Chapter 11
The whistle of the train rang throughout the attached cars of the locomotive, waking its passengers to a new morning and a new destination. Amethyst Craft did not need to be woken by the whistle, seeing as he didn’t enter the dreamscape with his friends.
He sat up straight on the top bunker, looking at each of his friends who were stirring from their peaceful slumber. Amethyst let out a sigh as he looked out the window, seeing the Crystal Empire from a distance.
Home sweet home…
As the thought entered his tiresome mind, he felt a bump on his bunker and looked down to see the others finally awake and looking up at him. “Hey Amethyst! Get ready, we’re almost there!” Spike told him excitedly, beaming with the others. Surprisingly enough, Diamond Tiara was smiling with the others too.
Amethyst shrugged and jumped off his bed, landing with a thud on the ground below. He sighed and walked to the bathroom, preparing himself for the day.
The others blinked before looking at each other, concern and confusion flushed on their face. “Was it something I said?” Spike asked Sweetie Belle, cocking his brow as he looked back to the bathroom door.
Silver Spoon scrunched her lips and blinked a few times as she tilted her head. “I hope he’s okay,” she thought out loud before turning to Apple Bloom. “But he seemed so thrilled last night… what happened?”
“Dunno…” Apple Bloom trailed off as she shrugged. She turned to Diamond Tiara, arching her brow suspiciously at her. “You didn’t do anything did you?”
“What?! No!” Diamond Tiara retorted as she pouted her lower lip. “I haven’t done anything to him whatsoever on this trip, okay?” She snipped at Apple Bloom, who raised her hoof to her.
“Woah there. Just making sure.”
Diamond Tiara just frowned as she looked away, meeting Silver’s eyes who were staring at Diamond’s intensely. “Not you too?”
Silver quickly waved her hooves as she shook her head. “No no! I didn’t mean—” She paused before she sighed. “I just hope he’ll be okay.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Pipsqueak answered dismissively, walking to the door leading to the dining car. “Now, what say we lads and lasses go and munch on our breakfast?”
“Sounds good to me,” Spike said. “I think that’s all we have time for before we get to the Empire anyway.”
“I don’t like this,” Shining Armor said.
It wasn’t the wait that he and his wife were being forced to endure that Shining Armor was referring to, though both were anxious to see Twilight and her family again. Cadance looked at him with understanding, she had no need to ask what the “this” was.
“I know what you mean.”
Shining frowned. “She’s just gotten... weird lately. Ever since she found out about Amethyst.”
“It’s not just that,” Cadance said. She gave a grunt, then clutched her now swollen belly. “Sorry, the foal kicked again. You remember when we first came up here? She was nowhere in sight until after Sombra was gone.”
“Everypony said she was legitimate,” he said. “Was helping to overthrow Sombra. Still doesn’t add up.”
“...Maybe. I don’t know.” She looked at the tracks. The train was close. “It could just be nothing. A lot of the ponies are pretty loopy after being away for so long. Sombra messed a lot of ponies up. Auntie hasn’t had to organize so many psychiatrists since Discord.”
“This is different. She seems bent on getting Amethyst back here. She nearly had a heart attack when I told her we wouldn’t be holding a grand procession for him.” He looked back at the long carriage, enough for all the guests. “I don’t care what she says, that would be a PR nightmare if he decided to stay in Ponyville.”
Cadance didn’t speak. The train was screeching to a halt now. “Well, don’t bring it up to him now.”
The door opened, and the first one out was Spike, running to his extended family. “Aunt Cadie! Uncle Shiny!”
“There’s my favorite nephew!” Cadance said, planting a kiss on Spike’s cheek. She looked over at Light. “And there’s my other favorite nephew! Come on.”
Light was a bit surprised, but came forward, and Cadance gave him a kiss as well. “Come on, feel your baby cousin kick.”
“Um…” he trailed off, looking back at Blaze who came out of the car with the others and was smiling broadly and nodded. Light gulped and complied to Cadance’s request. When his hoof and Spike’s touched Cadance’s belly, a faint heartbeat could be felt by them with a sudden bump from inside, making Cadance let out an ‘oof’ as she felt the impact.
She giggled and looked down as the colts retracted their hooves from her. “Looks like my son is saying ‘hi’.”
Twilight walked forward as she heard the news, beaming at her sister-in-law before reaching over to hug her. “So good to see you, Cadance.” She was about to perform their signature dance, but stopped when Cadance raised her hoof giggling.
