhg… Hold still…”

Her horn was shining brightly now. Amethyst could feel the energy radiating from the tip of Cicada’s jagged font of magic. “This is your end, Amethyst…”

“NO!!!” As if from nowhere, Onyx came sprinting towards them.

The stallion let out a bellowing yell as he lunged forward, hooves spread outward. He hit Cicada head first, sending the both of them tumbling into the blizzard. Amethyst looked up, surprised by the arrival of her partner. “Onyx…”

She gasped, breathing heavily as she watched him bring the changeling down. Then, she collapsed in the snow. Cicada struggled against the strength of the larger stallion. Using her rear legs, she kicked him in his gut, hard, stunning him long enough for her to roll out of his grasp and get back to her hooves. “You just don't quit, do you?!”

Onyx was back on his hooves in no time at all. “Quitting isn't in the Royal Guard’s manual, you bitch.”

The two of them circled around each other, each sizing the other up. Then, Cicada made the first move. She leveled her horn and charged. Running straight for the guard, she let out a scream so loud and terrifying that it even drowned out the rushing winds.

Onyx could barely see her through the snow. He dug his rear hooves into the snow behind him and braced himself. Ducking quickly, her horn missed his chest. It only grazed his left shoulder, but it left a gash that quickly began to bleed.

A second later, Cicada once again found herself trapped in the guard’s hooves. He had them locked together in a position that might appear lewd at first glance. “Hmm… Does this mean you're reconsidering my previous offer, handsome?” She mocked Onyx by blowing a kiss in his face before stepping on his hooves, causing him to let go and cry out in pain.

Onyx returned the favor, taking a tab at her wound. His hoof hit the bloody mark dead on, and Cicada snarled like an angry beast. They exchanged blows again and again, aiming their hooves for the other's weaknesses. Grinning wildly, Cicada caught Onyx once more on the side of his head, sending him falling into the snow. “Take a shot, guard!”

By the time Onyx’s vision straightened out, she was gone. “Hey! Come back here!”

He quickly climbed back to his hooves and spun in a circle.

“Onyx!”

The stallion spun around. It was Amethyst. She came towards him, limping through the snow. “Onyx, help me! Pyrite is sick! We need to-” She coughed furiously. “We… We need to get out of here!”

Onyx ran forward, but as he got closer, the more he came to realize something was ‘off’. “Onyx, please!” Amethyst was begging him, now. Her eyes were pleading as she beckoned him with her hoof. “Onyx, I need you!”

Then, he saw the subtle flash of green in her eyes.

He stopped in his tracks and lowered his horn as it began to glow. Amethyst glared at him and bared her teeth. “Hmm... The stud has a modicum of intelligence… I can see why Amethyst likes you. Are you this good in bed?”

The pony leaped into the air, changing back into her natural, changeling form mid-flight. Onyx fired the bolt of magic he had ready, catching Cicada in her chest. The magic seared her skin, burning a new hole into her. She fell to the ground, crying in pain.

Cicada looked down at the smoking hole in her chest before shooting Onyx a murderous look. “You… ass…” She got to her hooves only to stumble over. “I… I'm going to rip your throat out!”

Onyx was breathing heavily. He was too tired to keep fighting. That last bolt of magic was all of the energy he had left. He was aiming for Cicada’s heart, but he must have missed, or she didn't have one. Either way, he was in trouble.

As the changeling bared down on him, he tried to swing his hoof, only for his attack to be easily deflected. Cicada hit Onyx as hard as she could manage, which was enough to send him down. Then, she pressed her hoof against his neck, and she began to press down, hard. “Do you know how many ponies I've killed… how many guards I've slain?” She hissed menacingly, her tongue licking his ear. “You aren't the first... and you won't be… the last…”

She pressed down forcefully, cause the stallion to gurgle and sputter. “What's that? You wish to say something?” Cicada lifted her hoof slightly, allowing Onyx a much needed breaths. “Speak, guard… It'll be the last thing you ever say…”

Onyx looked up at her, and he smiled. “I s-s-said… Look… behind you…”

Cicada realized what he meant all too late, and she turned around just in time to see Mantis’ hoof. The changeling’s hoof connected with her jaw, sending her flying back into the snow, where she landed with a hard ‘thud’. Cicada rubbed her muzzle as she stood back up, swaying slightly from side to side. She watched as Mantis helped Onyx up, and the two of them confronted her.

Mantis stepped forward. “It's over, Cicada!”

Cicada began to laugh. “Mantis, do you think this changes anything?! Do you really believe that helping these ponies will… somehow make them forgive you, and… and forget everything you've done?!” She continued to laugh, wiping away the green blood as it poured from her busted jaw. “You've killed guards… just like me… You've stolen their lives, their identities… just like me… Silvershield… Emerald… and so many others!”

Cicada took a step towards them, glaring at the changeling. “You're a monster, Mantis… Just. Like. Me!”

