Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Thirty Four: Setting Plans

The walk to the palace didn't take too terribly long, and again there were many along the way who enjoyed Diamond's antics. He was going to be a popular pony - very popular. Stonewall had no idea what he'd provoked...

When they got inside, a guard gave them directions to the Rainbow Suite, and they followed them quite well; the room in question was about three doors down from the Rarity Suite, so Obsidian should be able to find it again without any issue.

The actual door to the suite was trimmed in brass, and had Rainbow Dash's cutie mark carved onto it, with lots of exciting-looking zigzags and notches. Diamond seemed quite excited to see what it would look like. "{Would it be too much that I may ask for some paper and a charcoal stylus as well? Would they allow it?}"

"{There shouldn't be any problems with such a request... but perhaps you'd prefer something a touch more more modern? Pencils, crayons, ink pens... you'll see for yourself, no doubt,}" Siddy grinned knowingly.

"{And if there is none to be had,}" Gypsy added, "{this one would be honored to share his art supplies with you, friend.}"

Suddenly, Obsidian's muzzle lit up. "{Oh! And I have your portrait artwork of our brethren with me! You know, the one where you sketched most of us?}"

Diamond's eyes lit up like small stars. "{Artwork? What could-...}" He suddenly gasped. "{YOU HAVE THE PORTRAIT!?}" He seemed extremely happy to hear this news. "{Oh, Obsidyan - I am so surprised! I never thought I would see it again, that it was lost FOREVER! M-may I please see it? PLEASE?}" Tourmaline gave a light chuckle at Mundy's enthusiasm.

There was no reason why she shouldn't show him - especially as she was well aware that she had multiple copies. Obsidian took it from her saddlebag and opened it carefully in front of Diamond - the artist and his work, reunited at last.

When he looked at it, tears formed at the corners of his eyes, and he spoke in more of an adult tone, smiling wistfully. "{Shortly after I was created by father, I tried my very best to endear myself to all of my siblings; this portrait of us - those I had met so far - was my gift to Onyx. Yet later that same day, she took great pleasure in telling the story of burning it in father's firepit. I... I cried over the cruel fate of this drawing, because I had put so much work into it, yet it seemed to have meant nothing to her...}"

He looked up at Obsidian - and for the first time, she could see the stretch of years between herself and this old soul. "{And yet, here it is,}" he said with a bit of a strained voice, the sound and timbre not quite matching the young-looking and compact unicorn.

"{She'd kept it among her belongings, Diamond. She'd had it, all this time,}" Obsidian assured him with a somewhat bothered voice herself. So that's what this portrait meant? But why would Onyx decide to torture Diamond with the false story of burning it away? She was a strange mare, that dead sister of hers - an enigma that would probably never be solved.

Diamond softly sniffled, then held it back out to her. "{Obsidyan, I would be honored if you would have it; I know it will be in good hooves with you.}" To that, Gypsy's grin became a smile, and his tail wagged appreciatively.

It certainly was in good hooves... after all, it had turned out to be a very helpful drawing. Considering it had helped her find a few of her siblings, there was no doubt that it had spared her a lot of running around and fruitless searching. She treasured it already; now, she had the artist's kind blessing.

Tourmaline (having already seen the artwork in his own copy) decided to reach over and open the door himself.

The entire room was like a gigantic shrine to none other than Rainbow Dash. Everywhere they could see space was filled with pictures, posters, trophies, placards, awards, medals and just about every kind of reward for doing well that could be given. Her muzzle was EVERYWHERE.

Otherwise, there was a strong-looking wooden desk in the corner, along with two dressers, nightstands, and a large brass-framed bed at the far wall. And every single piece of fabric in the room was rainbow-colored.

Gypsy looked around and said, "It is... eh... c-c-colorful."

Tourmaline stuck out his tongue. "It looks like a paint store threw up in here."

Diamond stared, sparkle-eyed, then he began do dash about the room, happily exclaiming as he went: "{A desk? I HAVE A DESK! MY OWN DESK! A-a-a-and storage dressers for my scarf! AND LOOK AT MY BED! Oh, it is SO much more than I would ever have dreamed I would know in my life! And these COLORS! Father never allowed such colors! Oh my oh my oh my OH MY!}"

Oh dear. This suite was quite an eyesore - and filled to the brim with Rainbow Dash, to boot. Obsidian shook her head; that mare was terribly full of herself, apparently. But Diamond was happy with it all, and that should be enough - besides, it was impossible not to be happy when looking at him in a mood such as this. "{Remember, my brother, it's only your first day here; from now on, your life is going to just keep getting better.}"

He seemed as though he would twist his little head off, trying to look everywhere at once. Then, his vision focused on them, and he walked over.

He hugged Gypsy. "{Thank you, my fine new friend, for being able to speak for me, for offering to guide me, and for being the magnificent creature you are!}"

"{This one is humbled by your praise, and he is glad to call you 'friend'.}"

Next, he embraced Tourmaline. "{And thank you, my brother, for finally accepting me, for becoming as kind as you have... OH! And for sharing your pastry with me, as sharing is something I never imagined you and I would engage in!}"

Tourmaline chuckled and hugged him back. "And thank you for giving me the chance to do so, Mundy. Maybe NOW I can appreciate it more, right?"

Finally, he went to Obsidian, and... bowed?

"{My brave sister Obsidyan... there are no words in any language to accuartely describe the love I have for all of you... especially you, as Gypsee has told me YOU are the reason I no longer exist as a crystal shard. I owe you my life, my freedom, and my love. YOU are magnificent, and I hope that you and I become the closest of friends...}"

With that, he stood up and embraced her warmly, nuzzling against her neck.

Diamond could be an extremely useful tool, considering his little speech and the fact that he felt as if he owed her so much... but lucky for him, Obsidian abhorred idea of using others as tools. But she didn't abhorr the idea of hugs (at least not anymore), and she was more than happy to give her strongest one to Diamond, followed by a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Damnation, he looked so cute! Like a young, innocent colt; he was behaving so adorably - possibly without even realizing it. How was it possible that Sombra had enough kindness in him to create such a joyful creature?

Tourmaline leaned in close. "Perhaps we should leave Mundy to get better acquainted with his quarters? Gypsy, I'm certain, will happily keep an eye on him... unless you're out of errands to run?" He grinned a bit; he knew how busy she was.

"Oh. Well, hello," said a familiar voice from the doorway; in it stood Mica Chip, looking about at the room as he moved closer.

"For a moment, I thought we had another burglar," he said, looking at Obsidian to see if she remembered how they first met, "but it's only-..."

He then caught sight of Diamond, who also caught sight of him as well. "Oh. A guest. Hey," he said politely to Mundy.

