Fool's Gold

by Cardinal Dan Productions

Vol 1: Part 1: Embracing Motherhood

Sergeant Onyx held a hoof over his eyes as he barked his orders over the howling wind to the guards that followed him. "Stay close! If you get lost in this storm, no pony will be able to find your body for another nine months!"

The crystal guards behind the elite officer fell into line, huddling together to fight back against the raging blizzard. Amber, a young recruit under the command of Sergeant Onyx turned to her officer. The blinding snow greatly limited her vision, but she could still make out Onyx's aquamarine tail. "I thought you said it was Summer here in the Frozen North!" She managed to shout her complaint into the blizzard before her mouth filled with snow.

Onyx nodded his head. "I did! This is the tropical season!”

In the farthest reaches of the Crystal Empire, a land existed where winter never ended. It was called the Frozen North, a desolate place shrouded by dark clouds that covered the land in an eternal snow. Many dangers lurked in the Frozen North that constantly threatened the Crystal Empire, mostly changeling marauders that saught to infiltrate and undermine the pony kingdom. In order to maintain security, Prince Armor dispatched patrols every day to guard the empire's northern borders.

The patrols were never dull. Most encountered beasts in the Frozen North while others returned to the Crystal Empire with valuable relics found in the snow.

This is the tale of one such patrol.

Igniting a brilliant glow from his horn, Onyx lowered his head and fired the intense magic forwards. "There's a cave up ahead! Come on, just a little farther!" The intense magic from his horn blasted through the snow and ice, clearing a path to the rocky outcropping. The moment his magic ceased, the path he had created began to fill in with snow. "Hurry! Get inside!"

Amethyst, Onyx’s second in command, ushered the patrol of guards inside before diving into the cave herself. Onyx was the last one inside, backing into the cave just moments before the entrance closed up with snow once more. The cold never relented, but the cave offered the exhausted guards some shelter against the raging storm. They began tending to their armor, shaking away the loose snow and breaking any icicles that had grown on their helmets.

Amethyst approached Onyx, who was studying the entrance to the cave to make sure the wall of snow keeping them safe wouldn't give way and bury them all inside. "Orders?" It wasn't her first time patrolling the Frozen North, and she knew Onyx was a veteran of the ice as well, but being trapped in a cave by a blizzard was a first for them both. No pony knew where they were, and there was no way for them to call for help. Anypony would be afraid in such a scenario, even guards. "What are our orders, sir?"

Onyx turned away from the wall of snow sealing the entrance and looked around the cave. The other guards, the rookies, looked terrified. He briefly wondered to himself if he had a similar look during his first patrol. "Stay sharp." He called his guards to attention. "We're safe for now, but we might not be the only ones taking shelter from the eternal blizzard."

Onyx then turned to his second in command and put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder plating. "Amethyst, take Silvershield and Amber into the cave. I want this whole place secure in case we have to spend the night.”

Amethyst offered the sergeant a short bow before turning to face the guards behind her, and she nodded her head to the rookie guards as she passed them by. “You two, come with me.”

Amber, giddy with excitement, turned to Silvershield and offered him a reassuring smile, which he failed to return. Through deep snow, the three crystal guards forged deeper into the icy cave, leaving Onyx and the rest to hold the entrance.

Tails swished back and forth nervously, but their fears were never spoken aloud. None knew what awaited them in the black depths of the seemingly abandoned cave.

“They sure weren't kidding about the cold, were they, Silvershield?” Amber’s attempt at making small talk with the guard to her right was the only way she could take her mind off of the hoof-shaking fear and chilling shivers running down her spine. “It's my first mission in the Frozen North…”

Silvershield replied with a throaty grunt, keeping his eyes at the snow his hooves kicked up. “Yeah…” His voice was low and toneless. “It's my first time, too.”

Amber silently hoped her ex-coltfriend would offer a little more to make the conversation more conversational, but that was the end of it. Silvershield lowered his head and trudged forward, leaving them both in a cold silence. At last, the three guards came to a fork. The cave split into two different paths, both looking dark and unwelcoming.

Amber looked uneasy. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two paths. “What now, ma'am?”

Amethyst was unsure herself. The question Amber had asked was a good one, to be certain. It wasn't often that Sergeant Onyx placed her in a position of command. She decided to give the rookies a little test.

