The little bathroom was cool and quiet as she freshened up. If cutting off the dream had been what Luna was doing, then her dream powers were quite formidable. Though, in retrospect, if Peridot had been able to throw Luna off so he could speak to Siddy...

She freshened up, but when she came out of the bathroom, Gypsy was sitting up in the bed and looking at her funny. "Wh-what is wrong?"

"I missed a dream discussion with Ruby. It feels... a bit more 'off' than I thought it would when I asked Princess Luna for help." Obsidian had no other choice but to admit it; she knew she would have to deal with Amber quickly - perhaps even immediately. Maybe she should ask Princess Twilight for help- after all, once she freed Diamond and got Luna's protection and guidance with Jade, then the most vulnerable of her siblings would be safe. And Princess Twilight would surely come up with something clever for the most dangerous of this shard trio.

She just had to be quick about it - Obsidian already missed Ruby, just as she missed Cupcake; she'd grown to enjoy the company of others, and was not a fan of that being hampered in any manner.

Gypsy nodded solemnly. "Do you b-believe that what you are d-d-doing is going to h-help sister Ruby? If s-so, then maybe it is for the b-b-better. But this one can understa-stand missing someone close."

He got up and stretched, then made his way to the bathroom as well, grooming himself in the mirror for a moment. "If we can c-come up with a way to cont-t-tain your problem, then maybe there could b-be a way to fix this."

"I believe it will help everypony around... at least until we manage to tame sister Amber. The more safe we are, the more safe Ruby is. I'll just... have to dive into the books once again, as soon as possible," Obsidian sighed.

"Are you ready for a trip to the Empire? Or perhaps you'd prefer to go back home?" After all, he didn't really have to go with her everywhere she went, right? Didn't he have classes and such? It wasn't that she was tired of him - she was simply concerned that he was possibly spending all his free time with her, and she didn't want to monopolize his time.

Gypsy looked at Obsidian with a smirk. "This one g-goes where you go; with all you have t-to worry about, this one is certain you c-c-could use the company. He will not let you b-b-be alone. He looks f-forward to seeing the Emp-p-pire."

There was only one reply Obsidian could offer: she hugged him. Now that she thought about it, his fur really was nice and soft. Perhaps these elder ponies had the right idea with petting him...

He returned the hug with a smile, his tail wagging merrily. "Obs-sidian Clan is best clan, yes. Now, this one smells br-breakfast; come and let us see what is t-t-to eat." His smile brightened. "Mayhaps more b-b-biscuits!"

"I don't think it's healthy to eat sweets for breakfast," she objected. Even her living with Cupcake didn't cure her serious stance about healthy food and desserts. At least, not yet... though the fact that she was still able to resist the charm of Celestia's cupcakes meant that it was probably something that was already buried deeply into her brain.

It turned out that there was a breakfast waiting for them, and Whisper was just as good a cook as she was a baker. The four of them ate together, chatted amicably for a bit, and then it was time to go.

The elderly couple stood on their front porch, forelegs around each other's shoulders as they waved to Obsidian and Gypsy. They really were nice folks, and it hopefully wouldn't be long before Obsidian would be back to see the sweet old couple.

But now... onto the Crystal Empire, the Flim Flam Brothers, and whatever scheme might be cooked up to smuggle her erstwhile siblings out of the country.

Obsidian really should learn to bring a book with her... if only she had known she was going to travel so much. "Want to talk about anything in particular, Gypsy?" she offered, in order to stop the incoming wave of boredom from drowning her brain.

The diamond dog looked out of the window, his eyes wandering over fields in the distance, as if he were imagining himself romping through them all. He gave a contented sigh, then glanced over at Obsidian. "This one was a b-bit scared to meet the alicorns... but they were kind to him, and the Night P-P-Princess knows exactly where to skritchie to make it c-count most. Then he was w-w-worried about so many elders in one p-pl-p-place, but they all liked this o-one, and he got a LOT of pettings."

He smiled softly. "It showed this one that n-n-not all meetings should b-be fretted over; sometimes, m-m-meetings are happy things. So, this one says th-this to you, that m-meeting your siblings m-might not be all b-b-bad, after all."

Obsidian smiled. "They were nice, weren't they? I had no idea what to expect from two alicorns who were ancient enough to beat my father a thousand years ago, and I didn't know that I'd be so moved by Whisper and Short Round..."

Then, however, she sighed slightly. "But, contrary to my siblings actions, they weren't serving a Dark King, using evil magic and so on. I hope that at least brother Diamond will be as nice as I've heard about him, though - he sounds like a kind stallion."

Gypsy raised an ear. "This one has h-h-heard only a little b-bit about the siblings, other th-than Tourmaline and A-Amethyst; what do you know ab-bout them? Do you know enough ab-bout them?"

Oh, that's right - she forgot that she wasn't supposed to be talking so freely about them. However, after all he'd done just by being here for her, Gypsy deserved to hear something about it all - especially considering his patience during their visit to Luna and Celestia.

