Obsidian: Daughter of Sombra

by Randimaxis


Nineteen: Siddy And The Six

So... Equestria had brought in their heavy artillery - good; it looked as though they might possibly need it.

Obsidian really didn't want them to think she was rude or possibly hostile, so she bowed to them. "I was attacked by one of my brothers, princess - he said his name was Tourmaline. Unfortunately I wasn't able to reason with him, as he was raving like mad about punishing me and allowing our sister, Onyx, to rise into power... and I had to use Dark Magic to defend myself."

She had to admit to it; more than mere honesty, her father taught her well to readily admit to her sins - or else. There was no point in keeping anything from ponies of authority, as they'd always find out the truth.

"They... er, they may actually have found a way to bring my illustrous father back to us..."

Strange - she normally thought those words would accompany much more fear or pride... but instead, Obsidian was beginning to feel a rising anger, as if she'd been cheated somehow, yet wasn't quite able to understand (or accept) the details yet.

"Well, that just ain't good news, n'matter how ya slice it. You okay now, Sugarcube?" The orange mare had an accent which sounded a lot like Butter Churn's... maybe this was her mother?

"Well, she's with Stalwart and Thunderclap, so I'll bet she's okay," Cup's mother said, then leaned in close to her, speaking softly, "you... are okay, right?"

"I am... sore," she winced, "but it's nothing life-threatening - though I thank you kindly for your concern. My brother... could use a few lessons in friendship as well, it seems."

Could she really kill him - even if it wouldn't be so difficult to do? She'd never taken a life before... but in this case stakes were far too high to ignore.

"And worse yet, he masked his Dark Magical aura and was able to use an illusion to change his appearance." To be fair, she should start to suspect everyone and anyone right now. She could probably trust most of her friends, but... who else would have heard that Miss Tome had wanted to speak to her?

Overhearing bits about her jogging with Thunderclap wouldn't have been that hard, as they had been talking publicly, but that thing about the library... "And they were apparently well informed; he used information about my plans for a morning jog with Thunderclap to fool me into trusting him."

"Oh my," Professor Fluttershy said softly, "that just can't be good!"

Clap shook her head. "I shoulda got there earlier, Siddy... I'm so-"

"Thunderclap, you have nothing to apologize for," Wart spoke up, "as none of us could have possibly known what that fool was up to. Don't turn your needless shame into needless blame."

"Twi, you got a plan yet?" The orange pony asked bluntly.

"Not yet," she said, "but I'm working on one. Obsidian, if you're hurt - even a little bit - then I want you seen to medically."

It was probably very reasonable advice - after all, getting medical help was important. She had no idea when they might attack again, which meant that she simply had to deal with her injuries as soon as possible.

But... what if her doctor turned out to be yet another one of her murderous siblings?

"And as for the Dark Magic," she sighed, "I understand that it was your automatic defense, and I accept that. However, I would suggest that you might want to start trying to learn Light Magic, if nothing else than to give yourself more options than you currently have available to you."

"And of course, darling, they won't see that coming," the white pony spoke up, "as they quite possibly wouldn't believe that you might have any access to Light Magic whatsoever. I would say it could be quite satisfying to see the look of surprise on their faces when you show them a little diversity." Her accent sounded familiar too... but she couldn't place it just now.

Wart seemed to be almost frozen, with only her eyes moving from mare to mare, utterly awestruck by the sight of them all in one place. Of course, if they truly were the Elements of Harmony, then this could be a legendary reunion indeed.

"I'd gladly learn Light Magic, of course... but, um, do we truly have that much time? After all, if my brother wasn't lying, they could be days... or even just hours from bringing back my father! We... I... may not have enough time."

There was no denying it. Right now, she was negotiating with her most honourable father's greatest enemies. Not that she really had any other choice, of course - the only contact she'd had with her siblings had ended in a rather painful manner. Those fools... if they were as clever as they thought they were, they could have just reached out to her yesterday; she would have gladly joined... BAH! She would have been honoured!

Twilight looked as though the mere thought of Sombra returning made her feel ill. "We might not, but we can still try. I'll put one of my best magicians on it; you'll get training as more of a crash course-"

"DON'T... say 'crash', okay?" Clap's mother said.

