Obsidian: Daughter of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Twenty: A Touch Of Class

Reaching the gymnasium, Obsidian was treated to the sight of a large sports-type building; within were rows of bleachers on either side, with a smooth and shiny wooden floor where were a number of ponies who were in some sort of gym uniforms were milling about.

At each end was a water fountain, and it was at one of these that Obsidian spotted Mica, sipping at the stream of water arcing from the spigot; he hadn't seen them yet.

Cupcake had seemed to recognize Looking Glass... or maybe the real Looking Glass had been knocked out, and this had been yet another one of her siblings in disguise...

By Darkness, she was getting downright paranoid!

Cupcake knew Looking Glass, so she was probably fine... after all, her brothers and sisters couldn't have known that she would enroll into Friendship School, especially that quickly.

"Do you know of her, Cup? Could you tell me a bit about Miss Glass? We ran into each other yesterday," her forehead momentarily throbbed at the memory, "yet I feel I should be more cautious after this morning's trap."

Cupcake thought for a bit. "Looking Glass? Well... she's a transfer from the Crystal Empire; got here about, what, two... no! Three years back! She's sweet, but is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay obsessed with making sure she looks good. Not snobby, though - just really self-conscious! Has a fairly decent school average, had a few passing friends, likes to listen to music and style her mane. If she's a spy, she's a LOOOOOOONG term one."

Well, she could safely assume that Looking Glass really wasn't a spy, then. However, she had to be careful with the rest of her group, obviously - ponies from Crystal Empire sticking together, eh? Well, she knew at least some who might not want much to do with a certain somepony - but hopefully she didn't belong to that category.

But first things first.

Obsidian took a breath, preparing herself for her talk with Mica Chip. "A moment, if you please; I should handle this myself, as would only be properly respectful of him." She carefully trotted over to Mica, moving along the walls to stay clear from the path of any other sports participation. With Lemon, the rest of them stayed at the doors while they allowed her to handle the situation.

As she approached, he finished his drink and lifted his head... catching direct eye contact with her.

"... you."

However, even though the greeting was the same as the other day, there was something in his tone and his eyes that said he had, indeed, been thinking things over a lot. He didn't seem completely open just yet... but he wasn't as cold as he'd been yesterday.

Fifteen minutes... a pretty short amount of time to deal with all the stuff that was between her and Mica, but she had to try. After all, he had been nothing but friendly, while she had been the one to offend - she understood that now.

"Hello, Mica. I've been looking for you, because I have to tell you something. I'm..."

Even now, after two CRAZY days and quite a few life-changing revelations, she still wasn't quite comfortable apologizing. But this one was important to her. "... I'm..."

She sighed, just say it!

"... I'm really, truly sorry, Mica. I wasn't in the right, and I most certainly don't think that anything you believe is worthless. I... had to learn a lot yesterday," she turned her head a bit to the side, embarrassed but bearing her shame to reach this stallion.

"There are probably plenty of reasons to not want to be my friend, but... but I'm really trying to fix it." Well, taking into account that her crazed siblings wanted to raise a slave lord from the dead and conquer Equestria? It was probably the main reason not to befriend Obsidian to begin with.

Mica was quiet for a bit, just looking at her. Then he gave a tiny sigh, and regarded her earnestly.

"Opinions matter to those who have them, Obsidian. It's not as though you were actually trying to be a brat, I... suppose I get that. But if you want friends, you have got to learn that their feelings matter, too. Maybe not to you, and maybe not as much as other factors, but... you cannot just tell people their beliefs and opinions are worthless - no matter the comparison."

He regarded her for a moment more... and his eyes did slide over to look at the group in the back - specifically Clap, who waved timidly - then returned his gaze to Obsidian.

"I... I get it, I do." He closed his eyes. "I should have realized you simply didn't understand, and that you were just frustrated and... I actually shouldn't have acted the way I did. It certainly wasn't very Equestrian of me, and I apologize as well."

He opened his eyes again, and they looked as warm and kind as they had when she'd first met him. "Apology accepted... as long as you also accept mine."

He added, "Please."

"But of course, Mica! But of course!" Obsidian said cheerfully, satisfied both with the outcome and with herself - she didn't need to beg Thunderclap for help or even ask Cupcake how she should deal with it; she did it herself! On her own! Well thought, well planned, well executed!

And... honestly? Something inside her felt better... whole... complete.

... and now she had to hurry to class! "We'll meet later, ok? I have teamwork class now, and I need to hurry."

Mica's usual neutral muzzle actually put on a grin. "You enrolled? Excellent! I'll see you later, then." Though his even and neutral face returned, he did seem to be a bit more eager about his class now.

Reaching the group, Clap looked at her and asked, "Soooooo... I take it that went well?"

"Very well; Mica is with us again. Give me a few more days and I'll become an expert in apologizing and meaningful self-criticism," Obsidian smirked a bit as she trotted to the doors leading out of the gym... then stopped.

"Umm... please, lead the way - I have no idea where to go."

Lemon actually gave a short chuckle. "Follow me, then."

