Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra

by Randimaxis


Twenty Eight: Introducing Diamond

It felt a bit like unwrapping a piece of candy; the edges of the shard felt almost like delicate tin foil in her magical grip as she felt them seem to peel away as if nothing were between them.

And then, she felt warmth. Not physically... but in her heart, in her mind, and in her magic. Something felt as though it were spreading out from inside her, and the shard began to glow a bright white color until the glow seemed to fill the entire area.

When the glow disappeared, there was a new stallion in the room.

He had a coat that was only the lightest shade of grey, and a mane that was almost a lavendar color, which was fixed into braids with small beads on them. One braid had a single small silver bell hanging from it that tinkled softly. There was an ugly scar that ran down his left side, from his neck to his flank, but otherwise, he seemed healthy. His tail was also braided, but seemingly in a particular pattern that looked as though it were braided too tightly. His cutie mark was a crystal heart that had white light shining from behind it, even though the heart itself was the same dark heart on her own flank.

He was handsome, though to Obsidian, it was in a cute little brother manner. And little wasn't far off the mark; he was just a few inches taller that Wart herself was, even though his dimensions were those of an adult.

He gave a tiny groan, and began to twitch and move on the couch.

It was much cleaner than their father's return; Obsidian could only watch in amazement (and a little touch of irritation) at the process; the realization that she was once a shard hit her hard, a while back - and the fact that she was able to see it with her own two eyes reminded her of these unpleasant feelings. And then, the void was filled with a stallion.

Well, he looked like a perfect match for Stalwart with his height - and he was fairly easy on the eyes too. The only thing ruining his appearance was that wicked scar, whose origin was most likely connected to their single parent. Just what did he do? It looked as if Sombra ripped his body open, hid something inside and then zipped him back up.

Or perhaps it was just Obsidian's paranoia.

"Brother? How do you feel?" she asked carefully, moving closer to attempt to stand within his sight range.

There was a murmur, a cough, and two beautiful burgundy eyes opened up. At first, they were straining in different directions, but they slowly came together to look at Obsidian's muzzle. It was obvious from the way his pupils were moving that he couldn't quite focus on her yet, but he did make an attempt to speak:

"{G... greetings, my... most honourable... f-father...}"

Deja vu; they were almost the same words Obsidian herself had spoken when she first awoke to what she learned were royal guards. His voice was a pleasant, soft tenor, and he seemed to be trying to slowly shake his head back into order. Ah, memories... older memories, from an older life. She had been just as confused as he was - but at least he wasn't surrounded by armed ponies at the moment.

Wart blinked, and Gypsy's smile tripled in size. The little guardmare looked at Obsidian with a question. "Lady Siddy... what did he just say?"

It took her a moment to realize that he hadn't spoken in Equestrian - she was so relieved that everything seemed to be in good order that she barely noticed the language. After all, she understood it anyway, right? Luckily, Stalwart helped identify the problem.

"He mistakenly gave a greeting to our father... in Ancient Crystallian. It's not surprising; I did the same thing when I woke up..." She knelt down on her front legs to get her muzzle on the same level as Diamond's. "{It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a number of good things about you.}"

His eyes blinked, then his pupils slowly focused on her. "{I... I know you... was it from a... a dream?}"

Gypsy clapped his paws together quietly, and stepped a little closer.

Diamond placed a hoof against his forehead. "{It feels... so very strange... as if I have been... awake, yet dreaming... how could this be possible?}"

He then started to sit up, and caught a direct look at Gypsy. He gave a yelp, then tumbled backwards off the couch to get away from him. "{YAAAAAH! A beast!}"

He then backpedaled into Wart, who he somewhat bounced off of. When he turned to see what he collided with, though... he froze, staring with those burgundy eyes of his. "{... and... a beauty... by the light that casts the Darkness' shadow, the Empire has created... perfection...}" He simply sat there, staring wide-eyed at Stalwart as Gypsy made his way behind Obsidian, a bit ashamed to have scared Diamond so harshly.

"Lady Siddy..." Wart asked as she kept a wary eye on the newcomer, "what is he saying?"

Did their father forget to teach Diamond the Equestrian language? Oh dear... ohhhh dear. This development could make things far, far more difficult.

"{You are awakened now, brother. It's a reality - we've brought you back.}" Obsidian, concerned, once again trotted closer to Diamond and sat down right next to him. "{You have no reason to be scared of Gypsy - trust me, he is no beast. And Stalwart is my friend, and she's helped me quite a bit. You don't seem to speak Equestrian, do you?}"

She then cleared her throat and spoke in Equestrian again. "He is still confused and he... likes your appearance, Stalwart. Does Princess Twilight possibly understand and speak Ancient Imperial?"

Wart's eyes widened. "He likes... what?"

Gypsy, slowly peeking out from behind Obsidian, looked at Diamond and spoke softly. "{This one means you no harm, good pony - he only wanted to meet you.}" Gypsy Rover spoke almost perfect Imperial... and without a stutter, either! "{He wishes to apologize, if he caused you any distress.}"

Diamond looked at Gypsy for a moment, then at Obsidian, then at Wart... where his eyes lingered for a moment... and another moment... until he tore them away from the small mare, and looked at his sister once again. "{You... you are... Obsidyan! Yes, I DO know you! You are my sister!}" Diamond then reached out and gave Siddy a fierce, warm hug.

