Fool's Gold

by Cardinal Dan Productions

Vol 2: Part 8: Darkness Falling

***Volume 2***

***One Year Ago***

Night had fallen across the Frozen North, a desolate wasteland bordering the Crystal Empire, and the already subzero temperatures plummeted as the moon rose high into the night sky. Buried deep in the ground by rock and ice, a single changeling stirred in the nest.

“Shhhhh… Don't wake, little one.” She grunted softly as she hoisted an infant changeling onto her back. “Sleep, my little Azalea… We haven't much time.”

Phasmid treaded carefully as she navigated her way through the endless corridors and tunnels that made up the greater nest. It was imperative that she didn't wake any others that weren't a part of what she was about to do.

“Phasmid… What are you up to, now?”

She quickly spun around, looking for the source of the voice, and when she saw who had snuck up on her, she smiled with uncertainty. “Aphid, how many times have I told you not to do that…” Phasmid let out a sigh as her breathing began to recover from the sudden fright. “Why are you here?”

The changeling called Aphid lowered his head. “You know exactly why I'm here. Queen Chrysalis’ last egg, the infant you've been caring for, is queen…”

Phasmid shut her eyes. That was exactly what she was afraid of. It was the duty of the hive to care for and raise the next generation of changelings birthed by the queen, and over the past few weeks, Phasmid had done the unthinkable and grown attached to her charge. Now, she knew why.

She opened her eyes again, and more changelings appeared in the dark tunnel. She was surrounded. “Aphid, you know if Queen Chrysalis finds out that there's another queen, she'll kill her.” It was a hopeless attempt to plead with Aphid, but she had no other options.

He nodded his head. “I know.”

The look on Phasmid face was one of desperatation. “I… I can't let that happen, Aphid.”

He raised a gentle hoof and placed it against Phasmid’s shoulder, catching her by surprise. “I know, Phas… That's why we're going to help you.”

Phasmid looked around the tunnel, at the faces of the changelings around her. There had to be at least a dozen of them, and all wore sad smiles on their faces. “Aphid…” Phasmid struggled to hold back the tears of joy that had been building behind her eyes. “You don't have to do this.”

He nodded his head. “I do…” Then, he gestured to the changelings around him. “It's no secret that Queen Chrysalis is leading is all down a hole. After we lost the battle at Canterlot, things have gone from bad to worse. This new queen may be the only hope we have left.”

Collective nods were shared amongst the changelings. Phasmid looked over her shoulder, at the little changeling on her back. Azalea was sound asleep, snoring softly.

Hope…

That was something none of them had felt in years. Phasmid raised a hoof and pointed down the tunnel. “Alright… Let's get moving. We need to get out of here before the queen’s agents suspects anything.”

Together, the coalition of rogue changelings ventured up through tunnel after tunnel. To any outsider, the caves would swallow them whole, and they would never see the light of day again, but the changelings navigated the maze with ease. Marking certain corridors with certain pheromones only detectable by changelings, they could determine which tunnels lead deeper into the hive, which tunnels lead to the surface, and which ones were dead ends or traps. The air began to get noticeably colder as they got closer to the surface.

Eventually, Phasmid began to see her own short and rapid breaths, and the dark rock was replaced by a pale sheet of ice. They were almost out of the caves, out of the hive. Aphid turned to Phasmid as they walked and shot her a silly grin. “This is great… We can go far away from here, far away from this cold wasteland. We can find some nice caves in Equestria and start our own hive, and when our new queen comes of age, she can lead us to a brighter future…”

Phasmid blushed and gave him a shy smile. “That's a lot to think about…” She shivered slightly as the cold washed over her. “I do believe the next generation of changelings will thank us, though.”

A chilling laughter echoed throughout the frozen tunnel, stopping the group of changelings dead in their tracks. The already freezing air seemed to drop drastically in temperature as the amused laughter sent fear down the changelings’ spines, causing their torn wings to flutter nervously.

“Well… Isn't this something.”

She appeared in front of them as if from out of thin air.

Phasmid’s eyes narrowed, and she bared her teeth at the changeling blocking their path. “Cicada…”

The changeling grinned menacingly and spread her wings in an intimidating manner. Her eyes looked wild as they glanced over each and every one of the escapees. “What's that smell?” She sniffed the air, her nose twitching restlessly. “It kind of smells like… treason.” Cicada’s eyes fell on Phasmid and the infant on her back.

Aphid stepped forward, putting himself in between Phasmid and Cicada while taking a defensive stance. Her grin grew even wider, and her horn began to glow a sickly green color. “I’ll tell you what… Give me the little brat, and I won't kill every last one of you.”

The group of changelings exchanged horrified looks, but Aphid stood tall. “No deal, Cicada. We're done listening you you, and we're done starving of love in this… frozen hell!”