"It’s good to see you too, Twilight,” Cadance said softly, looking down to her stomach. "Unfortunately I can't do our special 'hello' right now." She informed Twilight, reaching over to nuzzle little sister-in-law’s head with her eyes closed.
"Oh yes!" Twilight blushed, feeling sheepish when she remembered Cadance's foal inside. “So you found out if it’s a colt or filly?” Twilight asked curiously, looking down on Cadance’s swollen stomach.
Cadance nodded as she giggled. “It’s a colt.”
“Though we still not sure if it will be an earth pony, pegasus or unicorn.” Shining responded as he gave his baby sister a hug. “Happy you could come, Twily.”
Twilight returned to the hug and nuzzled into her brother’s neck. “Always for you, BBBFF.” She let go of her brother, but suddenly her face contorted in confusion. “But what if the foal is an alicorn?”
“That’s not likely,” Cadance replied.
“But—”
Shining Armor placed a hoof to Twilight’s mouth, silencing her. “I think we have more pressing matters at hoof, don’t you think?” he whispered to Twilight, as he peaked over her head to see the others standing in the background.
“Right!” Twilight answered, with Blaze coming from behind her to greet Cadance and Shining Armor.
When Blaze stepped before Cadance, she immediately gave him a hug that he returned to her. Both smiled as they let go of each other. “I see you doing well, Princess.”
“Please Blaze, just call me Cadance… you’re literally family now to me.”
“Um... thank you,” he said. It was almost surreal to get a warm welcome after such problems with Shining Armor on his previous visits.
“And there’s the pony of the hour,” Shining Armor said, spotting Amethyst. “How are you doing, kiddo?”
“...I’m fine,” he said. His heart clearly wasn’t in it though.
“Well, I’m glad you could come up.” He sensed his sadness, who wouldn’t? But he needed to keep a positive attitude, for his sake. “We have a tour of your old home ready.”
“...Thank you.”
An awkward silence hung over the train yard.
“Well then, let’s get to the palace,” Shining Armor said, motioning to the carriage. “This should be big enough to fit everypony. Let’s go!”
Shimmering Ruby was fuming. No grand procession, no parade... that meant no chance to snag the foal. She had had it all planned, to grab the child once his car had docked in the castle courtyard, following an accident with the Prince and Princess’s car that would have left them delayed.
She shook her head. The best laid plans, she supposed. There was still plenty of chance. Yes, plenty of chance. She just had to be patient.
“Miss Ruby?”
She perked up. One of the guards... her guards... was addressing her.
“Yes?”
“I just got word that the foal has arrived. He’ll be here in due time.”
“Good, good. Make sure he gets the guest room that I marked. And is everything set up?”
“I’m not sure. They said they were having some trouble getting the supplies ready without anypony noticing. But they said everything would be ready by tonight.”
She nodded. “I figured. They’re starting to keep an annoyingly close watch on me. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. Tell them to be ready soon.”
The guard saluted Ruby, giving off a slight smirk to her. “Yes Miss Ruby,” he replied to her, before leaving the room
Ruby chuckled as she looked up towards a box decorated in dark crystal and when she opened it, she saw a few red shards that she carefully picked up with her magic. She started to snicker as she stared intently at them before gently closing the box.
“The remains of my King… soon you will be whole once again.”
“And here we are.”
The group finally made it to the castle, being escorted by the Prince and Princess of the Empire themselves. Amethyst stood next to Rarity and Silver Spoon as he gazed up at the colossus. His eyes shined as his crystal irises were reflected the light that shined upon the crystals. He took a deep breath, blinking a few times before looking back at Rarity.
“It really hasn’t changed since then.”
Rarity reached for his shoulder, pulling him in to her as she held him close. “It has changed. Sombra is gone and the ponies are free.”
“Exactly!” Shining Armor cut in as he walked forward before turning to the group. “Why don’t the foals explore the city with me?” He suggested as two more guards stood at his side. He looked at Cadance, winking at her with her returning the wink.
Twilight eyed her brother suspiciously, before he gave her a wink too. She jerked her head back slightly before relaxing and nodding. “I think that’s a good idea.” She turned to Spike and Light, leaning in to whisper. “Just make sure Amethyst is okay.”
“You got it,” both colts replied before they looked to their fellow foals before grabbing on Amethyst’s hoof and dragging him off towards Shining Armor.
“We’ll see you later.” Shining waved at the mares and Blaze as he and the others walked on ahead towards the city.
