//------------------------------// // Spark and Gemstone Part 4 // Story: Tales from the Ruby Hive // by Zoljen //------------------------------// Twenty years after Hives Destruction -- “Dude! A place where the structures are made out of crystal?! THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!” Topaz squealed after Scope had shown him a newspaper article of a recent event; the Crystal Empire's return. “You really want to go there?” Mortar sighed as he rubbed an ear. “From what I hear, a really powerful relic sits there, giving out love to pretty much all of Equestria. What would you do next to that?” “Well,” Scope started, looking at Mortar. “As you know we don't, erm, feed on love directly. So I doubt it would do anything to us.” “Okay? And what about my shop here? I’d be losing one of my best partners.” Mortar looked at Topaz, who blushed slightly. “He could potentially start up a shop there? Under the same name and such.” “That's not a bad idea. But what about my gems in general? He points out the flaws and I fix them. He can't exactly do that there as a bat pony. And I doubt he’d want to become a unicorn there after enjoying his wings for so long.” “Well, that is true. But I have been showing you how to do it better, and I do have access to a trick.” Topaz grinned. “Oh?” Mortar raised an eyebrow. “We of the Ruby Hive have a trick. You see, our forms are malleable.” Scope started up, as he unfurled a pair of feathery wings from his back, his horn glowing to give the illusion they were fake. Despite the fact the three were gathered around their dinner table at home. He gave the wings a flap before closing them at his sides, remasking them under his disguise. “Yup,” Topaz nodded. “And I can give myself a small horn, hidden under my mane for a short time. Long enough to fix up a few stray gems.” “And you say you can't become alicorns,” Mortar scoffed as he crossed his arms. “Okay, I submit. Any gems I question, I can sky-mail to you then. I am going to miss you two though.” “So! That just means you need to come visit us once in awhile!” Topaz grinned widely, “And if you do get lonely. I bet that mare down by the flower shop could provide company. You know, the pegasus who grins each time she sees you.” “I…” Mortar blushed slightly as he looked down, twiddling his hooves a little. “I do admit that she is cute, but… Do you really think it could work?” “You’re talking to a pair of ponies who can read emotions like pages from a book,” Topaz smirked as he nudged Mortar. “Tell ya what; while Scope here does his final few days at the station, I’ll set you up with Tulip, okay?” Topaz grinned as he watched Mortar blush even more. Two weeks later, Scope and Topaz were on the train to the Crystal Empire. They had made great time and were due to arrive in a few hours. Topaz had his face pressed to the window as he watched the rolling wintery landscape cruise on by, while Scope merely relaxed in his seat in the cabin and grinned towards Topaz. “This is going to be so cool!” Topaz suppressed a squeal as he tried to look along the tracks towards their destination that was still a ways off. “That's the tenth time you’ve said that in the last hour.” “Bah, can you blame me? You got to go to places while a part of the force. I was stuck at home.” He turned and stuck out his tongue at Scope. “I suppose we should have taken some time off to visit another town.” Scope shrugged slightly as Topaz walked over and sat next to him, and leaned on him softly. “Yeah, but oh well. At least we got reports of other places thanks to Lode Stone and Feather Dust.” Topaz let out a soft content sigh as he draped a wing over Scope. “And we’ll be exploring this place together,” Scope grinned and adjusted himself a little, so he could drape an arm over Topaz in response. “Like proper mates.” Almost five years ago, the pair had decided to consider each other more than just friends and siblings. They were from a different ‘generation’ but in truth, it didn't matter as they had grown fond of each others company. After Mortar and Feather had convinced them both, they decided to become mates. Sure, they found it a little weird at first, but after some time it worked. No one really had to know they were from the same hive, or even hatched almost a year apart. They sat there, embracing each other for what seemed like an hour until they both felt it. A sudden spike of energy in the area. Topaz noticed it few seconds before he felt Scope shift under him. “What is that?” Topaz asked with a little yawn as he looked around. It was like the ambient energy of the area was giving them a little more. “Could that be the Crystal Heart?” Scope looked down at Topaz, then over to the window. “We are still an hour out, I think,” He grinned slightly. “Kind of tingly, really.” “But if we are this far out and getting closer…” Topaz scooted a little and looked at Scope worriedly. “I doubt it’s going to do anything to us,” Scope reassured him. “So for now, relax. Captain Shining Armor said he’d give all new arrivals two days to get settled into a hotel. And if he deems us worthy, we’d get homes near the palace.” “Closer to the palace? Isn't that also closer to the Heart?” “Well, yes. But again, I figure it won't really do anything. Maybe keep us topped off but that's about it,” Scope shrugged slightly. “We haven't really been a position like this before, and I don't think any others have. So it is going to be a learning experience for us both. Plus,” he paused to poke Topaz in the side. “It was your idea to come here anyway.” “I, er, right. It was kind of my idea. If you say nothing bad will happen, then who am I to argue,” Topaz hung his head with a sigh. “I’m just worried, that's all. After the wedding fiasco and all. I just don't want to be exiled from this land.” Topaz blinked as he found himself sliding back over to Scope and into his embrace. “We won't, I promise.” Scope said as he could feel all of Topaz’s fears melting away in the embrace. Scope grinned as he took in the crystalline structures as he walked up to the palace. They had arrived two days ago and gotten familiar with the town, met the locals, and Scope had to restrain Topaz from pretty much everything. Thankfully Topaz agreed to stay in the hotel room for the rest of the day while this thing happened. As Scope walked up, he noticed other ponies making their way to the court yard. Two of which really stood out to him. A pair of earth ponies had actually managed to trot their way to him. But what really made them stood out was the fact the pony was slightly transparent, revealing a changeling beneath. The changelings in question both appeared from the same hive, a deep blue plate on their back with teal crests and frayed tails. The pair stopped