The group was led down two halls and to a door with a number of merit awards tacked to it, displaying the names of teams that had apparently excelled at the class. Inside, there were several students, and the sky blue mare from earlier.

As soon as she saw Obsidian, she flapped over and landed next to her and Clap. "Ya made it - great. I hope you're ready, 'cause I plan to really get the teams goin' today!" She looked at her daughter, her pride thinly veiled. "You coming in too? If so, I'll partner you with Obsi-... wait, wait, there's gotta be an easier name than that!"

"I call her Siddy, mom!" Clap looked pleased, and Rainbow gave a smirk.

"Siddy? Eh, that works." She winked at Obsidian, then turned and motioned to the desks before she began class. "... just sit where there's an empty desk - OKAY, EVERYONE! Flanks in seats!" Her other students made their way to their seats, and class began.

Being partnered with Thunderclap would probably do wonders for Obsidian - they had to get along as well as possible, considering that she had honestly started to truly like her... and obviously, she didn't know anypony else.

The fact that the teacher knew them both, and Obsidian knew the teacher, did little to relax her - after all, most of the studies she had experienced until today were hardly pleasant. Luckily Equestrians weren't as, ahem, strict as her father, but he practically burned this anxious and serious approach to lessons into her psyche.

So she very, very quickly took a seat, along with the rest of the class.

Teamwork class was interesting. They were all paired up, and each was presented with a different problem to solve as a team. It hadn't been too difficult to solve, but it was certainly a clever way to get students to work together, and it was even somewhat entertaining, like solving a logic puzzle. Clap hadn't cared much for the class, but she was more than happy to pair up with Siddy and assist her.

It was during this time that Obsidian got proof of what Starlight had told her earlier - though she'd been listless at the start of class, her mind was a steel trap when it came to puzzles like these; between the two of them, they managed to solve eight problems, which was three more than second place.

When Rainbow Dash gave them accolades, Clap smiled proudly... come to think of it, so did the teacher. Just as she was getting the hang of the class, though, it was time to head to the next one. Lemon met her in the hallway, and began to lead her to the next class on her schedule.

Very, very interesting - Obsidian for some reason thought it would be more physical in nature, but instead she had to deal with logic problems that were able to force her to think them over, craft a good and proper solution...

And rely on Thunderclap. That was a novelty - her life and her lessons, up until now, had been pretty lonely. No help from the outside, not a single other pony that she could rely on. Her father was very demanding - a strict teacher - and she wouldn't even dream of begging him for any form of support, as it would mean she'd dissapointed him and had shown her own incompetence.

Here, however? The entire lesson was built around the idea that ponies should work together. It may have been strange to her... but Obsidian was beginning to - dare she think it - like what these classes might be like for her now.

So next was... mathematics? It would be interesting to see what Equestrians were learning about, and whether or not one plus one still equated to two - though she was fairly certain math hadn't changed THAT much.

As they walked, Clap nudged Obsidian chummily. "Hey, you were pretty good back there - I think you might just ace that class, especially with me as your partner! You've got a better head for teamwork than I thought you would."

Obsidian winced slightly at the nudge, but said nothing. She really had to get used to that...

"Good at teamwork?" Cup asked. "I was good at teamwork too! OH, the stories I could tell you about it! I guess it's something we can both talk about together!"

She turned her head to peek at Cup and smiled at him slightly. "Well, I'd gladly hear them all, when you have the time," she practically... chirped? Now that was something new.

"But to learn proper teamwork, I think that sooner or later I'd have to be partnered up with other ponies as well... so, you know, it would be a lesson at teamwork, not at Thunderclapping. Not that I would complain, of course. It was... fun."

Mathematics was nothing new... but the way class was done was certainly a change to her. Lessons alone weren't nearly as... social... as these classes were, and the way the entire class participated made learning seem like much less of a chore, and more enjoyable.

If all her classes were like this, she might actually truly like school in Equestria!

Creative Skills class, led by the alabaster mare from earlier, was something different; the class had been assigned an art project, but could only use three colors - no more than that. Mixing and blending were allowed, but nothing other than the three chosen colors were to be used... and the picks were at random, from a fishbowl filled with slips of paper. The colors Obsidian had received were Red, Orange and Purple.

By Darkness, just what was the lesson here? What was the point of it? Teamwork - she got it... mathematics - but of course; she understood the advantages of learning the most pure and noble theoretical knowledge in Equestria.

Creativity skills...? She didn't even know if she had any.

So at the end of the class, a somewhat worried Obsidian had created an orange blob surrounded with a red blur, with spots of purple. Obviously, it was a dying pony, lying in a pool of his own blood, surrounded by Dark Magic; she would call it 'Failure' - just as her creative skills were a failure.

Rarity, however, looked at her work and gushed. She talked to the class about flow and structure, and went on about how Obsidian had made a piece that wasn't just a pattern or a realistic view - she seemed to genuinely like the artwork, though Siddy got the feeling that she probably shouldn't tell the teacher what she saw it as.