Rarity cocked her brow, blinking in confusion before shaking it violently. “Hold on! Are you sure Amethyst will be alright just like—” Rarity paused when she felt a hoof on her back and turned to see Cadance looking at her with a furrowed brow.
“I would like to avoid Amethyst entering the castle until later,” Cadance declared to the others, with no smile on her face.
Blaze scrunched his lips as he tapped his chin. “Does this have something to do with your vizier?”
Cadance blinked. “Yes... how did you know that?”
“Twi told me about it on the train,” he said. “You found out something?”
“Well... no.”
Rarity was suddenly in front of Cadance. “What do you mean, no? Why did you send them away then? Are Sweetie and Amethyst safe?”
“Relax, Rarity. They’re safe for right now. We’ve been suspicious of Shimmering Ruby for awhile, but there’s nothing concrete. If she’s planning something, she’s bound to be setting it up right now. We can catch her in the act. And if it turns out to be nothing... well, always best to err on the side of caution.”
“Are you sure? Really sure?”
“Rarity,” Cadance said more firmly. “I wouldn’t have sent my nephews out somewhere where they might be hurt. I haven’t sent your kids out there either.”
“So... now what?”
“Now, you all need to go trail Ruby. Between the seven of you, it shouldn’t be hard to keep an eye and ear on her at all times without suspicion.”
“Wait, you’re not going to help us?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Even if I wasn’t carrying this baby, I need to be doing my job so she won’t get suspicious,” she answered, looking down on her stomach and rubbing it gently as she smiled softly
“So... that’s it?” Twilight asked. “We just watch her?”
“Yes.” Cadance’s ears flicked and she turned to see her vizier coming towards them with two of her guards. “Now shh, here she comes...”
“Miss Rarity!” Ruby called out, gliding down the palace stairs to shake hooves with the unicorn in question. “A pleasure to meet you. Please, where is Amethyst? I must meet him.”
“We sent the foals on a tour of the Empire,” Cadance said.
Like flicking a light switch, Ruby’s smile vanished. “What? Your Highness, that... are you sure that’s wise? He is the last crystal unicorn, he should be—”
“He’ll be fine,” Cadance replied. “Right now, I want you to accompany my sister-in-law and the others to their rooms.”
“But—”
Cadance’s eye shined for a moment before she raised her head high and looked down upon Ruby. “Now Ruby.” She told her underling calmly, though the impact of the words struck Ruby hard.
Ruby shook for a moment, regaining her composure as she bowed to Cadance. “Yes, my princess,” she answered her quietly, biting her lower lip in frustration. She turned to her guards and waved a hoof at them which the others could not see. “You are dismissed,” she told them, and they went off leaving the others. “Please follow me, Dame Twilight Sparkle.”
“Um-Yes!” Twilight was flustered for a moment, forgetting that she and her friends were knighted when Discord was defeated. She nudged Blaze and both of them along with the others began to follow Ruby to the west wing of the castle.
I will get that foal, don’t you worry… False Ruler!
“Wow!”
Silver Spoon’s jaw was agape as she observed the Crystal Empire with her friends. All the foals seemed to be taken in by the sights alone. Even Amethyst was mesmerized by the view and the jubilation of the ponies around him.
“Excuse me, Prince Armor?” Amethyst called to Shining, making his way to his side.
Shining chuckled as he looked down on the colt. “Please, call me Shining.”
“... Shining,” Amethyst began to speak, looking around him again before bringing his attention back to the stallion. “Why is there still so much construction going on around here?” He asked curiously, noticing the arenas and other shops being built.
“We won the petition for hosting the Equestrian Games, now we’re in full gear in getting all the building up to scratch for all the tourists coming in.”
Amethyst blinked, tilting his head. “Equestrian Games?”
“It’s like a giant sports event held once every four years in a different location,” Silver chimed in, walking next to Amethyst.
Shining nodded as he smiled. “That’s right.” He chuckled as he closed his eyes. “It pays to have a smart fillyfriend in your life.”
Both foals blushed while their friends laughed. “She... she’s not my fillyfriend.”
“Really?” Shining asked, noting Silver Spoon didn’t speak up any protest.
“Oh, but didn’t he promise to take you out to lunch?”
“What?” Sweetie said.
“Diamond!” Silver said. Then she glared at her. “That was to get back for beating you at cards, wasn’t it?”
“...Maybe,” she said with a sly smile.
“Well then, you’re in luck, we’re in front of the most romantic restaurant in the Empire,” Shining Armor said with a smirk. He wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity for some playful teasing.