Cicada’s smile vanished. Her eyes narrowed as a slow breath escaped her lips. Then, there was a bright flash of light. Her horn discharged, releasing the concentrated energy that had been building up, and Aphid’s lifeless body fell to the ground. Phasmid’s eyes widened with terror, and her mouth quivered. A gaping hole occupied the middle of his chest, and green blood poured out onto the snow at an alarming rate as his open eyes stared blankly up at the roof of the cave.

Phasmid let out a shrill cry and lowered her horn. Cicada only had a split second to react before a bolt of magic came sailing towards her head. The bolt missed its target, only grazing her shoulder, but it left a blackened mark.

Cicada howled with pain. She glared at Phasmid before vanishing in a flash of light, but not before issuing a final order to her partner, who had been hiding in the shadows. “Mantis, kill them! Kill them all!”

The larger changeling that had been waiting revealed himself, and a bloody massacre ensued. One by one, he tore through the rogue changelings, ripping them down in the most gruesome ways imaginable. Legs were snapped in two, and throats were torn from necks as terrified screams filled the cave. Not even the blizzard outside could drown out the sounds of fear and death.

The moment Mantis attacked, Azalea had been thrown from Phasmid’s back, and she landed in the snow that carpeted the cave floor. Carnage ensued as the monstrous changeling agent tore the rogue escapees down one after the other. Azalea scampered through the snow, trying desperately to avoid the mangled bodies falling around her.

“Come here, you little brat!”

She was terrified beyond all belief. Then, a wild hoof caught her in the side, and she was sent flying across the cave, hitting the wall with a soft thud before falling into the snow again.

“Azalea! Azalea, run!”

It was her caretaker, Phasmid. The little changeling looked around for her before a mound of snow was pushed on top of her, burying her almost completely. Azalea could just barely see outside of her icy tomb. The cave was almost silent now, except for the desperate, painful cries of Phasmid. Mantis let out a beastly growl before throwing her onto the ground.

Tears swelled in the little changeling queen’s eyes as she watched her caretaker try to crawl towards her. Then, the changeling agent’s hoof came down, crushing her outstretched leg. Phasmid cried out, writhing in agony.

“Call for her, traitor…” Mantis pointed his horn towards her throat. “Call for the brat… Lurer her out…”

Phasmid gulped hard as she nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Az-Azalea…” She sobbed, glaring up at Mantis. “Azalea… I want you…” Mantis’ eyes darted around the cave, scanning the area for the slightest movement. “I… want you… to run and hide! Run, and never come back!”

The changeling agent yelled ferociously before driving his horn into her neck, silencing her forever. With the last escapee dead, Cicada appeared before him, holding onto her wounded shoulder.

She looked around at the death and destruction around her. “That… was quite an impressive display, Mantis.” She walked forward until she reached Phasmid’s lifeless body, and she looked down, shaking her head with disappointment. “Such a shame… Queen Chrysalis won't be happy about this, but she will be pleased to know the false queen is dead.” She looked up, and her eyes met Mantis’. “She is dead, right?”

Mantis looked at the numerous bodies around him, very much trying to avoid making eye intact with Cicada. She was an expert when it came to telling lies, and she could just as easily tell if another was lying to her. That’s what made her so frightening and intimidating when on the job.

Mantis bit his lower lip, and he nodded his head. “Yeah… It's over. Tell the queen she doesn't have to worry any longer.”

Cicada smiled at last, and Mantis exhaled a breath of relief. She bought it. It wasn't her usual, menacing grin, but a genuinely happy and uncharacteristic smile. “That's wonderful. I'm glad you were able to handle this little… crisis so well.”

Then, something changed in her expression. Her eyelids fell, and her mouth formed into a very seductive grin. She batted her eyes as she raised a hoof to his cheek, caressing him gently. “Come, Mantis, I know of a few things we could do to… celebrate…”

Mantis liked the sound of that. Wiping a hoof across his forehead, just at the base of his horn, he followed after her, eager to see what ‘celebratory’ activities she had in mind. Walking in front of him, Cicada swayed her flanks from side to side in a sort of ‘come and get it’ fashion.

As the snow began to disappear and the caves became dark again, Mantis looked over his shoulder. Maybe Azalea wouldn't die by his hooves, but she was young, right? The cold would kill her in a matter of minutes. Then, she would join the rest of the traitors in their shallow graves. Satisfied by that thought, he turned back around and rushed after Cicada.

***

Azalea didn't dare poke her head out of her hiding place until she was certain the changeling agents were gone. She struggled to stand. The cold was already getting to her, and her movements became slow and sluggish. As she reached for the hole in the snow that was her way out, the mound above her collapsed, burying her completely.

In an act of survival instinct, her horn glowed and began radiating a tremendous amount of heat. The snow liquified around her, and Azalea emerged from the pile, cold and shivering, but free. The energy expelled from her horn had left her completely drained, and she collapsed.