Diamond smiled broadly. "Ha-... haaaaaa-loooooo..."

Tourmy and Gypsy both gave a slight start; Diamond had spoken in Equestrian! ... well, sort of.

"MICA!" Obsidian said with a more-then-above-average level of cheerfulness in her voice. "Nice to see you! This is Diamond, my brother - he doesn't speak Equestrian... eh, heh heh... too much."

"{This is Mica - he's one of the friends I've been talking about, Diamond!}" She said to her brother.

Mica looked at Siddy and nodded, then stepped lightly into the room. He glanced sideways as he passed her other brother.

"Tourmaline," he said in his neutral manner.

"Mica," Tourmy answered, looking bemused.

Gypsy smiled. "Mica, this one is t-to be Diamond's l-liaison. Is this not g-g-good news?"

"It is indeed; congratulations, Gypsy. Now, just make sure he stays with you, and doesn't go wandering off with a couple of ponies that'll take him to the Friendship School." Mica was joking, but of course he showed no expression.

Diamond swung to look at Obsidian. "{There is a school for fremship!?!?}"

Tourmy chuckled. "Now you've done it."

"{I already mentioned it earlier, Diamond,}" Obsidian reminded him. Ha - it had been ages since Mica and Clap 'kidnapped' her to show her the school, meeting Gypsy and Stalwart, and eventually rejoining with Cupcake.

"You know, it isn't a bad idea, Mica; he may find himself quite a few friends. And, contrary to my own experience, he probably won't end a discussion with a rather vocal support of Sombra's regime and a denunciation of love and friendship," she smirked at him. Really, it had been AGES ago...

"And, er... now that I've mentioned love, I, uh... I proposed to Cup yesterday." she added softly.

When Mica heard the news, then he gave his small, special smile. "I'm glad to hear it, Siddy - congratulations. You and Cup make a fine pair, and I look forward to hearing Clap go on and on about how she wants her wedding to be like yours."

Diamond walked up next to Mica; Maud's child stood almost three times Mundy's size, yet the knowledge that the tiny stallion could easily throw Mica was a bit comical for Obsidian to picture.

"You're quite compact," Mica said to him, "A pleasure to meet you, Diamond."

Diamond smiled back at him. "A-pezzerr t' miite yeeewwwww!" Tourmaline covered his muzzle with a hoof and giggled, but Mica nodded and gave Diamond a bow, which the little stallion returned.

He was really making some progress with that - at this rate, he should be able to communicate more properly soon enough. His accent wouldn't be pretty, though. "Oh? Are you two planning something as well?"

"Not yet," Mica admitted, "but after she hears about you, chances are we won't be far behind. Clap doesn't like getting left in the dust, after all."

Diamond c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y climbed into the brass-post bed, and he slowly laid himself on the mattress, which had fresh sheets... rainbow ones, of course. "{Is... is THIS what it is like to lie on a cloud for the pegasi? Because it feels like I have my own cloud, now...}"

"{You'll have to ask Clap about that, dear brother.}" Of course, there might be the small issue of her accidentially stepping on him. "{... besides, it's her mother's suite; both she and her mother are Equestrian heroes.}"

Mica stepped over to Obsidian. "You recall when I talked about that thing in the woods? There's news," he said as Tourmaline leaned in a bit closer. "Now there's smoke. Pegasi Fire Marshalls say there's no raging fires, but they can't seem to get near it; someone keeps chasing them off."

Diamond nuzzled himself into the pillows at the headboard, smiling and sighing happily.

Gypsy looked a touch alarmed. "Sm-m-moke? What do you sp-speak of?"

Mica looked at Siddy and lifted an eyebrow, as he didn't know if she wanted to say or not.

Damnation. "Do you remember Aquamarine?" she said to Tourmy.

Tourmaline's features hardened. "I remember, all too we-"

"{Aquamarine!}" Diamond sat up in bed. "{Oh, yes - I remember him! He always had much anger and scorn for us all, and he was always trying to prove he was better than any of us - it was as if he thought he could be father's only heir!}" Diamond's smile still held firm. "{But he was creative, and he did enjoy carvings! He was a master with a piece of wood or chunk of stone, and made all sorts of things!}"

Tourmaline gave a reluctant nod. "He... was rough, but he wasn't on Amy's level of rough; do you think that's possibly him? And if so, do you think you could perform the same miracle with him as you have with myself?"

The 'miracle' with Amy worked only after almost kicking her horn off her head and healing a life-threatening backstab wound. With Tourmy, it had been far easier - he just had to be headbutted.

"{I think so... perhaps. Okay, maybe... but why would he just destroying a forest like that?}" Perhaps it wasn't Aquamarine, but somepony else? However, his behaviour would explain Onyx's opinion about him - he wasn't a subordinate, but a rival. Onyx, frankly speaking, didn't look like the kind of mare who would enjoy having a rival.

Tourmaline shrugged. "Who knows why he does anything? Maybe he's just letting off steam, maybe he's building the world's biggest wooden shoe; the point is, IF it's him, something should be done about it, while we still know where to look."

Mica blinked. "You... lost me there, Obsidian. What was that?"

"Oh - sorry Mica." Maybe she shouldn't be using Crystallian so much; hopefully, Diamond would learn Equestrian quickly. "I was only wondering why Aqua would be destroying a forest... assuming it's actually him, of course. But who else could it be? I also remember the name 'Sapphire', but I haven't found out anything about her. Tourmy? Diamond? Do either of you remember Sapphire?"

Diamond nodded. "{Oh yes - sister Sapphire was our spooky sister, and she knew it. She seemed to drift about when she moved, and her attention was always hard to keep for long. She was the one that Ruby learned mane and tail care from, though.}"

Tourmaline nodded. "Yes, she was a touch vain, perhaps... but, as far as things went, she could've been worse. Maybe there'd be a chance for her as well? That is, if you can stomach her weird; even father didn't quite seem to get her."

Then, it was almost as if it was a strange doubling of their voices, as both Tourmaline and Diamond spoke at the same time:

"... but she had POWER."
"{... yet she held POWER.}"

Mica didn't look as though he needed a translator for that one.

"Power? What power - what do you mean?" Wasn't Obsidian herself supposed to have been the one holding the power of their father's Dark Magic? Then what was Sapphire able to do? Still, it didn't sound as if she would be spending her time scorching forests for fun.

Tourmaline looked meaningfully at her. "Saffi had a magic that could control the elements themselves; wind, water, earth and fire. Her magic could sculpt and shift, bend and compel elemental sources; she could make a ladder out of water, or build a shield out of fire, or make walls of stone grow from the ground-"

"{And she could fly!}" Diamond added with reverence.