“This... actually, this was the restaurant I was going to take her to,” Amethyst said, trying to keep his voice as low as possible while still letting it be heard.
His friends erupted in laughter, and Shining Armor decided to spare the colt any further embarrassment. “Well then, come on you two, I’ll get you a private table.”
“What? Now?” Amethyst said. Any further protest was cut off by Shining Armor pushing him forward with his magic, into the building.
Rainbow Dash tried to look as casual as possible, and failed miserably. She was after all, leaning up against a column in the middle of the grand ballroom, whistling off-key and avoiding looking at Shimmering Ruby.
The vizier looked at the pony oddly before continuing on. She constantly glanced behind her to see if she was following. Thankfully, she was not.
Idiot... she thought. I think I’ll kill her first... after the false Prince and Princess, of course.
She continued moving down the hallway, and was surprised to see Rarity trotting up to her.
“Excuse me, Miss Ruby?” Rarity asked the vizier, putting on the best fake-smile she could muster for the mare.
Ruby in turn feigned surprise and joy when Rarity called out to her. “Yes. Miss Rarity? How may I be of assistance?” she asked Rarity, forcing a smile as she narrowed her eyes to the white mare that was approaching her.
“I haven’t seen it yet, but I do hear this castle has a marvelous hot spring that was recently found. I am right?” she asked curiously, battling her eyelids and maintaining her smile.
“Well, yes we did find them just over a month ago,” Ruby replied with the same false enthusiasm Rarity was displaying before her. You think you’re fooling me with that grin? You’re an amateur, you primadonna!
I know you’re hiding something, but I’m going to find out soon. “Shall we go there? I am rather curious to know what it looks like?” Rarity asked her before turning to the others. “You all want to go down there too?” she asked them, but gave a momentary frown before smiling again.
“Not for me, thank you,” Twilight replied to her merrily, unloading her bag.
When the other refused, Rarity and Ruby were out the door and Ruby closed it, eying each of inhabitants with a close eye before disappearing when she left the room.
Blaze broke the silence with a whistle as he shook his head. “Talk about suspicious with capital S,” he said, looking to the door still.
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy questioned nervously.
“That mare’s a creep, that’s what he’s saying,” Rainbow Dash answered for Blaze, floating over to Fluttershy. “She looks like she’s hiding something, something bad.”
Applejack nodded as she closed her eyes. “Exactly! And from wha’ Ah could tell, she’s a liar.”
“Think Rarity will be okay?” Twilight asked her friends, her eyes showing concern as she scrunched her lips.
Blaze covered Twilight’s back with his wing, dragging her towards him and nuzzling her. “I’m sure Rarity will be okay, think she’s just going to ask some ‘subtle’ questions to Ruby,” he told her when he stopped nuzzling her.
“I suppose,” Twilight nuzzled him back and planted her lips softly on his cheek as he giggled.
Rainbow rolled her eyes and groaned. “Get a room, you two,” she mumbled, looking away from the couple.
Rolling his napkin over into a tube with one hoof, Amethyst used the table surface as leverage. He then dragged his hoof back, unrolling it. Then he rolled it again.
“...Amethyst?”
He looked up at Silver Spoon’s words. She was looking at him, her face the most readable he had ever seen it. “Yes?”
“We’re supposed to talk before the food gets here.”
“I know,” he said.
She sighed. “Amethyst, please...”
“Please what?”
“You know what,” she said, annoyance in her voice. She was glad they were in a private room. “Amethyst... you know what I want. Are you going to make me embarrass myself by asking?”
“I wouldn’t do anything to embarrass you,” he said. He took a deep breath. “I... care about you. I’ll hate whatever colt acstallionly gets you, until I’m sure he makes you happy.”
“You’d make me happy,” she said. She was starting to cry.
“No, I would not. I am... I think I will be forced to go back to the Empire. And even if I do not... I think I should.”
“What?” The sound might have pierced the walls. “Are you just going to leave us? Leave Rarity? Sweetie? Me?”
“Do not assume I want to,” Amethyst said. “But... my mother, she gave up so much so I could live... she risked her life so much because it was for the best. I think I might need to stay here. It... it’s what Mother would have done.” He told her, clutching onto his necklace.
“What? But—”
“I’m sorry... I think it is for the best. It’s going to be hard telling the others... please let me tell them, please,” Amethyst told her softly, not letting go of the necklace around his neck but still looking into her eyes.
Silver sighed in defeat, lowering her head as her lips quivered. “Okay…” she trailed off, before looking up with moist eyes to Amethyst and down to the necklace. “What’s in there?” she asked curiously.