That was the first time that Obsidian had ever been praised for a complete failure - which only disoriented her more. With her lack of creativity skills, or even any comprehension about art, she didn't even know why professor Rarity was complimenting her at all. Did she, completely by accident, make something good?

Even if it was true, it was merely a fluke of luck that she wouldn't be able to repeat - which, to her, meant that she hadn't learned a thing. She didn't just leave the class - it was more like a tactical retreat.

At least it was lunch time - wonderful, as she had left the castle this morning without breakfast. Normally she wouldn't be too hungry, but it seemed that living in Equestria was GREAT for her appetite.

She was eagerly led to the cafeteria where there were three cooks, all working to put food on the trays of the students. Today was what they called 'vegetable medley', which tasted rather good, as well as kerneled corn, two slices of wheat toast, and a small cup filled with a cinnamon-apple mixture that was sweet and tasty.

Plus, another treat - Gypsy eagerly came over to them, waving happily to Obsidian as he sat down, tail wagging like mad. "P-princess, this one i-i-is so very hap-p-p-p-py t-t-to see you here in c-cl-c-cl-classes! How has your f-f-first day gone?"

"Good morning, my friend! Everything seems to be in perfect order, at the moment - it's quite different from the lessons I had with my father, but I suppose I can't complain about that."

Gypsy simply seemed happy to hang out with them. All of them (possibly even Lemon, as he simply hadn't said much) were there, and it made her feel... strange... when she saw her friends all having fun, cutting up with each other and her, and generally just being friends.

Perhaps she couldn't quite understand it, and maybe couldn't quite describe it... but it certainly seemed as though she... belonged here - with them. How could her father's plans be so important, yet this way of life seemed just as fulfilling?

Maybe there was something to what Luna had said to her about choosing her destiny. Though she most certainly didn't want to throw away her illustrious father's plans... something inside her was definitely considering things.

History was next... but lo and behold! She was apparently sharing the class with Gypsy!

The diamond dog's tail never stopped wagging as he sat right next to her, grinning from ear to ear. "I am s-s-so glad we ha-ha-have my f-f-favorite class tog-g-gether!" His puppy-dog eyes were adorable, and he looked fit to split, he was so happy.

"I can hardly wait for it as well, Gypsy... though for me, it's more like learning about the future," she admitted quietly, waiting patiently for the lesson to begin.

It should be interesting on its own, and having a history maniac next to her surely wouldn't hurt - especially now that she had seen Gypsy's greatest dream. She had read a bit about things that changed since her birth, but there were still so many things that she could learn... that she WANTED to learn... and history was on the top of the heap.

The class was, in a word, wonderful. The section they were covering currently was the Attack on Canterlot by Queen Chrysalis, and the teacher was rather animated and truly interested in the subject as well. The same teacher also apparently treasured Gypsy in his class, and when the diamond dog leaned over to her to fill her in on events, individuals or just plain trivial knowledge, the teacher just grinned, knowing his star pupil was helping out a fellow student.

Obsidian wasn't used to so much talking during a lesson - even though most of it was done by Gypsy. Even more surprising, it seemed as if the teacher approved of this behaviour. And Gypsy apparently was able to talk more clearly - he just had to... well, forget about his stress? About Jinx? About everything around him? Obsidian promised to herself that she would try to help him with his issues.

When class was over, Gypsy tagged along with the group and chatted excitedly about history to Obsidian and the rest; as usual, when he spoke about actual subject matter, his stutter all but vanished.

Study Hall.

For this period, she was taken back to the cafeteria, but there was only the residual smell of food - nothing to eat this time. Seated at the tables, students all around her were busily doing work or chatting softly with each other. A single teacher was at a table towards the front, but she seemed to doze off after a few minutes.

So, there she was. In Study Hall. With Lemon seated across from her, looking as though he were caught up in distant thoughts.

Hmm, free time to learn - what a strange idea. Ponies these days seemed to enjoy wasting too much time - and with her siblings running around, she herself had far too little.

She looked immediately to her escort. "Mister Lemon? Might we possibly train in Light Magic now, perchance?" she asked him without any meaningless small-talk. She had to learn more, and the sooner the better.

"Mmmm?" Distracted, Lemon looked at her, taking a moment to realize she was speaking to him. "Eh... that... wouldn't be a bad idea. Alright, fine," he said, "but you're to do as I say, and not stray from the lesson - I've no time for foolishness like my charming brother's when it comes to spells."

He closed his eyes and his horn began glowing a sharp, vibrant pink - almost the same color as his mother's coat. When he did, Obsidian saw the same glow wrap around several stacks of chairs by the wall. Slowly, each one drifted into the air and began to stack themselves on the other side of the room, smoothly moving and quietly stacking, showing great control and ability from the dour stallion.

"Telekinesis was the first spell I mastered, and you can see how well I did so. I have no doubt you have some grip on it already, but I have honed my skills to the point where I can use it to strike my enemies. Hard."

Once finished with moving a total of six stacks chairs in this manner, he opened his eyes and focused on Obsidian. "We will start with that; once you've mastered teke at least well enough to strike effectively with, we shall move on. But not before. You must respect the process if you're going to be a student of mine, is that clear?"