Tourmaline nodded. "... yes, and she could fly, quite rapidly. However, she was also an absolute sucker for even the smallest praise from father; she only acted when he told her to, she was such a lapdog."

Diamond looked at Tourmy reproachfully. "{She did not know any better, brother - she was taught to blindly follow and obey, much as we all were... are...}" The last word seemed to bother Mundy a bit, and he went quiet, as did a thoughtful-looking Tourmaline.

"Then, we're speaking of a sister who was under direct mental control... who may now be completely on her own for the first time ever." Mica looked concerned. "That's not good; an airship goes wild when there's no one at the helm."

Every single sibling of hers seemed to have wonderful, incredible powers... and what did Obsidian get? Dark Magic which was leeched out of her by stupid Onyx! Just wonderful. There was apparently a pretty big design flaw somewhere while her father was crafting her. Maybe SHE wanted to fly sometimes!

"So, this forest fire could be done by either Aquamarine and his explosive powers, or by Sapphire and her talents for turning nature itself into a toy. Or perhaps it's something completely different, and for the first time in my life, a big problem won't be connected to our family in any way whatsoever..."

Gypsy sighed. "Th-this one wouldn't b-b-bet on it."

Mica nodded, then looked at Obsidian curiously. "Any way I can help?"

Tourmaline looked at him. "Well... maybe all of us could; do you have more than one thing that you have to look into? Maybe one or more of us could take some of your extra duties off your hooves?"

Mica nodded, then looked back to her.

"Quartz, Opal... and a mysterious forest vandal - those are the most important things at the moment. I think we can safely assume that brother Quartz is not evil... but Opal and her industry could pose a serious challenge, I'm afraid. I'm planning to meet with Markannus and check if he could somehow get us access to Pola Industrial. I also already asked Peppermint for help."

There were also Jade and Amber to deal with. "And we'd need to find a way to neutralize Amber, hopefully as quickly as possible."

Mica glanced at Gypsy. "You'll be here with Diamond; think you might be able to ask around the palace to see if you can find out tidbits we might not know yet? If anyone can sniff out a clue, it'd be you."

Gypsy grinned back at the earth pony, then looked at Siddy. "This one c-c-can talk to oth-thers here, and discover what is t-to be said, yes."

Tourmaline stepped forward. "I can see about going to Manehattan, and-"

Mica interrupted with, "Not with that ring on your horn; it's also a No-Long-Distance Travel Ban, and it means you won't get there without going by hoof... but that doesn't mean I can't go, instead." He looked at Obsidian. "I don't even have to encounter Quartz; all I'm doing is scouting the city & gathering information. I'll be perfectly safe, and can either get back to you by tomorrow, or you can meet me there."

Tourmaline looked put out by the reminder of his 'questionable' status, but he seemed to accept it with no protest.

Obsidian sighed deeply - yes, it would be a great help; she just had to remember to not feel exceedingly guilty for not doing everything personally. It wasn't using her friends - it was accepting their help... and worrying if they were okay... or if they were quick enough to avoid trouble... or-

Damnation. "Maybe you could take Clap with you when you head there, Mica? With her interest in clothes and fame, perhaps she could be of help as well?" Obsidian tried to suggest.

Mica looked at her flatly. "Thunderclap Dash? In Manehattan." He then gave a tiny chuckle. "I thought you wanted me to get things done?"

"Well, you said yourself that she didn't like to be left behind," Obsidian mused, "but if you don't think it's a good idea... then perhaps Eloquence would like to visit the big city?"

Mica gave a tiny smirk; one of the highest forms of expression from the poker-muzzled pony. "Visit? His mother owns a boutique there; he spends his fall season there, working where he can enjoy seeing famous fashion ponies, and get inspiration for his own styles. But talking to him about it might help us out; I can do that before I go."

Tourmaline didn't say a word, but Gypsy did; he stepped next to him and placed a paw gently on his shoulder. "For what it is w-worth, this one has s-s-seen how you have changed, and he kn-knows it shall not be long before everyone e-else knows it, as well."

Tourmaline looked like he wanted to shrug off the diamond dog's paw and walk away in a huff; instead, he sighed and reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But I can STILL try to see what I can discover from here - if there was paperwork, even a diary or the like, I could feel at least like I had a good lead..."

A diary? Noooooo... she really wanted to keep that for herself! There were plenty of things she could find in there - many of them useful, though not really legal, expressively interesting and so on and so forth. Perhaps she could find something that would give her an edge in her research about their father, Dark Magic, Gray Magic and other things.

"Don't worry, Tourmy - I'm sure you'll be considered 'reformed' pretty soon... after all, you're pretty much a shining example of integration." And when standing next to Amy, he looked even better by comparision.

*sigh* Amy. She really chose a good time to complain that Obsidian wasn't so dark, trying to conquer the world and so on - she had so little time that she couldn't even read the diary of her (explosively) murdered sister in search of dark secrets!

"I... found Onyx's diary; I'd wanted to check it out myself, but I've had no time lately..." Ah, well - it was for the best, right? "It seems like a perfect task for you, Tourmy."

Tourmaline's jaw dropped open and his eyes almost bugged out of his skull as he made small utterings that sounded like they were trying to be words.

Mica leaned over, completely deadpan. "I think you broke him."

Tourmy, to his credit, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then let it out slowly before refocusing on her. "Sorry - I was just... surprised it even still existed. It was something none of us could ever find before; she was a master at hiding things." Miss Tome had been evidence of that, for certain.

"It was like you just said you'd stumbled across father's crown," he explained. "It's THAT big of a deal... or, well... it was, when she was... w-was alive..."

For the first time, she saw a pang of regret cross her brother's features over Onyx; it was further proof of how far he'd come, and showed a tinge of compassion that was becoming more and more frequent within her brother.

It was THAT big of a deal? Hopefully, Obsidian wouldn't have to regret that moment of honesty - after all, she only found the diary and two measly books. Considering the amount of arcane knowledge Onyx had surely gathered during her lifetime, it was certainly a shame.

"Well, I'll bring it home later. I'd also like to check a few things in the library when I have an opportunity. Considering that finding Markannus is proving to be a bit harder than I thought, perhaps I'll just study magic later," Obsidian mused. She certainly felt like she had to learn how to teleport if she wanted to increase her chances for survival.