Woah! Not only was Gypsy apparently stuttering only in Equestrian, but Diamond was most certainly NOT scared of touching others! Obsidian was certain that he would react to this kind of contact more or less the same way that she used to - with fear and confusion. However, to her great surprise, not only he was fine with it, but even initiated it on his own! To be fair, with some of her other siblings, Obsidian would be already looking for the knife in her back.

"{Obsidyan! You saved me! Oh, I cannot thank you enough! I-...}" He then sat back, and looked at her seriously. "{Then that means... what you t-told me about poor, poor father is...}" His ears fell a bit, but he closed his eyes and shook his head, the little bell tinkling merrily. He tried to stand up, but stumbled against the couch instead, where he sat down.

"{Equestrian..? I... can understand most of it, but... n-no, father forbade it. He assured me that the languages of the conquered have no place in a kingdom's history... though that always felt wrong to me.}" His head still seemed to be a bit fuzzy, but Diamond was coming around well enough.

"{How very ironic, especially as father completely failed to conquer Equestria, despite multiple attempts. In fact, the Equestrian dialect is commonplace within the Empire right now. The city looks much better than it used to, in my humble opinion.}" Midnight might not like Diamond's apparent focus on Stalwart; hopefully it wouldn't turn into a sappy, love-triangle-y romance story.

"{I am free... but... do I hear you correctly, that Equestria yet stands? But this was not father's plan - what has become of it? Though he was... not known for being kind, he was well known for strategy; it makes little sense.}" He rubbed his head a bit, making his bell jingle again, before he tried to stand again... he didn't get far, but he sat down before he lost his balance this time.

"{The plan was for father to conquer Equestria, then for us to... to...}" He blinked, then made an annoyed face. "{... I cannot recall. Why can I not remember? Onyx would know, I am certain, yet...}" His eyes then shot wide open, and he looked at Obsidian with visible anxiety. "{Is SHE awake!?}"

"{I'm... not exactly sure about father's much-lauded strategic sensibilities... after all, he lost three times in a row. Two of them, quite close together.}"

An ironic note started to seep into Obsidian's words. "{Let's see... first, he was defeated by the Equestrians when they invaded the Empire. Later, he was defeated when he tried to make a comeback during the Crystal Empire's return. Eventually, he was defeated for the third time when Onyx managed to resurrect him... at the cost of her own life.}"

She sighed. That sight had been... difficult to forget, though she most certainly wished she could. Poor Onyx - even despite the fact that Obsidian hated her considerably and spent her first days in Equestria fighting against her... she had little other choice but to pity the mare that had met so gory an end.

"{It's a new world you've woken up in, and it'll take some time to get used to it...}" Obsidian grinned at her sibling, "{but trust me - it's worth it, dear brother.}"

He looked at her for a moment... then nodded softly. "{Obsidyan... I am humbled that you care so much for me. Father was not known for teaching us about such things, yet I have always had it in my heart anyway. I am grateful that you are kind to me, my most honourable sister.}" He gave Obsidian a bow. "{Equestria... i-is it... kind? Will they disike me?}"

"Lady Siddy," Wart purposely spoke up, to ensure Obsidian heard her, "I am pleased that you have been successful, yet now I ask of you... what shall we do with him?"

The moment she spoke, Diamond's eyes were back on her, looking over every feature on her muzzle, gazing into her eyes, and sighing longingly. "{This... creature of perfection... who is she? Never have mine eyes been so lightly dipped into the wellspring of beauty than to behold such eloquence in my presence, in living form, that my heart wouldst leap from my barrel to embrace her...}"

Wart blinked. "And why is he babbling at me like that?"

"From what I've seen, I believe I'd call it a 'crush', Stalwart," Obsidian said bluntly. "Is Princess Twilight still observing us? She said something about tests..."

Then to her brother, "{No, Diamond, they won't dislike you; it's the land of friendship, and even I was able to find a few friends. Tourmaline also enjoys it. Amethyst... maybe not so much. And this is Stalwart Stance, a trainee Royal Guard for Princess Twilight, who is the current alicorn ruler of Equestria. She's one of my friends, just like Gypsy Rover,}" she nodded in diamond dog's direction. "{Sooner or later, you'll likely meet my other friends: Mica, Thunderclap.... and my coltfriend, Cupcake.}"

Though it probably wouldn't hurt to learn a bit more Equestrian first.

Stalwart's eyes bugged out a bit. "A CRUSH!? For what? Why? What did I do, Lady Siddy?"

Diamond looked relieved at Siddy's words, and smiled when he heard that Equestria was a nice place. Upon hearing the little mare's name, Diamond turned to Wart and spoke to her... in Equestrian.

"Shtahlwaat... Stanze."

... almost.

Diamond smiled sweetly, but Wart simply blinked. "I... am not certain if I am comfortable with this situation," she said, looking sidelong at Diamond as he gazed lovingly at her, his eyes half-lidded and dreamy.