Mantis lowered his head, glaring at the snow. “You're wrong, Cicada… I used to be a monster…” He glanced to the side, at Onyx. “I used to follow my orders blindly, doing whatever I had to do in order to satisfy Queen Chrysalis…” He approached Cicada until he could clearly see the bloodlust in her eyes. “I used to be a real asshole, but the difference between you and me, Cicada…” He raised his hoof, winding it back. “… is I'm actually trying to do something about it! This is for Emerald, and this is for me!”

Then, he let loose his hoof, sending it flying towards the changeling's face, knocking her out completely. Unconscious, Cicada fell into the snow for the last time.

Onyx stared at her for several moments before turning his head to look at Mantis. “Thank you…”

Mantis looked down, and what he saw surprised him. The guard was extending his hoof. He hesitated for only a brief moment before meeting the guard’s hoof with his own, shaking it.

Onyx shook his head, hardly believing what he was actually doing. Then he looked behind them, towards the thicket of the raging winter. He couldn't see Amethyst anywhere. “Hurry, let’s find her and Shining. We need to find someplace to bunker ourselves in until this storm lets up.”

They searched through the blizzard, but their battle with Cicada had taken them far from Amethyst. “Onyx!” Mantis yelled through the wind, trying not to open his mouth too far to prevent it from filling with snow. “Onyx, I found her, and she doesn't look good!”

The stallion sprinted forward, huffing and puffing as he followed the sound of Mantis’ voice until he found him kneeling next to Amethyst. The changeling had been telling the truth. She did not look good at all.

She was already mostly buried in the snow, her body curled in a fetal position around Pyrite. “She's not moving!”

Mantis brushed the a lot of the snow off of her, revealing the ruined armor that had melted to her side during the tannerite explosion. “What do we do?!”

Onyx didn't know what to do. No amount of training, no preparation of any kind could have readied him for a situation like this. He was completely lost, and he had no idea of what to do. His legs buckled, and Onyx collapsed from exhaustion, falling right next to Amethyst.

“Onyx!” Mantis sounded like he was a thousand miles away.

The stallion kept his eyes trained on Amethyst’s peaceful expression. “Amethyst…” He groaned as he reached for her. His hoof cupped her chin, and he caressed her cheek. “Amethyst… I… I've al-always… wanted you to know… that... I… lo-love… y-y-you… I always… have…”

His final breath escaped his lips as his last word drew to a close. Then, his eyes fell closed, and his hoof fell limp. Mantis couldn't believe what he was seeing. “No… No, No, No! Onyx! Amethyst!” He spun in a circle, looking frantically in every direction. “Damnit! Shining! Anypony!”

It was a pitiful attempt. Mantis knew deep down that nopony would be coming. Nopony even knew where they were.

“Help!”

Mantis fell on his rear, next to Onyx. Looking up hopelessly at the winter storm, he charged his horn. It was all he had left. Mantis closed his eyes, and as the wind billowed around him, he fired brilliant bolts of magic into the sky. He sat there for several minutes, firing magical flares into the air as snow piled up around him.

Amethyst and Onyx were almost completely buried now, and he was tiring quickly. Using magic would constantly would drain him until he was too weak to keep his eyes open. Then, he would fall, just like the guards.

Mantis was already beginning to feel worn out. He was just beginning to lean when he heard voices in the distance.

“This way!”

“I saw the signals coming from over here!”

Mantis’ ears perked up. Those voices belong to Royal Guards. He couldn't believe it. A fresh wave of energy surged through the changeling, and he forced himself to his feet, moaning painfully as he did.

“Here!” He yelled into the wind. “Over here! Help us!”

Several guards appeared through the blizzard. Mantis saw their helmets first. Shining was with them! Standing behind him was… Twilight Sparkle?

Mantis was briefly confused by the arrival of the princess, but he quickly overcame his shock, and he began waving a hoof towards them wildly. “We’re over here!”

More guards were arriving through the veil of snow, and they quickly surrounded him, leveling their horns towards the changeling. Shining quickly called them off, earning a smile from his little sister.

“Stand down! He's with us.”

Uneasily, the guards raised their horns.

Mantis pointed towards Amethyst and Onyx. “Shining, we have to get them out of here, now!”

The guards agreed unanimously, and several medics rushed forward. Within moments, the bodies of Amethyst, Onyx, and Pyrite were uncovered and placed on sleds. Amethyst and Pyrite shared a sled while Onyx got his own. They were secured with straps, and thin covers were placed over their frozen bodies.

Mantis looked concerned. Shining noticed the worried look in his eyes, and he approached the changeling. “There's nothing we can do for them here… We have to get them back to the empire before anything can be done.”

It wasn't exactly the words of comfort Mantis had hoped for, but it was all he had. With nothing left to say, he collected himself and began following after the guards as they dragged the sleds behind them. They were finally leaving the Frozen North, and that was good enough for him.

He walked forward several steps before coming to a stop. Mantis looked over his shoulder. He could have sworn he had seen something through the thick downpour of ice. It looked like a tall, shadowy figure, probably a frost troll, or another beast native to the icy region, but the figure vanished in a muffled flash of green. A wave of chills and shivers traveled down Mantis’ back, and he bolted forward to catch up with the guards. “That tears it… I am so damn sick of this place…”

He ran, and he didn’t look back once.


***Up Next: New Beginnings***