Mica nodded, and Tourmaline now seemed to have a sense of purpose about the proceedings. Gypsy would manage to fish out some little slip of information, she was certain of it; he had a 'history' for it, after all. Now wasn't the time for puns, however; it was time for-

"{... ohhhh Stalwaat, so brave and true... zzzzzzz... my churning soul, it burns for you... zzzzzzzz...}"

By Harmony, he mumbled love poetry in his sleep? Diamond was nuzzled deep into his pillow, a look of purest satisfaction on his muzzle as he slept peacefully and soundly... possibly for the first time ever. It hadn't been that long of a day, had it? Or perhaps it was just a side-effect of his first contact with a real bed?

"Okay... I think that our trip to the Friendship School is *ahem* temporarily postponed. Quietly now," Obsidian herself did her best to sneak out of the room without making any sound. The rest followed suit, and Gypsy quietly closed the door behind them. Let the sweet little stallion sleep - there would be more experiences for him later, she was sure.

"Okay, we know what we're doing," Mica said bluntly, "so I say we get to it. Glad I ran into you, and glad to help. I'll contact you from Manehattan, so let Cup know to expect communication of some sort."

Tourmaline looked at her. "Then I suppose we go onto the library, you and I?"

It looked like Cupcake was going to have to act as the messenger service, it seemed. Maybe Princess Luna had already responded in some manner to her message about Ruby...?

"You can head home, Tourmy - as I said, I'll bring it with me when I return, but first I'd like to check a few other things," Obsidian said sidelong to him; she didn't want to reveal her secrets just yet, "... it may take some time."

He nodded, then gave a slight sigh. "Hopefully, no Amethyst; last thing I'd need is her being nosy... there's no telling what she'd do if she knew there were others still free. And I don't want to contemplate it, either."

Gypsy looked at her. "This one will k-keep an eye and ear on D-Diamond, and will ask ab-bout what things m-m-might sound like a lead, yes. If he finds out a g-good thing, he will tell Cupcake."

Obsidian smiled gratefully at Gypsy. "Thanks, my friend; I'm really glad you've become his liaison. You really helped out our family there, Gypsy." Hopefully Diamond wouldn't learn Equestrian from Gypsy - otherwise he'd possibly learn it with a stutter. "I think that's everything?"

Mica nodded, leaned over and gave Siddy and Gypsy a quick hug, gave a nod to Tourmaline and headed on his way. As calm as he was on the surface, the stallion's heart ran as deep as any ocean.

Gypsy also gave Siddy a hug, then literally turned up his nose and began to sniff at the air, before smiling to himself and heading in the direction of the kitchen, where he would undoubtedly beg for scraps while he listened for gossip.

Tourmaline looked at her and gave his head a tilt. "You had her diary; that's where the drawing was, wasn't it? You gave me a copy of that drawing a few days back; have you had it all this time?" He held a completely neutral muzzle; there was no telling if he was upset or merely curious.

"I have - I was looking for clues about Peridot, but I didn't have too much time to check it out aferwards." So many secrets to find, so many arcane arts to learn... even if she did plot something about conquering the world, she simply didn't have the time for it! Even without any plans for playing this 'Ogres & Oatmeals', or support for Blue's metal band... she was always busy dealing with her siblings!

Tourmaline looked as though he made a decision, then slowly, he smiled. "That... makes sense. I just... i-it's difficult for me sometimes, learning to trust anyone... but I'm trying to get the hang of it. I appeciate you telling me about it..." He smirked at her. "Late as it is."

Obsidian really didn't want to reveal that she held Onyx's diary in the first place... but it didn't change the fact that she felt hurt by the jibe. "Hey, I was busy! Yesterday, we even didn't see each other because you were out, drinking."

Hmmm, now that she thought about it... "By the way, brother - are you going to move in with Gunther? I moved in very quickly with Cupcake." Obsidian, through watching others around her, was getting the feeling that perhaps it wasn't exactly standard behaviour - after all, Clap and Mica were still living separately.

He blinked in surprise, then gave a soft chuckle. "Actually, I'd been meaning to talk with you about that; he and I have been looking at places to live lately - I figured it might be better if I was out of both of your manes so often..." He then gave a wry chuckle. "Not to mention, away from Amethyst."

So that was what those pictures he and Gunther had been looking at; homes for sale!

"So now, I only have to find a coltfriend for Amy to convince her to move out and..." she sighed, "... and then, probably another set of siblings will move right in, for some reason."

Tourmy chuckled. "Honestly? You could do worse than Diamond... but not while Amy's living there, I promise you that. Well, I'll be waiting at home for you; be careful." With that, he made his way in the direction of home, leaving Obsidian on her own... a feeling she once thrived in, but now it felt... empty, somehow.

Not that it was a completely horrible thing, after so much contact with others; more like it was a bit more... hollow, where she could now feel and understand what truly being alone was, after so long of simply assuming it was supposed to be that way. This friendship thing had really knocked her for a loop, that was for sure.

At least she knew that she could go and meet with her friends, at almost any given time - and that they were nearby. Heh, to think that she would have craved Cup's presence so much during her trip to Silver Shores and the Crystal Empire...

Cup... her Cuppy... oh, she had to meet with him - quickly! She really, really wanted to give him his necklace; perhaps she could quickly cut a lock of her mane, to add to the locket? The library was practically her own private place...

But first things first. She trotted away from the doors to the Rainbow Suite; she still had work to do.

The trek to the library was typical; waves, smiles, passing conversations where she could overhear about just anything from the newest fashions to what the pegasi had planned for the weather. Once arriving, the library itself was soothingly quiet; this was a place where 'alone' wasn't lonely - it was about learning. About studies. About things that yearned to be known, contained in thousands of books that surrounded her like a bunker.

Books... ah, so much knowledge... and she still had so very much to learn! Obsidian wasn't sure if Headmare Starlight - or frankly, anypony - would have the time to teach her anything about teleportation today. Maybe Lemon would know a trick or two - she'd wanted to see him concerning Peavine, but Diamond had convinced her otherwise... a shame. Still, she could meet with him later, she was sure.

Reaching the beloved shelves, she quickly checked for books concerning magic, to see if there was any sort of teleportation guide. Maybe she'd find something meant for quick study under Spell Theory?

There were a few notable guides on the subject... but unfortunately, all three books in question were currently checked out... by Guidance Councilor Lulamoon, no less. A shame, but it meant there were books on the subject; she'd just have to wait for them to come back in before she could utilize them.

Still, it wasn't a total loss... especially as there was a small box of chocolates she'd stashed here. Normally, she might not have kept such sweets hidden at work like this... but they'd been hoofmade by Cupcake, and they helped her get through her workdays without him.

Ahhhh, library work. She was truly beginning to miss that simple life...

A normal life or the pursuit of power - both paths were fine; hunting down her problematic siblings? A bit more stressful, and hardly something she liked doing... but potentially just as rewarding, in the end. She hoped.