“I'll take the path on the right.” Amethyst raised her hoof towards the path ahead of her. “You and Silvershield take the one on the left. We’ll meet back here in five minutes. Am I clear?”

Silvershield and Amber both nodded their heads quickly.

“Crystal…” Amber gave the officer a cheeky grin and chuckled at her own joke. “Get it? It’s cause we’re crystal ponies...”

Even Silvershield had to hide a snicker. Amethyst couldn't help smiling back before waving her hoof dismissively and ushering them along. “Remember, five minutes!” Amethyst’s voice echoed after Amber as they ventured deeper into the side corridor. “Don't get lost!”

The sound of the officer’s hooves hitting the thick snow echoed softly until it faded into silence. Now, the rookies were alone in the icy depths of the frozen north.

“What do ya’ think we’ll find in here?” Amber’s voice carried an unusual enthusiasm for their current situation. She wore no smile, but her eyes glistened like a young foal walking into a new class on the first day of schooling. “Cave trolls? Frost spiders? Oh! Maybe we'll get to see a Yeti!”

Silvershield rolled his eyes. How many minutes had passed? He didn't know. It might have only been two, but walking with a talkative pony like Amber made it seem like an eternity. The cave seemed to go on and on, stretching into the darkness forever. Time continued to pass, and the cave didn't get any shorter.

Silvershield let a frosty breath escape his lips. “Maybe we should head back… There's nothing here but snow and ice.”

Amber wanted to keep going, but she had a feeling Silvershield was right. If they were going to meet up with Amethyst on time, they needed to turn around. Reluctantly, she followed him back the way they came. The cave was an easy one to navigate, at least, having only one way to go. Moving a little faster than they had been before, Silvershield and Amber reached the fork in no time at all, but Amethyst wasn't there.

Amber shot Silvershield a worried look. “Hasn't it been five minutes?”

Both guards looked down the corridor Amethyst had disappeared into. The darkness looked back, silently inviting them inside.

Amber took one step forward before Silvershield quickly pulled her back. “Are you crazy?! Amethyst said to meet her back here. We can't go wandering off.”

Amber shook her way out of Silvershield’s grip and gave him a cold glare. “It's past five minutes, way past. Amethyst could be in trouble.” Silvershield opened his mouth to protest, but Amber was quick to speak first. “I can’t beileve you right now. This is why we broke up, Silver... I'm going after her. You can stay here and freeze your ass off.”

With nothing left to be said, Amber took off down the path on the right. Her quickened pace broke into a gallop, her hooves kicking up snow and leaving a cloud in her wake.

Silvershield cursed under his breath before running after her. “Amber, wait!”

She ran forward blindly, literally. Silvershield was the unicorn that could generate light with his horn, but she wasn't about to wait for him. After running for several minutes, a dim light appeared in the darkness ahead.

It had to be Amethyst.

Amber was sure of it. Without thinking, she cried out towards the light. “Amethyst!”

The light shifted, and a head turned. It was Amethyst. As Amber got closer, she noticed the senior guard had a panicked look on her face. She was waving her hooves at Amber to stay away. “Amethyst, what's going… on…” Her voice fell silent as she saw what Amethyst was warning her to stay away from.

“Go back…” Amethyst’s voice was shaky and broken. “Get Onyx… He needs to see this…”

Amber heard the order, but her hooves were glued in place. She couldn't will herself to move. “There's… so many of them… What happened here?”

Amethyst shook her head at Amber’s question. Clearly, she didn't know, but that didn't set Amber at ease, not in the slightest.

Dead changelings littered the floor of the cave, at least a dozen, their bodies frozen and half buried in snow. Dark green spots of blood were splattered across the walls in the most horrific of ways.

“Amber, wait up! What's with… you…” Silvershield too fell silent as he came close enough to see what remained of the changelings. The three guards stood motionless, completely silent. Then, the silence was shattered by an deafening cry.

“Mamaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The cry echoed through the cave, forcing the guards to hold their hooves against their ears in an attempt to muffle the noise.

“Ma-Mamaaaaa!”

The cry sounded again, wailing like a fire alarm. Amber was the first to see where the noise was coming from, and she pointed her hoof towards the changeling bodies. “There!”