"Anyway," Twilight continued, "at this point, you are now a priority to protect... though I can't spare much in the way of guards. I expect your siblings will raise their heads again, and soon - we'll just have to prepare you as best as we can. Which means..."

She turned to Wart and Clap. "Stalwart Stance, Thunderclap Dash... are you willing to take up the mantle of 'protector', and keep Obsidian safe from harm?"

Clap nodded. "Yeah, we got this - no worries!"

Wart stood there for a moment, tears standing in the corners of her eyes before she stepped valiantly forward and saluted. "It would be an honor, Your Majesty - I shall guard her with my very life!"

Twilight nodded hesitantly, then turned back to the professor. "Fluttershy, can you call for one of your medical students? I'm sure they'd be able to get a better look at Obsidian's injury."

"Oh! Of course!" The fair pegasus nodded, then gave a slight, melodious-sounding whistle. A small robin flew in from an open window, and she let it land on her outstretched hoof.

"Thank you for responding so quickly, Herbie - would you possibly be a dear and get Summer Flare to come to the throne room? I would really appreciate it." The bird chirped a reply, then flew off her hoof and through the doors, headed down the hallway.

"Herbie's fast," she said to Obsidian, "and help should be here fairly soon. I wish I could do more to help, though."

What in Tartarus was that? Did she just... talk... to this bird? And it listened? And it UNDERSTOOD, then FLEW TO GET MEDICAL HELP?! Obsidian had to learn to calm down - it wasn't even the strangest thing that she'd seen since she'd arrived in this crazy world!

"So," the orange mare asked, "what 'zactly are we gonna do about findin' Sombra an' puttin' him back out ta pasture? I mean, it wasn't easy when we did it b'fore, but this ain't really gonna be a fight against a single pony; didja hear Obsidian sayin' there were at least two more of 'em? That's sounds more dangerous than a hydra hidin' in a high haystack!"

Twilight nodded. "We'll have to see what else we can dig up - the book that I used to help me find Sombra's crystal catacombs should be in the vault; maybe it'll have more information about the shards in there."

"Shards?" Thunderclap asked.

"Ask your pal Obsidian over there... once you get a moment to breathe, that is," her mother replied, "but yeah, shards. Twilight explained most of it to us, but I still don't get it."

"My... father put shards of his own soul into his creations - and I'm one of them," she gave Thunderclap the quickest possible explanation. Then she turned back to Princess Twilight, as something Butter's mother had said was really troubling the poor unicorn mare.

"Would it be really... necessary to, as you said, put my father back out to pasture? A-a-and the same question goes for my siblings as well! They... well, I'm certain... maybe they can... be reasoned with?"

She had just discovered that her family was a little bit bigger than she'd initially thought - and no matter how screwed up it was, or even if they wanted to kill her... family is family, right?

"I... I don't know, Obsidian," Twilight said truthfully, "we've reformed some of the wickedest beings in Equestria, but... when we faced Sombra, he was more gone than we could reason with... though I'll give any of them you feel could be capable of reforming a chance, as we gave you. Given the nature of these attacks on yourself and poor Miss Tome, it doesn't exactly speak well for your siblings, but..." she sighed, "I will certainly try, at least for your sake. But please understand, I have to be aware of what is best for my subjects, and if that means banishment to Tartarus for your family... well, I hope you can accept that."

"But..." Clap looked at Twilight, seemingly wondering something, "if... these are, like, Siddy's family... and she just found 'em? And you've gotta send 'em away forever? That's... that's not fair!"

"But it's hardly fair to simply allow them to come and take over Equestria, isn't it? Honestly, darling, I know it's a difficult call to make... but we also have to protect our families and homes, and if they can't be reasoned with, then we will have to do what we must. Even if we don't like the idea." The alabaster mare had a point.

"Of course, princess. I would willingly go as well, if the only alternatives would be to exile us or suffer my friends' slavery," she admitted. What she didn't say, however, was that she got disturbingly close to killing her own brother after his threats against them. She may not have done the actual deed, but it still bothered her how close she'd come...

"I would assume the Friendship Academy should be safe, yes? Because my first classes begin soon, and I'd hate to miss them... or maybe it should be locked up, to keep the students out of danger?" It would be terrible if she would be unable to finish not one, not two, but THREE of her plans!