Amethyst looked down and sighed, closing his eyes. I suppose I should show it, at least to her. He opened the necklace with his magic, and immediately a melody started playing. Amethyst showed her the front side of the open necklace.
“Woah…” Silver uttered, staring in awe at the picture that was inside of it. There were two ponies, one being Amethyst and the other one an adult mare holding him in her fore legs as they both smiled to the camera. What made the image stand out was the mare, who was a spitting image of Rarity when the Crystal Heart was activated. “Is that?”
“Yes… that’s my mother and I.”
Silver looked closer to the image, smiling slowly. “She’s beautiful.”
“Thank you..” Amethyst replied softly, his eyes leaving a trail of tears as he continued to listen to the melody the necklace was playing. He closed it and quickly wiped the tears away before Silver could see them. “I think we should see the other now.”
When they stood up from the table, Silver walked over to Amethyst. “She looked a lot like Rarity,” she commented to him. “Is that why you—”
“Yes.” Amethyst cut in. “Just don’t tell the others, at least not yet.”
Silver nodded in agreement. “I won’t,” she answered him. “Oh, and Amethyst?”
“Yes? What is—”
His words were cut off when Silver leaned in to touch his lips with hers. He slowly closed his eyes as they continued to to kiss each other. When she let go, she giggled as she turned her head sideways blushing.
“I like you,” Silver told him, shuffling her hooves as she looked up to his eyes. She was batting her eyelids, giving off a small smile in the progress.
Amethyst’s cheeks turned bright red before he smiled in return, leaning into peck her cheek softly. “I like you too, Silver.”
Silver Spoon smiled.
“And that’s why I shouldn’t have done that,” he said. He sighed. “I think... I think we better go back to the palace.”
Amethyst left the room. But Silver didn’t. She didn’t want Amethyst to see her cry.
Rarity trotted down the hallways, looking at Shimmering Ruby. Shimmering Ruby was looking at her, but she was being more discreet about it. “We’re almost there. Ponies don’t come down here very often.”
“They don’t, do they?” Rarity asked.
“Yes. Even in these days...”
Ruby didn’t give her a chance to finish, because at that point Rarity had done something that would have shocked her friends, if they had seen it.
Rarity picked up Shimmering Ruby with her magic and slammed her against the wall.
Shimmering Ruby felt the air leave her as Rarity looked at her with deadly, deadly eyes. “Listen here, you... you.. what are you planning?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Ruby said, keeping her voice level.
“What are you planning with—”
Rarity didn’t get anything else out. A loud crack rang out as her vision went white.
She hit the floor, a splotch of blood forming on her mane. A guard stood over her, tapping a board against the floor.
Ruby had dropped to the ground, and was quick to regain her composure. “Good work... but this is a problem. Everypony saw me leave with her. Well, no matter, I think I have an idea.”
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He's baaaack!!!
Man, Rarity was definitely badass in that last scene, I hope that guard gets what he deserves.
Shit ....
Houston, we have a problem.
Great update, but I have one question of this...
I know this is a tale centered on Rarity and her care-taking of Amethyst and becoming fond of him. Which this chapter sort of explains why...because Rarity's almost a splitting image of his mother.
However, with Shimmering Ruby now trying to bring back Sombra...one question remains and that is will he try to go after Spike, the former dragon now Unicorn Colt, who beaten him before ?
Other than that, this was once again another great update to the storyline and a great showing of the growing romance between Silver Spoon and Amethyst. Still, one such romance does require sacrifices in order for them to be fully fulfilled and understood in order for a romantic relationship to work.
Also, it was great to see Shining Armor and Cadance welcoming Light and Blaze into the family and also for them to quickly catch on to Shimmering Ruby's actions.
Also, Rainbow Dash spoke the words about Twilight and Blaze's relationship that should have been spoken before...honestly, get a room you two crazy love ponies.
Besides all that, great cliffhanger as I can see Shimmering Ruby's actions being her undoing if she isn't able to fool anyone with a fake Rarity.
Please do keep up the good work upon such a great tale like this one.
You know that feeling when you have an epiphany and it's solidified three paragraphs later? That's happened three times in this chapter alone.
And now I'm back to wondering about alicorn genetics.
That BITCH!
3707764
Kinda saw this coming. Mama stayed in Equestria and remarried, foals and all.
Don't look now, Amethyst, but your niece (in literally the same way Candace and Blueblood are Celestia's and Luna's niece and nephew) just got KOed.
Voldemort moment!