Phasmid’s body lied before her. It had already begun to be buried by the incoming snow from the mouth of the cave so far away. The tears that fell from her eyes froze almost immediately, freezing against her cheeks as she crawled forward. “Mmm… Ma… Mama…”

She managed to stand up as she circled around to find Phasmid’s face. “Mama?” Azalea nuzzled her cheek, lifting the elder changeling’s head before it clumsily fell back over. “Ma-Mama…”

After Phasmid failed to wake up a second time, Azalea broke down completely, falling into a fit of wails and shrieks as she took in the sight of the bodies around her. “Mama! Mamaaaaa!”

She cried and screamed until she was once again drained of energy. Without food or water, the crying left her feeling very lightheaded and dizzy. The frozen tears on her cheeks had begun to build up, and after a few moments, she could barely see. Azalea remembered what Phasmid had told her.

She told her to run and never return, but she didn't know where to go. The hive was her home, and the Frozen North would mean the death of her for sure.

Instinct told her to run deeper into the caves where she would find familiar faces, but fear of the queen’s agents told her to take her chances in the wild blizzard. Not knowing what she should do, Azalea fell on her rear and cried until her eyes had frozen shut. Then, she curled up next to her caretaker’s motionless body and cried herself to sleep as the snow continued to creep into the cave, ever so gently encasing them.

***

Azalea didn't know how much time had passed when she woke up again, but it must have been quite a long time. As her eyes opened, she realized that she had been completely buried by snow. The cold felt numb to her, like it didn't bother her as much as it might have under different circumstances. Azalea quickly figured out that she was still able to move her legs, and she stretched them out in an attempt to find the way up and out of the snow.

Her horn began to glow softly, melting a little of the ice around her. Then, she saw them. Little droplets of water from the melting ice were falling. Mustering as much strength as she could, Azalea tunneled upward. Her right hoof broke through the surface of the snow first.

She pulled her head up and took in a deep breath of the cold air. Azalea breathed heavily as her lungs filled with oxygen before exhaling again. Exhausted after climbing out of the snow, she collapsed in a heap on the surface, and she began to shiver.

Azalea look in her surroundings carefully.

The cave was dark, much darker than it had ever been before. It was as though a shroud had fallen over the entire Frozen North, blotting out the light of the sun. The darkness marked the age of the eternal blizzard, an eleven month period where the snow never stopped pouring from the sky. To make things even worse, great winds from the far north would ravage the the landscape, kicking up massive clouds of snow that would blind anypony foolish enough to venture into them. The eternal blizzard made the Frozen North, already a treacherous place, into a land of nightmares.

Azalea’s horn was the only thing granting her light, the ability to see in the dark cave. “Mmmm… Ma?”

She turned her head, and the light from her horn came over the lifeless face of her caretaker, causing her to flinch. Azalea shut her eyes as she fought against the urge to cry. Phasmid’s body was all but completely buried, now. Only a little of her face and horn remained above the creeping snow.

Azalea opened her eyes and nuzzled her affectionately. “Mama…”

When she couldn't look any longer, she turned her gaze, looking inward. The changeling nest to her left looked inviting. Somewhere in that nest, there was warmth and food, her two greatest needs, at the moment. Azalea wanted so desperately to run back into the nest, a place she knew, but that would mean running into the agents that had tried so hard to kill her.

She looked to her right, towards the certain death that was the Frozen North. In the cave, she had at least some protection from the howling winds, but outside, she wouldn't last more than a few short moments. To her left, death. To her right, certain death. Out of options, Azalea fell on her rear and tried so very hard not to think about the overwhelming feelings of hunger that caused her stomach to roar like a yeti, or some other beast of the frozen north.

She was starving, literally, starving of love and of nutrition. She had no idea of when her last meal was, or when she last felt any kind of affection from another living being. Since Azalea last fell asleep, it could have been a few hours, or a few days. Perhaps a week or two had passed since she curled up next to Phasmid’s body for warmth.

Hungry beyond all belief, she began to think irrationally. Phasmid would never let her go hungry. She would always have something to give the little queen, but not this time. Azalea rolled back and forth, holding her hooves across her stomach.

She wanted relief from the pain so badly. She wanted it to end.

Just as she was considering running head first into the Frozen North, a faint glow appeared far up ahead. Azalea squinted her eyes as she peered into the darkness, towards the dim light. It appeared to be getting closer, growing brighter and brighter by the second. A wave of fear washed over the little changeling, and she ran for cover.

It must have been Queen Chrysalis’ agents. They had come back to make sure she was dead. The muffled sound of hooves hitting the snow grew in volume as the being approached. Azalea waited in the shadows, cowering behind the mound of snow that covered Phasmid’s body. It was too dark.

The light coming from the being’s horn obscured the changeling’s view, but she could make out a few key details. It was an outsider, a pony. The being was covered from head to hoof in metal, but that didn't stop Azalea from catching brief glimpses of its purple fur and emerald mane. It walked slowly, taking in the horrific sight around it. Shortly after, the pony in armor was joined by another.