Twilight looked concerned, but the white mare stepped forward. "Why yes, the school would be quite safe; Twilight, can't we send a few more guards that way, just to make certain the young ones are better protected?"

Twilight nodded. "Of course, that would be a good idea - and I can send one of my elites to coordinate things. In fact, I'll send him with you, if that's okay Obsidian - that way, you'll have a strong stallion to ensure you're all okay, and I'm sure he could teach you a spell or two, since he's one of the best spellcasters I have in my service."

Cupcake's mother looked up. "Ooooooooh, I think I know who that will be!"

Twilight smiled briefly at the pink pony's comment... and that's when it struck Obsidian. They weren't just the Elements of Harmony... they also appeared to be close friends. If Obsidian stuck by her own friends, would she become this powerful?

It was a somewhat worrisome thought; she had only just learned that her friends were able to care about her - for different reasons - and had seen more in her than she could in herself. Obsidian was still learning what it meant to be a good friend and to genuinely appreciate her group as much as they truly deserved. She didn't want to start thinking about them as mere tools, sources of knowledge, money... or power.

In Obsidian's case, the saying 'friendship is magic' seemed to carry plenty of potential danger.

"Yes, that would be quite reassuring. May I inquire whom it's going to be?" Obsidian asked.

"I'll summon him; he'll be here shortly." Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated; her horn put out a soft purple glow, which faded as she opened her eyes again. "There, he's-"

There was a flash of light, and a stallion was standing there. "Your Majesty, I got your message, and I am more than ready to-..."

It was at this point the stallion noticed Obsidian... and she noticed it was Lemon Custard.

Lemon sighed. "You. Of course, it's you. Marvelous."

Of course it was Lemon Custard; every time she kept trying to distance herself from him, the antics of her wonderful siblings kept practically shoving them together.

"Lemon, I expect you to keep Obsidian out of the hooves of her siblings, as they have no good designs for her. Teach her some of your Light Magic spells, and act as coordinator for the guards when you arrive at the school."

"The school?" Lemon balked. "Your Majesty, wouldn't it be more feasible to keep me here, and allow another pony to-"

"No. I trust you, and I now command you to do what needs to be done to keep her out of harm's way; I expect you to do your best, of course."

Lemon's face fell and he sighed... but only for a moment, before he stood up straight, saluting the princess. "By your command, Your Majesty."

He spoke directly and clearly, yet when he turned to Obsidian he sighed, then muttered, "Please don't make this a waste of time..."

"I do not think I have anything else to report on or ask about, princess... w-wait, no. There's one more thing; it's not really important but... can we possibly circumvent the entire 'liaison' requirement? I'll be doing my best to stay with my friends, but attempting to keep Cupcake around at all times can be... challenging, sometimes."

Not that she would have something against keeping Cupcake with her, so much - she just didn't want to inconvenience him again, as was the case yesterday, concerning the birthday party he'd promised his mother to help with - and that he'd had to break that promise, on her behalf.

"Wait... what's wrong with Cupcake!?!?" His mother was suddenly a pink blur that ended up muzzle-to-muzzle with Obsidian.

"Did he do something wrong? OOOH, if he was a meanie again, I'll... I'LL... OH! Wait! NO, he didn't actually embarrass you, did he? I promise, he really doesn't mean to do anything like that, he's just the sweet little treat he is because he- waaaaaaait... did he play a prank on you? Because that might be funny, but if he did it over and over and over and over and over and over again, it may have gotten on your nerves; did he get on your nerves? He's still just a little thing, don't judge him so harshly - unless he was rude to others around you, then OOOOH - you know he has a temper problem, right? That wouldn't be good if he lost it, especially around someone who's trying to stay inconspicuous, which is what you're trying to do, right? Stay inconspicuous? Because Cupcake isn't very good at that, most days, unless he's been practicing - gasp WAIT... did his stealth training creep you out? Did he even try stealth training with you, because he hardly ever does it with anyone else, so maybe he's just anxious and nervousOH OH OH! THAT'S it, isn't it? He's too nervous for you to stand being around him for too long, isn't it? Oh, puh-LEEZE understand that he really doesn't realize what his actions can do sometimes..."