"Diamond is a healer, supposedly a very sweet and kind stallion. Which, with our family history, makes me somewhat suspicious, to be honest... Jade, sadly, was tortured into his own form of insanity, which is why I asked Princess Luna to take care of him... and Amber, uuuuhhhhh... well, she's able to mind control others. I don't like that one bit, to be honest."

She thought for a moment, flicking an ear in concentration. "There are also three more loose siblings wandering around, with at least one - Quartz - having a high likelihood of being harmless. Another one of them, however, was described by Onyx herself as a brute..."

Gypsy nodded as he listened. He smiled when she spoke about Diamond, looked sad when she mentioned Jade, and grew serious at the talk of Amber. "This one d-does not like the s-sound of it, either. M-mind control is a heartless th-th-thing to do to one who can think."

"I agree wi-... wait," she paused as she realized something very important. Who would possibly think history could be useful? Obsidian and Gypsy, of course! "Didn't Headmaster Starlight have some kind of cult... commune... village-thing? Do you think mayhaps she knows something more about mind control that we don't?"

Gypsy's eyes lit up with recognition as he realized it too. "Headmistress Starlight Glimmer once ran an entire village under the p-power of slavery, due to the use of a staff for a focus, yet it was proven in later years that s-she never needed a foci at all, due t-to her great power."

He looked to Obsidian. "Starlight m-may at the very least know of a w-way to perhaps bypass Amber's c-control, and could possibly help f-find a way to hold th-that power at bay. Which would m-m-mean you could talk to Ruby ag-gain!"

Obsidian's eyes widened with excitement. "I never thought I'd ever hear myself say it, but... it's a grand day to be taught something new by a former mad overlord!"

Gypsy gave a slight chuckle at that. "Obsidian, you are the m-most unique pony this one h-has ever met; no other h-h-has led the sort of life you d-did, and no other c-could have been capab-ble of doing what you have d-done. You make things b-better, just by being there - a-and you strive to improve yours-s-self every day."

"It may be g-great to have the knowledge you have... b-but this one thinks it's great j-just to have you here. W-with us. Because this one is c-certain it was your d-d-destiny. And if it IS so, th-then you will b-beat whatever comes at you, even th-this."

"Considering that I was crafted over a thousand years ago and yet somehow ended up in the modern era, in a foreign land, and one of the first ponies I'd ever met just happened to be Cupcake Sprinkles... yeah, I'm more than willing to believe it's some sort of destiny," Obsidian smiled.

After all, what were the odds? Minimal - almost zero. If everything would have gone according to the laws of logic, she should either be quite dead, exploded into a new Sombra, or standing by his side.

"You will s-see Sister Ruby again," he said with a toothy grin, "and sh-she will be happy t-t-to see you, as well."

"Thank you, Gypsy. I'm truly doing my best, and I'm glad I have so many wonderful friends that make up for my flaws and deficiencies," she thanked him humbly. "And by that logic, it would mean that every single one of us was sort of chosen by destiny, right? Especially you, considering that diamond dogs are not exactly a common sight in Ponyville, nor at the school."

He actually gave a light blush at that. "Th-this one was hoping that g-going to the Friendship Academy w-would bring him some friends... yet never in his w-w-wildest dreams did he fors-s-see the way things would t-turn out. Were you aware that th-this one had only started at the school only t-t-twenty-eight days before you arrived?"

He grinned. "M-Mica noticed him f-first; asked many questions, which th-this one was pleased to answer. Mica l-led to Thunderclap, a-and then to Cupc-cake, who led to W-Wart and then you. Otherwise, this one knew n-next to n-n-nobody."

"Th-this one is glad to h-have made as many friends as h-h-he has - it m-makes coming to the school c-completely worthwhile. He just hopes he is as welc-c-come to them as they are to h-him."

"See?" The unicorn grinned broadly. "And every single one of the ponies you mentioned eventually ended up in the same pack. If that isn't destiny, then I frankly don't know what else could it be."

Actually, the idea of being used like a pawn in Chess by some mystical 'destiny' was a bit frightening... but in this particular case, Obsidian could easily believe it was a benevolent entity, and she didn't mind it nudging them in the right direction.

"And trust me, Gypsy - every one of us welcomes your presence at least as much as those elderly ponies back in the Bingo Hall did. Perhaps without as much petting, because - I'll be honest - such an idea never actually crossed my mind."

Gypsy gave a light chuckle. "This one... does not m-mind so much. He knows it is a s-s-sign of affection, and accepts it as s-so. He does not get such k-k-kind touching in his clan, so he enj-joys it while he can. Though, perhaps, this one can see where others of his k-kind might be offended... but th-that is for them to decide. This Gypsy Rover, he has d-decided he likes it."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Obsidian nodded, "I just never thought about it because... well, I've only started to learn about signs of affection after I started living in Ponyville." Not exactly a history of too many kindly gestures from her father, sadly. "It, er... took me a while to discover the true power of 'petting'."