“Amethyst, what's going… on…”

The first pony, the one Azalea assumed was ‘Amethyst’, turned her back and pointed towards the mouth of the cave. “Go back… Get Onyx… He needs to see this…”

Azalea watched the outsiders out of curiousity, but she kept quiet. Still frozen by fear, she couldn't will herself to move. “There's… so many of them… What happened here?”

The two ponies continued to stare with mortified looks at the slaughtered changelings. Azalea wasn't sure of how much longer she could stay in the shadows. The ponies were coming closer and closer, and soon, she would have nowhere else to hide. Then, the two ponies were joined by a third, and Azalea felt her heart stop.

“Amber, wait up! What's with… you…”

As he came into the light, Azalea recognized him instantly. His outer appearance may have been changed, but she would remember the smell of the changeling agent that murdered her caretaker.

She didn't know how or why, but the third pony was none other than Mantis. Fear caused her to shake violently. Her lower lip quivered. Images flashed through her mind, images of the moment he plunged his horn into Phasmid’s throat, causing her to drown in her own blood. Then, Azalea let out a horrified scream.

“Mamaaaaa!”

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

“Ma-Mamaaaaa!”

Azalea cried out again and again, wanting her caretaker to save her. The ponies spotted her.

“There!”

Azalea curled up in a fetal position next to Phasmid’s body in an attempt to make herself as small as possible. “Mama…”

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

The pony called ‘Amethyst’ gasped as she inched closer towards the infant changeling. “It's just a baby…” She extended a hoof, and Azalea cowered away. “It's alright… I'm not going to hurt you…”

The pony spoke so softly. Her voice almost soothed Azalea, giving her a fleeting sensation of security, but Mantis was still there, standing right behind the kind pony. “W-W-We should get out of here. Just leave it. Leave it here with the rest to be taken by the snow.”

The two mares shot him mortified looks. “Absolutely not! I will not leave her to die. Go back, and tell Onyx what we've found.”

To Azalea’s relief, Mantis turned tail and bolted down the cave without a word of hesitation. With him gone, Amethyst turned to face the other pony. “I need your rations.”

She quickly opened her saddlepack and pulled out several white cubes. They looked like sugar cubes, resembling the treats in size, color, and texture. Azalea’s curiosity, and desire for food, was peaked at the sight and smell of the little cubes.

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

She looked back at her with wide, pale eyes, no longer filled with fear. Azalea approached her carefully, one shaky hoof after the other until she reached the outstretched hoof. Once she was close enough, she gave the white cubes a cautious ‘sniff’ before turning her head and retching with pure and utter disgust.

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

Amethyst coaxed the changeling, offering the cubes again. Azalea didn't have any other options. If it really was ‘food’, she had to eat it. Cautious sniffs turned into hungry nibbled, which turned into starving bites. The more she ate, the better they tasted, and the more Azalea wanted to eat them.

With every bite, she felt herself growing a little stronger, and her mind cleared a little more. Amethyst let out a sigh of relief as the little changeling ate more and more, quickly finishing the rations. When the pony’s hoof was empty, she looked up at her.

Azalea didn't know who these ponies were, but she liked them immensely. She began looking for more, sniffing Amethyst’s empty hoof and exploring under the towering pony’s legs, causing her to smile. Then, she felt a warm glow envelop her before she was lifted into the air and placed on Amethyst’s back.

“You're coming with me…” She chuckled softly, earning a long yawn from the little changeling. “I'll keep you safe… I promise…”

After eating all of those rations, Azalea was feeling a little bloated, but for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, she felt at ease. Mantis was gone, and she had been rescued by a stranger clad in shining armor. The pony’s gentle words echoed in her mind.

*I'll keep you safe… I promise…*

Like a record on replay, her words looped again and again.

*I'll keep you safe…*

*I promise…*

For what it was worth, Azalea believed the pony. Perched on her back, she could feel the mare’s emotions, and she liked what she felt. It didn't take long for Azalea to fall in love.

***Current Day***

Emerald shook violently and bolted upright. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He looked to his left and to his right, at the other guards around him in the stallions’ bunk room.

Everypony else was fast asleep.

As the seconds passed, Emerald became more and more aware of his racing heartbeat and his shallow breaths. There was somepony he needed to see. Moving quickly and quietly, Emerald threw the covers off of his body and slid out of the bed. His hooves hit the floor softly, and he began to navigate his way through the dark towards the bunk room door.

The door opened up into one of the many grand corridors that made up the barracks of the Royal Guards, a small extension of the larger palace of the Crystal Empire. Emerald shuffled down the dimly lit corridor towards the mare’s bunk room. He opened the door and slipped inside. The mares’ bunk room resembled the stallions’ in almost every way, but the sides of the rooms mirrored one another, and the general theme differentiated to meet the needs of the opposite sex.