Oh no. "No, no, no - quite the contrary! I just... felt a bit upset that I kept him from helping you with the birthday party your daughters mentioned, Miss Pie."

He really DID take his manner of speech from her!

"And I didn't want to drag him along while jogging with Thunderclap today... I assure you, i-it's really nothing serious. And never mind my request - it's, ah... probably better in the long run, after all."

The pink pony's smile grew wide as she stepped back. "WHEW! Glad to hear that; I thought it was gonna be muuuuuuuch worse! But don't worry about it - the party went off without a hitch, and I actually sent Blue home 'cuz I had it down like a clown... in fact, I was a clown!" Now, the family resemblance came through. "But no, if you're taking my tart lil' Lemonade-"

"MOOooooOOM!" Lemon's voice hit a high whine as he said the one word.

"... then having BOTH of them together would be a LOT better than just one of them. Because they do incredible work together... when they WORK together, that is."

Lemon rolled his eyes. "I'll look for him, mom. Okay? I'll LOOK..." He then leaned in towards Obsidian again.

"Can we go before she says anything else, please?" Muttering through clenched teeth like that couldn't have been good for him.

"I'm waiting for medical help, I'm afraid," Obsidian whispered back to Lemon. In fact, she would gladly leave... except there was medical attention coming, and with how her side felt, she would need it.

"Also," she added louder, "I think Stalwart broke a few of my brother's ribs during the fight. A small detail, especially if he can heal up quickly... maybe even futile, considering his illusion spells... yet it's a sign that could expose him."

Twilight nodded. "It's something, at least, thank you - and Stalwart? Excellent work."

The little mare looked about to burst from pride overload, yet she only bowed - too full of joy to even speak.

"I'll make sure the word gets out to keep eyes peeled for a pony with broken ribs," Clap's mom said, then turned and flew to the window. "DIVER! GUST! FRONT AN' CENTER!" she bellowed.

Two ponies dressed in uniforms similar to Thunderclap's in her dream came zipping into the room, stood at attention in front of Clap's mom, and saluted.

"SIR, YES RAINBOW DASH SIR!" they said in perfect unison, almost sounding like one pony.

"I want you two to start patrolling the area; we've got a creep around, and he's got some busted ribs. He can make illusions, so don't trust your first glances. Keep your eyes w-i-i-i-d-e open, your goggles on tight, and your radar set for 'find that flankface'! He's armed with Dark Magic, so no fighting - just come back and report what he looks like now, you got me?"

"SIR, YES RAINBOW DASH SIR!"

"Alright - then what're you waiting for? Vamoose!" The two tore through the air so quickly, the door shut itself behind them from sheer velocity.

Scouting from the air was a sensible choice. Hopefully they would find him quickly, though Obsidian didn't really believe that; even if he had been rambling and carrying on like a lunatic, he was at least wise enough to isolate her from friends before his attack. He had to be hiding somewhere...

The door opened, and in came... was it a pony? It... kinda looked like one, but more... fluffy... and scaly? And what was with the weird, double-pointed horn?

"Summer Flare!" Fluttershy sounded so glad to see her... whatever she was. "Oh, thank goodness you've come! Our friend Obsidian here has been hurt by some bad magics; could you possibly help her, please?"

The creature looked at Obsidian for a moment, then nodded. "Sure... where's it hurt, hon?"

This world got stranger and stranger, the more she lived in it; there was no reason to be surprised by anything anymore. Yes - she had to remember that. "Left side, m-midsection. I don't know what spell was used, but... it really, really hurt."

The strange pony-like creature looked at Obsidian's side, then her eyes began to glow. "Oh, wow - that's not too bad, but what were you fighting that threw Bonetwister Spells at you? Enough strikes, and your skeleton simply gives up the ghost and shatters; I haven't seen that kind of spell injury in quite a while... but easy enough to fix, at low exposure like this. It shouldn't take long; hold still."

Summer's eyes and weird horn began to glow brighter, then she lifted a cloven hoof and gently touched Obsidian's side; almost immediately, her muscles relaxed and her breathing stopped hurting.

"There ya go... now, I'd definitely suggest NOT getting hit by those spells in the future, mmm-kay? Miss Flutters, is that everything?"