Alas, no books available about teleportation meant she had to ask somepony for help... maybe Lemon... or for that matter, Guidance Councilor Lulamoon. After all, Obsidian needed guidance, especially if she wanted to get back to her schoolwork quickly...

Anyway, the pronounced lack of the necessary books on the shelves meant only one thing - a return to the tomes of ancient lore. With a tiny, excited giggle, she trotted quickly to her secret stash.

The stash was right where she'd left it, undisturbed since her last visit; it was sort of fun, having a secret that nobody knew about - it flew defiantly in the face of her father's teachings, and it was a sweet little thrill she could have all to herself.

It wasn't long before she found a passage in Onyx's diary that spoke on the subject.

Oh?

Obsidian tapped her chin in annoyance; even that damnable hag Onyx had failed to learn teleportation and had to cheat, using her unjustly gained abilities.

What exactly was Obsidian's place in Sombra's plans? Why didn't SHE get any interesting powers! And why was she kept in a state of nearly complete lockdown? Was she only a spare body?

Bwah... *sigh*...

Maybe she could at least find something further along in the book about Dark Magic. Something useful... Teleportation, mind control, metal concerts, Amethyst, wedding possibilities, Ogres & Obladi-oblada... she had so much on her poor, pretty head!

There was a passage further on in the book that actually had an incantation for a spell that might've been just as handy to have...

It seemed like the best she could do in a short amount of time. Obsidian practically pressed her muzzle into the book as she started to carefully read, re-read and memorize the spell. It was actually fairly quick to learn and simple to cast, requiring very little magic to put into play. Useful as a last resort, as such a low cost may be the only thing that stands between yourself and a bolt of magical energy.

It was roughly half an hour until Obsidian felt she'd put the spell to proper memory, and felt as though she could successfully call upon it when needed... and at least it was better than nothing; even if Obsidian herself would pretty much prefer something that would let her escape dangerous situations more directly, it would do the trick for now.

But now, with the diary's supply of information exhausted in this endeavor, it was the time to once again check the two Dark Magic books. As she had powerful enemies, some rather ambitious projects and a small field trip to attend with Amy, she felt she should check out the spells in there - to defend herself, to attack... and to research.

She remembered some quick mention of a spell about imprisoning a soul, which got her attention. She'd planned a hunt anyway, so perhaps she could hunt not only for the meat... but also check on how much she could potentially do with the spiritual energies of the hunted beasts?

One of the two books spoke of a magic that could indeed strip the very life essence from a creature, and imbed it within a receptacle of the caster's choice. The spell explained that the process took an entire hour, and that the creature in question would be in miserable agony the entire time, not to mention while their spirit was locked out of their body as well. Plus, it spoke of the magics being able to manipulate and use the soul energy to power other magics...

Of course, the soul would then suffer immensely at each use, wasting away like a common battery until it was forever extinguished, fated neither to a good end, nor a peaceful one. However, the soul's loss - as a final cost - would then act as a black stain on the caster's soul, making it obvious to all who witnessed their true nature, what sort of being it was that would cast such a spell.

Hardly the most moral or simple spell in the world... but perhaps with Amy's help she could pull it off, and...

A black stain on her soul? Obsidian tapped her chin in annoyance; if she couldn't suck a mere rabbit's soul essence out of its' corpse without corrupting herself, then what else could she possibly do to enhance her knowledge of and experience with Dark Magic? Hopefully, there'd at least be a decent repository of offensive spells...

There were a number of vile, wicked spells that would flay flesh from bone, starve someone to death within seconds, burst parts of their brains or even twisted their spines into balls of pure agony... a great number of offensive spels to be had, yet nothing that didn't seem to be gruesome, at least in some manner.

Until she reached a spell that seemed simple enough; it was a Fire Spell, one that created a small burst of flame - about a cubic meter area, or useable as a three meter spray. Close quarters only, but fire was an effective tool. Not only that, but the fire itself wasn't inherently evil, so no soul-stains.

Hopefully, it would be good enough. She knew she would have to test it later in a safe place - maybe in the same place where she fought with Tourmaline? Eh, Light Magic was simply better - no soul stains, efficient, flexible... but still, she needed some firepower - and fire was providing some firepower. She started to read the spell a bit more carefully...

The Fire Spell was flexible, the description went on; it could be used as a minor catalyst in creating bigger spells. All it took was some imagination and effort, coupled with practice, and she might be able to cause big OR small fires, or have a fire in an exact line or pattern, to avoid burning allies. It was mostly like a building block; it could be used in many ways, but the version written here was just the basic starter spell.

Catalyst in creating bigger spells, eh? That actually could be useful with Light Magic - perhaps she could mix it in some way? Maybe some Light Magic spells where using fire in some creative way was possible? Or perhaps...

The unexpected discovery of 'Catalyst Block Spells' (as she quickly named such malleable power) rallied up her enthusiasm - she once again dove into the rest of the library's books, looking for similar spells... hopefully ones that wouldn't stain the soul.

An intelligent choice, because through the other books available, she came across three more 'Catalyst Block Spells': one for water, one for smoke, and one for growth. Between these four spells, she could conceivably cast a number of lesser spells - provided she had the creativity and power to put them together in different ways. It was a good start, and showed that there was potential to be had with this line of study.

Four of them, and all of them powered by Dark Magic - splendid! With such basics as these, she could try to craft more useful spells. She could hardly wait to properly research and learn their full potentials - perhaps she could mix the Smoke Catalyst Block and Onyx's Dislacement Spell, so she could mask herself in a fogbank? There was also this Growth spell - the fact that it was fueled by Dark power was fascinating to her. Could she use it on plants, and would they be changed by the nature of its' magic? So much potential...

Happening to glance up, she idly noticed the clock on the wall, which showed her that three hours had passed since she'd been into the books; it was late. Far, far too late!

Obsidian quickly hid her Dark Magic books back in her secret stash, grabbed Onyx's diary and trotted to the library doors. Hopefully Cup wouldn't be too annoyed with her...

By the time she reached home, it was dark out. The hours had been eaten away by the day, and it had come to the point where nightfall was here, turning the bustling Ponyville into a quiet hamlet. When she got to her house, she saw Cup's muzzle staring out the window. As soon as he saw her, his eyes lit up, and he smiled as he got up and came for the door to let her in.

"Guess you had a lotta reading to do, hunh?" he said as he greeted her, giving her a warm kiss right on the lips. Of course he wasn't annoyed - it would probably take quite a lot for Cupcake to be upset with her.