One was still alive. A little changeling, an infant, curled up against the body of one of the dead.

“Mama…” It whimpered now, terrified by the arrival of the crystal guards. The infant changeling nuzzled the motionless body in which it was seeking refuge as though it could wake it up. “Mmm-Ma-Mama…”

Amethyst gasped as she inched closer towards the infant changeling. “It's just a baby…” She extended a hoof, and the changeling cowered away, obviously very afraid. “It's alright… I'm not going to hurt you…” She tried to make her voice as comforting as she could, but the dead changelings around them weren't helping the situation.

Silvershield looked urgent as he slowly backing the way they came. “A baby changeling? Alive? That’s impossible... We should get out of here. Just leave it. Leave it here with the rest to be taken by the snow.”

Amethyst and Amber both shot him mortified looks.

“Absolutely not!” Amethyst took charge, pointing a commanding hoof at Silvershield. “I will not leave this creature to die. Go back, and tell Onyx what we've found.”

Silvershield turned tail and bolted down the cave without a word of hesitation, eager to put distance between him and the bodies. With him gone, Amethyst turned to Amber. “I need your rations.”

Amber quickly opened her saddle pack and pulled out several white cubes. They looked like sugar cubes, resembling the treats in size, color, and texture, but they were really specially made rations for guards working in the field. They weren't the tastiest thing in the empire, but they were packed full of nutrients and protein.

“Here…” Amethyst offered the cubes to the little changeling. “Go on, little one... Take it.”

The changeling looked back at her with wide, pale eyes, no longer filled with fear. Now, they were filled with curiosity. It approached her carefully, one shaky hoof after the other until she reached the offering. The changeling sniffed the cubes and made a look of disgust.

Amethyst cracked a weak smile at the little changeling’s reaction to the food. “I know they're gross, but you’ll feel better if you eat them, I promise…”

She coaxed the changeling, offering the cubes again. Amethyst wasn't sure if it could understand her, but it did recognize ‘food’, even if that food was absolutely revolting. Cautious sniffs turned into hungry nibbled, which turned into starving bites. She let out a sigh of relief as the little changeling ate more and more, quickly finishing Amber’s rations. When her hoof was empty, it looked up at her, then at Amber, then back at her. It began looking for more, sniffing Amethyst’s empty hoof and exploring under the towering guard’s legs, causing her to smile.

Trust had been established.

Using her horn, Amethyst lifted the little changeling into the air, earning little protest, and she set it on her back. “You're coming with me…” She chuckled softly, earning a long yawn from the little changeling. “I'll keep you safe… I promise…” She turned and nodded her head towards Amber. “Let's head back.”

Amber looked back towards the many dead changelings. “What about… them?”

Amethyst bit her lower lip, her gaze shifting between the little foal on her back and the dead in the back of the cave. “Leave them be… The snow will take care of them.”

Amber still felt uneasy. She had so many questions, and none had been answered. Where did the changelings come from? What happened to them? Then, there was the little one, the only changeling still alive, alone in a frozen cave and surrounded by the dead.

So many questions…

Amber watched the little changeling on Amethyst’s back. It stood on all four hooves, occasionally stumbling over due to Amethyst’s walking. On its belly, it peeked its head over Amethyst’s side, reaching a little hoof into her saddlepack.

Amber chuckled lightly at the sight in front of her. “I think it's after your rations, Amethyst…”

Amethyst smiled softly as she let out a frosty breath. “She… It's a ‘she’.”

It took Amber a few moments to realize what she meant, but she was referring to the changeling. The changeling was a ‘she’, a filly. Amethyst reached into her saddlepack with her magic and pulled out a few more rations to give to the changeling.

Amber made faces at the little changeling, grinning and sticking her tongue out. “She must be starving, being in this cave for Celestia knows how long…”

The changeling must have found it amusing, because she sputtered out a series of foal-like noises that resembled laughter. When they reached the entrance of the cave, Onyx was waiting for them with Silvershield by his side. He wore a cold expression with his hooves planted firmly in the snow. “Amethyst, report.”

Amethyst shot Silvershield a hard look. “The cave is deserted, sir. We found several deceased changings, but nothing else of interest.”

Onyx trained his glare on Amethyst. “What about the little abomination sitting on your back? Is that not of interest to the Crystal Empire?”