"Oh, thank you so much, Flare; I truly appreciate it!" The professor's smile was payment enough for just about any doctor.

"Anything for sweet lil' you, Miss Flutters!" She looked at Obsidian. "You be careful out there, okay hon?"

"My deepest gratitudes unto you, kind healer..." she bowed a bit, enjoying the fact that she could do it without feeling that sharp pain anymore.

And with a smile and nod, Flare left as well. Obsidian felt soooooooo much better after she'd gotten her ribs mended; breathing without searing pain was most certainly one of the better things in life.

Obsidian didn't even want to mention that she'd received only a minimal amount of damage, managing to avoid the rest. Thirty beams... it wouldn't have broken her ribs, only because they would have been literally vaporized. Too bad that her first family reunion in ages turned out to be so violent and brutal - but at least she knew that she had to catch up with her fighting skills. "... do you need me for anything else, Princess Twilight, or may I continue on to school?"

Twilight looked at her solemnly. "You are welcome to attend school, Obsidian - and believe me, I am very glad that you still have such an interest - but I ask you to keep your friends close to you, and to please listen to Lemon, if an emergency happens. He's got experience, and he should be able to handle whatever comes up."

"But what if he can't, Twi?" The orange pony looked concerned. "No offense there, Lemon."

"Then, as the ruling ailcorn," she sternly imparted, "I hereby grant Obsidian permission to defend herself... however, I'd ask that you try Light Magic first, leaving anything Dark for a last resort."

"Twilight, darling! If she keeps using it-"

"I know, Rarity," (so THAT was Rarity!) "but we don't have much choice - especially if an attack should happen again today. In time, she can learn other ways, but if the situation is this dire? I'd rather have her alive than... well, the subject stands as it does."

"Lemon..." The pink mare (Pinkie, was it?) made her way over to them, and gave them a very serious look. "You be nice to each other, back each other up, and don't let your brother get hurt, okay? I MEAN it - if... i-if something hap-... h-happened to either of y-you.."

Her eyes stared to tear up, but Lemon nodded. "He's in the best hooves, mother, they all are," Lemon said softly.

Pinkie fretted for only a moment more, then gently reached out and embraced him. "I love you - be careful."

... so that was how a family was supposed to behave...

Lemon nodded to his mother, then looked at Clap and Wart and gave them all a once-over as he stepped up beside his charge. "Right - ready when you are, Obsidian."

"Thank you; I'll do my best to learn, princess. If there was anything that was taught to me by my most honourable father that could be applauded in Modern Equestria, it's my ability to focus on my lessons."

Though hopefully, it would be less painful with Lemon than with King Sombra.

"Farewell, princess," Obsidian politely bowed to the Bearers of the Elements and left the room, shutting the large doors behind her.

-=+=-

When the doors closed, Applejack turned to look at her friends. "Did y'all feel somethin' weird, back there?"

"Yeah, kinda like a... tingling-type-feeling?" Rainbow Dash added.

"I thought I felt an ear-wiggle, hip-shiver, tail-twitch, hoof-itch combo!" Pinkie said with a smile... but then, a look of confusion crossed her features. "But... b-but I've never felt THAT one before..."

"Almost as if something unique were on the very brink of dawning," Rarity observed quietly.

"Something wonderful, I think," Fluttershy said warmly, then added, "I hope," with a touch of worry.

Twilight nodded with a slight smile. "I think I did, Applejack... but also feels like it's still too soon to know what it means for certain." She looked over her gathered friends, her concern writ large over her muzzle. "I just hope we can figure this out before something awful happens to poor Obsidian... or to Equestria."

-=+=-

"So... I think we can check my bed to see if Cupcake woke up already, as we are not too far from my room," she proposed, looking around curiously. Where was she headed? She'd have to get a map of this palace... that, or start memorizing hallways.

Lemon, Wart and Clap all stopped dead in their tracks in the hallway - Lemon in mid-stride.

"Obsidian." He spoke slowly, as if trying to comprehend her words. "Did you. Just say. My brother. Is in... your... BED?"

Clap smirked boldly. "Whoa... Siddy, you work fast! Plus, I'da never thought..."

Wart just blushed.