Shrouded in darkness again, Emerald walked quietly down the aisle that separated the two rows of bunks until he found the mare he was looking for. “Pssst! Amber, wake up…”

He tapped her shoulder gently, causing the guard to shift in her sleep. She came to and rolled from her side onto her back, and her eyes fluttered open. “Emerald?”

Her voice was hoarse and groggy, and the look on her face told Emerald that she did not appreciate being woken up. There was no going back, now. “I… I needed to see you…” Emerald rubbed the back of his head. “I had that dream again…”

Amber’s gaze fell, and she slowly nodded her head. “Alright… Alright, Emerald, I'm coming…”

With a great amount of difficulty, she crawled out of her bed and threw a light coat over her shoulders. Together, they walked out of the mares’ bunk room and into the corridor where they could talk and not risk being overheard.

Emerald’s eyes fell to his hooves, and he let out a shaky sigh. “It… It keeps getting worse, Amber… All of those horrible things I did… It's as though it gets a little clearer every time I have that dream. Every night, I can see a new detail I couldn't before.”

Amber sighed and ran a hoof through her mane. Out of all of the rigorous and dangerous tasks she had been trained to handle, therapy was not one of them. She didn't even know where to begin with helping her coltfriend. On any other night, she might have tried to kiss him a few times and coax him back to bed with sweet and reassuring words, but she knew immediately that it would take a lot more than that tonight.

He was visibly shaking, and he sounded as though he might break out into a panic attack at any moment. “That… sounds awful. Have you talked to Amethyst or Onyx about this?”

Just as she suspected, Emerald shook his head. “No, and I don't want them to know. This is my problem, Amber, mine.”

Amber rolled her eyes and blew her messy mane out of her face. “Hey, you come talk to me, don't you?”

Emerald shrugged his shoulders as his neck sagged forward, hunching over. “I need to vent sometimes… Besides, I know I can talk to you. Onyx and Amethyst… They just wouldn't understand…”

Amber cracked a weak smile. “You'd be surprised by what Amethyst will understand. If there's anypony in this place you can put your absolute trust into, it's her.” She raised her hoof and planted it on Emerald’s chest. “You shouldn't think about the things you did in the past, Emerald… You're a different pony, now.” Amber leaned forward, gently rubbing her muzzle against his. “You're proud, brave, and you're a great guy. There isn't another stallion in this empire that I can honestly say I love with all of my heart.”

Emerald couldn't help smiling after that. A cheeky grin forced its way into his lips just before Amber’s made contact with his own. They kissed again and again, parting their lips only just long enough to take a short breath before their mouths came crashing back together. Distracted by the oral attack from Amber, Emerald lost focus. His mind went numb, and his ability to keep his disguise up went with it. A green fire sparked beneath his feet, and in an instant, Emerald was gone.

When Amber opened her eyes, she found herself staring into Mantis’ face, and a huge grin formed along her lips. Totally embarrassed, the changeling turned his head, but nothing could hide the burning red on his cheeks. “S-S-Sorry… That doesn't happen often…”

Amber said nothing. Instead, she threw a hoof around his head and pulled him into a deep kiss, moaning ever so softly into his mouth. The kiss lasted for what seemed like a lifetime, but when their lips finally parted, a thin strand of saliva continued to connect their mouths. “I don't mind kissing a changeling…”

Amber fired him a subtle ‘wink’. “After all, we've done much worse together… Don't you remember that time in the mares’ shower room? Mantis nodded his head as the hot feelings returned to his burning cheeks. He was beginning to feel a lot better. “Now, get changed and get your butt back to bed. I'll see ya’ in the morning, sweetie…”

She gave him one last kiss, a peck on his red cheek, before returning to her bunk room. Maybe a little kissing did help after all… After changing back into his pony form, Emerald took off down the corridor towards the stallions’ bunk room. Once his mind had cleared, and his heart had settled, he came to realize just how tired he really was. At last, he found the door he was looking for, but as he reached out for the handle, something stopped him.

A chilling presence filled the air.

Emerald felt that he was being watched, and he quickly turned around. “Oh…” His initial feelings of fear were dismissed, but he didn't lower his guard. “It's just you…”

A mare clad in silver armor emerged from the shadows and mockingly held a hoof to her chest as though she were offended. “Just me?” She batted her eyes at the stallion as she took another step closer. “You know, we used to be much closer, Mantis. Don't you remember when you kissed me like that?”

Emerald winced, and his cheeks turned red. How long had she been watching? “Whatever happened to kinder greetings such as ‘hello’, my dear Mantis?”

The mare’s name was Gem, but Emerald and his closest friends knew her better as Cicada. Emerald found himself swelling with anger at the sound of her arrogant and cocky voice. “You should count yourself lucky Captain Amethyst even allowed you to stay in the barracks. If you want greetings like ‘hello’, you go grovel at her hooves and beg.”