Silvershield sneered at her, obviously enjoying the scolding. Amethyst glared back at the young guard before turning to her side to show everypony the changeling on her back. “This is what we found, sir, a defenseless infant. I couldn’t just leave her.”

Onyx raised an eyebrow and approached Amethyst, his eyes trained on the little changeling. He circled Amethyst, watching the changeling’s every move, and the changeling watched back, looking at him with her big, pale eyes. “Why did you bring it back here, Amethyst?”

Any other guard might have been intimidated by Onyx’s gruff performance, but not Amethyst. She knew him too well. “I want to keep her, sir.” She spoke with her chest puffed out, bursting with confidence. “I can raise her in the barracks, feed her, and train her. She can be a valuable asset, and…” Her voice trailed away.

The changeling was nuzzling the back of her head, rubbing her face across the cold metal of her helmet. Amethyst then placed the changeling on the floor in front of her, letting her stand on her own little hooves for Onyx and the other guards to see. “… and she needs me. She's just a baby, sergeant. Please, sir, let me keep her.”

Silvershield swallowed hard and stomped a hoof into the ground. “Sh-She can't be serious! It's a changeling!” He raised his hoof, aggressively gesturing towards the infant. “They're savage, love-devouring beasts that are constantly at our throats. Baby or not, that thing, that monster, needs to die…” He lowered his horn, charging a highly concentrated bolt of magic, and he aimed for the little changeling.

Onyx’s eyes widened, and he stepped in between him and Amethyst. “Silvershield, stay your horn!”

It was too late.

The guard was already acting on his own. The changeling’s pale eyes widened with fear at the sight of the glowing horn, and she bolted out of the way just as a magical blast hit the ground where she was standing. Snow exploded into the air, revealing a scorch mark on the ground where the magic had hit. The changeling scrambled for refuge, for safety, but there was nowhere to hide in the cave. She cowered, shaking in fear as Silvershield readied another bolt of magic.

“Stand down, Silvershield!” Onyx’s voice boomed, echoing throughout the cave.

The changeling had nowhere to go, but just before the guard could fire another bolt of magic, a shadow loomed over her. The changeling looked up to see Amethyst standing over her, taking a battle stance and digging her hooves into the snow. “If you want to hurt her, you’ll have to go through me...” She snarled, baring her teeth. “Stand down, private.”

Silvershield fired back, taking a similar stance, showing he was prepared for a fight. “It’s just a changeling, a heartless monster... Get out of the way and let me kill it. What's one little changeling worth to you, anyway?”

The officer’s horn flared to life, challenging Silvershield to make a move. “I said stand down… Right. Now.” There was a menacing tone in her voice. Like a mother defending her own foal, Amethyst stood over the changeling, ready to fight for her.

The entire cave held its breath.

No pony watched the changeling anymore. All eyes were on the magical duel starting before them. The rest of the guards looked back and forth between Silvershield and Amethyst, truly wondering which would give in. After what seemed like an eternity, the light from Silvershield’s horn dimmed until it faded completely. Knowing he couldn't beat his superior officer in magical combat, he stood down, but the scowl on his face remained.

Onyx let out a relieved sigh and looked around the cave at the armored faces around him. Everypony was waiting for him to make the final decisions as to what was to be done with the little changeling. When he was certain the ‘situation’ had cooled down, he turned on Silvershield with a fire in his eyes.

“I’ll deal with you later…” His voice was quiet and dangerous, causing Silvershield to lower his head out of shame. Finally, he turned back to face Amethyst. “That was… an impressive display, staff sergeant. Do you really believe you can raise it… her?”

Amethyst looked down at her hooves, at the little changeling hiding underneath her. The changeling looked back with wide eyes. “Yeah…” Her lips curled into a smile as she watched the changeling nuzzle her leg. “I… I mean… y-y-yes, sir.”

Onyx looked around the icy cave one final time, meeting the eyes of every guard. When his gaze returned to Amethyst’s, he saw a silent pleading in her eyes. Her lower lip quivered with fear at the thought of his rejection.

Then, he opened his mouth the speak. “Alright… I’ll allow this nonsense until we get back to the empire, but once Prince Armor hears about this, he’ll decide what’s to be done.”