Sighing and facehoofing, Lemon turned and headed down the hall towards the Applejack Suite. As he did, Clap came over and said, softly, "Did... d-did you two get, like... cozy?... or-"

Wart's eyes bugged out, and she crossly interrupted her. "Thunderclap Dash! How dare you insinuate that Princess Obsidian would ever be anything less than a lady!"

"Whoa, hey!" She held up her hooves in defense. "I wasn't-"

"I would suggest you shut your mouth about it, and just assume they were both proper and decent."

Clap rolled her eyes. "Yeeesh, fine, okay!"

What did she mean about 'working fast'? Obsidian didn't quite get that, though it seemed that Clap was asking about things that weren't acceptable - at least according to Stalwart. To be fair, she gathered that Stalwart's standards were a bit different from average. Obsidian's were a bit different too, of course - probably part of why the two of them were getting along so well.

"Well, Thunderclap... I think that I may have gotten used to being touched enough to visit this Spa you've mentioned before," which was a rather subtle way to say 'I spent an entire night touching Cupcake'.

Thunderclap threw BOTH hooves over her mouth and made a sound like she was trying to hold back an outburst, while Wart turned and stared at Obsidian.

Then, after glaring daggers at Clap, the little unicorn looked at Obsidian and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me... but I think you should simply stop now. Let's just gather Cupcake, and we shall not speak of this until later."

Clap brought her hooves down, but gave Wart a salacious smile, to which the little mare replied, "Oh, go soak your head, Clap!"

Had she said something wrong? Maybe she should explain to Stalwart that everything was fine, because Cupcake was so soft and his breath smelled of sweets? But no - apparently her friend had some kind of problem with this and didn't want to discuss it further right now.

Maybe she had her own crush on Cupcake, and was jealous?

Meanwhile, Lemon reached the doors to the AJ Suite and calmly, politely knocked on the door. After a moment, he simply opened it and crept inside.

There was a second of silence. Two. Three...

"CUPCAKE ALBERT SPRINKLES!!!!!" There was the sound of a squeak, a flailing, and a >THUMP< from inside the room.

"WhaaaaAAAAAaaaAAAAAT!?" came Cup's haggard and wailing voice.

The speaking in the room became murmuring, then suddenly Cup came zooming out of the room, stopping at Obsidian and looking worried as could be.

"YouwereattackedohmygoshwhathappenedareyouokaydidtheygetawaydidyoubeatthemohmygoshObsidianareyouokaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!?!?"

Bah, he was talking even faster than usual - which made him utterly incomprehensible. Obsidian managed to pick out the words 'attacked' and 'okay', so she could guess what he was going on about.

"I'm fine, Cupcake... my brother just isn't as charming as any of yours. Stalwart delivered a final blow, forcing him to escape. Er... did you sleep well?" She tried smiling at him, to calm him down a bit.

Cupcake's expression s-l-o-w-l-y softened when she said she was fine, but then he began to pace as he spoke. "I'm so sorry, I should've been with you, but I just was so sleepy, and with the night we had-"

"Sweet Twilight's Crown, SHUT UP, CUPCAKE!" Wart cried out.

The stallion stopped and stared at her for a moment, then looked at Clap. Thunderclap's smile was so big, if it got much larger, the corners of her mouth would meet in the back and her head would fall off!

"WhaaaAAAaat?" Cupcake asked, looking confused.

Thunderclap Dash burst out laughing, in great rolling peals, until Lemon made his way back from her room, then covered Clap in a field of his magic and carried her unceremoniously along as he began to head for the doors. "Come on - this is already becoming a chore."

Thunderclap seemed to really appreciate that Cupcake had a nice, proper sleep and that Obsidian would be able to visit the Spa with her. What a great friend! The dark unicorn was truly happy to hear her generous laughter... even though she didn't quite understand why she was that cheerful about it... nor why it was making Stalwart so irritated.

"No... it's my fault, Cupcake. I fell for a trap because I didn't want to interrupt your sleep. Hopefully, that will be the last time that ever happens - because next time, I won't fall for such a cheap tactic."

Of course, she still had to find a way to detect illusions made by Dark Magic... or become far, far less gullible. After all, her brother sounded both logical and believable, otherwise she wouldn't have followed him.

"Now, off to see Miss Trixie, then to attend my new classes." She trotted after Lemon. Her little circle of friends was almost complete again - maybe they'd run into Mica on their way to class? She had a few things to say to him - including a real and honest apology.