Gypsy smiled, then reached over and playfully gave Obsidian a quick but gentle sctritch behind her right ear. "It means much to this o-one that you understand the p-power of a kind t-touch." The Dark Princess giggled when Gypsy scratched her head; perhaps it wasn't as pleasant to her as it was to him, but she appreciated the gesture.

When the train arrived, sure enough, there was Flurry Heart at the station, dressed fashionably enough, and she had a huge smile when she saw Gypsy with her. She instantly held out her hoof to him when she approached.

"Holy shit! You brought him! You're Gypsy Rover, right? Obsidian told me about you - it's fuckin' awesome to meet you!" She then turned and gave Obsidian a quick, smiling, "hiya, Sids," befoe turning back to Gypsy.

The diamond dog was a bit surprised, but smiled and took the proferred hoof. "This one is g-g-glad to meet you, P-Princess." He bowed humbly.

Flur just squeaked and smiled as she clapped her hooves together. "Oh, he is adorable! And so well-spoken, too - most diamond dogs use more pidgin Equestrian than anything else, but YOU! You're so eloquent!"

"Oh, stop that shit - call me 'Flur'! The royal stuff, I leave at home; I'm all mare out here! So, uh..." She leaned in close to Siddy. "Does he know about... y'know... 'the things'?"

Ooooooh, Flurry was already here and waiting for them! Wonderful, simply wonderful; they could get straight to the important business at hoof, then perhaps get to some more fun things without wasting any more of their precious time!

"Hey hey, Flur! And yeah, he knows; we visited the princesses together and talked a bit about our situation on the train," Obsidian admitted. "Did you perhaps notice the arrival of Flim and Flam, perchance?"

Her smile was even brighter now. "DID I? Shit, they're already at work getting the shards together! They've got two down, and if I'm right, they're working on getting the one in acid out as we speak! If we hurry down there, we might be able to see 'em do their thing! Oh, it so fuckin' ROCKS that I'm able to be a part of all this cool-ass shit!" She turned and headed off, motioning for them to follow.

For a moment, she'd tensed up - but then sighed with relief as she heard all was going well. "Good. I was a liiiiiiittle bit afraid that Amber might still have proven to be dangerous... and you're right, let's go!" She quickly trotted after Flurry, excited at the idea of getting her siblings out of these accursed catacombs.

Gypsy turned to Obsidian as he followed along with her. "She sw-swears a lot," he said simply.

"Yes... yes, she does. I, eh... kind of already got used to it, myself. Of course, I really didn't pay very much attention to it in the beginning, what with Peridot trying to kill us and such."

Gypsy nodded, right alongside her on all fours. "Makes sense. But it's st-still a bit j-jarring, all the same."

Upon reaching the same entrance Flurry had used the last time, the three of them made their way in and began the trek through the tunnels. Gypsy's head looked like it was on a swivel; he kept trying to look at everything at once, as he had never seen such tunnels before. Plus, being a diamond dog, he naturally seemed more at home walking here than anyplace she'd seen before; his feet, which were normally large and a bit clumsy, were stepping with great confidence and skill on the uneven ground.

As they got close to where the chambers were, Obsidian began to hear a rhythmic chugging, hissing sound coming from the tunnel with the eerie green glow. It also happened to be the tunnel that Flurry was headed towards.

Ah, home sweet home. Perhaps she should show Gypsy her old quarters? He seemed to have been interested in one of the scrolls she'd been studying over a thousand years ago - perhaps this way, he could check the others?

"I don't hear any screams - hopefully that means that they didn't have any problems with the acid," Obsidian said with a touch of excitement.

As they wheeled around the corner, Obsidian came unto the room that held poor Jade... and beheld something she couldn't have imagined.

It was big, that much was certain; there was no possible way it could have fit through the door on the way in! It looked like a cross between one of the locomotives that had driven the train, and some sort of one-armed behemoth. Everywhere she looked, there were wires, gears, springs, tubes... and everything had a peculiar symmetry to it.

Along the side of it was a sign; some words had been scratched through, and more bold letters underneath spelled out:

{Flim Flam Brothers Super Speedy Modey Cider Gemstone Squeezy Loady 69000}

There was a large mechanical arm that was tipped with a sort-of pincer claw, and it had a strange sheen to it as it began to slowly make its' way toward the waterfall of acid that covered her sharded brother. Atop the machine, in seats where they were pulling levers and twisting dials, were the two salesponies non-pareil themselves. They wore white and blue striped vests, and straw hats with matching bands; a far cry from the old sweatshirts and hoodies they'd worn upon their first meeting.

There was also something different about them now... something more alive, more animatedabout them, as if they'd aged in reverse overnight almost; like they'd returned to doing what they loved.

"Ah, there you are!"
"Yes, come in! Come in!"
"See what we've got cooking here,"
"and you might even get a taste!"
"Of the combined genius of..."

"The inconceivable, I-can't-believe-able, world famous Flim Flam Brotherrrrrrrs!"

Flur clapped her hooves with delight as the two old hucksters bowed to their appreciative audience.

Impressive. What great and powerful war machines these two could create... though it was merely a stray thought; Obsidian did NOT need any war machines, and Equestria was a wonderful, peaceful place with no need for the presence of any instruments of conflict.