Obsidian nodded. "Yes, my most honourable teach... umm... I mean, yes. Yes."

Now that was something at least a little bit familiar to the good old (well, partially good) days - countless hours filled with the constant struggle of controlling magic, subjugating its mysterious powers to serve her needs. The fact that Lemon obviously was not her father didn't change much - in fact, the less stress she felt, the easier it should be. Hopefully, she would live up to his apparently stringent expectations.

Lemon regarded her for a moment, then he levitated a pencil from her saddlebag, placing it on the table between them. It became covered in his magical aura, and as soon as it was obvious he had it in his thorough grasp, he looked at her.

"Here's where we start; lift the pencil." His aura stayed around it, apparently holding it in place. Was she supposed to take it from him?

She lifted her eyebrows, then her horn flashed as her dark magical aura surrounded the pencil. Then, keeping to the exact letter of the command, she tried to lift it a bit - enough to fullfil his requirements.

It didn't budge; he held it fast with his own magic. "Good. Keep trying. And, while you're at it..." Her saddlebag opened again, and out came an eraser this time. But when he reached the table with it, the glow around the eraser vanished and it dropped to the table. "... lift that, as well."

This should be interesting - lifting a few things at the same time wasn't much of an issue, as her father had somewhat similar exercises for her, from time to time - so she lifted eraser as well, while still trying to force her will on the pencil.

When she did this without question or complaint, she was given an unexpected reward... Lemon smiled.

"Good, good. Most ponies your age don't bother with learning to levitate multiple objects under pressure; it's good to see you already have some training in that area."

He nodded in her direction, "Now, while continuing both, lift your saddlebags."

Her saddlebags... ah, the ones given to her by Thunderclap - her friend! A small smile appeared on Obsidian's muzzle as she followed that command as well. Now, how should she lift the pencil... just overwhelm Lemon's magic? He was most certainly skilled, of course... but she had a part of the soul of King Sombra, and was probably quite powerful herself - she should be able to break his hold, sooner or later.

Lemon Custard was looking at her quite differently now; though he'd been, frankly, a jerk since day one, he now saw potential in her that he'd outright ignored before. He could now see that she wasn't just some ditzy court fop, parading around like she was entitled while not doing anything... no, she was proving that she had real training, and that seemed to please him quite nicely.

"Alright, good... now, maintain those... and lift..." he looked around a bit, seeking a new target. Then, a smirk crossed his features.

"The teacher's glasses. Without waking her."

She looked at him, looked at the teacher, then looked back at him again... now this was something new. Perhaps not completely new, as lifting something specific in a group without disturbing the rest was a part of her exercises... but she never had to do with an actual living pony - obviously, as no pony would DARE sleep in presence of her father.

But it didn't mean she was just going to dissapoint her teacher or give up without a fight! Very, very carefully, after making certain she was maintaining the lifted objects AND still pulling on the pencil, her magic surrounded the sleeping teacher's glasses...

Hopefully, Lemon wouldn't ask her to pickpocket things next.

Slowly, the glasses lifted from the mare's muzzle, and began to float quietly and smoothly above her sleeping form. Lemon, meanwhile, was grinning eagerly - strangely enough, with an actual smile on his face, he resembled Cupcake - a LOT. His whole sour look had made it hard to tell they were related; with a smile, they were almost twins.

"Yes... yes... good... very good..." he whispered excitedly. Then, once the glasses were airborne, along with the other objects and the stubborn pencil, Lemon looked at her and said, "Now... maintain that for five straight minutes. I'll time you."

Only five minutes? It shouldn't be too hard... in fact, this magical load was nothing compared to what she was forced to use that morning, when her brother was doing his best to beat through her shield. She maintained her full focus; there was no way he could surprise her and break her concentration.

He sat back, watching as she continuously kept the objects in the air. After a moment, he simply said, "So... what in the wide, wide world of Equestria were you and my brother doing last night? Because if it was sex," he smirked, "then you and I are going to have a very long talk."

"If it was what?" Obsidian asked, completely unfazed, "No, I... I had a little, er... breakdown, let's say. He comforted me, then we fell alseep together in the same bed."

"Slept together, eh? JUST sleep? Or, in your early teachings, did nopony tell you about how foals are made? Either way, I have to admit, he's never done that before; sleeping next to a mare that wasn't mother. And it's... interesting... to note that you seem fine with it." He smiled as if he were considerably amused.

"Heirs are made after marriage, of course," Obsidian shrugged slightly. No marriage, no foals - it was plainly obvious. The details hadn't really ever been important to her, anyway. And apparently, Cupcake trusted her like his own mother? That was... a bit strange, yet somehow it was also kind of flattering.

"Know this, however," he leaned forward, but his expression didn't change, "that my brother hasn't really ever paid much attention to other mares - he's just this carefree, happy-go-lucky spirit that always seems to be ready with a smile or a hug or a goofy song."

