//------------------------------// // Three: After Midnight // Story: Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra // by Randimaxis //------------------------------// Arriving at the school, the three of them attracted attention from everyone there; almost every eye they passed looked them over appreciatively, and more than a few even made some gesture to that end - some bowed, some waved, some smiled, some simply dropped their jaws as the trio passed them by. There was even a wolf whistle, but from what source, Obsidian didn't see - though it did cause Wart to blush and Clap to chuckle, however. Walking into the study hall together, Clap pointed to the table at the back where Obsidian could see Gypsy and Mica, both exchanging words and seemingly involved in a discussion of... whatever it was they discussed. "Hey boys," Clap said as they drew near, "how ya doin'?" They both looked up... and the results were priceless. Gypsy's eyes went wide and his tail wagged, but he couldn't seem to keep his eyes on a single one of them. "This one... wow... he s-sees that you... h-have.. wow. Just WOW! It is... amazing, how well you all c-clean up! Amazing what you all look like when y-you aren't fresh from a battle!" Mica, on the other hoof... "Haah." He said, his eyes locked nowhere but on the fit and fine form of Thunderclap Dash. "Humm. Aah. Ffff. Whoo." Clap smirked and tossed her mane. "What's the matter, Mica?" she purred. "Hnng. Mhaa. Vuu." he stammered. Clap laughed, then turned to her partners in crime. "I'd say we're a hit, wouldn't you?" Their mere presence seemed to be causing a few disturbances at the school, it seemed; hopefully, the Headmare wouldn't be upset - school was supposed to be a place of learning, not of foppish bragging. The reactions of the majority of ponies (and other creatures) didn't matter to Obsidian as much as their main goal - but they found Mica and Gypsy. She waved to them, but it seemed Mica barely noticed. "Well, I don't think we should be so pleased about that - look at poor Mica; you've clearly broken him," she sighed theatrically. "Hopefully it's not permament damage - I would miss conversing intelligibly with him." "Awww... poor widdle Micuhhhh..." Clap drawled her words, speaking in a breathy voice as she placed her hooves on either side of his muzzle, directing his stare right at her face. She then reached down and firmly planted her lips on his, giving him an electrifying kiss that made his tail jut straight out! With a >pop<, she broke the kiss, and Mica Chip slid to the floor with a distant, dreamy and altogether hilarious goofy grin on his face. Clap just laughed loudly, getting quite a kick out of the whole affair. Mica seemed to react to the kiss, at least... but he was now rather unresponsive in a different manner. Oh well - at least Clap had plenty of fun tormenting him with her perfection. Gypsy, meanwhile, looked over Wart and Siddy both, and smiled grandly. "You both smell of soap and p-perfume - this one assumes you went to the sp-spa, as Thunderclap suggested?" Wart nodded. "Indeed! It was no waste, but a wonderfully relaxing time - but oh so decadent! Gypsy, I must admit that I feel... I feel like a walking spectacle!" She then gave a very UN-Wartlike tittering giggle. "I feel like a mare!" "As well you sh-should, Stalwart! This one finds all of you to b-be quite lovely, and is humbled by your collected b-beauty." "Awwww shucks, Gypper," Clap blushed a tad, "that's really cool of you to say; I mean, I know we look good, but if even YOU say we're stylin', then maybe they did us a better turn than I even paid for!" He looked at Obsidian. "H-h-have you found Cupcake yet? This one wonders what he h-had to say!" The change in Stalwart's behaviour was truly astonishing - Obsidian would never have suspected that she would enjoy it that much. However, her feeling like a mare should be a huge improvement - after all she was a mare, and should feel like one. "I haven't been so lucky as of yet, Gypsy - have you possibly seen him, perchance?" It felt quite nice to be acknowledged, and to feel that she was a good influence for somepony. Stalwart realized one of her dreams, so she now had room for new one, right? Gypsy grew thoughtful for a moment. "This one recalls he was l-looking for his sibling, Lemon - supposedly, he was to g-go to Twilight's Palace, speaking something about b-birthday presents for a princess... though which, he wouldn't s-say." Interesting. Clap looked over at Obsidian. "So, we goin' on a mission to find Mr. Sprinkles and Mr. Custard, then?" She chuckled. "After your confession about Lemon earlier, I'm kinda intrigued about how he'll react, y'know?" Wart gasped. "I couldn't possibly show my muzzle around him like THIS!" Clap gave a snarky laugh. "And why not? You let him see you when