Immediately after passing through the doorframe, she gave Cup a warm and proper hug. She spent practically her entire day with Diamond, and then got lost in her reading... right after they spent a rather active night together, and got engaged! It probably shouldn't be like that.

"Yes, Cuppy - I got caught up, and I'm so very sorry." She gave him an embarrased smile and started to take off her saddlebags.

Home, sweet home... and damnation, she was starving! The sweets from Sugarcube Corner were good, but they weren't a proper meal - at least not in the small quantities Obsidian had bought.

... she had to get some thread... a lock of her mane... oh, it was just too good of an idea to miss!

Cup grinned. "Well, you're working on important stuff... I get that. So, no worries about ME - I wanna know how YOU did today! Anything get solved?" She could smell the distant memory of dinner in the air; fried squash and battered bamboo shoots, from what she could tell. A Cupcake specialty; she was sort of upset she missed it.

"There's still some leftovers," he smiled, "I can heat 'em up, if you're hungry? Oh, and I... uh, I h-have something for you, when you've got a moment?"

"Yes, please Cuppy. Well today, I spent some time with Diamond, made a small war council with him, Tourmy and Gypsy, and Blue invited me to a 'battle of bands'; I'll have to ask Clap more about that later." Sadly, after her initial enthusiasm, she doubted she would be able to make any sort of functioning metal music band. Though with some Dark Magic...

"Hmmm, what else... I got something for Tourmy, and well... I, er, ha-have something for you, too. We can deal with it after dinner though, okay? I'm positively starving..." Mmmmm, bamboo shoots...

And while Cup was heating them up, she could finally add one last little touch to her own necklace. The Perfect Plan! "We have thread somewhere in the house, right?" she asked him innocently.

"Sure - the sewing box, in the bathroom, left drawer; should be a spool of waxed floss - will that do?" he said as he made his way to the kitchen; within moments, she heard him doing his thing. A moment more, and the scent which had been fading was now regaining strength, making her belly rumble with anticipation. She headed up to their bathroom quickly, trying to hide an excited giggle.

Sure enough, the floss was where he'd said it was, and the spool was only one-quarter used up. With as much candy as Cupcake ate, of course he would know where the floss was. Though, to be fair, this wasn't exactly string, per se... but it would still do the job, and the extra wax coating might help keep it in place, perhaps? And well... if anything, she could replace it later with another lock - it was the thought that counted... right?

With the floss and a small box in her magic's grip, she disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door quietly. She left it a few moments later, missing only a small tip from her mane, and with a very, very tightly tied lock inside the pendant. It should be fine - at least she hoped so. Now she had to viciously devour some bamboo shoots!

She got to the kitchen just as he was putting the last plate on the table, and from the looks of it, he'd outdone himself. The shoots and squash were there, along with some milk gravy, some hoofmade buttermilk bread rolls, carrot slices soaked in butter, and a bowl of black bean chili, absolutely saturated with cheddar cheese.

"The chili, I made to snack on while I waited for you; the rest was tonight's din-din, which Tourmy ate and thanked me for... and Amy ate and ignored me for." He shrugged, but had a smirk on his muzzle; Amy would have to try harder than that to get him down. Placing the last plate on her side, he then fetched her a tall cup of apple/grape juice (Cup usually just called it 'Grapple'), and simply sat on the other end of the table to watch her.

By Darkness, it was a really good thing that her father had been starving her so much - thanks to that, she was only just now catching up to a normal weight for her size... otherwise, she would probably already be fat!

"Cuppy, you've outdone yourself... again. The sky is no limit, eh?" she giggled as she sat down. Chili snack..? Well she just had to remember to have some milk available, just in case it would be too spicy for her. Her stomach growled angrily, encouraging her to dig in - so she did just that.

"So, how are things in Sweet Apple Acres?" she asked while enjoying the bread rolls.

Cup gave a sigh and shook his head. "Well, it's going well enough, but Butter's still not quite up to speed yet. She's got the routine down; she just needs to get faster, or she's gonna spend her whole entire day just getting the basic chores done! Uncle Mac helps her out a good bit, but between his own grandchildren and his failing eyesight, he won't be able to hold on forever... and Apple Bloom's only here until Nightmare Night - then she's gotta meet back with the other Crusaders, as they're headed into Forthright Changeling territory soon, and they'll need all the help they can get!"

Though he was going on and on about things, his eyes never left Obsidian; he was so much in love with her, too.

Wow. It sounded like Butter could really use some help. Maybe, just maybe... they could convince Lemon that Stonewall was a stupid asshat, and Diamond should be sent there instead? With his strength, Butter would be more than able to catch up with her chores! "And this highly annoying officer named Peavine is taking care of Diamond; he sent him to the dungeons - just to clean them, though. Do you think we could convince Lemon to intervene a bit on his behalf?"

Cup grew thoughtful. "Well, I don't know - why would Lemmy want to intervene? I mean, is Peavine being unfair or violent to Diamond? If so, then we absolutely should talk to him - but I wasn't there myself, so I'm not really sure. What happened to make you want to call Lemmy in on this?"

"Well, do you remember when Thunderclap got cursed and we had to bring her home? She lost a sack of pastries she'd just purchased, and I went to look for them..."

She let out a huff. "Well, Peavine was trying to claim them, and wouldn't listen to any other reasoning at this meeting because he held a petty little grudge! He dismissed Diamond's healing skills, and put him on some rather tiresome duty - ah, er, b-b-but it's... ah, it's less about Diamond in this case, and more about Butter, to be fair. He is quite strong. Very, very strong. And he's kind, nice, and charmingly cute..."

Obsidian shrugged. "I simply thought that perhaps Diamond could help her out - but first, he would have to be relegated from 'dungeon duty'."

Cupcake's seriousness doubled. "This guy stole cakes? Oh, I cannot allow THAT to stand! Yeah, I can talk to Lemon, and tell him that this 'Peavine' character is being a real pain in the flank, and see if maybe he can change Diamond's orders."

"Tried to steal, Cuppy - the goods got, um... destroyed... I had to buy new ones. But, um, it's less about Peavine being a real pain in the flank - just, well... try to suggest that Diamond would be more helpful at the Acres with Butter, okay? You could do it more easily than I could, I'm sure of it. Besides, Diamond asked me not to escalate the conflict."

Cup nodded, but then his smlie returned with gusto. "So what was it like, seeing him wake up? You say he's nice, kind and cute? Why, what did he do? Does he like you? C'mon c'mon c'mon, tell me all about him!" Cupcake looked eager to hear about his soon-to-be brother-in-law.