Now, his smile folded to become a look of concern. "If there IS anything romantic going on between the two of you, then just know that my brother will have no idea if you're manipulating or using him toward... less than pristine goals. If you try to introduce him to Dark Magic, or break his heart, then you and I will have to have a much different, much more serious conversation - one that might hurt, if you understand me clearly... because, as annoying as he can be, I love my brother dearly."

"Oh please - as if I would risk bringing him into the world of Dark Magic; could you imagine him as a warlock? Maybe with cursed puns and corrupted jokes, prepared to torment his enemies with? Putting the 'laughter' into 'slaughter', and so forth..." She waved her hoof dismissively. "No, just... no."

His stern look disappated into a grin as he gave a light chuckle. "Point taken. Well then, if your intentions are indeed pure, then I suppose he could do worse. Besides, it'll make sure that someone who can handle themselves will be with him most of the time."

He glanced back at the floating objects. "Now, that's enough time - place the glasses in her front blouse pocket... again, without waking her. Then, you may cease floating the other objects in the reverse order you stared with... but you'll maintain that pencil's pressure, even after you're done."

She carefully lowered the glasses, slipping them deftly into the teacher's pocket. "Now wait a moment; are you talking about this 'crush' thing?" It had taken her a moment to realize what he had said earlier.

Lemon had actually given a chuckle as she spoke of Cupcake the Warlock, but when she mentioned the 'crush thing', he outright gave a short yet rich laugh.

"Why yes... didn't you realize it when I spoke about the two of you together? I would figure that, perhaps, the two of you were possibly trying on a bit of romantic affection... so, it would only make sense that it might indeed be a crush you two have on each other."

His smile then grew wider, "Or is it just you?"

A laughing Lemon - the world must have been ending. It didn't help that he seemed to find amusement with her lack of understanding of this world, but it was still quite an accomplishment to see the stallion being pleasant for a change.

"I have only learned of this phenomenon recently... in fact, just yesterday. In my life before, I never knew of such a concept - perhaps I should speak further with him about it?" She began to drop the rest of things, starting with her saddlebags.

Lemon pondered her a moment, a small smirk still settled on his features. "Maybe you should, at that. Of course, you're always able to look up books on the subject, if you like - there are quite a few, though I would stick to the school library, as anyplace else might have... less than savoury novels about such."

But with mention of the library, his brow furrowed yet again. "I do hope Miss Tome is alright; she has been a fine librarian and a patient mare, and I would sincerely dislike if she were hurt... or worse."

Now, only the grip on the pencil remained. Obsidian started to struggle against Lemon's magic once again, now with her full focus.

"Rest assured that I will seek out more information, as I detest ignorance and it sounds as if education is an important part of life in Modern Equestria. And Miss Tome will be alright as soon as we capture the sibling responsible for her current state. After all, I directly asked for a job in library; I'm still looking forward to it."

"Well, here's to hoping you're correct." He looked at the pencil, and it suddenly flew straight up and began erratically moving about in the air. "Now, again... but this time, you'll attempt to stop me from moving the pencil about while you pick up the other things again, in the proper order - glasses included."

Sleeping on the job or not, Obsidian thought this poor teacher didn't deserve being used as a training tool.

She gritted her teeth, fully focused on stopping that pencil. Exactly how much strength he was putting into this test? She absolutely had to stop him... while lifting everything once again, in order. Simple lifting was easy, even in groups; lifting and stopping the erratic movements felt much, much more difficult.

Impossible, in fact - as no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even slow him down, much less stop the swooshing, flipping motions of the writing instrument. The other objects were more difficult to maintain a grip on with his erratic, rapid patterns, and it took a fair amount of concentration to achieve all the tasks at once - and even then, as she removed the glasses from the blouse pocket, the targeted mare roused a bit in her sleep.

Lemon's voice was low and tense, as if he was watching a wild tiger in the jungle. "Yes... yes yes, that's right... continue..."

She lowered the pair of glasses, holding them right above the desk - to avoid any unwanted problems from a loss of control. There had to be a way - maybe not just trying to stop it in place, but make an opposite vector of movement? Forces working on the pencil might be nullified that way.

She began to sweat, concentration written across her muzzle as she tried to create a counter-force to bring the pencil to a halt.

Lemon seemed to grin a bit wider as she made the attempt. "Ah, there's the pressure... but you're pressing against something that can change angles quickly." He seemed to get a bit more animated as he leaned forward and spoke softly.

"An opposing factor can work, but only when the item in question is on a set path; don't think from a single direction, but imagine a circle around the object, or more like a ball, perhaps. Don't resist against a single direction - resist against them all at once."

Wouldn't that apply to her own pressure too? But she wasn't asked to think about that, but to do it - so that's what she did.
After all, if she were as well-trained as Lemon apparently was, he wouldn't need to teach her.

Well, here goes nothing!

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, and the pencil's erratic movements slowed... not stopped, but still visibly and obviously slowed. However, there was almost a sparkle in Lemon's eye as he continued to float the pencil in different patterns, though he did seem to be concentrating a fair bit more.