you're covered with sweat and grime... so wouldn't this be more acceptable, to be seen clean and at your peak?" Wart blushed. "But I look so... so... fillyish!" Clap grinned. "Perks of being a mare, hon - get used to it." She then turned to Obsidian. "We headin' out?" Gypsy smiled. "May this one accompany y-you? He would like to see the look on Cupcake's muzzle when h-he sees Obsidian!" Mica suddenly stood bolt upright. "Yes. Follow. I'd... I'd like to follow along, if I can." Clap gave a salacious grin, "I'll bet you'd love to follow me, wouldn't ya?" Mica gulped. "Nssr. Vumma. Uh, eh... yeah." At least Clap didn't say anything embarrassing to Gypsy - especially as Obsidian would have had to explain that she doesn't find his stuttering cute per se - only when he does it a little and when she was in a good mood. Oh, and Mica's melted brain was finally reached by Thunderclap - wonderful. "Yes, we should look for Cup. Together, I believe we will quickly find him." Hopefully without Lemon, or other ponies who could have reactions that might embarrass them. The three now five, they all made their way out of the study hall and through campus to head towards the palace, the three mares in front, Gypsy and Mica behind them. It was especially interesting to see that Mica's gaze rarely left Clap's purposefully swinging flanks. Clap, meanwhile, seemed to be eating his attention up, and getting seconds and thirds as well. Obsidian would bet that as soon as Clap and Mica would have some time alone, they would have a very... interesting talk. Should she learn how to walk like this too? Both of them looked to be quite content. They were a spectacle all the way there, with many admirers and only one or two mares who eyed them with envy or jealousy. By the time they reached the palace proper, it was getting a bit late; the sun was almost at the horizon level, being as Twilight kept it and the moon at opposites of each other, moving in a linear fashion from one coast to another - or so it was said, at any rate. The Royal Guardponies who were stationed there both took notice of the trio, but were true professionals, and kept their opinions to themselves as they passed by... though Obsidian could swear the eyes of one of them were on Wart's flanks. Maybe Stalwart would gain more popularity within their ranks - though possibly for incorrect reasons - after all, she should be admired for her skill, not for the beauty of her petite form. Inside, there was a surprising number of servants and officials moving about, all seemingly caught up in doing something grand. There were flowers being arranged, cleaning and shining going on, and chairs being arranged around the sides, as if the palace were expecting guests... a lot of guests. Even Mica, seemingly glued to Clap's form, looked around a bit in curiosity. What was going on here? "What in the heck's happening?" Clap asked bluntly. Gypsy shrugged, but Mica's eyes opened wide. "Wait... WAIT... tomorrow is Twilight Sparkle's birthday! That's right! I heard about it in class today; she'll be celebrating with a huge party, and everyone is invited, regardless of origin or race." "That would be why Cupcake w-would be here - he would be h-helping for the p-pr-preparations! N-naturally, he would have to work alongside Lemon t-to ensure no unwelcome s-surprises." Princess Twilight's birthday? Was it that important... wait, what a foolish question - nopony would waste so much time and effort if it wasn't something BIG. Why, however? Was there something important about birthdays that they were going to be celebrated so grandly? She couldn't remember if her father had ever celebrated his own... and nopony ever celebrated Obsidian's... er, craftday. She really had to get a few more social contacts, as she was discovering stuff like this far too late to have time for any research, reactions and so on. In her own small social circle, they'd been mostly concerned about their Spa plans, so she didn't hear anything about Twilight's birthday. "So... we'll take down two Pie boys at once then," Siddy concluded ominously. "Excuse me," Wart said to a passing stallion wearing worker's clothing, "but might you know the location of Lemon Custard or Cupcake Sprinkles?" "Sure," the stallion turned, "they're... oh... eh heh heh... ummm..." Wart sighed. "Yes, we are pretty - the location, if you please?" "OH! Oh, uh... they're in the throne room right now, miss..?" She gave the buck a glare, "Stalwart Stance. Royal Guardspony in Training." The reaction was instant; he gave a start and a single bead of sweat ran down his muzzle. "OH! Sorryforbotheringyouhaveaniceday!" The stallion then made certain he was utterly engrossed in his job. Wart looked back at her friends. "The throne room is our destination." Obsidian couldn't help but wonder if Stalwart was