in front of Scope to look him over. “Well, aren't you an interesting one.” One of them says, a red mare with a dark teal mane. “I could say the same of you two.” Scope responded calmly. “Oh, we be here for the guard position. Same as you I reckon.” The attempted accent made Scope cringe just a little from the amber stallion with matching teal mane. “Yes, I am here for that.” He looked between the two, taking note that they appeared to almost be shaking, albeit faintly, like coming off a sugar high. He let out a soft sigh and glanced down at one of his hooves. He was completely calm. He did hear from Feather Dust that the changelings here in Equestria were a bit more sensitive to the emotions of others. Not to the point that they can sense them miles away, but more like feeling like they couldn’t really live without absorbing nearly all the ambient energy of the ponies. Scope found he didn't really require all that much from ponies  Maybe his body had already adjusted to the output of the Heart or something, he just couldn't figure it out really. Scope sighed a little, he could only suspect that they were barely keeping themselves calm. And they weren't even near the heart yet. This could only end in disaster for them. He leaned closer to them and whispered. “Are you sure you two should even be here?” “And what about you?” The mare whispered back with a faint growl. “You’re just like us.” “You don't see me shaking, do you?” Scope grumbled as he straightened and resumed walking towards the courtyard. The other two just blinked and stared, then cantered to trot at his sides. The three soon join others in the courtyard near the Crystal Heart. The two changelings beside Scope just stared intently at the heart for a minute before Scope smacked them both. “It is not something to stare at.” “Hmph!” The mare grumped and went to sit down just as a voice boomed across the courtyard. “ATTENTION!” Immediately after the word is spoken, everypony present snapped to standing stock still as a white unicorn wearing a set of purple armor from the Canterlot Royal Guard appeared off to the side. He stamped to stand in the view of everypony, with only a few looking at him. Scope, however, remained staring straight forward, a faint smirk appeared on his muzzle as he recalled his soldier days. “So, this is the sorry lot of fillies and colts that want to be a part of the Crystal Empire Royal Guard?” The stallion looked among the assembled ponies, smirking faintly. At this moment, Scope finally realized that he had a little trouble reading emotions with the ambient love in the air. He would have to learn to adjust it later, but he could have sworn he picked up a second source. And sure enough, trotting into view was a pink alicorn. She stood a little taller then the stallion before them and wore regal attire that he had seen Celestia herself wearing. He could definitely detect the magical power coming from this pony, and the stallion as well now that he thought about it. There was no doubt that this pair was Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. For a few silent moments, nothing seemed to happen as all the ponies wanting to be guards stared at her. Then in the blink of an eye the two changelings Scope had seen before charged her. Another blink and the pair of changelings are held up in a pair of magical auras, one sky blue, the other pink. They quickly changed shape, revealing their changeling form as they tried to use their own magic, souped up by the heart, to break free. But they accomplished nothing as both Shining and Cadance held them. Shining growled lowly, looking among the other ponies who all wore shocked face, even Scope did, but for a different reason. “Any other changelings among you?” He bellowed. The others shook their head quickly as Shining looked up to the changelings and turned them to face the ponies. “Well?” The pair both pointed at Scope, as best they could anyway while held in a strong grasp. Shining turned to glare at Scope, who shook his head in response. Shining kept his glare on Scope for a bit longer before he turned to face the changelings. “He is one! We swear! Have him stand next to the Heart!” The once-mare cried out. Shining glanced at Scope again, then gestured to the heart with a head shake. Scope shrugged and cantered over and stood next to the Heart. Admittedly being this close he could feel its power output. But again, it wasn't overwhelming him to the point of shaking or that such. In fact it made him feel warm and tingly, like sitting next to a warm fireplace. “That's not possible!” The changelings screeched after a minute or two had passed. “He should have lost his form, the power being too much!” “I admit I'm warm,” Scope started up. “But I am a unicorn, standing next to an ancient magical relic infused with powerful magic. So that would be the case naturally.” He glanced at a few of the unicorns present in the line. The younger ones nodded in agreement with him. “But he is a -” The changelings started, before getting turned to face Cadance and Shining. “You’re argument is invalid!” Shining growled as he hovered the changeling next to the other. “Care to do the honors, dear?” He stated calmly, making the changelings go wide-eyed as Cadance powered up her horn. The two cringed as they expected to get shot, but instead they both just disappeared in a pop of magic. After that, Shining rounded on the cadets with a grin. “Well, that was a fun diversion! Inside the main lobby of the palace is where you will receive your apartment. Some of you have come with others and will get proper homes to get setup and such. You will all report here at the start of next week to begin with some advanced training. Dismissed!” All of the cadets, Scope included, saluted and cantered off to head into the lobby. That afternoon, Scope and Topaz sat in the living room of their new home. What few belonging they had were sitting piled up neatly in a corner as they looked about the living room. A fireplace sat in one wall, with the kitchen being opposite of it. Before they left for their new home, Scope had explained what all happened to Topaz. At first he panicked, but calmed down when Scope explained he stood next to the Heart, and just felt warm, like being next to a fireplace. Topaz explained that while he stayed in the hotel room, he felt normal. Sure he was full of energy, but that was just it, he was full and sated almost all the time. After everything was said and done, they decided that they could enjoy it here. They didn't really need anypony else, but wanted to make a few friends anyway. And Scope certainly would find a few among his fellow guards. While Topaz did open up a new gem shop, and certainly enjoyed working with the new materials here.