She tapped her chin. "Diamond is Stalwart's size; he likes me, yes - but to be fair, he apparently likes everypony. Gypsy is his liaison, and they already seem to be on the road to becoming besties. Sadly, he doesn't speak Equestrian, so it's necessary to know ancient Crystallian to understand him - or have some help, of course."

Cup chuckled. "He sounds like he favors Ruby more than Onyx; a good mark in MY book, anytime! And good on Gypsy for taking up the mantle; trust me, from all my service experience, I'd say he's in for a lot of work!"

Cup just made a joke about liaisoning Siddy; cute.

She then gave a light smirk. "Yes, ha ha. You know, Gypsy... he doesn't stutter at all when speaking in Crystallian; can you believe that?"

"Why does it not surprise me that Gypsy can speak ancient Crystallian? When it comes to sciencey or mathy stuff, we go to Mica; when it comes to history, we go to the Gypper!" He then pondered a moment. "But maybe he just... I dunno, maybe he just thinks about it less when he's speaking in another language?"

"I have no idea; perhaps he just enjoys Crystallian more than Equestrian? Or perhaps it's about the fact that more creatures can undestand him when he's speaking a more common language," she shrugged slightly, "and don't worry - I'd say that Gypsy has a far, far easier task than you did. Besides, you seemed to enjoy the challenge, especially after a day or two," she said, giving him a rather sultry smile.

Cup nodded with a similar smile. "Well, after I got over myself, that is." He then sat back and just stared at her for a moment. Then, casually and candidly...

"So, can we talk about... what, uh, happened? With us and the thing the other night and... yeah. Are we supposed to talk about it, or do we not say anything, or... what?" He looked as if he genuinely didn't know.

Talk about it? Well, perhaps, perhaps not... Obsidian herself knew even less about the subject than Cup himself. After all, her own parent never talked about anything like 'snugglebunny playtime' (DAMNATION! She didn't want to USE that!!!) and such. She felt somewhat glad, though - it would be a terrifying experience, she was sure of it. "Well... I guess we can. It was, um... very nice?" she tried with a somewhat awkward smile.

Cup blushed a bit as well. "YEAH, it was! I mean, uh... heh heh... it wasn't anything I ever expected it would be like... after years of calling it, well, what Mom called it, I half-expected we were missing a bunny somehow!"

He laughed at that, then settled down and looked her in the eyes. "It was like, you and me, we were the same pony for a moment there... like we were, y'know, connected at the heart? I couldn't tell where you ended and I began..." He now wore a dreamy look. "I'm glad I didn't have that experience with anymare else; you were the right one to wait for, Siddy."

Obsidian tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "Well, the heart wasn't the only place where we were connected, to be fair," she smirked a bit. "And I'm glad I didn't take my notes - otherwise, I would have been worried about a lack of seltzer."

It seemed that Obsidian learned a bit TOO much about Miss Pinkie Pie's preferences.

"But oh, it was most certainly something! I didn't know what to expect, but... but..."

Once again she was in a lack of words. "... it was better than anything I could imagine. And it was done with the best stallion in the world."

Cup couldn't take that compliment sitting down; he got up, came to Obsidian and hugged her tightly, nuzzling into her mane as he did. "My Princess, I love you more than can ever be measured, doubled on itself, times all the numbers in the world; thank you for choosing me. For your liaison, for your friend, for your... uh, l-lover..." he blushed brightly, "... for everything."

How could she reply to a proclamation like that? The only thing sweeter than their talks were Cup's sweets - and she wasn't quite sold on that. "We are really made for each other, aren't we?"

Cup hugged her tightly, and kissed her deeply in response. When he finally broke off the kiss, he was blushing fiercely, but grinning from ear to ear. He may still be a bit naive, but when it came to sex, Cupcake obviously felt that it was a good thing.

"So, once we get things done here, I'm sure it'll be sleepytime, but what're you up to tomorrow?" It was a fair question.

Hmmm, tomorrow... well, she had to train, look for Markannus, find Thunderclap, train some more... and most importantly... "It mostly depends on the current situation with Ruby, to be honest. I hope Princess Luna got at least one of my messages," she admitted.

Wait - did Cup know about Ruby?

Cup blinked. "Uh-oh... what's going on with Ruby?" he asked.

Okay, he didn't.

To be fair, until her meeting with Luna and Celestia, Obsidian didn't really know that she wasn't supposed to have tea parties with her dead sister. She'd gotten used to it, as a normal part of her life. "She literally lives in me; we are able to talk while I sleep. I recently asked Princess Luna for help with Amber's attempt to get at my mind... that time when I woke up screaming?... and it seems that it locked Ruby out as well. I found some anti-mind control spells yesterday, so I think I'm rather safe... but Ruby still didn't appear tonight."

Cupcake thought for a moment. "Well, then either Luna has decided that Amber's too much to risk and hasn't given control back yet, or she hasn't gotten your messages yet. Either way, I'm sorry to hear that; I know what she means to you, love, and I hope things get worked out soon."

He looked at her for a moment, then gave another shy chuckle. "I'm glad you won't wake up screaming, yeah... but I also know it's gotta be hurting you badly, not being able to talke to Ruby. Poor Siddy."

"Oh yes, it does - especially as we have a lot to talk about," Obsidian admitted. Poor Ruby... she was already missing her so much. For a pony who lived in isolation for the most of her life, she really couldn't live without her friends and siblings now.

"Anyway, I'm really not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. So many things to do, so little time, you know," she smiled slightly at him, though it was once again a rather awkward smile.

Cup nodded, then gave her a grin. "Maybe one of these things, you could bring me along with? I mean, that way, we could still spend more time together, and I could also help out where I can. Remember, I like to help!" He seemed so enthusiastic about helping her out; he was such a sweetheart.

"Wait, hold on," he held up a hoof, "did you say something about Blue and some sort of battle, back there?"

"Battle of bands, Saturday night, Appleloosa. Blue said that Thunderclap would be there as well, so I plan to discuss going there together because frankly, I still don't feel too sure about trains. She asked me to support her metal," she explained. Of course, taking Cup with her would be great... though she wasn't sure if she would be able to think very much about working/learning in his presence, though. Hee hee hee...

Cup's eyebrows shot up. "Holy Schnikes! Blue asked you to come to the Battle Of The Bandz!? She's never asked anyone outside of the family to show up to those, except her other bandmates! She's been entering that thing for years, and keeps getting close, but never quite wins it..."

He smiled at Obsidian. "If she's asking you to be there... well, that's GREAT news! This could be your chance to bond with her finally! And yeah, she's all about heavy metal - it's the one thing she gets excited about!"

