While Obsidian held no love for Sombra (quite the contrary, actually), she flinched at the idea of attacking him on the battlefield. It wasn't surprising that Aquamarine was treated that harshly - though it still wasn't as severe a punishnent as Jade's. One would expect that an attack would be punished more cruelly than a thief... and it explained quite well why he could possibly be destroying forests.
It seemed that a pleasant talk and a hug exchange, like with Quartz, was out of question.
"I'll do my best to survive, sister. Thanks for your advice; I appreciate it." It was by far the most friendly and peaceful talk she'd ever had with her sister. "Amy? One last question, if I may?"
There was silence from the closet for a moment, then... "What?"
"I'm having a number of strange dreams lately, and... well, do you know what happened with Radiant Hope?" She tried to push her luck.
When no response came, Obsidian thought her luck finally ran out with her sister... but before she turned away, the closet door opened a crack, a pair of almost luminescient green eyes looked out at her, and Amethyst's surprisingly quiet voice drifted to her ears.
"She was Father's only friend... only REAL friend. What they had was love, but it wasn't a... kissy kind of love; it was more like what you... keep projecting onto others, like the midget and the mutt... like you keep trying to project onto me."
The eyes blinked. "She and father had an argument... and she decided to use the Umbral Altar without his help. He... found her, but she was gone; I don't know what that means, but it's what he wrote. He then tried to... recreate her, I think... but I don't know how that went, because he stopped writing in it after that entry."
Using the Umbral Altar without his help... he'd tried to recreate her... never wrote about the results... and now, Obsidian herself was having, what? Flashabcks, memories... and she supposedly resembled Hope quite a bit... and had no recollection of her foalhood...
"... did... did he possibly mention me in his diary anywhere?" Obsidian had to fight to keep her voice from wavering. "Or was I created after he stopped writing in it?"
"All of us were created after that, Obsidian... chances are, we're his failures." There was an awkward silence for a moment, then...
"At least, I know that I am, anyway. You? You have a chance to succeed. So go do it. Just don't... don't be stupid."
The closet door shut. Firmly.
Obsidian turned around, made her way to the stairs and left pondering deeply about the thoughts swimming in her skull. Recreate...
All of them were created after Hope was already gone; Obsidian, up to this point, had kind of assumed that Hope had died after her creations, and somehow was stored in her memories. But what if... could she check somehow? Some kind of test she could run to discover the truth that eluded her so maddeningly?
Unfortunately, Hope was an orphan, more or less - there was nopony else on Hope's side to compare herself to. Comparisions with her siblings could be risky (they were artificial), so there was no guarantee that normal tests would detect that they were any sort of bloodline-linked family...
Did Obsidian occupy the body of a dead pony?
The question hung heavy on her mind as she made her way back into the kitchen, where Cupcake was busily packing what looked like an enormous backpack that was fit to split with cookies... and there were still more trays sitting about.
"Okay, we have cookies! LOTS of cookies! Lemon likes cookies, so he'll like these as soon as we get them to him, and he'll be safe and happy and glad to see us, and we'll deal with Aquamarine like we did with Quartz, and we'll all be happy and cookie-filled, right!?" The smile on his muzzle looked broad, bordering on manic... and somwhat haphazardly plastered on; maybe Obsidian wasn't the only one having a mini-crisis...
He looked stressed as Tartarus - Obsidian had no other choice, really. She trotted her way over to him and hugged him tightly. "We'll be going soon, Cup; don't worry - Lemon will get our help. I promise."
Cup looked at her... and his fake smile melted, a look of worry and nervousness crossing his features. "Thanks, love - I'm kinda freaking out here, as the farthest away Lemmy's ever gone before was to Canterlot, and that was only for guard training; this is farther, and a completely different situation."
He then looked at her, and smiled - for real. "Well, do you know anything more about Aqua? Maybe if I learn more about him, I'll calm down a bit more, right?"
...she kind of doubted he would. "Aqua is... not nice; Lemon will need us. We should get to Princess Twilight - we may need a favor here."