After a moment, he shook himself out of his haze and turned to look at the diamond dog. "Jip-zeeeee... Row-vaah."

Gypsy smiled. "{Yes, good pony, yes! That is correct, though it should not sound so... elongated, next time!}"

Diamond returned the smile. "{Oh, I am so very pleased that you can understand me, beas-... er, Gypsee! I was beginning to think that Obsidyan would be my only means of talking to the world! I would not wish to burden her so...}"

Gypsy waved a dismissive paw. "{For you? Obsidian would level mountains; to translate for you would be no issue to her.}" The look Gypsy gave her said that he was aware that, realistically speaking, it would be an issue for her, yet he was making her look good to her brother. Clever pup.

"You just look good to him, Stalwart - surely this can't be the first time somepony has been smitten by your beauty." Well, of course having to engage in constant translation would be an issue for her... but it didn't change the fact that she'd like to help Diamond with his integration as much as possible. He was her brother, after all - and seemed like a really nice stallion.

Wart just stared at Obsidian. "I... I cannot recall if that was ever... something I considered..."

"{I believe Princess Twilight also knows some Ancient Imperial, which is a great thing as far as I'm concerned, as you'll likely spend some time here in the palace,}" Obsidian informed Diamond.

"{Palace? We are within the Empire? Wait - is it still the Crystal Empire or has Equestria changed it to 'Heart Lovey Pink Fluff Country'?}" He gave a chuckle at that; apparently, Equestria had quite a long history of being 'cutesy'.

"{Princess Twilight? Is she of the Sombra Dynasty? Am I... Obsidyan, am I expected to marry her, perhaps?}"

Gypsy slapped his paws over his mouth and guffawed into them, while Diamond, slowly and with great concentration, rose to his hooves while he held onto the couch. Then, as his first official act while standing up, he gave Obsidian a low, honorable bow.

"{I am pleased to meet you, Obsidyan - I am Diamond, Prince of the Crystal Empire an-...}"

He paused, looking at her with a quizzical expression. "{... do I technically still count as a prince? Father would be most displeased if I were not able to maintain his dynasty.}"

Obsidian thought about the idea of Diamond marrying Twilight; it would certainly be an interesting sight, though she was certain he had zero chance. Especially as somewhere out there was Midnight's father.

She returned the bow. "{Our status is, er... complicated, let us say. As far as I'm concerned, we aren't even officially considered to be royalty anymore. Our father is not exactly recalled fondly within the Empre... and no, we are not home - we are in the nation of Equestria, in a small village named 'Ponyville'. No one from Sombra's dynasty rules anywhere, and the Empire is under rule of Princess Cadance, while Equestria is ruled over by Princess Twilight. Princesses Celestia and Luna are still very much alive - though they really don't look their thousand year ages; they look to be thirty summers, at most! And no, I don't think you are supposed to marry Princess Twilight, brother.}"

Diamond listened as she spoke, nodding where appropriate until she was finished. He then tried letting go of the couch, wobbled a bit, and took hold of it again. "{That is all well enough; I did not like the idea of having to lead an entire nation. I would much rather be helping in the midst of things, rather than sit on the sidelines safely. I am small, but my will is tall.}" He thumped his barrel with a hoof proudly, then coughed and rubbed where he'd struck as he sat back down again. He was also seemingly a bit physically stouter back in the day... either that, or he wouldn't have struck his chest so hard.

"{By the blood of a million mares, I feel sickly. Is this what it is like to... to awaken from the shard state? What was it like for the others? Are there others? W-wait,}" he held up a hoof, "{... y-you said... Tourmaline, yes? He yet lives? That... is unexpected; he was not typically seen as very capable on his own, though he did have quite a gift for 'moving magics'. I am wondering if he heeded any of the advice he was given, back then?}"

Then, he looked down, pondering. "{You mentioned another... whom was it, please, Obsidyan?}"

Obsidian didn't recall feeling so sickly back then... but perhaps it was just a side-effect of longer shard-ification, or perhaps he was turned into a shard while he was ill? "{Amethyst. I live in the same house with Tourmaline and Amethyst. I'll call the doctors, alright? They'll check-}"

She saw his pupils contract into pinpricks instantly the moment the word 'Amethyst' dropped from her lips. His calm demeanor shattered like so much glass, and he began to visibly shiver as his eyes darted all around himself, as if he was expecting her to come out of the very cracks in the floor.

Wart, even if she couldn't understand him, still took a defensive stance and wrapped the handle of her sword in magic, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice. "Lady Siddy, what is wrong? He seems to be rather harried..."

Diamond's eyes wandered slightly to the long scar on his side; he absently placed a hoof on it as he then turned and looked back at Obsidian. "{You... you harbor a monster, Obsidyan! One that will tear your heart to pieces, as well as your body! If we are free, then... th-then make her go! Tell her to leave, and please to never return! If she will listen, then we will no longer have to be toys for her to break!}"

Gypsy turned to Obsidian, concern writ large on his features.