"Excellent! It normally takes beginners some time to put so much resistance against such a task, but you already have surpassed second-year students - bra-VO, Obsidian!"

It was strange... but positive encouragement during her lessons was utterly alien to her, yet it almost seemed to be bolstering her abilities just a touch. Her father either usually scolded and punished her for failure... or said nothing at all when she succeeded.

Lemon, however, seemed as though he were trying to be Obsidian's cheerleader, encouraging her to not only continue, but to excel and praise when she accomplished such. It felt... quite different...

She bowed respectfully, though with a small smile on her face. Being praised at all (contrary to her father's actions) was nice - though with Miss Rarity and the obvious waste of paint Obsidian had made, it felt strange to receive praise for such a dismal failure.

However, Lemon's genuine approval was truly a nice change, filling her with a feeling of accomplishment. "I thank you for these kind words, Mister Lemon. Now, may I ask what the next step is... and may I stop stealing the teacher's glasses?"

Lemon gave the teacher a look, then glanced back at the rest of the students... then back to her, with a grin on his muzzle that eerily matched his brother's mischievous one. "By all means. Because I want you to now levitate her chair without waking her."

His smile said she couldn't possibly do it... but his eyes held hope that she could.

Obsidian gave him a rather frightened look, followed by a loud gulp. Levitate her chair... without waking her? Taking off her glasses was one thing; moving the chair someone was currently sitting in was something quite different. Maybe she wasn't teaching Obsidian herself right now, but she was a teacher, and thus worthy of some praise and respect.

And yet Lemon wanted the dark princess to move her. "O-okay... by your command, then," she muttered nervously as her aura slowly surrounded both the teacher and her chair, to keep her immobile during this dastardly deed.

As she did, Lemon smiled... and redoubled his efforts to sling the pencil around. It was frightening as she realized he was only using a fraction of his power earlier; this was like trying to wrestle food from an Ursa Major!

Slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y... the chair and mare combo began to lift up from the floor... but the effort was bringing beads of sweat out on her forehead, and Lemon's increased vigor with the pencil-waving was throwing her off, making this much more difficult than she'd surmised.

Suddenly... Lemon let go of the pencil!

The teacher and chair both dropped, but at the angle she'd been leaned back in, the chair had unceremoniously dumped her onto the floor. She came fully awake, sputtering and looking about wildly. Obsidian, dumbfounded and terrified out of her mind, was shivering with fear. She could have injured the poor teacher, or worse... made her furious! She didn't even know who this teacher was!

When she spotted the two of them staring in her direction, she lifted a hoof and - with fire in her eyes - she took in a breath to speak... until Lemon spoke up first.

"One word, and I'll ensure the camera footage of you sleeping is made a priority watch for Miss Glimmer."

The teacher stared for a moment... then, with a huff, she sat back down, crossed her forelegs, and pouted as she looked over the rest of the cafeteria, purposely avoiding eye contact with either of them.

Lemon gave a chuckle. "No worries; if she hadn't been sleeping on the job, I wouldn't have chosen her for a target. You're completely in the clear, and if she does try to punish you later... tell me, and I'll handle it."

"But, eh... er... i-if you say so," she muttered nervously. At least it seemed that Lemon's blackmailing skills were on point; they would be getting away with this, though she still felt bad for dumping her in the floor like that.

He looked back at her. "I must say, I am quite impressed at your ability level - much more than I'd anticipated from a royal such as yourself. I..."

He suddenly stopped and seemed to have an epiphany which made his look grow, not hard, but serious.

"... I... may have underestimated you, Obsidian. And, believe it or not... I think I owe you an apology for such." He gave a small chuckle. "Imagine that - I was wrong..."

He then leaned in close, his former dour look crossing his features for only a moment. "Do not make me regret saying that."

It seemed that everypony's assumptions about royals were quite different from the ones she had - first, they were surprised that she never had any decent food... next, that her upbringing was a little bit harsh... and now Lemon hadn't expected her to have proper magical abilities... had they really thought her to be so pampered and helpless?

With that, he seemed to visibly relax and sit back in his seat. "Now... we start again with the pencil."

The rest of Study Hall was taken up with more examples and exercises... though no more live subjects were targeted by Lemon, who actually turned out to be more than just a sour curmudgeon after all. At least the rest of the lesson was more peaceful... and at the end, still a bit shaken, Obsidian very profoundly apologized to the teacher before practically fleeing into the hallway.

Now it was time for her Empathy class with Professor Fluttershy; what would she be in for? Her entourage was in full attendance as she and Lemon joined them and made their way down the hall. Her friends all seemed to be interested in what she thought of her classes.

"You like your other stuff?" Clap asked.

"Yeah, how's it been for you?" Cup added.

"Th-this one wants t-t-to know as w-well, please?" Gypsy smiled, wagging.

"Stop crowding her!... but yes, Your Majesty, how are you liking it?" Wart leaned in closer.

"Everything is... actually rather good. In Creative class, I wasted a lot of paint and still somehow got praised by Professor Rarity... but except for that one mishap, I'd say it has been a grand experience," she admitted to her friends.