going to regret that spa visit, sooner or later... or if she already regretted it. However if she ended up being too afraid of meeting Lemon in this state, she would have just left them, right? They made their way through the activity to the doors of Twilight's throne room, which were standing open. Inside, there were even more folks at work, doing their best to make sure they were, well, doing their best. Lemon and Cupcake were standing in the center, speaking with each other. From the look on Lemon's muzzle, Cup was trying his patience just a bit, but was holding together well enough. Clap turned and leaned in towards Obsidian. "Okay Sids," she husked, "now's your chance to hit 'em, but good - go make those stallions melt, girl!" It seemed that Clap was trying to convince Obsidian into committing murder; making Lemon and Cup melt would require a very specific offensive spell and it would make a terrible mess. The janitors would hate her forever... It was nothing but a jest, of course. She was afraid that 'melting' stallions could have a few different meanings, and not all of them were lethal - some of them were merely maiming. But now, she could try to sneak up on those two. Heh heh... Sneaky Siddy. She crept up on them, and could make out their words as she did. "... is beside the point, Cup. The task has to be done, and I assure you, with all the coordinating I have to do? I simply don't have time for it." "But you're forgetting something, Lemon - I'm needed here too. I mean, the party decorations aren't going to arrange themselves, you know! Actually, that would be a good idea to cut down on work; self-srranging arrangements! I'll have to ask Jynx about that." "Good, go do that - and while you're at it, you can do what I asked you to do. It's not like the arrangements have to be done right this single solitary second-" "Oh, and like the folks here would simply make everything explode if you weren't here to wave your hooves in the right direction, I take it? Oh, so very important are we, aren'tcha?" "LOOK... ahem Look... the train will be arriving within the hour, Cup. Couldn't you just arrange... stuff... until it's time for pickup?" "Couldn't you, dear brother of mine?" Neither one even glanced in Obsidian's direction; either Obsidian's sneaking skills were getting much better, or they were even more busy than Obsidian initially thought... or they just pretended that they didn't notice her yet. Probably the second, possibly the third. The Dark Princess really doubted she'd ever have an exceptional set of stealth skills, at least not before she could perhaps master the art of turning into smoke or something. Her father had once liked this trick, and it was pretty wonderful in the shadows... buuuuuut they sounded as if they could really use a break from their arguement. That's why Obsidian did the first thing she thought - a surprise hug, directed straight at Cup. "I think you could use another two pairs of hooves, boys," she said cheerfully. Cupcake gasped as she stealth-attack-huggled him, while Lemon simply raised an eyebrow. "Hey! I like hugs, but at least give warning - especially if I don't know who's hugg-OHMYGOSHOBSIDIAN..." He stared with an incredulous look on his muzle, which slowly melted into a wide smile. "WOWWEE! Look at you! You look fantastic!" Lemon gave a polite cough to draw attention, then gave a light bow. "Impressive; so you do clean up well. Good to see you coming out of your shell, Obsidian." "DIDN'T she, though!" Cup walked a circle around her, admiring her from every angle he could. "You look... I mean, WOWEE!!!!!" Lemon nodded appreciatively... then a smile grew on his muzzle. "Say, Obsidian," he ventured, "you wouldn't be willing to do Cup and I a favor, would you?" One could think that Cup would be used to her hooves so much that he wouldn't need her to introduce herself, even before the most surprising hug of them all. But eventually he realized that the deed was done by his marefriend... wait, did it mean he was getting surprise hugs from mares that weren't her? At least the reaction was worth the effort. He wasn't as stunned as Mica had been, but... "It depends, to be honest; based on the size of your smile, I assume it could ruin my new look, perhaps? And Cup, you should take a look at Clap and Stalwart as well - I assure you that all three of us are perfect." Cupcake did look past her, and his eyes widened. "Wa-ha-how! You guys look great! No, seriously dahlings, you look mahvelous!" Wart blushed a bit, and Clap struck a pose that sent visible shivers through poor Mica. Gypsy waved, and seemed to enjoy the sight of Cupcake's approval, evidenced by his wagging tail. Lemon, nowhere near as smitten as the rest, simply shrugged. "Actually, it shouldn't be that difficult; there's a dignitary and a VIP coming in