"He's afraid of Amy... and he has good reason to be so, from what I gather." By Darkness, Amethyst - you can be a real bitch, can't you? "{Calm down, sweet brother. She can't use her magic, we've lived together for a while now, and she beha-... well, she hasn't murdered anyone, as far as I know of. Yet. There's also the issue that I have personally defeated her twice. Did she...}" she gestured at the long, ugly scar, "{... do this to you?}"

Diamond looked down at the scar again and, while staring past it, he gave the slightest of nods. Though his gaze was locked on his side, his sight was elsewhere. "{I doubt that, my sister. Ameth-...}" He shuddered. "{... she is no stranger to restraints; father made certain to train her on how to escape imprisonment before he taught her how to imprison others. It was easier to know what points were the weakest and most exploitable, you see - she is far craftier than she allows others to realize.}"

Gypsy thought for a moment over this, but kept quiet for the time being.

Diamond glanced over at Wart again, then turned his eyes to Siddy. "{I am of fear, Obsidyan... since Equestrians are so kind, would you be enough of one to embrace me for comfort, perhaps?}" His eyes looked at her pleadingly... then shifted to glance at Stalwart again before looking back at Obsidian. "{And might Stalwaat join you?}"

Obsidian was at her weakest and most exploitable a few weeks ago, yet Amethyst screwed up any chance of her joining their side in every possible way. Of course, Obsidian was completely in agreement that she didn't want to keep Amy in her house; she still had no idea what crime she (or possibly Cupcake) had done that they had deserved to be stuck with her. At least Tourmaline was content simply sitting in his basement.

"Guys, group hug with Diamond, please," she announced as she stepped forward to hug him. "... would you kindly join us, Stalwart?"

Gypsy smiled and gladly strode forward, with Diamond giving only the slightest look of hesitancy at first... then he smiled, realizng that the dog meant no harm. Wart, flashing a look of shock at first, settled into more of a resigned one as she made her way over and, at eye level with Diamond, she gave him a hug.

When she hugged him, Diamond's eyes closed and he leaned into her, embracing her tightly... and giving her mane a long, deep sniff as he did. The guardmare looked unsure of how to react, but she patted him on the back anyway.

"{Your scent is one of beauty in battle; the clash of jasmine with the boldness of weapon oils - it speaks not only of wars fought and won, but the bravery of the heart, and how bold it must be to beat within the breast of such a beautiful creature.}"

"Errr... Lady Siddy?" Wart looked rather awkward, standing there as Diamond sniffed her mane and shoulders. "He's babbling again... and smelling me. I do not know if I should consider this a compliment, or slap him to the floor..."

"Be patient with him at the moment, Stalwart. Remember, he just woke up from a world of tyranny and terror; I'm sure he'll acclimate and get better soon." But still, it was a bit concerning that he was being a bit creepy - she had to do something.

"{Brother, sniffing someone like that is... well... a bit much. Mares don't exactly like being sniffed like that - at least not by ponies they don't know. If you want her to warm to you, you will have be a bit more, well... subtle.}"

Diamond looked at Obsidian, then leaned back from Wart, giving her a good amount of room. "{I apologize if I offend thee... you would be the last being I would ever wish that of! I shall be... The Subtle with you, from now on. Yes, that will be fine!}"

Wart looked back at him. "Ehh... welcome to Equestria?"

He smiled. "{Yes! Thank you! I am pleased to have awoken to such kindness, and your beauty is one of the most amazing things to first see upon waking! This day is most certainly shaping up to be a good one! Oh, but do not take my compliments so seriously, beautiful Stalwaat...}"

The small stallion winked at Obsidian. Noticably. "{I am being The Subtle, yes?"}

Gypsy facepawed, giggling into it as he hid his smile from Diamond.

"{She also doesn't speak Ancient Imperial, brother; you'll have to learn some Equestrian soon to be able to communicate more effectively. And, er, no... that wasn't very subtle. Perhaps you should talk with my coltfriend later, compare notes, learn a few little nuances...}"

He grinned and nodded. "{I shall delight to speak with this one you have claimed as your 'coltfriend'! I can hardly wait! And I shall try to learn the language here... if only so I may speak to such an incredible creature as Stalwaat Stanze.}"

He took one of her hooves and bowed over it, giving it a light kiss as he did. When he stood up again, Wart had a blush that went across her entire muzzle. "Err... um... yes. W-well. It is... nice... to meet you, as well. Sir. Diamond. Yes."

Gypsy just chuckled and walked over to Obsidian's side. "He will learn, in t-t-time. But this one believes you were r-right to allow him f-freedom."

Diamond was turning out to be quite interesting. "Princess Twilight? Now would be a good time to introduce yourself - after which, with all he's been through, Diamond could probably use some rest."

The speaker overhead gave a slight squawk of feedback, then the alicorn's voice came through. "We- uh- It- YES! Now would be the proper time! Of course it would! Just a minute!"

The speaker cut out, and after a moment, the door opened and Princess Twilight Sparkle stepped inside, looking quite regal, yet still undeniably nerdy in a lab coat and goggles.