And, frankly speaking, she could be more-or-less certain Amber didn't have a grip on the twins; mind-controlled ponies rather rarely have enough wits to behave in a similar coordinated manner as these two did, right?

The Dark Princess followed Flur's example and clapped as well, enjoying the showy routine. It looked very promising - and the sooner they could get Jade, the sooner all of them would be able to leave the Crystal Empire and return home. Perhaps she could even go ahead and free Diamond!

Now, now - there was no rush. He could wait for a moment - after all, he wasn't being tortured or anything...

The claw slowly made it's way into the acid, yet not a single burn or hole appeared on it. It carefully reached in and pinched the shard between the two ends of the gripping prongs. That done, the twins pulled a few more levers, and more, smaller arms extended from the sides; four of them, in fact. Each one had a small rotary saw on the end of it, and they all went right to work cutting the chains.

"As you can see, friends, we have quite a variety of tricks, gizmoes and gadgets, all for the use of you, our customers, to make your lives easier!"
"Indeed, my esteemed sibling! Why, just the very notion that one of them might have to hurt themselves for the sake of this lovely, expensive-looking gem... why, it grieves my poor, poor heart!"
"Fear not, my erstwhile companion! This is exactly what we represent - the opportunity to give back to community whatever we can!"
"For, er, the right price, of course!"
"But of course! Is not all this work and talent worth a paycheck, and a worthwhile one at that?"
"And so it is - and one already paid in full is the BEST KIND of paycheck!"

As far as Obsidian was concerned, everything seemed to be in perfect order; the brothers were behaving the same way she saw back in the retirement village, their machine didn't immediately melt or malfunction when it came in contact with the acid...

Apparently, despite the usual troubles she encountered when trying to accomplish something, her brother was going to be easily rescued. How unexpected.

"My family will be always grateful to you for this, gentlecolts!" Obsidian gushed, laying it on a little thick in light of the problem-free extractions.

The twins nodded, and gave each other a grin. They pulled a few more levers, twisted a large steel wheel, and there were four matching >clink!< sounds as the chains gave way, and the claw slowly pulled back from the endless waterfall of pain.

And there it was... there he was. A shard of black crystal, a band of steel still firmly around the center, but finally free of the acidic nightmare and of the chains that had kept him there for so long. Far too long for Obsidian's tastes.

The claw manuvered back until it reached one of the open chamber doors; the shard was deposited inside, there ws a whirring and a clicking, the twins moved more levers, and there was a >thump!< as a small door opened at the far end, and a thin conveyor belt brought out a small, breadbox-sized case.

The seams were all metal, but the sides were a sort of glasslike substance that wasn't quite glass, and there were runes etched onto all the edges of each pane. The shard sat within it, and for some reason, she felt as though she'd brought her poor brother at least some relief.

"Wooooohoooo! Bravo! YES!" Obsidian clapped and cheered when her brother was finally freed from his torment. Ah, if only her father could be here - she would gladly grab him by the scruff of his neck and force him to watch every single second of Jade's release... and then throw him into the acid waterfall, to let it claim another victim instead. This time, one far more deserving such a cruel fate.

"I'll keep in mind to ask you for help more often; I didn't think anypony could deal with this problem so easily!"

"But of course!"
"What else would you expect from the most precocious pair in all of Equestria?"
"You almost wound with such a thought, madam!"
"Ah, yet we jest, we jest! Just a bit of fun on the job, don't you know!"
"Indeed!"
"Verily!"

They both laughed in harmony; they seemed like the pair that might have been some weird, wily villains in a past-gone era... but now, they were simply two geniuses who wanted to do something nice...

Flur and Gypsy made their way over and looked at Jade's shard. "You poor, poor guy," Flurry said to the glass case directly, "no more pain baths for you, okay?"

"F-fascinating," Gypsy said as he looked it over too, "the casing is tempra-glass, s-so it will not break easily... b-but the runes? H-h-how did you manage to g-get those..."

"Traaaaade secret, I'm afraid!"
"Yes, yes, my good sir - we can't just give away our secrets, now can we?"
"No, indeed! Why, if we simp-"

"It's a refraction carving from what I guess would be a few copies of a page or three from the Windmill Press printing of 'Wards For Dummies'?" Flurry Heart lifted an eyebrow as she asked.

The twins went dead quiet, looking at each other. A mirrored bead of sweat rolled down the side of each of their muzzles, in almost perfect synch.

Flur just grinned. "Thought so. Well, shit - it's still fuckin' genius to think to do that! You two really are amazing!"

They nervously smiled, then went quickly back to their controls. As they pressed buttons and pulled levers, the thing began to seem to fold in on itself, packing away all the interesting tidbits and gadgets until it was the size of a common wagon... and about the appearance of one, as well. The twins both went to the front, hooked themselves to the harness, and began to pull their wondrous device along behind them.

"Now, part two will require another cart,"
"So, would you happen to have one handy, my dear?"