from Griffonstone, and I need someone there to greet them and bring them to the palace. Since my oh-so-busy brother can't do it-" "Eeyup! Not it!" Cup interjected. "... then I'm hoping you three lovely ladies could do the job for me? After all, what better way to greet our guests than with such a stunning display of maredom?" Yes, he was buttering them up, true... but it did feel nice to hear the compliments, all the same. VIP? From Griffonstone? Coming for Princess Twilight's birthday? Obsidian leaned forward towards Lemon a bit. "Midnight Star, perchance?" Lemon grinned. "The VIP, yes - very astute, Obsidian. He's returning home for his mother's birthday. It was supposed to be a surprise, but the princess is no slouch; still, she's going to act surprised, only because she says it's what he would want." Even though Thunderclap was posing for Mica (and some of the surrounding bucks), Wart perked her ears in their direction. However, it it seemed as though she hadn't caught the name involved. "I figured that the three of you would be able to reach them in time, and escort them to the palace grounds. The dignitary is... well, a griffon, and an old one at that. Gavin Garrison. Don't pay much mind to his grumbling - he's actually one of the founders of the Griffon Homestead Authority, who help ensure every griffon in Griffonstone has a place to live. Very kind for a griffon... which, of course, you'd never know from meeting him." "So," he grinned, "can I count on you to do this small task for me?" "I survived my father, so I am fairly certain I'll survive a grumbling griffon - I'll gladly help. Anything else I'd need to know? Griffon etiquette or something of the sort?" "Just don't snark back at him, no matter how hard he tries to get you to," Lemon said pointedly, "If Midnight's there, he might be able to soothe any issues that come up; he's been living with the Garrisons for a number of years now, so they know him well. Just don't lose your temper..." he looked back at the others, "... and I wouldn't let Thunderclap lose hers, either." The warning about snarks was a valuable one - while Obsidian was certainly able to accomplish such a feat (after all she spent the most of her life with one particular pony that really, REALLY didn't accept any snarks towards him), it was a good thing to be informed about its neccessity. Lately, she had been learning more and more about this thing called a 'sense of humour', and sarcasm was apparently one of its' more important parts. However, Thunderclap was a completely different issue; the pegasus mare was in a good mood, but ponies in a good mood could irritate quite easily sometimes, just as those in bad ones could - and Obsidian had already once experienced a rather large problem due to Clap's attitude. "... it might be wise to ask her to stay, perhaps," Siddy said in a somewhat hesitant voice. Lemon shrugged. "Your call; all we need is someone to pick them up. One, two or three would be all the same to them, I'm certain." "I'd go with you," Cup grinned sheepishly, "but preparing for a party is serious work, so I kinda gotta stay and do the thing here... as much as I'd wanna be seen with such a beautiful mare!" Lemon smirked at his brother. "Nice recovery, there. So, can I assume you'll take the job?" "Heck yeah, she will!" Clap strolled up and threw a foreleg around Siddy' shoulders. "I don't even know what job you're talkin' about, but if I know my Siddy here, she'll take it! After the day we've had, nothing can stop us, right?" She smiled broadly at Obsidian. "After all, nothing stops Team Siddy!" Now Obsidian just had to think of how to ask Thunderclap to stay there without hurting her feelings too much. She wanted to help Cupcake and Lemon, but in this particular task Clap could possibly be rather... problematic. "Yup - I'll deal with everything. Clap, would you want to stay here with Mica, and help Cup and Lemon decorate the palace?" "Stay? But we can't split up Team-... wait... with Mica?" She gave a smirk and looked over her flank at the stallion who, yes, was still staring at her. With a sultry chuckle, she turned to look at Obsidian once again. "Yeah, okay... I get ya, Sids," she winked, "we'll just stay here together, and you and Warty can... uhh, do whatever you were supposed to do and stuff. Seems a shame to break up the team, but..." Again, she glanced back at Mica Chip with a grin. "... I think we can manage." Did she accidentially say something more funny than she'd intended to? Clap's smirk was rather interesting, as well as her chuckle... and of course there was this 'I get ya'. Really, Obsidian just asked if she wanted to stay with her coltfriend to help Siddy's coltfriend with the party preparations - just what was going on in Clap's head? "We'll be back as soon as possible, don't worry." Stalwart