"Diamond." She strolled up, smiling softly. "Welcome to the nation of Equestria; your reputation proceeds you, and so long as you have no aims to cause any problems, then we welcome you to stay with us. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, leader of my people - Obsidian, your sister, has proven herself to be a hero in the eyes of the gathered citizens of this monarchy, and we are proud to have her among us."

Diamond stared wide-eyed for a moment, then humbly bowed. "{Do forgive my rudeness; I did not expect another alicorn, and yet, here you are. I am honoured to meet you, Your Majesty.}"

Twilight looked at him, almost frozen in her kind and welcoming grin, until she gave a wobbly, awkward smile of her own, a single bead of nervous sweat beginning to make its' way down her cheek. "... yyyyyyyeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, I'm, uh... glad?"

Gypsy looked at Obsidian, shrugged, then looked to see how Diamond would react.

Instead, Twilight cleared her throat, and began to speak back in Ancient Crystallian, slowly and haltingly. "{Yes. Thing is frosty, and they stand underneath. There is no banana here to make fear for, and flayed forelegs is held out before you. Welcome noodle drip waffle!}"

Diamond just stared at her as she finished her Imperial demonstration, and she gave a hopeful and nervous grin in return. Wart looked even more lost than Twilight did. Gypsy turned and made his way out of the room; moments later, Siddy heard much high-pitched giggling coming from the front foyer area.

"{She reminds me of sister Ruby,}" Diamond said with a soft grin.

"I'm... surprised at your mastery of the language, princess... though, for the record, you really didn't have to speak about flayed forelegs, - it's kind of creepy. And, er... he's not a waffle."

While Twilight's attempt to speak in a foreign language was hilarious, it was also rather disconcerning - how was she going to be able to communicate with Diamond? How would he be able to communicate his own needs?

Obsidian turned to Diamond again. "{In a way, yes... though sadly, sister Ruby has passed away. Luckily, her soul is still with me, though.}"

Diamond jumped like he'd been bitten. "{Sister Ruby is... is... no, this is too much.}" He sat back down on the couch, and looked rather stunned. Twilight was a bit embarrassed, but a look of concern crossed her features, and she came over to him.

"{Tourmaline lives. Ame-... SHE lives. Yet, father is a statue, and poor, sweet sister Ruby... it is not FAIR! She was so good as she was! I cannot even begin to fathom why cruelty such as this has befallen us... not her, me before her...}"

And then, Diamond began to cry. It was a quiet, sobless cry; tears just seemed to roll down his muzzle, and it was heartbreaking to see the pain in his eyes... yet nowhere else. Sombra had apparently trained him well - he poured out his heart, all while barely showing any emotion on his entire form.

Except those tears. And there were a lot of them.

Twilight might not have understood his words, but she understood the sight of tears well enough. She leaned forward and hugged him, which he gladly returned.

Obsidian hadn't expected such a strong reaction from him, and she certainly didn't expect him to hold their father in such high esteem. She trotted closer to join the calming hug. "{She is still with us, Diamond - should I tell her 'hello' from you, the next time I see her?}" she offered.

The stallion embraced both of them in return. "{Yes, p-please.}" He seemed to accept what she said, without question; so trusting. "{Sister Ruby was one of the few who did not wish to see me cry. I am thankful that I have you, Obsidyan, and to awaken so kindly is a grand gift from you. I appreciate what must have gone into this meeting, and I am happy to meet a sibling who does NOT wish to box my ears in.}"

Twilight sighed. "I'll apparently have to brush up on my Ancient Imperial, but it sounded like he was thanking you for being nice to him."

"{It will take some time, getting used to this place... in fact, what manner of house am I currently in, Obsidyan?}" He looked around the lab curiously.

"He was, princess," she replied to Twilight, "as he, er... fears our sister Amethyst. And it seems he had good reason to - I think she's the author of that scar on his side. Not to mention, there's also the fact she's a bit of a psychopath and a murderer..."

It really wasn't that good of an idea to live with her; Tourmy had turned out fine, but Amy seemed more and more resistant to any sort of friendship lessons.

"{It's a laboratory, brother - we brought you here to release you from your shard in a safe place, where everything could be recorded for later study,}" Obsidian explained, "{and the lab itself is inside a palace. A palace within the borders of a small village named Ponyville. And Ponyville is in Equestria.}"

The small stallion slowly shook his head. "{Equestria... to imagine that father would NOT succeed? I have never considered that he would not best his enemies; what does that leave for us, dear Obsidyan?}"

Wart came close. "He sounds concerned."

Twilight nodded. "If I heard him correctly, he's wondering what his future holds, since apparently he was never taught what to do if Sombra lost. That," she said with a sheepish grin, "or he's hungry for a bowl of kitten chocolate wheels."

"Honestly, princess," Obsidian smirked momentarily, "I think Diamond would react quite positively to kittens. Or chocolate, for that matter. Too bad Miss Pinkie or Miss Fluttershy probably don't speak Ancient Crystallian, as I'm sure he would greatly enjoy their presence."