Amazing... simply amazing! These runic-laden boxes were an incredible thing; would it be possible to add other runes as well, to ward against Amber reaching the dreams of the others?

"Um, I do not, I'm afraid. Flurry, perhaps you would know best where to get one?" That machine was also more and more interesting with each movement it made - to think that it could change it's function and appearance so easily! It could be turned into the perfect war machine, able to hide its' true purpose until the very last second! Those two stallions were indeed geniuses!

Obsidian could only hope that their knowledge and talents wouldn't be used in the service of evil... well, at least, not again.

Flurry smiled. "Oh, I know where to get one, alright... can I borrow Mr. Rover for this?"

Gypsy lifted an eyebrow and an ear. Flurry gave him a questioning look, to which he replied with a nod. Flur nodded back, then turned to Obsidian.

"Okay, give us about half an hour, then meet us by the west gates, where there's less traffic."

"Oh, no no no no no - more traffic will be needed for this little number!"
"Yes indeed! The more, the better! Get us a packed gate!"

Flurry shrugged, "Okay then, east gates - you'll see the line before you get there."

Gypsy nodded, then turned to Obsidian. "Be safe," he said, and gave her a quick hug before bounding along with a flying Flurry Heart.

"Eh, so, Miss Obsidian,"
"since we've done such a fine job of this,"
"would there possibly be any chance,"
"of a bonus, mayhaps?"

They wanted to head to the more active gate? Well, at least it meant that she would be able to get back to Ponyville soon. It wasn't what she wanted to do, but she knew she would have to visit Miss Starlight as soon as possible - even before seeing her Cupcake. It was for the greater good, after all...

"Gentlecolts, I'm just a normal student - I'm not really able to add any sort of substantial bonuses... and a job of a hero hardly pays, sadly... at least, not with solid cash, to my great regret," she sighed. Considering how much Obsidian did for Equestria, she would have appreciated at least a small bag of coins, from time to time. It would work out well for everypony - heroes wouldn't have to worry about money, and could therefore spend more time saving the world!

"Right now, at best I can offer a humble 150 bits... which, fairly speaking, would be an insult for all of your hard work," she sighed once again, this time far more morosely.

They looked at each other skeptically... then one motioned to Obsidian, and gave his brother a fixed look. The other brother gave a glance at Obsidian, then back to his sibling, smiled and nodded. They both looked at her and, in unison, "done!" Taking the offerred bits, they began to talk excitedly.

"Now, the plan is simple, madam,"
"we will travel in groups of two;"
"you with your diamond dog companion,"
"and I with my dear brother."
"We will make our way to the gates, and once there, we will enact"
"our secret plan! You see, while the guards focus on the distraction you'll provide,"
"we'll scoot through the checkpoint, scot-free, with the shards!"
"Once on the other side, we can both concentrate enough"
"to teleport you and the pup out of harm's way!"
"IT'S FLAWLESS!"

"Er, w-wait... a distraction?" They wanted to use the daughter of the fallen king of this country as a distraction? A hero of Equestria? Just what were they planning to do? Damnation, she really should learn how to teleport - and as soon as possible. Obsidian made a mental note to ask Miss Starlight about it as well, because she would certainly sleep far, far better with the knowledge that she could move away from any danger in a blink of an eye!

It wasn't long before another cart could be heard rattling its' way down into the cavern; they were in a sound-channeling tunnel, so it was plain to hear. Rolling down the rocky path came a taxicab, being pulled by a flying Flurry Heart and a wide-eyed Gypsy sitting on the buckboard bench.

When it came to a stop, Flur gave Obsidian and the twins a salute. "Cart acquired! Now, I hope there's more to this plan than just 'grab a cart', because I am ready to fuckin' GO!"

Gypsy just looked a bit horrified at the alicorn princess, then slunk off the cart and came back to Siddy, staying close and behind her. "S-sh-s-sh-s-sh-sh-s-she... s-s-s-s-st-s-st-st-s-st-s-st-"

"Yeah, c'mon," Flur said as she gave a furitive glance around them, "we don't exactly have all day to get this done, okay? I have classes in a couple of hours, and I can't be late... well, not any more than I already have, actually. But fuck it, this is more important, right?"

The twins looked at each other, then shrugged and simply started leading their cart out while explaining the plan to Flurry and Gypsy along the way. By the time they reached the exit (which turned out to be a different one that Flurry didn't know about; Obsidian was impressed the two elders had found this on their own), both the diamond dog and the alicorn wore similar skeptical looks on their faces, akin to Siddy's own.

Obsidian looked at Flurry, looked at Gypsy, then looked back at Flurry... what did she do? The diamond doggo was stuttering far too much for there to have been no issues or problems... and plainly speaking, Obsidian had no idea how far Flurry would go when it came to things like this.

Now, there had to have been some reason why Clap didn't like Flurry... though Thunderclap was a bit of a hothead, so it probably wasn't that hard to make her furious. Especially considering that Flurry was a rather, er... original pony. It did make her feel a little bit better when her friends also seemed rather puzzled by the twins' plan.