Gem rolled her eyes. “Ah, yes… Our dearest friend, Captain Amethyst…” Then, her gaze fell, and her lips curled downward into a frown. “I've told her time and time again that my attempts to kill Pyrite were not personal in the slightest, but she refuses to believe me.” Now, it was Emerald’s turn to roll his eyes.

“That's because it was personal, Cicada. It’ll be a day far from know when she is ready to forgive you for all of the trouble you caused her and her Pyrite.”

Gem removed her helmet and shook her mane around, freeing it from the metal enclosure that held it down against her head. “I seem to recall you causing her much of that trouble yourself.”

Emerald bared his teeth. “I helped her in the end! I made an attempt to right all of my wrongs, and in the end, I earned their trust…” He took a deep breath. “You, on the other hoof, continue to be a nuisance and a constant reminder of everything they went through to save Pyrite.”

Gem’s eyes narrowed as tears began to build up. “Was I the cause of her injury? Did I rip her leg off? No! She blew herself up, like the fool she is!” She raised a hoof and jabbed it towards Emerald’s chest. “And don't you dare talk to me about righting past wrongs…”

The tears came at last, flooding down Gem’s cheeks in a cascade of water with every blink. “I didn't have to warn her about Queen Chrysalis. I could have found a place to hide and live the rest of my life without having to so much as look at another damn pony!”

She was sobbing, now. Emerald was shocked when she fell forward, throwing her hooves around his neck. “H-H-How do you… do it?” She cried into his neck, just behind his ear. “How do you block out all of the faces and voices? It's torture…”

Emerald shook his head as he pulled away, looking Gem in her eyes. “I don't, Cicada. I have nightmares every time I close my eyes. They haunt me, every waking moment of my life…”

She frowned at him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “You… You're supposed to say something to make me feel better, Mantis… Isn't that how this ‘friendship’ thing works?”

Emerald held up a hoof, silencing her. “There's a point to this, I promise.” Gem pursed her lips and nodded her head, silently promising to stay quiet as he continued. “We can never forget the things we did in the past, and I certainly don't expect us to ever be forgiven, but our pasts don't have to define who we are now.”

Emerald smiled at her. “You're a new mare, Cicada. Show our new friends love and kindness, and not only will you never go hungry, but you will earn their trust and respect. You don't have to be a monster any longer. What you do today is what defines you.”

Gem blinked once, then twice. Then, a weak smile creeped across her lips. “Th-Thank you, Mantis… I needed to hear that, I think…” Her eyes were tearing up again, but not as a result of her pain. “I should get moving. I need to patrol the eastern courtyard soon.”

Emerald nodded his head as she took a few steps in reverse backing away.

“I’ll… see you later, uh… Emerald.” She fired him a subtle ‘wink’ before turning around and walking down the dark corridor.

He managed a simple wave as she walked away. “Yeah… See you later… Gem.”

He turned to reach for the door again. At last, he was ready to climb back into the safety and comfort of his bunk and finish the last few hours of the night in the restful state that was sleep. He opened the door and slipped quietly inside. Not wanting to disturb the other guards that were still fast asleep, a glided across the floor, almost like a ghost, until he fell gently onto his bed.

It took a bit of skillful maneuvering, but he managed to get himself back underneath the covers and tuck himself in. For the first time in a long time, Emerald couldn't wait to close his eyes and dream, knowing good and well that he would dream of Amber and the intimacy they shared. “Tomorrow’s a whole new day…”

Then, Emerald closed his eyes, and he was out like a light.

***

“I don't get it… I just don't get it… Onyx, help me!”

The sun was rising over the empire, meaning only one thing. It was time for breakfast.

Amethyst threw down the spoon and let out a frustrated growl, baring her teeth as she shook her messy and tangled mane out of her face.

At hearing her cries for assistance, Onyx rushed into the room. His eyes darted around the immediate area, searching for any sign of trouble, but all he found was his fiancé seated at the dining table, trying to feed Pyrite a green, creamy substance. As he got closer to the table, he began to gag himself. He couldn't stand the sight of the stuff, much less having to eat it. “Hmm… Is she refusing to eat again?”

Amethyst’s inaudible sounds translated roughly into an answer he assumed to be ‘yes’. A grin broke along his face, and he managed a hearty chuckle. “Well, I don't blame her. Maybe, that's her way of telling you she's old enough for something with a little more taste and a little less vomit.”

Amethyst frowned and looked down at the jar of foal food. “The magazine experts say fillies love this stuff… They charged fifteen bits for it at the market.”

Experts or not, Pyrite was not impressed with the sick, green mud her mother was trying to feed her. Onyx wrapped a hoof around her from behind and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “I warned you about those magazines, Amy. Those ponies don't know the first thing about raising a foal.”