Silvershield’s jaw hit the floor of the cave. “Sir, yo-you can't…” He protested with a stomp of his hoof. “That thing needs to be stopped, along with the rest of its kind!”

Onyx raised a swift hoof, causing the guard to flinch. “My word is final, Silvershield. Amethyst is in charge of the changeling for the time being.” He then approached her and spoke in a dangerously low tone. “That means if the little trickster acts out of line, I will hold you personally accountable. Do I make myself clear, staff sergeant?”

Amethyst nodded her head quickly and raised a hoof to her brow as a salute to her senior officer. “Sir! Yes, sir!”

The little changeling cooed with curiosity, and she stepped out from under Amethyst’s legs and into the light. She looked up at Onyx and growled very softly, almost like a pure, earning a small grin from the sergeant. Then, in a brilliant flash of green, the changeling was gone. In its place, sat a small unicorn that resembled Amethyst in every way from her purple coat to her emerald mane. The changeling, obviously very pleased with herself, looked back at Amethyst, beaming with pride.

It was like looking at a younger version of herself. Amethyst almost shed a tear as she picked up her little charge with the magic from her horn. “What can I call you?” The changeling beamed at her and nuzzled her snout against Amethyst’s. “Pyrite. I'm going to call you ‘Pyrite’. My little Pyrite…”

Onyx offered the changeling a warm smile. “That's a fitting name. Fool’s gold, the perfect name for a shapeshifter.” Pyrite cooed at the sound of her new name before shifting back into her natural form. “I think the storm is letting up. We should move out before the blizzard returns.”

The guards nodded in collective agreement. Amethyst set Pyrite onto her back, allowing the changeling to sit firmly on her armored shell. “Hold on tight, little one…” She braced herself to face the wrath of the frozen north once again. “We're going home…”

A small gathering of Royal Guards crowded around the doorway leading into the mare’s bunk room. Everypony wanted to hear all about the tales of the most recent patrol in the Frozen North. When Onyx’s team returned to the empire, the guards expected to hear of great journeys through the snowy wasteland, epic battles with fearsome monsters, and uncovered relics that had been lost to the ice for centuries. The crowd received none of those things, but they were far from disappointed.

Packed tightly around the door to the mare’s bunk room, some quietly whispered comments back and forth to each other while the rest stood silent, completely speechless by what they saw. Upon their return from the Frozen North, Sergeant Onyx had told them all about the great blizzard and the icy cave, leaving out a few details… The guards didn't care, and they ignored him completely. They were far too busy watching what was happening inside the bunk room.

Inside, a little changeling explored, jumping from bed to bed with no regard to the things she was knocking over. She had a wide smile on her face as she played, showing off her amazing ‘jumping skills’ to the audience of guards watching her.

“She's… adorable…”

Amethyst took that comment as a compliment, wondering if she really was as cute as the filly Pyrite was portraying. The guards watching didn't know she was a changeling, of course. They could only see a little filly, one with a purple coat and an Emerald mane and tail, like Amethyst.

“I had no idea you had a daughter… She looks just like you, Amethyst.”

That was the idea. Pyrite was an identical copy of Amethyst, except for the cutie mark. Amethyst made sure Pyrite didn't copy her cutie mark. That would certainly raise a lot of unwanted suspicion. She chuckled nervously, brushing her own purple mane out of her eyes. “Ye-Yeah… That's my little pony, Pyrite…”

Just saying those words felt… weird, especially when they were coming out of her mouth. Here she was, introducing a changeling as a pony, as her daughter. At the sound of her new name, Pyrite leaped off of the bed she had been playing on and ran to Amethyst’s hooves.

She ran laps around her before stopping in front of the guard and nuzzling her legs affectionately, prompting a collective ‘aww’ from the guards outside. “Mama!”

They absolutely adored her, but one mare had a concerned look on her face. “Where will she be staying? The rules don't allow foals in the barracks.”

Outside, the guards talked amongst themselves, all wondering the same thing. Amethyst wanted to knock that guard’s teeth out, the one that spoke. She had worked to hard to get Pyrite back to the empire from the Frozen North. Rules were rules, but Amethyst would think of a way around them, just as she always had. She knew the barracks were not designed to be foal friendly, but her mind had long been set.

Pyrite squealed with delight, tapping her little hoof against Amethyst’s, inviting her to play. “Mmmmm-Ma!”