Strange; she hadn't seen Mica yet... and she had been sure that they would have met him during lunch... or maybe even during Study Hall?

Reaching the classroom with the vines around the doorway, the group started to separate off... but Clap stayed behind. "Hey Siddy," she asked, "you seen Mica? I'da figured he would've joined us by now, but... no show. You did make up with him, right?"

"I did; I was just thinking about that as well," Obsidian admitted. Hopefully, her crazy brothers and sisters hadn't gotten to him... oh dear, that would be bad - very bad! "Do you know where he should be, normally?"

"He should be... well, here; Empathy is his last class for the day too, but..."

She poked her head into the classroom, looked about, then came back with a worried look in her eyes. "Nope, he's not here. You don't think..."

Lemon scowled. "That is NOT good; Obsidian, attend your class - I'll search around, as well as inform the Headmare that a student seems to be missing; I'll be here when your class is over, but with all that's happening, he needs to be located."

Clap looked serious. "I'm helping."

"No, you go to class," Lemon started, "I can handle thi-"

"You don't GET it, Lemon... I'm helping. You don't send me to class when my best friend is missing. Period."

Lemon sighed, but nodded. "Fine, but partner up with me; neither one of us needs to be alone right now." He turned back to Obsidian. "We'll find him, don't worry. Until then, DO NOT LEAVE CLASS... for ANY reason. Do you understand?"

Oh, darkness and damnation... he WAS targeted! And it was HER fault, because she didn't think that anypony would be attacked within the school, especially considering she was with Lemon and the additional guards Princess Twilight had sent here! She was stupid, dumb, a failure, a waste of oxygen...

If he was hurt, or worse... then his blood would be on her hooves.

Everypony would have a right to blame her, and only her - her mere presence in this school was a constant danger to everypony around her. She nodded, her muzzle somewhat pale.

"Good luck... and please, stay safe." She faced the doorway before adding softly, "... I'm sorry."

She walked into the classroom; at this rate, she would become the Princess of Apologies... and would still have a lot to apologize for, as she seemed to be utterly unable to learn from her past mistakes.

Even though Fluttershy was preparing for her class, she took one look at Obsidian and was almost instantly right next to her. "Oh! Obsidian, what's wrong? You look so upset! What's happened, and do you need any help? Please tell me..." Wow, she really had a knack for this stuff, didn't she?

Was this some kind of magic? She wasn't reading her mind, right? Poor Obsidian didn't have much knowledge about things such as body language and so on. "I'm worried about this situation with my family; Mica Chip didn't meet up with us, and I'm afraid that they might have... done something to him," she explained quietly. "Mister Lemon will deal with it, though, and I'm sure there's no need for further help."

With a soft sigh, she added quietly, "At least as far as I'm to be involved..."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness! Poor Mica! But... but I didn't know he was family to you! Does that mean you're related to the Pie family? Oh goodness, this is bad! Headmare Starlight should be told about this, and Twilight too!"

"Er, no... Miss Fluttershy, I'm afraid that my brothers and sisters did something to Mica." Pies related to Dark King Sombra... that would be pretty ironic, all things considered. And more than a bit scary.

Fluttershy gave Obsidian a soft, reassuring hug. "Don't worry, I'll call in some friends." Again, she whistle/twittered, and this time, and entire flock of birds, of many different kinds, all flew down from the rafters and landed around them both - a sparrow even alighting on Obsidian's back!

"My friends, Mica Chip is missing! Oh please, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I ask you to fly over the school and see if you can find him?"

The birds all seemed to nod some sort of compliant agreement, then they all headed out through a venthole near the top of the walls, apparently made for birds to go in and out through. She then turned back to Obsidian.

"Under these circumstances, I'll understand if you don't think you can concentrate on today's lesson... oh dear, I hope Mica's alright!"

However, Obsidian felt far better when Professor Fluttershy sent all these creatures to help in searching for him. And though it was still a strange sensation, being hugged by the professor didn't make her flinch. Perhaps it was because of the fact that she seemed so much an antithesis of violence? She was the Bearer of the Element of Kindness, after all.

"Please... I would rather focus on my lessons; I promise you, even though I worry, I will still do my very best," Obsidian assured her.

Fluttershy looked at her. "Oh, you're being so brave... a-are you sure you want me to simply teach today's lesson? I really wouldn't mind at all if you didn't feel up to it, or if you'd rather we all go look for him?"

She sighed. "But... I also understand if you just want to occupy your mind while everyone else searches for him; this must be so hard on you!" She looked at her directly. "How would you want me to handle this situation? I'll understand, either way."

"I was ordered to remain in class, under Mister Lemon's direct orders, Miss Fluttershy." She didn't want to occupy her mind, to be fair, and she didn't want to endanger anypony else; class was probably best for everyone involved, right now.

"I... I really think that your animals should be enough help for Lemon - especially those with a good sense of smell." Hmmmm... what if Gypsy could be able to find her brothers and sisters? Was his nose that level of talented? And did her siblings account for scent when they were making their illusions to hide with?