Amethyst raised an eyebrow as she looked at him over her shoulder. “Oh, and you do?”

She had him there.

Onyx let her go and circumnavigated the table until he was behind Pyrite. “Well… No, but Pyrite and I are getting along.” He smiled at the little changeling who beamed back at him, showing her rows of sharp, developing teeth and fangs. “More or less, anyway.”

He leaned forward and until his lips made contact with the side of her cheek, extracting a fit of giggles and squeals from her. “Besides, she gets most of her daily fill from the love we share with her.”

Amethyst shot him a silly smirk as she reached into a bag by her hooves, and she revealed a smaller, transparent bag filled with half a dozen white cubes. “Don't forget about the rations.”

Onyx nodded his head quickly. “Yes, plenty of rations.”

Pyrite’s eyes lit up at the sight of the bag, and an adorable ‘gasp’ escaped her lips. Amethyst teased her with the bag of rations, holding them in the cloud of her magic just out of the little changeling’s reach. She squirmed in her chair, eagerly reaching out with her hooves only to have her mother raise the bag just a little. “Ah-Ah-Ah… Finish this last spoonful, and you can have the whole bag… How does that sound?”

It was the best bargaining chip she had over Pyrite. Secretly, Amethyst dreaded the day when the promise of rations wouldn't be enough to convince the changeling to do what she wanted. Pyrite considered the deal, her eyes darting back and forth between Amethyst and the bag of rations overhead. Her mother already had another spoonful of the green mush ready to feed her. “Come on, baby… It's just one more spoonful…”

It truly was a battle of wills, and watching from the sidelines, Onyx truly didn't know who would give in first.

Luckily, it was Pyrite.

After several moments of silence, she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. A second later, the spoon of mush flew right into her mouth, and Pyrite closed, cleaning the spoon completely. She winced with pure disgust as she swallowed the foal food, and when her mouth was empty, she made horrendous gagging noises. Amethyst smiled and rolled her eyes. “Drama queen…”

Then, she emptied the rations onto a napkin and surrendered them to Pyrite, who gobbled them up ravenously. As she continued to eat the rations, Amethyst raised her front hoof towards Onyx, signaling to him that she needed help getting up. Onyx was quick to get by her side, and he grunted as he hoisted her out of the chair.

By the time Amethyst was on her hooves, she was out of breath. “Th… Thank you…” Her eyes shifted to her prosthetic leg leaning against the wall across the room. “Can you…”

Onyx smiled at her. “Of course.” He didn't even wait for her to finish her thought before he retrieved the leg. “Here you are, Amy.”

The prosthetic was a gift from Shining Armor after she lost her leg blowing up the changeling nest in the Frozen North the previous year. The thing was a marvel of modern technology and magic. It almost felt real.

Amethyst was immensely grateful for the new leg, but every time she looked at it, her chest felt heavy with grief.

It was a constant reminder of her recklessness.

It was her choice to go to the Frozen North to infiltrate the nest and rescue Pyrite, and her actions nearly killed her and everypony she loved most. Amethyst closed her eyes as her stump slid smoothly into the top of the metal leg. She could feel it whirring to life, and after a few seconds, it felt as though the leg was her own. She let out a sigh of relief as she stood firmly on her hooves without Onyx’s support. “Ahhhh…”

Onyx cracked a smile. “Better?”

Amethyst returned the smile and nodded her head. “Very much, yes…”

She leaned in slowly in an attempt to kiss him, but there was a knock at the door, startling the two guards. Amethyst looked back and forth between Onyx and the door.

“Were you expecting anypony?”

Onyx promptly shook his head. When no pony answered the door, whoever it was knocked again.

Amethyst sighed and shook her head. “Come in!”

Then, the knocking ceased.

There was a brief moment of silence before the door was suddenly and unexpectedly broken in. The door was ripped from its hinges before it flew across the room, hitting Onyx and pinning him against the wall. Amethyst had no time to react before Cicada charged in, her horn lowered and ready to fight.

“Ci-Cicada?!” The mare’s eyes widened with shock as she ducked to avoid the changeling’s first attack. “Cicada, what are you doing?!”

The changeling said nothing as she spun around, turning to charge again, but she had a murderous look in her eyes. Pyrite screamed and bolted for cover, running straight into the next room and under the bed like Amethyst had instructed her a hundred times before. “Onyx! Onyx, get up!”

The guard didn't respond.

He was unconscious underneath the ruined door.

Cicada grinned sadistically as she bared her fangs. “No pony can help you now, captain…”

She leaped into the air, horn first, aiming straight for Amethyst. The guard rolled to the right, just nearly missing Cicada’s jagged horn. “What… What's gotten into you?! I thought you were on our side!”

Cicada lowered her horn as it began to glow, and she fired a bolt of concentrated magic towards the guard. Amethyst quickly conjured a shield which deflected the magic, sending it towards the opposite wall where it left a blackened scorch mark. She let out a vicious snarl as the shield dissipated, and she charged Cicada, catching her by surprise.