Once Clap finally stopped laughing, Lemon dropped her on her flank and they all began to make their way to the school.

Once arriving on campus, Lemon turned to them all. "Okay - plain and simple, my job is to protect Obsidian; the rest of you, I'll do my best... BUT. I expect ALL of you to pull your weight in a fight; don't expect me to be able save your lives, simply because you're with her," he pointed a hoof at Obsidian, "because I have my orders directly from Her Majesty Twilight Sparkle."

Cup gave his brother a look. "And you're gonna tell me that Mom said nothing about-"

"Can it, Cup!" Lemon growled; Cupcake pantomimed the motion of locking his mouth, turning a key, then tossing said key over his shoulder.

"Anyway," Lemon continued, "if there are any other members of your, er... club... then I would suggest you find out what classes they're in, and round them up as the day goes. When we leave this school," he looked at Obsidian, "I expect we'll have the entire gang, crew, whatever... and I won't be very keen on adding anyone else."

He then turned and looked at Wart. "You, at least, have some knowledge and training; I expect you to assist, should an attack occur."

"Yes sir!" Stalwart saluted proudly.

"Good... good." He faced the group. "Now, where are we headed first?"

Why it was so important to get them all, she didn't quite understand - perhaps to defend them as well? Yes, that would be the most obvious answer, as her family could use them against her; now it made more sense.

"To Councilor Trixie, methinks. Cupcake, do you know where and when we might find Gypsy and Mica, perchance?"

Cup pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Mmmph mmmphhh murph mmmmmphh mmph mmmmph."

Lemon rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Cup. Really?"

Cupcake looked at his brother with wide, innocent eyes.

Lemon gave another exaggerated sigh, then reached down onto the floor, acted like he picked up something, then held his hoof to Cup's mouth and turned it.

"AAAAaaaahhh... thanks, broski! Much better!" he smiled broadly.

Wha... w-what did Lemon do to Cupcake? Was this some kind of Pie Magic? But Obsidian couldn't feel any magical auras... was that thing he did with his hoof some kind of a ritual? Maybe a curse? By Darkness, was Lemon able to curse ponies?! Considering that he was apparently some sort of expert about magic and a valuable intelligence officer (even though his mother seemed to be the only pony who truly liked him), it could be possible.

On the other hoof... the ability to silence Cupcake at a whim could be useful; she was getting used to him, at least she thought so. But Cupcake was Cupcake, and she was an ancient crystal creature that was still learning how the Modern World worked - and sometimes, it could still be frustrating to figure that strange stallion out.

Lemon closed his eyes and began to count quietly to himself as Cupcake spoke up, clearly now.

"Well, Gypsy usually starts his day in Art classes, but I don't know wher-"

"Mica's in the gym," Clap spoke up. When Cup looked at her questioningly, she said, "Hey, as much as we hang out with each other, knowing his class schedule's a piece of cake."

Cup nodded. "Okay, so that's that. Miss Trixie's, then the gym, then we swing by to gather up Gypsy, too."

Lemon led the way as they ventured towards the Guidance Councilor's office. Cup and Clap flanked Obsidian, with Wart bringing up the rear. When they reached her office, the door was open and she was lounging in her seat.

"Well, here you are! It took for-EV-er, but I managed to put together a schedule that would probably work out for you, Obsidian. Take a look and tell me how wonderful a job I did!"

[Schedule: Obsidian something]
1ST: Teamwork - Rainbow Dash
2ND: Mathmatics - Abacus Bead
3RD: Creative Skills - Rarity
-Lunch-
4TH: Equestrian History - Dusty Shelf
5TH: Science - Doctor Whooves
-Study Hall-
6TH: Empathy - Fluttershy

"See? All set for this semester! So c'mon, who's the best guidance councilor ever?" The blue mare smiled proudly.

Aaaaah, her class schedule! Just the fact that ONE of Obsidian's goals had been achieved today made her feel better - and that it was her schedule for learning meant so much more; she did like order, after all.

"You did a fantastic job, madam councilor - and you are the best guidance councilor I have ever known." Granted, she was the only one - which technically also made her the worst one, but Obsidian wasn't about to say that out loud. "Is this my schedule for each day, or shall I visit you tomorrow for a different one?"