should be rather happy to hear that her crush is returning home - and on a day when she looked like the avatar of petite perfection! What luck! Clap sauntered over to Mica and brushed her tail under his chin as she passed. "You gonna stay and gimme a hoof with all this, Chippie?" Mica gulped and nodded dumbly, shivering as her tail passed. Clap smiled and waved a dismissive hoof at Obsidian. "You two go do the thing; we got this." Gypsy may have responded in kind... however, he was visibly gazing at the various displays; the many trays of cookies and pies seemed to have the poor diamond dog nearly drowning in his own drool, until one of the mares setting up the tables nearly dropped one - Gypsy was next to her and helping within seconds. Chances were, he'd be staying to assist as well. As Clap and Mica made their way further into the room and its' setup, Wart trotted over to Obsidian with a quizzical look on her muzzle. "And so, I have heard we are to gather something from the train; might I ask what it is? I'm afraid I did not quite understand you." Obsidian had no idea what Clap just did, but it was clearly a terrible manipulation - Mica couldn't possibly look so happy without being brainwashed, that was obvious. Cup didn't behave in the same manner, so... it was obviously Dark Magic at work! ... right? "A VIP and a diginitary from Griffon lands. And truthfully, you already know that VIP... we'd talked about him during our visit in the sauna." Wart looked confused for a second... then recognition dawned on her muzzle, and she stared at Obsidian, wide-eyed. She smirked and turned to the exit from the room, Wart right behind her as usual, but paused at the doorway. "Mister Lemon, how much time do we have before the train's arrival?" She almost left without asking for details... important details. Lemon lifted an eyebrow as she asked her question. "I daresay they should be here within the hour, if the train's on time. No need to run... but I wouldn't stop for chocolate-covered bananas along the way, if you know what I mean." He gave a mysterious wink, then turned back to face Cupcake, who was waving at her and Wart as they went out the door. "Byeeee! Hasta la vista, Siddy! Be safe, Wart! See you both later, I hope!" He turned back to his brother. "Now, like I was saying about the confetti, it needs to match Princess Twilight's own mane color, and the dyes for that are usually kept in the warehouse over on the east side of..." Their voices faded out as Siddy and Wart left the room. Once they were outside, Stalwart turned to her friend with a strange look on her muzzle. "We spoke of many others earlier, Lady Siddy, but... are you implying that we are going forth to fetch Midnight Star, perhaps?" Was Lemon having them followed? That was very specific information... what was next, asking her why she walks around without her liaison? But it seemed that he was content enough - Cupcake too. And Mica was a bit TOO content - considering his rather stoic nature, it was terrifying to see him in a such a state, especially without Dark Magic in use. "Yes, Stalwart - exactly him. I wonder how much the Griffon lands have possibly influenced him?" The culture of modern ponies was alien to Obsidian, especially at the beginning of her new life - griffon culture was probably even stranger in this aspect, all things considered. She hadn't read too much about it, unfortunately. Wart seemed to steel herself, but she answered Obsidian's question well enough. "Griffons were once rather haughty and rude, due to their own economic collapse a number of decades ago... however, Equestria stepped in and saved their nation, even though they were rather upset about such; their independence was all they felt they had left, and 'bowing' before Princess Twilight was seen as surrendering." "However, this was not the case, as our fine Princess did not try to control them, but encouraged them. She sent much relief to Griffonstone, and with the help of some griffons who had seen the light of Equestria as a friend and not a conqueror, public opinion began to shift. In fact, it was the Crusader known as Gabby who was first elected liaison to Equestria - a job she held for over a decade. That position eventually went to Gavin Garrison, an older griffon who was known for his shrewdness as well as his rather gruff attitude, even as the founder of the GHA - the Griffon Homestead Authority; they house and feed griffons in need." Again, they had numerous eyes on them, but Wart didn't seem to care as she related information she knew to her best friend. "Anyway, many griffons now have much more calm and reserve for ponies... however, there are still a few who harbor some resentment at having to have been 'rescued' from abject poverty. I certainly hope they didn't give Midnight a difficult