For a brief moment, she almost looked impressed. “Now, that's what I'm looking for…”

The surprise was short lived, and Cicada quickly countered the charge. She quickly extended her hoof at the last second, catching Amethyst’s neck and pulling her down, hard. Amethyst hit the table as she fell, knocking it over and smashing the two chairs. When she hit the ground, she had the breath completely knocked out of her.

As she laid on her back, gasping for air, Cicada stood over, shaking her head pitifully as she pressed her hoof into the guard’s throat. “Pathetic…” Her eyes drifted towards the prosthetic leg. “How can you hope to win in a fight against Chrysalis or her agents when you can't even beat me?”

Then, she removed the metal leg with the magic from her horn before tossing it across the room. “You're hopeless…”

Emerald and Amber appeared in the doorway. “We heard- Wh-What is going on?!”

Cicada looked up from her prey and frowned. “I'm trying to help her, Mantis, like you said.” Then, her gaze shifted back to the pony under her hoof. “Amethyst is sloppy, undisciplined, and unprepared for a real assassination attempt…”

The mare struggled underneath the changeling’s hoof. She bared her teeth and managed to let out gurgling noises. Emerald stepped forward, looking at the ruined quarters around him. Chairs were smashed to splinters, and the table had been flipped on its side. Then, there was the scorch mark Cicada had left with her magic.

“Cicada, I think this might be overdoing it…”

Cicada released Amethyst at last, and the guard gasped as her lungs filled with air. “Do you think Chrysalis is going to show her mercy, Mantis? If Amethyst wants to survive, she needs to know how to defend herself at a moment's notice!”

Amber and Emerald shared awkward glances.

“It's been a year, and nothing’s happened to us, Cicada. This…” Emerald looked at Amethyst and Onyx, who was only now starting to move from underneath the door. “This isn't the way to help our friends.”

Pyrite emerged from her hiding place at the sound of familiar voices. “Mmm… Mama?”

Amethyst coughed and wheezed violently as she reached for her daughter. “I… I'm here, baby…”

Then, she looked up at Cicada and glared at her.

The entire room was silent except for Amethyst as she wrapped her hoof around Pyrite, pulling her close. “I'm here… Mama’s alright…”

All eyes fell on Cicada, and the changeling looked back at them with a hard glare on her face. “You're all fools…”

There was a blinding flash of green, and Cicada was gone. Gem stood in her place, but she looked equally angry. “If you ponies want to sit around like a bunch of helpless asses with giant targets on your backs, then go right ahead!” She let out a frustrated growl as she stormed past Emerald and Amber. “See if I care when you're all dead!”

Everypony stayed silent until the sound of her hooves clopping against the floor had faded away. Amber rushed to help Amethyst up while Emerald used his magic to lift the broken door off of Onyx. When Onyx saw the state of the room around him, his jaw hit the floor. “Wha… What happened?”

Emerald managed a smile as he helped the sergeant to his hooves. “Good to see you're alright, sir. How's your head?”

At hearing the word ‘head’, the throbbing pain became much more noticeable. Onyx raised a hoof and rubbed the back of his head where it had made contact with the wall. “I… I'm not sure… What happened?”

This time, Emerald looked to Amethyst for help. With Amber's assistance, Amethyst had gotten her leg back on. She noticed Emerald’s silent cry for aid in explaining what transpired moments before. “Uh… I think Pyrite had an accident.”

The little changeling looked up at her with a confused expression. “Mama?”

Amethyst grinned at her and nodded her head. “That's right… We were playing a game with Pyrite and she got a little too excited. Her magic got out of control, and… Well, we might need some new furniture.”

Amber caught onto the lie and grazed a gentle hoof across the black mark wall. “You'll need a lot more than that, Amethyst… I'm thinking three coats of paint, just to be safe.”

Amethyst didn't feel good about lying to Onyx, the stallion that would very soon be her husband, but she didn't want him becoming enraged and going after Cicada. Deep down, she knew the changeling was right. Had she really been under attack by one of Queen Chrysalis’ agents, she would have certainty been killed.

Luckily, Onyx bought it, and a silly grin broke out into his face. “Pyrite, did you do all of this?”

Knowing full and well that she had nothing to do with it, she frowned up at her mother, but because she wasn't very fluent or able to say much of anything, there was no way for her to verbally defend herself. Onyx chuckled before approaching Amethyst and helping them both up.

Amethyst now addressed the challenge that was fixing her ruined quarters, but luckily, she had her friends by her side to help her. “Alright… Let's get to it, shall we?”

***Up Next: The Invitation***

Comments

[Flod]

I swear I read this before...

[Slavenger Karl]

Oh, dis isn't dead... dam...

[Derpsterette]

8863781
It seems very familiar, doesn't it?