"Unfortunately, Gypsy," Obsidian lamented, "I don't think we'll have enough time to show you my old room; we're apparently headed out already. Well, the sooner, the better, right?"

He looked a little disappointed that he wasn't going to get to see her room for himself, but he followed along after them, all the same.

Once they arrived at the actual roadway they were to take, they saw what Flurry had meant; the carts were jammed back-to-muzzle. What's more, some of them were electric horseless carts, while others were steam-powered buggy-type things. They were all squeezed together, barely not-touching, and in line for the pitifully inadequate gate that would allow THREE at a time, no more.

"Now, listen up - here's where we act! Now,"
"you three stick to the far lane, while we'll be in the close one."
"Keep a lane between us, so we don't appear to be together."
"When they start checking the cart, one of you cause a distraction,"
"and we'll be able to get through on our side,"
"because they'll be dealing with your side..."
"And if you aren't right behind us,"
"we'll 'port you out as soon as we get clear."

Gypsy raised a paw, but the twins suddenly cut their cart over into traffic, and lined themselves up in the closest lane to the city wall. The diamond dog shrugged, but the alicorn was still quite excited. "Part of an actual Flim Flam plan! This day is fucking sweeeeet!"

To be completely fair, Obsidian simply had no idea how to make a proper distraction in this situation... at least one that wouldn't land her in the dungeon, or possibly ruin her reputation for years to come.

"Gypsy, Flurry," she turned to face them, trying not to look as though she were being conspiritorial, "do either of you two have any ideas for a distraction? In theory, I could use my Dark Magic or something to scare some ponies... but I don't want to get locked away in a cell or banished forever from the place that - technically - is still my homeland."

Flurry Heart's enthusiasm leaked out of her as she considered the question. "Oh... fuck... yeah, um... I... don't know?"

Gypsy just closed his eyes and sighed. "This one is g-glad to serve." He crept down from the buckboard and dug down into the dirt, vanishing beneath the surface and even replacing the dirt behind him.

"I have no idea - honestly, I thought for sure you would offer to volunteer for it. My other 'Desperation Option' would be to quickly acquire some alcohol, drink it down rapidly and... well, behave naturally. I have never even had alcohol before, but I've heard about its' effects - I'm sure I would behave distractingly enough for a distraction."

Besides, she could always try to blame Flurry for bringing them drinks meant for adults - thus adding some notoriety to her reputation... which, for some reason, Siddy seemed to think Flur would approve of.

It took a while for the two groups to make their way through their respective lines; Flurry talked about things that had been happening at the palace (mostly inconsequential stuff) and things she saw the twins do (they used the same claw-thing on the other two shards as well), while Siddy observed for herself that the twins were keeping pace with them in the other line, watching nervously as they all approached the front.

The twins reached their gate, and a similar bored-looking guard came forward. "Papers," he told them.

Obsidian peeked over at Flurry Heart, and cleared her throat - hopefully getting the guard's attention, even if only passively. "I thought slavery was illegal within the borders of the Crystal Empire... and yet," she gestured to the guard next to them, "I'd say it's cruel to keep them here like this, don't you agree?"

Of course, she knew they weren't slaves... but it was a chance to practice her sarcasm. She took the proper papers from her saddlebag, hoping that Gypsy would act quickly, as it was already too late to enact the (brilliant) drinking plan.

The guard didn't even seem to register that she'd said anything; his eyes floated up to glance at the paperwork... then he sighed and simply muttered, "Move on - next."

The guard looked at the twins' papers, then back up at them... and his face went stark white. "You... y-you're the Flim Flam Brothers!"

"Why, yes indeed, good sir! Always nice to know we're recognized!"
"Have you possibly heard of our fabulous reputation, perhaps?"

His eyes went wide, and he pointed an armored hoof at them both. "Y-you're wanted in Canterlot for scamming the royal bakers!"

"I... think we forgot about that one, brother dearest..."
"Oh, I believe we have... well, shit."

Four more guards came out of the guard house, surrounding the twins with their spears pointed menacingly at the two elderly stallions. The closest twin looked at Obsidian for only a moment, then gestured with his eyes toward the exit gates. Meanwhile, the other one was trying to sweet-talk the guards into hearing them out.

At that moment, the cart in the middle path between them tilted sideways and both left wheels sank into the ground. The mare onboard shrieked wildly as she was dumped from the buckboard, the stallion reaching forward, trying to catch her... and succeeding.

Gypsy slunk back onto the taxicab wagon, dirt falling in clumps from his hoodie, and murmured, "D-d-did it work?"

By Darkness, what a fiasco! For two lauded geniuses of technology, their plan to escape the City had just a few small, miniscule flaws in it... the biggest one, of course, was putting the task of making a distraction on a rather clueless mare named 'Obsidian', and not telling them that they would have to improvise one on their own!

Obsidian was trying to come up with something that could cause an even larger distraction - and as quickly as possible! Another zombie invasion? No - no Umbrals around. Perhaps she could fake hurting herself, and force the guards to take her to the hospital? No - that situation would hardly take care of more than two or three of them, at best.