Cup didn't seem to relax from the information... but he sighed, then looked at his fiancee with determination in his eyes. "Well now that we have Gypsy back, we'll be okay; as long as we're all together, we-"
"FUDGE BARS!" came Clap's voice from the living room.
Cup looked up. "That's a Thunderclap-brand swear word; something's up."
It looked as if she wouldn't have time to propose going for some quick snuggles. "Let's see what's going on."
Out in the living room, Mica was reading over a scroll, while Clap was pacing by wing, looking irritated. "I swear, someone's doing it on PURPOSE! It's like, we're not allowed to be together!"
At the open door was a Royal Guardpony, a stallion, who was wearing armor and looking as calm and collected as any of the guards.
Mica sighed, apparently finishing the scroll. He then turned and, seeing Siddy and Cup, he elaborated. "The scroll is from Wart; because of the short notice at which Lemon had to leave, she's been reassigned to cover for the shifts of those who accompanied him. She won't be coming with us for this one, I'm afraid."
"Why can't we all just get together, ya know? We kick massive amounts of flank when we're all together - and it feels like Fate or Destiny or whatever you wanna call it is LAUGHING at us!" Clap huffed.
Oh, come on! "Let's go speak with Princess Twilight; this is a serious issue, and it would behoove her to let us strike at Aquamarine with our full firepower... and we'll need it." He was a berserker - they needed their brave little champion!
Cup nodded, Mica shrugged and Clap gave a cheer. "YES! Princess Twilight'll let her come along, I just know it!"
===[Twenty Minutes Later]===
"I'm truly sorry, Obsidian," Twilight said earnestly, "but with so much going on with your siblings - Manehattan, the other shards, Midnight's possession - I have to be certain that I have all posts covered, here and in Ponyville. Plus, I've doubled up the guards posted at the Umbral Cavern, so none of them can get to the Black Pool again."
She sighed. "Stalwart is one of the best fighters we have, and I'm afraid I just can't spare her. I know she's your friend - and believe me, I know it's important to you to have your friends close - but we need her right now; she's a capable and strong defender - and with Lemon Custard and the others gone to deal with this fire problem, I need defenders here."
She gave a slightly hopeful look. "When this is done with, I'd be glad to give her some time off, if you still need her for other things... but she chose to become a Royal Guard, and she needs to fulfil that duty now."
Obsidian had to admit it made sense; Ponyville was an important place, a seat of power, and the princess had to take care of her home and subjects and so on. It absolutely did NOT change the fact they needed her.
"Princess, Aquamarine is supposedly the most violent of all my siblings - he even attacked Sombra himself when he approached him too hastily. We don't need Stalwart simply because she's one of the greatest warriors I know... we need her because together, we are more than a sum of our powers. We defeated Sombra as a team, after all." She tried her luck.
Twilight sighed again. "I understand, Obsidian - probably better than you know - but I'm down to almost a skeleton crew for my palace alone; removing Stalwart from the lineup leaves a hole in the castle's defenses that I can't fill." She closed her eyes. "I am sorry, but on this subject, I must remain firm; Stalwart Stance remains here, to do her sworn duty, until Lemon and the rest return."
It was an awkward moment for a few seconds, then Twilight stood up from the throne. "I... kind of hope that wasn't the only reason you came by to see me today. After all, I hear a number of things went weird in Manehattan for you - a disturbance at a museum, a description of a mare who distinctly sounds like Stalwart sought by security, and the incident at the factory... and now, reports coming in that Mare Do Well has somehow returned." She narrowed her eyes a touch. "A subject I have to ask a good friend of mine about."
She then looked back at Siddy calmly. "Whatever happened with all of that, it started something... I don't know what yet, but I feel like something in the balance of Harmony is shifting, and it's been feeling that way since I accidentally brought you out of your shard state. Change is coming," she said cryptically, "I just don't know what changes to expect."
Oh... oh, right. "About Manehattan... well, I'd hoped to report our actions there as well - especially to mention that it's possible we might be invaded once again."