Fluttershy looked at her with sadness and sympathy in her eyes... but she nodded sagely. "Okay, then... I'll teach the class, if that's what you want. Just know that, if you need anything, just ask - I promise you, you're much, much more important than my lesson plan."

Fluttershy stepped up to her podium and began to teach the class. The other students, having been somewhat privy to their conversation, kept glancing over at Obsidian and making faces similar to Professor Fluttershy's.

The lesson today was, ironically, trying to explain what others might feel if you felt bad, and how sympathy could be kind - but too much could become a problem, such as developing an annoyance or even a reliance on that sympathy.

As the class went on, there was no word back yet... until a cardinal, bright red and quite pretty, flew down and lit on Fluttershy's mane, twittering at her for a moment before she said, "Oh, Carey, thank you!"

She turned to Obsidian. "Carey says he saw him close to the running track on the athletics field, and also said he showed Mr. Custard the way; he says not to worry, Mica didn't look hurt. But he was..."

She looked up at the bird, who twittered again at her. "He says he was wearing a... helmet?"

A helmet... A HELMET? Like the ones worn by the slave-soldiers of her most honourable father? The ones made to force ponies to serve his will, and fight without even the slightest signs of hesitation or mercy?

Oh dear, oh dear...

"My father was known to use magical helmets to force slaves to fight for him," she whispered, utterly terrified at the prospect. Luckily, Lemon was skilled when it came to light magic, and should be able to restrain him without too many problems.

"Could this bird... er, Carey... send Mister Lemon a note about this?" she asked timidly.

"Wait..." Fluttershy suddenly gasped. "You mean... THOSE helmets!? Oh my oh my oh my..." She jumped up and looked back at the rest of her class. "All of you, please, stay here with Obsidian to keep her company while I go tell Headmare Starlight about this horrible situation!"

Without waiting for a reply, she darted out of the classroom, leaving her students all looking towards Obsidian. There was an awkward silence for a moment, then...

"Uh... don't worry," a pegasus stallion from the back row spoke up.

"Yeah - don't worry, you'll be okay," came from a griffon, seated next to her.

"Yes, and Mica will as well, I'm sure," said an earth pony mare behind her.

"Yeah, so don't worry - it'll be okay, you'll see," reassured a young dragon with orange scales.

Her classmates, not even a full day with her in their class, were trying to comfort and encourage her; apparently, Fluttershy truly was a good teacher.

But it was all her fault, and she had plenty of reasons to worry; what if these mad ponies attacked the school - whether out of spite or design - and brought her father back while the defenders were busy?

She had to remember to talk to Gypsy and check if he could smell the Dark Magic in front of her room. Her brother was surely quite reeking of brimstone, and if Gypsy could track that, then every diamond dog in the school could just look for ponies that smelled of Dark Magic... except herself, of course.

It was betrayal of her family - yes, true - but she had to do it, to ensure her own survival... right? Besides, there was a history to Equestria about these kinds of things; one of numerous attacks against Harmony, all won by its current rulers. No invader ever won - not even her father, on his own home turf. Twice.

What was that?

It was so soft, she almost didn't hear it at all... but in the back of her mind, she swore she heard a mare's voice, with a thick Crystalian accent, whispering softly, almost seductively.

There was a flicker of a vision; she saw a slight overlapping of reality and what seemed to be... was it... yes, it was a set of bleachers... and a shiny wooden floor...

Obsidian stood up, looking around her carefully. It was not real, it couldn't be... how could her sister call out to her?
Was it some kind of communication between shards, perhaps? If so, then why she didn't call her earlier, when she was far less invested into fighting them?

Or perhaps she was close...

"Onyx...?" Obsidian whispered, so focused on the vision that she forgot she was in a classroom.

Again, a slight overlay of... the gymnasium! That was where she was being shown!

Wait, was she... suggesting a parley, perhaps?

Obsidian smirked - luckily, Mister Lemon specifically told her that she wasn't allowed to leave on her own, and she had been taught well that disobeying her teachers was a bad idea.

Even when your siblings want to play and dance.

After a moment, her head began to swim just slightly, and the vision of the gym became more clear... and standing there, in the center court of the wooden floor, was someone else in a helmet, standing there with her grinning brother Tourmaline standing beside them, a look of vicious spite on his muzzle.

Gypsy Rover.

Tourmaline's eyes glowed, and a cruel-looking dagger levitated up from behind him, and came to rest against the diamond dog's neck, right before the vision faded completely away, the barest whisper floating through her mind beofre it went silent once more.

Of course, merely a spooky whisper or two wouldn't have brought her - so they naturally had upped the ante.

She was told to stay in class; don't leave under any circumstances. However, nopony told her what to do when one of her friends literally had a dagger pressed to his throat.

"There is a pack of warlocks in the gymnasium - please tell the professor or Mister Lemon when they return," she said out loud, not exactly caring if her classmates understood her or complied with her wishes, before she darted into the hall, headed for the gymnasium as quickly as possible.

She wanted to finish this... and the ponies responsible.