The guards were so captivated by the little filly under Amethyst’s hooves that they didn't notice the arrival of Sergeant Onyx and Prince Armor. Behind Shining stood a princess, Twilight Sparkle. “That's a good question, Amethyst. Where will your daughter stay?”

The crowd of guards immediately dispersed. Armored ponies ran in every direction, disappearing down the corridors and into their respective bunk rooms. Within moments, Amethyst and Amber were the only guards that remained by the door. Shining nodded his head towards Amber. “May we speak with Amethyst alone, please?”

Amber looked at Amethyst and gave her a reassuring smile before backing into the bunk room and closing the door. The prince waited until the echoing sound of her hooves clopping against the floor faded away. Once he was sure they were alone, he cleared his throat. “Amethyst, Sergeant Onyx just told me about this little secret ‘daughter’ of yours.”

The mare flinched. She knew that fact very well. “You know about that, huh... Then, you know she’s really a...”

Shining raised a hoof, silencing her. “Changeling infant? Yes, I’m well aware. I just want to make sure you understand exactly what it is you’ve brought into the Crystal Empire.”

Pyrite watched from the floor, looking up at Shining and Amethyst, at the exchange of words going back and forth between them. She had lost interest in the conversation, and her gaze then fell upon the princess that stood by his side.

Pyrite beamed at Twilight, and the princess smiled back. “Well, aren't you cute…” She babbled inaudible sounds that made Twilight laugh. “Yes… Yes, you are…”

Meanwhile, the conversation between Prince Armor and Amethyst was getting worse by the second. “What do you mean ‘threat’? She’s just a baby! How threatening could a baby possibly be to anypony?”

Amethyst had to convince Shining to she could take care of Pyrite while doing her day-to-day job as a guard. “Even if it wasn’t a changeling, the barracks is not a place to raise a foal, Amethyst. Not only will a foal distract you from your duties, she'll get in the way of every guard in the bunk room.”

His arguments were perfectly valid. Amethyst knew he was right, but her mind was set about keeping Pyrite. In the back of her mind, a small piece of her consciousness prepared her mentally to give up her duties as a Royal Guard, but that was a last resort. She loved being a guard, and she felt it was a part of her duty to care for and raise Pyrite.

Amethyst needed both in her life.

She knew the truth, Shining didn't. She saw the dead changelings in the cave. Abandoning Pyrite now would be the death of her. “Sir, please… I promise I can make this work. I can make sure she's quiet, and when we’re training, she can… she…”

A vicious scowl crossed his features as he stomped his hoof. “Staff Sergeant Amethyst, this is not up for debate! Either you give up the changeling so we can send it back to the Frozen North, or I’ll have you both kicked out.”

Amethyst reacted, pulling Pyrite close to her as the infant changed her form. Her form was replaced with that of Prince Armor’s little sister, Twilight Sparkle, a perfect copy, down to the cutie mark. The worst of it all, Shining actually looked serious.

Amethyst’s panic-addled mind tried to latch onto an counter, something to change his mind, but she couldn’t find one that would even be believable. “I found her in a cave, cold and alone… She has nowhere else to go…” She spoke softly, so softly that it might have been mistaken for whispering. “She has no pony to love and care for her… I’m all she has, and being a Royal Guard is all I have.”

Her voice broke and cracked as she forced the last words out. “She's just a baby… Without me, she'll die…”

Amethyst felt as though she had vented all of her emotions in the span of eight seconds. Shining had seen Pyrite change before his very eyes, a changeling hiding in the empire. He opened his mouth to speak, but the princess beat him to it. “Shining, don't you dare take this baby from her.”

Twilight scolded her older brother with ferocity Shining had never before seen. He was caught completely off guard by his little sister’s commanding voice. “Twili, you just saw-”

Twilight’s eyes burned into his. “I know what I saw, Shining, and I'm telling you to let her keep the baby. It's a baby, Shining!”

“But… Twili, she-”

Now, Twilight was the one to raise a silencing hoof, effectively cutting Shining off. “If Amethyst says she can make this work, let her try. Look at her… She’s trying to protect that changeling like she’s her own daughter. You have a daughter too! How can you even consider taking the changeling away!” Twilight’s words hammered into Shining relentlessly.