"{It leaves us to live our own lives,}" Obsidian answered Diamond, "{and truth be told, it's actually pretty nice.}"

Twilight then turned to look at the unicorn. "What you say about Amethyst bothers me deeply - I have to ask: do you believe we should put her back into a cell, Obsidian? She was sort of foisted off onto you along with Tourmaline, but he has proven himself to be a good citizen... Amethyst is not."

"I need to know," she looked into Obsidian's eyes, "do you think Amethyst might be too much for you to handle?"

It was a fair question; was Amethyst too much? She was rather irritating, yes. She was outright threatening, rude and probably still tremendously dangerous.

But she was also, for better or for worse, Obsidian's sister... and besides, she'd already kicked her flank twice.

"I, uhh... w-well, I'm not sure about a cell, so much, but I do think perhaps she's a bit too..." She stopped for a moment, looking for better words to describe the feeling. "... well, quite bluntly, I simply feel that I'm not really able to help her 'rejoin society', as you put it. She would need a far better teacher than I."

And of course, it would be nice to live with Diamond instead of Amy.

"But I'd need to talk with Tourmy and Cup about it first... and admittedly, perhaps think about it a bit more deeply. She is useful, to be sure... when it comes to the Dark half of my Gray Magic." Of course, it would also be nice to live without reflexively tensing up in presence of knives, too.

Twilight nodded. "So, what I'm hearing is, 'she's-evil-but-she's-my-sister', right? In other words, no, you don't want her gone just yet, but yes, you're going to discuss it with the rest of your family. That makes sense, and it also makes sure she's included - even with as sour as she can be, it's good of you to include her."

She smiled at Obsidian. "You know, I had you figured for a good mare when I first spoke with you. You were polite and maybe a little bit afraid... but you were also quite intelligent, and I had a feeling that you would do well. Maybe not on the scale you have achieved, but I still knew you had something special in you."

Diamond raised his eyebrows. "{An alicorn speaks so highly of you? Your feats must be impressive, indeed.}"

Princess Twilight seemed to understand. Damnation, Obsidian had really hoped that she would be able to talk with Ruby tonight - her advice was usually quite useful. "Thank you, princess. I'm really struggling to do my best," the young mare sighed slightly. Perhaps this discussion with her family could be done tomorrow; she really wanted to spend the rest of her evening just snuggling with Cupcake. ALL the snuggles. Was it selfish?

"{I have managed to save Equestria twice - the last time was two days ago. By any chance, my brother... do you remember Peridot?}"

Diamond looked up. "{Indeed, I do - always studying, happiest when alone, glasses, coldly logical? That would be Peridot.}"

Gypsy returned to the room, looking as though he'd been crying, but with a smile on his muzzle. He walked up to Diamond and gently sniffed him a bit. The stallion (he was so small, she wanted to call him a colt) turned, looked at Gypsy, then leaned forward and sniffed the diamond dog. Gypsy froze, then blinked.

Diamond smiled.

Gypsy smiled.

Gypsy came over and sat next to Diamond on the couch, and her brother didn't even flinch.

Looks like they were gong to become besties in no time. It would be rather logical, considering that not too many ponies were able to speak Diamond's language.

"{He... snapped... and decided that he would only be happy after killing every sentient creature in the world - well, almost everyone - and I had to... t-to stop him,}" Obsidian sighed. Poor Peridot. That particular victory had left a very bitter taste in her mouth.

Diamond looked pained at hearing about Peridot, but seemed resigned to it. "{He never truly was comfortable around others... it was a shame; so brilliant, yet so callous at times. Still, I hope you do not think too harshly of him, even now.}"

Diamond was so emotional over the other siblings; where did all that come from? More than that, he didn't seem to have a mean bone in his entire body. How could someone so kind have come fom Sombra? Then again, there'd been Ruby, as well; maybe there was more going on with her father than she even realized?

"{I do not. I'm... greatly pained it ended as it did. Sadly, it was either his end or mine - and most likely, the rest of the world along with me.}" Obsidian chose to change the subject, rather than rake her emotions over hot coals by reliving the experience. "{Pray tell, brother Diamond... do you remember much about the Crystal Empire? Gypsy here is a scholar, and he loves history; I thought that perhaps you two would enjoy discussing the subject.}"

Mentioning the Crystal Empire and history seemed to perk Gypsy right up, and Diamond nodded at her question. "{I remember much, though my mind is still a touch foggy... will this be a case of remembering more as time passes?}"

Princess Twilight, having been simply caught up in watching Diamond, seemed to shake herself out of her thoughts and looked at Obsidian. "At this point, we're ready to give him an examination; the doctors will look him over and see if there's anything they can learn or possibly help with, and he'll be done in about an hour or so."

"{Obsidyan, am I sick?}" Diamond sounded a bit worried.

Examination... good. He could clearly use a medical checkup, as well as some relaxation. "{No, brother - you are only temporarily weakened; I didn't feel too well after my release from my shard form, either. It'll take some time to regain your full strength.}" It also seemed as if, regardless of speaking ability, Diamond understood quite a bit of Equestrian. It was another good thing - this way, he could at least comprehend when others spoke... even if his pronunciation wasn't exactly up to par.