Codename: Big No-No-NO? Sadly, not that one either; she didn't have her precious Cupcake here with her, nor did she have enough sugar to send him into overdrive.

"Damnation, it's not enough! Keep trying... but perhaps you could minimalize the damage of private property, okay? Flurry, please help me with this..."

The alicorn mare in the cloak looked as if she wanted to do exactly that... but it's difficult to mistake an alicorn. Especially a royal one. Especially-especially if they're royalty of the direct crown YOU work for. Flurry may have wanted to help with all her heart, but if the guards saw who it was accompanying the Dark Princess... well, it was a fair guess that this would turn from a comedy/tragedy of errors into a media circus, VERY quickly.

Flurry couldn't help - and from the look on her muzzle, it was physically hurting her to stay quiet and anonymous.

Obsidian's heart was racing, frankly speaking; she was NOT going to leave her siblings behind! With that thought screaming through her skull, she leapt down off of the cart and ran towards the guards that were harrassing Flim and Flam.

"Officers! This fallen cart... i-it could be work of one of Sombra's children! This gate may be under attack!" She gestured to the half-sunken cart in the middle lane, hoping that a a combination of half-truths, Gypsy's help, the blind panic that some ponies were succeptable to and just a liiiiiiittle bit of B.S. would possibly help the twins get away.

As she started to approach, the soldiers gestured to the guard house, and a HEAVY portcullis slammed down into place - leaving her, Gypsy and Flurry Heart on one side... and Flim and Flam on the other.

"Someone mentioned an attack," a guard yelled out, "stop all bridge traffic and investigate!"

Flurry motioned to Obsidian. "Come on! We can't get caught out here like this... fuck, I can't get caught out here like this! We'll think of something, just fucking come on!"

Gypsy looked at her, looked at the guards, the fallen gates... and from the look on his muzzle, he was probably trying to think of a way back in.

"We'd like to offer ourselves up to you peacefully,"
"and pay for our crimes! Only the two of us, sirs!"
"Yes, and there's nobody else with us, so no worries!"
"Besides, anyone would think anyone with us would just keep going, after all,"
"Oh, for certain, brother of mine! It would possibly even have been part of the plan all along, I daresay!"
"You daresay!"

"Quiet down, you clowns!" A tough, deep voice said. There was no more talk from the twins as she watched them cuffed and escorted towards the building. The cart was hooked to two other guards, and led around back of the guard house.

Another cart suddenly had its' right wheels sink into the dirt, and the stallion onboard fell off... though the mare hooked to the cart didn't even try to catch him.

This was a DISASTER! And these gates looked like something from out of the ancient age of Equus! Come on, who would put something like that there? It wouldn't stop the likes of Sombra or Tirek, and Chrysalis or Cozy Glow could fly right over it. It was only good for trapping ponies inside!

At least Gypsy was doing a rather fine job of causing a distraction on his own; his method was simple, easy and obvious. Obsidian lit up her horn and worked to catch the falling stallion with her magic. Of course, if everything else fell through as well...

The twins told them earlier to cause a distraction to let them get by... but now, they were seemingly insisting that the other group continue onwards. What exactly was their plan, anyway? No time for that right now - she had to catch the stallion and hope that Flurry Heart would have a more successful idea than Obsidian currently had.

The stallion, caught right before he hit the cobblestone, offered Obsidian a grateful smile as she set him down gently, while the nearby mare gave the stallion a fuming glare.

When she got back to the cart, Flurry looked moments from panic, but was still holding together. "Oh shit oh shit oh FUCK, what do we do, Sids? I can't use my magic, 'cause the whole thing will be blown! What were they saying?"

One at a time, the next four carts all tilted at crazy angles, then slowly sank into the ground; now guards were ringing bells and calling out alarms as their own form of panic at this series of unfortunte events continued to unfold behind Obsidian and company.

"They said that 'we should be going', and something about all of this being 'part of the plan'..." Obsidian was slowly beginning to feel as if she was about to simply unravel from the core of her soul! This was EXACTLY why she hated acting without a plan in place - because there was always some sort of horrible consequence for moving forward without a well-prepared plan!

Why were the Imperial Guards making such a big deal out of something that had happened in Canterlot? Were the two countries that thoroughly connected? "They offered themselves to the guards to allow us time to get out of sight... damnation, I really should have gone with the alcohol plan - at least it would have been funny..."

Gypsy looked at the ruckus being caused, and cowered a bit, his ears and tail drooping. "Th-this one is w-w-worried we will be c-c-cau-c-cau-c-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know - but we can't help it! C'mon... maybe they'll teleport themselves out?" She hooked herself back to the cart once again and trotted (not flew) the lot of them out of the main gate area, regrettably leaving the twins behind to their fates.

When they reached the outer forest, Flur unhooked herself and began to pace nervously. "Fuck fuckitty fuckfuck fuuuuuuuuck! What the fuck are we supposed to do now? I mean, I got clout and shit, yeah, but there is ZERO chance of me geting Mom or Dad to bail those two out of jail - especially after all the shit that just happened back there because of it!"