Even Onyx was impressed, having never seen anypony beat Shining into submission verbally.

Shining let out a long sigh. “There's no room in the general quarters…”

Twilight let out a snarl that closely resembled that of a bear. “Then, promote her to the rank of sergeant so she can have her own room! One way or another, she is keeping that changeling, Shining!”

For the first time, Onyx stepped forward. After releasing a long breath, he opened his mouth to speak. “Sir, if I may…” Shining nodded his head, prompting Onyx to continue. “Amethyst showed great initiative and courage in the Frozen North. When Private Silvershield threatened to kill the changeling, despite my orders for him to stand down, Amethyst stood between him and the changeling, ready to fight to defend her. Amethyst risked her own safety to save this changeling’s life. For this, I fully support Princess Twilight’s request for Amethyst to be promoted.”

Amethyst looked at him with her mouth hanging open, completely stunned. Never before had he spoken so highly of her.

“Shining, forget about the attack on Canterlot. This changeling obviously isn't a monster or a danger to anypony.” Twilight’s use of reason and logic wore her older brother down. That was how she often won verbal matches with him.

That was it, the last straw. Shining couldn't fight anymore, not against Twilight, Onyx, and Amethyst. Amethyst’s eyes filled with tears as Shining gave in at last.

He nodded his head with great reluctance. “Alright, alright… You can keep the changeling…” His voice was small and defeated. “We… can discuss your promotion later. For now, just move your things into the room across from Sergeant Onyx’s.”

Through the tears streaming down her cheeks, Amethyst turned to Onyx and Twilight and managed to mouth the words ‘thank you’. Onyx’s lips curled into an uncharacteristically kind smile and gave her a nod in return. “Any time… sergeant. You've more than earned it.”

He then turned to face the princess. After giving Twilight a short bow, Onyx turned around and began walking down the corridor at Shining’s side, back the way they came.

Once they were alone, Princess Twilight approached Amethyst and Pyrite, lowering herself and slowly extending a hoof to the frightened changeling. “She's quite the exceptional little filly, isn't she?”

Pyrite seemed instantaneously calmed by the princess’ soothing voice. She slowly emerged from the safety of Amethyst’s legs and curiously sniffed Twilight’s open hoof.

Amethyst chuckled lightly, feeling much better now that Shining was gone. “Hmm… She probably thinks you have rations to give her…”

Twilight looked confused by the guard’s military terminology. “Rations?”

Amethyst smiled at the little changeling. “Yeah… They were the first things I fed her, in that cave. She was unsure of them at first, but once she realized how hungry she really was, she ate them all, finishing Amber’s rations as well as my own.”

Twilight laughed at the thought of the hungry changeling eating the guards’ field rations. “Sorry, Pyrite… I don't have any for you.” When Twilight shifted her hoof, the little changeling flinched and fled back underneath Amethyst. She extended her hoof again, prompting her to come back out. “It's okay… No pony’s going to take you away from your mother now…”

Amethyst cocked her head to the side. “Wh-Why did you call me her mother? I'm not her mother… I don't even know the first thing about being a mother.”

Amethyst told the truth. She really knew nothing. Before she met Pyrite, she had never even once considered having a foal.

The princess gave her a warm smile. “She’s yours now, Amethyst. It's your responsibility to raise her and be the mother she needs.”

The guard didn't know how to feel, having all of this new responsibility thrusted on her all at once. With the promotion to sergeant and then the promotion to motherhood, it was all a lot to take in. Amethyst let out a long, shaky breath. Deep down, she knew Princess Twilight was right. She had fully dedicated her entire life to Pyrite the moment she fed her those awful rations in the cave.

That moment was the tipping point. What began as an act of mercy turned into an adoption. She lifted Pyrite up to her chest and hugged her tightly. Now that the confrontation was over, Amethyst noticed her heart rate. Her chest thundered at an unhealthy speed.

Fear and the thought of losing Pyrite terrified her beyond anything she had ever experienced before. Maybe she had more ‘mother’ in her than she had originally thought. It was like an extra sense, one that brought out a beast in her that wanted to lash out at anything that endangered Pyrite. It was that same beast that came over her when Silvershield tried to murder the changeling in the cave. The motherly beast within her almost returned when Shining saw Pyrite change in front of him. At the thought of Shining, her eyes darted down the corridor the prince disappeared into, as though she was afraid he might return and change his mind.