"I know! Isn't it great? I just need to learn how to cheer properly - but that's what I need Clappy for!", Obsidian replied cheerfully. "We visited Sugercube Corner - I, Gypsy, Diamond and Tourmy - and she was asking us if we 'rock'. After some clarifications she asked me to come and support her."

"Blue usually doesn't go out on a limb like that to just anypony - she must've heard all the stuff I've been saying about you, and decided to give you a chance! But Siddy, don't blow this one! Blue rarely gives first chances; a second one is impossible."

He then grinned as he hugged her again, then made his way over to the fridge, where he began to rummage around as well. "Y'know... that thing, about Ruby 'living on inside you'? It just makes me wonder... is Onyx in there too?"

His question was flippant and passive, yet it caused chills to run down Obsidian's spine. The thought that Ruby was trapped in her head was bad enough, but if she was trapped in there with Onyx...

"I don't plan to blow it, Cup. Especially as it's my first chance to see a metal band on stage," Obsidian admitted truthfully. The modern era - and modern music - were strange... but enjoyable. And the next question made Obsidian stop and think...

Well, she saw Onyx alongside Ruby after Clap made her Sonic Rainboom, right? Ruby looked happy... but Onyx was still there, right? Obsidian was enjoying the idea of an additional mare living in her head, but to consider Onyx might have been in there was... something else.

"If so, then she hasn't shown in ages. I've seen her once, a rather long time ago... but that was all." She asked Ruby about Onyx, after all - and Ruby didn't say anything. She would warn her about any sort of danger she knew of, right?

Cup came out of the fridge with a number of bowls of leftovers and proceeded to take them to the counter, where he began to manufacture sandwiches from the bowls' varied contents. "Well, then I guess that'd be good riddance, right? I mean, the last thing we'd need is Onyx coming back into our lives again; once was bad enough. Nothing but trouble, she was!"

And again, the fact that Diamond's drawing had survived all those years, hidden in the pages of Onyx's diary... even after she'd told him it had been burnt into ashes, crossed her mind. Was Onyx truly the heartless terror everyone saw her as, or was there more to the mare than anyone was giving her credit for? It would be an interesting experiment, to try to bring back to life not one, but two sisters. But was it even possible for Onyx to stay hidden for such a long time?

"Well, she was only trying to please our father; without Tourmy's attempt to kill me, I would have stood by her side," Obsidian pointed out.

Cupcake looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "I mean, I understand that... it's just a little disheartening to hear that your decision was only influenced by your brother's actions." He gave her a bit of a sad look.

Oh dear. "Er, well, that is... not only that, o-of course..." she tried to correct herself carefully. "It was just the defining point where I felt that I had no other choice; I still didn't know much of anything about Equestria, but I knew - or at least I thought I knew - my father. I only wanted to point that Sombra brainwashed us - I'm here only because I learned that there are other choices than a life spent in servitude. Onyx... well, she didn't."

"Onyx," he nodded, "was a tool, and didn't seem like she ever wanted to be much more than that. You learned that there was more to life than servng an ungrateful father, and that - in my opinion - is what's kept you from going all evil and stuff."

He then gave a grin. "Regardless, I'm glad you're with us, Siddy - they didn't deserve someone like you."

It was the perfect moment for a gift exchange. "Now you mention 'deserving'... I have something for you." She brought out the small box.

Cup smiled. "Oh, and I have something for you, too..." He also pulled out a box, which looked exactly like hers.

Cup looked at the two boxes. "I hope we didn't get each other the same thing."

Well, Elo wouldn't have allowed that, right? "To show you how much I care about you..." she opened her box, presenting her necklace to her stallion. "Cuppy..." she felt her throat choking up; the emotions were overwhelming, "... will you do me the honor of becoming my h-husband?"

Cupcake's smile was dwarfed by the smile in his eyes as he looked at the necklace; he then gave a chuckle and brought his box forward, opening it and reaching inside. "... only if you'll be... b-be my wife..."

The necklace he brought out looked almost exactly like Obsidian's, except that it was a polar opposite: it had silver beads, and an obsidian stone pendant that had a picture of Cupcake's cutie mark etched into it.

Cupcake looked back and forth between them, and he gave a smirk. "Elo's outdone himself," he chuckled as tears began to fall from his eyes - tears of happiness.

"I love you," he said simply as he held her gift out to her with one hoof, while taking her precious gift to him in his other. "It's perfect," he whispered as he looked at what she'd gotten him.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, ohhhh dear... they made it, they officially made it, they exchanged wedding necklaces, they were officially engaged to be wedded now, oh dear!

She took his gift with her magic, carefully putting it on her extended (and slightly shaking) hoof, to look at it more closely. Oh yes, Elo most certainly outdid himself - and it was great of him to do it so quickly and perfectly! By Harmony, she was really overdosing on happiness lately!

"Open it," she said quietly, her own eyes teary.

Cupcake looked at the locket... then, he opened it up. He looked at it for a moment, unsure of what he was looking at... Then, with a dawning look on his muzzle, he brought it to his snout and gave it a light sniff... and a broad smile broke out across his features.

"It's so perfect! Oh, I just love the scent of-... eh... eh heh heh heh... your, uh... y-y-your, um... mane." He blushed, muttering, "no, Cup, that doesn't sound weird at all."

He wasted no time in putting on the necklace and looking down at it, admiring the pendant before looking up to admire her. "YOU'RE perfect, Siddy - oh, thank you so much for loving me!" He looked like he needed a hug.

"I know, Cup. I know..." Mercifully, she didn't add 'your mother told me about it'. Obsidian put her necklace on as well - and immediatelly hugged Cupcake, as gently and lovingly as she could. That 'lovingly' part was rather new in her life; she'd been training in it for only a few weeks now, but she was doing her best. "Thank you for making me better, Cuppy."

Ha. 'Meanie' - it worked out perfectly, didn't it?

Cup hugged her back, and sealed their moment with another one of those kisses that made her tail curl on itself. "And we've got SO MUCH ahead of us... and I wouldn't wanna face it with anyone else but you."

He ignored the dishes and, as he did before, he picked her up in his front forelegs and took to his hind ones, standing on two limbs again as he lifted her up and began to carry her to their bedroom. "The sooner we get snuggly, the sooner we get to wake up next to each other," he smiled sweetly.

Tomorrow morning they might be a bit grumbly about these dishes, but who cared about it right now? "I agree wholeheartedly, my beloved fiancee..."

It sounded so perfect; she already loved this word.

~>-<~

Ruby's mane and tail looked rough and frayed, and Obsidian could see the very traces of Ruby's ribs along her barrel. She jumped up and ran for her, looking panicked and harried.

"OBSIDIAN, WAIT , PLEA-"

~>O<~