Trixie clapped her hooves together in glee. "Glad to see you recognize that I'm that good! But no, this is your schedule for the semester - that's a quarter of the school year - and you'll have the option to pick your classes for the next semester... in abouuuuuut... ten weeks from now?"

She looked quite pleased with herself... then cocked an eyebrow as she saw the others with her. "Well, I know for a fact that the rest of you usually don't gather until lunch, so... what gives?"

Lemon stepped forward. "Miss Lulamoon, Obsidian has been found to be a special case, and permission has been given by Twilight Sparkle herself for them to accompany her today."

"Oh," Trixie said in a flat voice, "she said it, did she?" Was there something sore between the princess and the guidance councilor? Perhaps a lesson gone wrong? Either way, the ire on Miss Trixie's muzzle didn't last for very long, so it must not have been that serious.

Trixie pondered for a moment. "Well, okay - but each of you need to make sure to ask about today's assignments & do catch-up work. Starlight'll be all fussy and stuff about it, but I say just get to it when you can." She waved at them with a dismissive hoof. "If that's all, then hurry and get to class; I've got some things to do, and it's hard enough to get to it with all of you just standing there."

Hm, ten weeks... hopefully she would survive that long. Choosing her own classes would be a grand liberty, but she should get used to simply making her own decisions until then.

"Thank you, guidance councilor - I shall head to class now, and I truly appeciate your work on my behalf." Obsidian bowed slightly and turned to leave, her entourage in tow.

Hm, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy... three Bearers of the famed Elements of Harmony; hopefully, they could come up with a good plan to deal with her errant family members.

Mathematics shouldn't be too much of a problem, though she had no idea what was currently being taught in school - she could only hope that her archaic, antiquated knowledge wouldn't embarrass her. After that, Equestrian History and Science... those should be quite interesting.

"Teamwork is first. Do you think we would be able to meet Mica before the start of class, Clap?"

Clap looked to Lemon. "Well, he's gotta be in the gym right now, so if Yellow-&-Grumpy over there says it's okay-"

Lemon's muzzle soured. "Fine. We can stop there first, Big-&-Foolish."

Clap gave him an irritated glare as the lot of them made their way toward the gymnasium.

As they left the office, Obsidian's group almost collided with another pony coming in. "OOP! Careful!" It was Looking Glass, the mare she'd (literally) ran into the other day - in fact, the same mare looked up and saw Obsidian and gave a little gasp.

"Oh, hey there! Seems like we keep running into each other... but not literally this time, thank goodness!" Her smile seemed to dip a little as she saw the entourage. "Well, you seem to be fairly popular today! But... why all here, especially with classes starting so soon?"

Could that be that Looking Glass was yet another spy in disguise? Obsidian quite literally saw dreams of her friends, so she knew she could trust them - Cupcake was in a perfect position to assassinate her if he'd like, Thunderclap was alone with her yesterday, Stalwart literally saved her life... but Looking Glass?

Who knew this pony? And even if they would know her, could it be possible that she would be in disguise long enough to fool everypony? Obsidian looked slightly to the side, attempting to catch the look on Cupcake's muzzle. If he didn't know that mare, then it surely would be QUITE suspicious...

"I have a quick thing to do before classes, but I'm sure I'll manage to finish it before start of the first lesson." At least she hoped so - she had asked if they would be able to do it in time, but nopony told her otherwise.

Cupcake was eyeballing Looking Glass closely. "Hey, Glass," he said, "you okay?"

She blinked at him. "Why wouldn't I be? Is... something wrong? OH! Is it my mane?" She darted back into a small saddlebag and brought out a fancy-looking hoof mirror, quickly looking herself over in it. "My mane doesn't look out of place... does it?"

Cup shrugged. "It looks fine to me."

Glass gave him a slightly suspicious look, then put the mirror away and glanced over at Obsidian again. "Well, if that's the plan, then I guess you'll be okay - you've got a good fifteen minutes. Okay then," she brightly spoke, "I have to get to the councilor's office; you have a grand day, okay?" She stepped into the office, closing the door behind her.

"I swear," Cupcake said, "it's like that mirror is a part of her!"