Twilight noticed her worried look and put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “Don't worry about my brother. He's just protective of his own daughter. You know, with the changeling invasions, and all that… He’s a really good stallion, I promise.” The princess turned to leave. She had a train back to Ponyville to catch.

Amethyst looked at the little copy of Twilight tucked against her chest and smiled. Pyrite cooed and gave her a wide grin before changing back into her copy of Amethyst. Secretly, Amethyst wondered how they did it, the changelings, how they could become an exact copy of another pony. It was a power that could be very useful in some situations, and very hurtful in others.

“You are really going to get me in a lot of trouble doing that…” Amethyst’s attempt at scolding her new daughter failed miserably as her hard expression cracked into laughing fit. She hugged Pyrite against her chest tighter and tighter to the point where Pyrite struggled to breath. The little changeling cried out, letting Amethyst know that she was squeezing the life out of her. “Oh… I'm sorry… I just… I just love you so much… I hope you know that…”

Pyrite did know that.

She knew it the moment Amethyst fell in love with her in the icy cave. It was the guard’s love that kept Pyrite alive on their journey back to the Crystal Empire. At that moment, the door to the bunk room opened, and Amber poked her head into the corridor. “How'd it go?”

Amethyst laughed nervously as she walked inside with Pyrite on her back. “Prince Armor knows about Pyrite, and I just got a promotion…”

Amber cocked her head, showing her confusion. The younger guard followed Amethyst to her bunk, hanging onto every word Amethyst told her, the entire story. She especially enjoyed the part when Princess Twilight saved the day, forcing her brother to allow Amethyst to keep Pyrite. “That's… amazing! Oh, Amethyst, I'm so happy for you! I'm happy for you both! You're going to be a great sergeant, I just know it.”

Amethyst watched as Pyrite leaped off of her back and onto her bunk, bouncing off of the mattress. She hit the pillow and rolled onto the nightstand, knocking over a small, crystal model of a royal guard. The model hit the floor and shattered, sending colorful shards in every direction.

“Pyrite…” Amethyst’s voice was a low growl as she lifted the struggling changeling into the air using the magic from her horn. “No, Pyrite… No more of that.” The little changeling’s face formed into a sad pout, and her ears folded back.

Amber volunteered with gusto, rushing to find the supply closet. “I'll get a broom.”

She returned just a few moments later and begun cleaning up the broken shards of colored crystal. As hard as Amethyst tried, she couldn't stay angry at Pyrite. Not for very long, anyway. She loved the changeling far too much. She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the changeling’s nose, earning a sweet giggle from her. “Just be more careful, sweetie…”

Amethyst set Pyrite back down on her bunk and revealed a large suitcase that was hiding underneath. “I guess we should start packing, don't you think? Mommy’s a sergeant, now!”

That was it, the last straw. Shining couldn't fight anymore, not against Twilight, Onyx, and Amethyst. Amethyst’s eyes filled with tears as Shining gave in at last. He nodded his head with great reluctance. “Alright, alright… You can keep the changeling...” His voice was small and defeated. “We… can discuss your promotion later. For now, just move your things into the room across from Onyx’s.”

Silvershield watched from the shadows, hidden from view. He cursed silently. The thought of Amethyst receiving praise for taking in a changeling made his blood boil with rage. To make matters even worse, she had the support of Princess Twilight and Onyx.

Emerald spoke up quietly from behind. “What are we going to do about them, Silver? I don't feel safe with that changeling living here with us…”

The guards nodded their heads in collective agreement. Something had to be done. The changeling had to go.

Silvershield let out a slow breath, calming his nerves before he shook his head. “Nothing, for now… The changeling is too well protected. Don't let Amethyst fool you, she's an expert in magical combat. That’s the reason I couldn't kill the little brat myself when I had the chance…”

They watched as Amber opened the door to the mare’s bunk room, letting Amethyst and Pyrite back inside. Silvershield let out a beast-like snarl before calming himself again. “Changelings feed off of love, right? We’ll Amethyst enjoy herself… We’ll let the changeling freak feed off of her love for it, and when she's weak and powerless, we’ll make her wish she'd left that thing to the death it deserves.”