Diamond looked hesitant, but nodded at Obsidian. "{Then I shall put my trust in Princess Twilight, and I shall let the doctors examine me. I trust you, Obsidyan.}"

His eyes then wandered back to Wart again. {"Sister Obsidyan... may I have Stalwaat with me, when I go to be examined? It would be wonderful to have someone there so beautiful as to take my mind from the situation. Please, would you ask Perfection if she will accompany me?"}

Wart looked at him. "He's staring at me again... what is he saying now?"

Oh dear. Who would ever guess that Stalwart Stance could so easily seduce not one, but two princes? Without even trying?

"{She's a guardian, and she has her duties, brother..."} Obsidian warned before answering Wart's question. "He, er, asks for you to be with him during his examination. I told him that you still have your guardian duties, so you may not have time for that. What do you think?"

Wart looked at Diamond for a moment; the look he wore was one of a begging puppy, and even Gypsy smiled a bit at the sight. The diminuitive mare simply sighed, then turned to Twilight. "Princess, my presence has been requested by our new guest; may I accompany him to his examination?"

Twilight smiled. "Of course, Stalwart; it's very good of you to go with him, as he could use the support in this big, new place. Thank you."

Wart saluted smartly, then turned to Diamond. "I am available to accompany you, and I shall help to ensure you are safe."

Diamond practically swooned. "{My beautiful vision is assuring my safety... oh, my soul is ablaze with love for this incredible mare! To know that I shall be secured by the wonderful hooves of such an exquisite creature... oh, Obsidyan, thank you for reviving me in a world which contains such beauty!}"

Wart looked at Obsidian. "I... will take that as a thank you, yes? Princess, where am I to lead Diamond?"

Twilight pointed with a hoof. "Room 17 - there's already a bed there, and the doctors are patiently waiting."

Wart looked to Diamond. "Come - we go forth to your examination."

"{I would follow you anywhere, my passion...}" Diamond sighed happily.

The guardmare left, with the little stallion almost floating after her. Gypsy shook his head and gave a slight giggle. "This one believes that W-W-Wart has made a f-friend. Your brother is very int-t-teresting... and, f-for the record, quite s-small. Was he wh-what you expected?"

"Eh... sort of, Gypsy? I didn't think he would be that petite, but I did expect him to be exceedingly friendly. I'm surprised he doesn't speak Equestrian though, and of course I didn't expect him to immediately fall in love with poor Stalwart."

Obsidian rubbed her temple and sighed, then looked up at her companion. "Do you think you will become his friend as well? I mean, we have a pronounced shortage of Ancient Imperial-speaking creatures around..."

Gypsy grinned. "This one is already l-looking forward to sp-speaking with Diamond at g-g-great length; he thinks they w-will be good friends, y-yes."

Twilight sighed. "I'm glad that went so well - when I found you, there was a bit of panic involved... but when coming at this while being prepared, it really wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it might be. All the better, as anything having to deal with siblings of yours is always... ah, challenging."

She turned to look back towards the room she'd been in. "I may have to speak with the others, to see what they've learned so far. Obsidian, before I go, is there anything I can answer for you?"

For a moment, Obsidian felt the sudden urge to somewhat troll the Princess of Friendship. Just a teeny-tiny bit. She overcame it, though; the definition of 'scoring' somepony would probably just end up an exercise in awkwardness.

"I don't believe so, princess. I'll visit tomorrow to see how Diamond feels after resting. That scar on his side looked nasty; I hope that sister Amy didn't have the idea to hide something in there..." Obsidian mused with a slight cringe at the very idea.

Twilight also looked a bit disgusted at the thought, but she shook the mental image away quickly enough. "Well, I'm sure the doctors will treat him with care and respect... though they might not be able to ask many questions, with his vocabulary being what it is."

Gypsy smiled and bowed. "This one will acc-accompany him, then - he can translate for the d-doctors." He looked at Siddy. "We will c-c-catch up later, this one is cert-tain. And he thanks you for the t-trip; it was most wonderful!"

Twilight went to speak to her science folks, and Gypsy went after Wart and Diamond... which left Obsidian all by herself in the observation room.

Alone, at last... well, for now, anyway.

Obsidian decided to take a quick peek at the mental protection spells, to be sure that she could learn them quickly. With another shard of Sombra in the village, her original idea to protect her mind from Amber's intrusions was kind of futile - she could just visit the dreams of the other siblings, after all. This being the case, the only thing Obsidian felt she could do, aside from waking her up and immediately blocking her magic, was learning some manner of spell to counter this damnable magic.

She had really wanted to talk with Ruby tonight... but she was still kind of afraid to do so without any kind of mind shielding.

The protection spells were simple. Very simple. As in, 'a-b-c, shield on me' simple.

There were four of them in all, and each one had instructions with them that sounded more like a description to a foal than to a fully grown equine. There'd be no mistaking these spells, not one bit... but then, were they strong enough to withstand the might of someone like Amber? They seemed foalish and desperate, the kind of spells one would cast at the last minute.

What was worse, they didn't even seem to take all that much concentration or energy to activate. Granted, that could be a good thing in the future... but for now, these spells just seemed lackluster, compared to the might of her siblings.