time, what with the number of... issues... he had." Ponies liked to help those who didn't ask for it, and then carefully ruled them from the shadows, eh? Maybe that was the answer to her father's problem - military might and Dark Magic were fine, but garnered too much attention. Economical control, however, was quiet - no one seemed to ask too many questions, as long as they were doing it as friends. Maybe Equestrians were claiming that they were doing it with good intentions - indeed, maybe they really were good... but the fact remained that they were building themselves a comfortable outer empire, with a lot of influence. Well, Obsidian had merely wondered about griffon culture; she certainly hadn't expected a history lesson from Stalwart. With someone like Gypsy, that could be expected - but good ol' Wart? "He would have returned earlier if he would have had many problems, right?" Obsidian asked; it was a reasonable thought, wasn't it? Wart actually smiled. "Oh, no - not at all! Midnight was used to getting teased; there were a number of times I had to come to his rescue! Many local bullies teased him for his pimples, his crooked teeth - and later, his braces - his thin stature, his mismatched eyes, his voice, his small wingspan and horn..." "OH!" Wart almost jumped as though she'd been bitten. "He was born an alicorn, but his magic had always been lacking; he was really good with telekinesis, but otherwise he never seemed to be able to get up enough power to cast anything else! They used to tease him about being a Spell Foal as well, and his large, round glasses... and..." Wart sighed unhappily. "They teased him about a lot of things, and I doubt a trip to the Griffon Kingdom changed that any; I just hope he hasn't grown bitter and angry. I could never imagine him being angry at anypony... he mostly took the teasing in stride, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed his company. He didn't dwell on bad things, and always knew how to make me smile or laugh!" Now, Wart's grin returned. "I do hope he remembers me..." Well, he didn't sound to be quite as cute as Stalwart had described him initially. In fact, this description was quite... unseemly, at best. However, if he was born as an alicorn he - wait, waaaait... a Spell Foal, born as an alicorn? Interesting. And apparently, being a prince didn't mean you got as much power as other alicorns. "I hope you are right, Stalwart. It would be a shame if you faced disappointment. Mayhaps, at least, he'll appreciate your looks?" After all, Obsidian didn't want to see her friend unhappy. The train station was a general amount of busy; nothing too much, but not empty. Ponies, griffons, changelings, yaks and even a dragon or two, but not in huge numbers. Everyone seemed to simply be doing what they were doing... At least, until Obsidian and her friend showed up, that was. Eyes from every corner were looking them both over, and a number of faces held appreciation for their beauty. From her understanding, most eyes were on her... but even Wart had a few admirers among them. This display continued as they enterd the station and made their way to the platform. "Disappointment, I can handle," the small mare said, "it would be the lack of recognition that would bother me. However, I assure you, Lady Siddy, that whatever may happen, I shall not embarrass you in such a public setting. If he doesn't know me, then..." For a second, she looked almost about to cry; the look quickly shifted to determination. "... then I shall simply be the Royal Guard that I am, and back whatever choices you make." The platform had only a few ponies there, and there was an empty bench. They may have to wait a bit, as the arrival was supposed to be within the hour. "If he doesn't remember you, I will simply reintroduce you - and I know you would never embarrass me; that's why I'm so glad you've come with me. Clap, on another hoof, will probably be happier at the castle with Mica... and dear Gypsy seemed to be entranced by sweets, as per usual." Wart gave a small smile. "I assumed that was why you asked her to remain; she is almost like a sister to me - however, she is not known for her diplomacy." It was roughly twenty minutes before the next train pulled into the station. The vehicle was certainly something to see; though it was a number of pastel colors and had a 'heart' theme to it, it was obviously a powerful mass transit device, as a number of ponies began to exit. Many of them had others waiting for them on the platform, and there were greetings ranging from a simple wave and hello, to tearful and loving reunions. The conductor walked the length to the platform, watching others and looking at his watch on occasion. Many others moved around the now crowded platform, and it was difficult to see whom was leaving the train...