"What... hey, what is it, Gyps?" Flurry turned her focus to the diamond dog, pausing in her frantic pacing.

"Of course - they must have had a backup in place already, how very annoying," Obsidian muttered, shuddering slightly. It had been a stupid idea - an entire stupid plan - and yet it seemed as if these con-ponies somehow found a way to use another stupid idea to free themselves! Why couldn't anyone ever tell her what was going on!?

"Mister Flim? Mister Flam? Are you here? Is this possibly part of your plan, too?" she called out, wondering why they hadn't just told them earlier about contingency plans like this... yet there was no answer. Gypsy slowly sniffed his way around to the trunk of the taxi, and Flur - after a quick, curious glance at Obsidian - lit her horn up to open the latch.

Nestled inside was a simple milk crate, containing the three shards in their cases, safe and sound... along with a note.

[Our plans NEVER go correctly; we expected tomfoolery would somehow detain us, so my brother and I managed to smuggle these onto YOUR cart while we had the chance, in the crowd. Consider our services rendered, and we wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Sincerely - The Incomparable Flim Flam Brothers]

They all just stood there for a moment, utterly dumbfounded after reading the note.

Then, Obsidian facehoofed. Hard. "By Darkness... the guards let us through the gates without any problems - we would have achieved JUST AS MUCH without any stupid plans to distract ponies and so on!"

Gypsy just slowly shook his head. "Th-they wanted one last ch-chance to be useful, this one thinks. Possibly unecessary, b-b-but still noble, i-in it's own way."

Noble or not, Obsidian was still pretty sure it had been completely unnecessary. Besides, they would have had far more opportunities to spend their cash while they were free! Besides, if they had known something would go wrong, they could have asked for their bonus AFTER they escaped - not BEFORE! Obsidian had practically wasted those bits she'd given them... but even with the utter fiasco it had been, the mission had still been successful.

Flur laughed. "Wow! I'd have never thought... I mean, I thought they had the... but we had the... and they..." She stood there, awestruck. "They really ARE geniuses! I'll have visit 'em in the guard house; I might not be able to spring them directly, but maybe I can sweet-talk my way to getting them a reduced sentence, huh?"

She unstrapped herself from the taxicab's harness and looked back. "I gotta split here, Sids... even though I wish I could be there to see you bring your brother out of his literal shell! Still, I'm glad I got to help. I... yo, I still don't wanna tell Dad about the tunnels - but at least it's fuckin' safe for your sibs if we have to, now."

She came up and hugged Gypsy. "You come see me again, okay cutie?" Gypsy went limp, the look on his muzzle one of bemused resignation. Turning to Obsidian, she offered her a hug as well. "You too, okay? Don't make me think you were just here for your family, a'aight?"

Obsidian hugged Flurry tightly. "Oh, of course! I'd surely like to visit again as soon as possible, Flur!" She gave the alicorn princess a much more watered-down version of a Thunderclap-style thump on her back. "I wish we could spend a bit more time together, though; this entire operation went by far more quickly than I anticipated."

"Well, it's about getting your family together, Sids - if it was me, I'd probably do the same fuckin' thing, honestly. I love Mom and Dad, I really do... it's just, y'know, you have your sibs, and you're eager to see how many of 'em will accept you, right? It's cool," she smiled, "and besides, you still have the bracelet - so there's that, right?"

"Of course! I don't leave home without it," Obsidian assured her. Granted, she hadn't had too many opportunities to leave without it - after all, she'd JUST gotten it a day or so ago - but hey, it was the truth!

"And perhaps next time, we can even do something that won't be connected to saving the world or hunting down the children of a dethroned tyrant, right?" Of course, Obsidian had a gut feeling that 'normal activities' with Flurry could possibly end in a small disaster as well... but hey, at least it would be interesting to experience.

"Fer sure! We'll hit the clubs, and when you club with me? You PARTY. You'll see! Ciao!" She turned and headed back towards the front gates, waving to them both as she went.

Gypsy sighed, shook his head, then looked at the taxicab. "As th-this one was t-t-trying to say bef-fore, Flurry st-st-stole this taxicab. W-we should hurry away f-from it..."

Obsidian stared at Gypsy as her eyes threatened to pop out of her head. "S... s-s-stole? But... but stealing is bad!!!"

"... yes, we should hurry, quickly hurry, yes, most rapidly..." She slipped down from the cart and they began to hustle away from it, double-time. Dammit, Flurry - what in Tartarus...?

The two of them made considerably fast tracks, leaving the stolen taxicab behind in a parking lot as they made their way to the train station just outside of town, the shards sitting comfortably within her saddlebags. When they arrived, they found themselves on a sparsely-filled train for the return trip, so there was no problem with Obsidian keeping her bags next to her in the seat.

Gypsy sat across from her, hanging his head out of the window again, his long purple tongue flapping next to his smiling mug as they chugged their way back towards Ponyville.

Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Twenty Six: Smugglers 'R' Us