Well, perhaps there would be something a touch more complicated in the royal armoury? Obsidian trotted after Twilight, hoping that she hadn't lost her to the science group already.

Flurry? Are you still there? Diamond is finally free... Obsidian thought at her bracelet. No reply; maybe Flur was busy?

Twilight's entourage of scientists was just rounding the bend when Obsidian found them; she was surrounded by other ponies in lab coats, all seemingly trying to get her attention at once. Strangely enough, she seemed at home in such a situation; she answered questions, acknowledged others and kept her cool the entire time. It was fascinating to see her handle such a panic around her - Obsidian was certain she'd never lost her cool in her entire life. Couldn't have; she was so amazingly together.

Obsidian really wanted to go back home... but she also wanted to survive another day without Amber's mind control ruining everything. She just had to endure a bit more, for a bit longer. She trotted close to the princess once again, and made a bid to get her attention.

Between a scientist who was waving a paper in the air and an electrical engineer who was relaying the amount of power put out by Diamond's revival, Twilight saw Obsidian and motioned for her to come closer. After wading through the crowd around her to get close, Twilight looked to her as she approached.

"I take it there was something else after all, then?" she asked casually, still dividing her attention as necessary.

"Yes princess, my sincerest apologies. We shards have some sort of spiritual connection, and sister Amber is able to use this. I learned of this when she invaded my own head, within my dreams. I just thought it could be a good idea to cast some kind of anti-mind control spell onto Diamond before he goes to sleep. Just to be sure."

At least Tourmy and Amy would be (more or less) safe, with their lack of magic. It was unlikely Amber would use someone whose magic was stifled like that.

"The sooner Amber is dealt with, the better. I'll also check for more complicated anti-mind control spells, just to be sure. I'm not certain if those four I've got are strong enough to stop Amber's shenanigans."

Twilight raised a hoof. "It's okay - I'll make sure the scientists cast some wards over him while he's being examined, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. Unless Amber is more powerful than Starswirl the Bearded, I'm pretty sure those wards will hold."

She kept making statements and comments to her entourage, of which Obsidian was currently a part of. "Is there anything else? For now, if you don't have any room for him at your house, we can let him stay in one of the suites, like you once did. Then, when we figure more out, we can go from there."

"I doubt she is more powerful than Starswirl... but he isn't exactly around to provide support," Obsidian mused. To be fair, she'd forgotten that it wasn't impossible; according to the history books, The Pillars of Equestria eventually returned from their long nap with the Pony of Shadows - but, on another hoof, Starswirl was the oldest of them. Obsidian reasoned that, due to aging, Stygian would possibly still be alive. After all, he visited Ponyville not too long ago, apparently.

"I think that's all... at least, for now. If I realize I forgot to ask about something, I'll surely get here as quickly as possible," Obsidian sid as she shook her head slowly.

It couldn't possibly be any harder than two days ago, when she was running from her house to the castle and the other way around like a madpony. "Then I shall see you later, princess. Thank you kindly for everything, and do have a nice day."

The armoury it was, then. She needed better spells against mind control, and it seemed like the most logical place to look.

Twilight nodded. "With all I'm having to do right now, I'd actually ask that you take up your findings with Spike - unless it's an emergency, of course. That way, he might be able to help you in case I'm unavailable."

From the look of the crowd around her, she'd be unavailable for a good minute or two.

"I'll do my best, thanks!" Twilight called back as she and her swarm of science made their way into one of the other laboratories. It was strange, seeing the mighty alicorn all done up in a lab coat and goggles, but it served to remind Obsidian that many ponies in Equestria were more than they appeared to be.

Pony/princess/scientist...

Back in the good old days, the idea of philospher-kings was quite popular. Perhaps it was just a logical evolution of ancient ideals? Ideals that her father didn't lmuch care for, of course, but that's a completely different topic.

Obsidian trotted to the armoury, thinking deeply. Was it the right thing to get rid of Amy? Perhaps this could be put in a different way: if Tourmaline would move in with Gunther, Obsidian could claim that she wants her siblings to be truly 'independent'. That way, the decree to move out won't be aimed at Amy alone.

Stupid Amy. Why was she so evil? It was a land of friendship, where being evil didn't pay!

At the armoury, Obsidian managed to find someone who worked in the warehouse, and (after a few bits exchanged hooves) managed to bring her a spell that was, to quote, "so powerful, only an alicorn or a draconequus could break through it", which she thanked them for as she stowed it away in her saddlebags as she politely bid them farewell and left the armoury.

Scroll... check. Diamond freed... check. She still had plenty of important things to deal with (and by that, she meant things either connected to her siblings and/or the saving of Equestria), and even more personal matters than that.

But it was still progress, nonetheless. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to add 'solve the love triangle between Midnight, Diamond and Stalwart' to the list. Or 'keep Stalwart from murdering Diamond'.

So, for now, she had to quickly trot to the post office - she wanted to contact the princesses, tell them about the success of the mission, and ask Luna to stop blocking her dreams, as it should be practically unnecessary now.

Hopefully.