Amethyst and Strawberry exited out of the supply area, where Twilight and Blue were now speaking with a group of five Night Guard members. Spike tilted his head in confusion at seeing Amethyst in armor, and this time she shrugged in return.
Amethyst stepped beside Spike, analyzing Luna's old armor. There were scratches and dents adorning it in various locations, more appearing to have been buffered out. Since the armor had been designed for an alicorn, there were wing-holes on the sides, exposing tiny patches of her fur. The inside of the armor was lined with something (or perhaps a spell that made it) very soft, while the outer part was still properly rigid. The crescent moon on the front appeared to be made of some sort of gemstone, but she couldn't tell what type it was.
"That's a moonstone," said Spike, causing her to look up in surprise. "You had a questioning look, so I thought-"
"Yeah," she interrupted. "I was wondering."
They stared awkwardly at each other for a few seconds, before looking away in embarrassment. Spike was far more embarrassed, as emphasized by how red his face was.
I'm looking like a complete weirdo in front of somepony that I just met and might have a crush on! he thought. And she was scared of me just a bit earlier, and probably still is!
Twilight caught the attention of two as she called out, "Amethyst?" Who then automatically looked up at her. "How do the Elements of Harmony work?"
"The Elements of Harmony use the magic within the Bearers to help contain or purify those who have been influenced of taken over by corrupt magic, and well as replicate-" She cut off abruptly, and slowly blinked.
Oblivious to her confusion, Twilight just nodded. "Thanks." She then turned back towards Blue, and continued talking. "So you think that we should treat this as a critical case?"
Amethyst tasted something bizarrely sweet and sticky in her mouth, and swallowed it without thinking. She felt a wave of heat wash over her, and for a moment sensed a burst of mana near the tip of her horn before it faded away. And while it was all something she had never experienced before, she already knew what it was.
"Nectar..." she muttered softly, seeing sparkles in the air for a brief moment. "A taste of Eos..." A distinct glint of light from outside a nearby window caught her attention, and she dove to the side as a sparkling pink-purple knife smashed through the window and slammed into the wall. "Cirrus drops!" she swore loudly.
"Secure the perimeter!" barked Blue immediately. "Alpha fliers, outside now! Locate whomever threw that knife!"
Several thestrals and pegasi quickly spread their wings wide, as the knife was yanked back out due to it having a thin string wrapped around the handle. They quickly flew outside through the broken window, their armor protecting them from the shards of glass.
"Spike, we need to get moving!" said Twilight, grabbing his wing in her magic. "Amethyst, you're with Blue and Pumpkin!"
As the two sprinted off with several other guards following after them, Blue quickly ran over to Amethyst and expertly dipped her wing down and pulled her up off the ground. "Grab on. It will be faster if we fly."
Amethyst obediently wrapped her hooves around Blue's neck, her armor oddly enough not clinking as it collided with Blue's. Her leathery wings flared out, and she bounded into the air. Pumpkin sprang into the air, and zipped to Blue's side as they streaked though the castle. Amethyst kept her gaze focused behind where they were flying, ready to launch off whatever spell first came to her mind as necessary.
You don't need to add extra wind.
But I want to practice! If I can use the charm for long enough and can lift enough, I'll be able to fly on my own eventually!
What am I not fun enough? I'm just pulling your tail! You're a smart one, y'know? I'm sure one day that you'll be able to-
Accept that it's your fault.
Amethyst snapped out of her thoughts with a wince, a single tear being whisked off of her cheek as they flew along silently. Her mind wandered to her explanation of how the Elements of Harmony worked, and tried to figure out how she knew the answer, to no avail. The answer had just come to her with no hesitation, and then she had tasted nectar...
"Landing now," stated Blue, coming to an immediately halt that nearly flung Amethyst forward. "Pumpkin, secure the area. Elemental, you need to open this."
Amethyst carefully unlatched her hooves from each other, and looked at what Blue was directing her to in confusion. It was two large purple doors, yet neither had a handle. There was a slot in the middle of a star that overlapped the doors, and she would have to go up on her hindlegs to reach it.
Blue sighed. "Nopony told you that this is where the Elements are stored, huh? Well, Princess Celestia sealed them in using the Unity Element to keep them safe, so you can open it." She pointed at the slot in the center of the star. "You have to connect your magic directly to unlock it."
Amethyst silently stepped up to the doors, and put her forehooves against them so that she could reach the slot. She was just barely talk enough, but she managed to slide her horn into it and feel for the locking spell.
She could sense that the locking spell used was a very strong one, and there was a magic barrier embedded within to prevent teleportation as a means of an entrance. Her horn lit up as she weaved through the ley lines, her magic being given free access to move about. She located the core of the spell, and carefully began to pull it open.
"Captain, was there a thunderstorm scheduled for tonight?" asked Pumpkin.
"Why do you ask?" asked Blue suspiciously.
"There's a lightning striker outside," she replied. "You think it might be the attacker trying to hide?"
Before Blue could respond, there was a large crack of thunder, and a burst of lightning. Amethyst lost all of her concentration in an instant, and her blue glow spiked to white as she yelped in a panic. She accidentally tore the core open, and was knocked backwards by a painful backlash of magic, and slammed down onto the ground as she horn flickered in a frenzy of blue and white.
It's your fault. It's your fault. It's your fault, and you know it!