Twilight nodded. "I expected to hear as much... I take it this is the work of yet another of your plentiful siblings?"
"Amber is continuing Onyx's plans - the original ones, without my early awakening interrupting everything. That's why I asked Flurry to immediately seek information about the Manehattan prison's security measures, as Quartz mentioned she couldn't influence him here; I'm hoping it will stop any attempts at control over the rest of us. Quartz has already prepared a massive number of anti-magical suits..."
Twilight listened as she spoke, then shook her head slowly. "So, Onyx's legacy is still up and running, is it? And Amber... you mean the other shard you brought? HA! If that's the trouble, then I'll just have another Cell Ward created, but just for her - it should take a few days, but we can have the shard placed in a hermetically and magically sealed container to prevent any more issues."
She now gave a slight grin. "At least there was ONE problem that could be solved... but I can't say I believe that Amber is the only threat; according to what you've told me before, there are still a couple of your siblings unaccounted for. They need to be found at once, so we can discover who the main culprit is."
"As far as I am aware, there are only Aquamarine and Opal left to see to. We are preparing to go and investigate our lead on Aquamarine, and afterwards we will likely move on to dealing with Opal. Amber seems to be rather ambitious and cunning - sounds like the possible main culprit to me."
Twilight nodded. "All right, since you're handling the matter, I can make sure your trip is paid for - under the condition that you're going to handle these problems directly. Tickets can be arranged to take you directly to Cincineighti, where Pola Industrial's main headquartes is, after this current situation in Clearwater is dealt with. Once you finish with Opal, I'll arrange for you to get a ticket home, and we can discuss what to do from there together."
She then strolled over to her throne and sat with a heavy sigh. "Granted, this is exciting and all - most we've had in years - but some days, don't you just want to crawl back into bed and nap until the problem goes away?" she chuckled wryly.
"Oh yes," Obsidian replied without batting an eye, "but I'm afraid it would be possible that I would wake up in a terribly different Equestria, so there's no other choice but to press on. On the subject of other things... might Diamond accompany us to Aquamarine's investigation? Oh, and, er... I'd like to ask if it would be possible for Tourmy and... A-Amy... to get their magic back?" Maybe she could slip this by her?
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Well... let's discuss this, shall we? Let's begin with Diamond: As far as I've seen, he's an absolute sweetheart and seems to want to spread smiles wherever he goes. Even the ponies I have observing him like him - and they're a hard bunch to win over. Plus, with the fact that he's a healer to consider... I will agree to your request to take him along with you, but I shall hold his liaison responsible for any mischief he may cause."
"Tourmaline... the one who's friends with Gunther Gadfly, yes? I seem to recall that he was the first of your siblings to show his muzzle... and that was when he attacked you. He was punished for this crime by being ringed, as we weren't sure if he could be trusted with his magic back. However, he has shown a great deal of growth and change since Onyx's defeat, and seems to have a few of my Royal Guards as friends. Though I'm still not 100% certain of him yet, he's shown to be doing a fine job of coming around; I shall allow the ring to be removed from his horn, but you will monitor him to make sure he doesn't slip back into his old habits again."
"And Amethyst." She sighed. "On that one, we will have to agree to disagree, Obsidian. She is a proud murderer, she put the lives of Mica, Gypsy AND Lemon at risk, as well as your own life, and she killed your sister Ruby. Frankly, that already stacks a lot against her... but my observers have said she's been doing a lot of physical training lately, as if she's keeping herself keyed up. Which could mean she expects to be released from her punishment soon. That, and the fact that she's been managing to evade my observers at every turn..."
She gave Siddy a firm look. "Amethyst is still a threat, in my eyes, and I don't feel safe allowing her to have her magic back just yet; if she goes through some major changes - noticable ones - I'll reconsider. Until then... I'm sorry Obsidian, but I cannot allow her to be free AND cast magic."
Well, at least she tried; to be fair, she didn't expect that this request would be granted - but she didn't want to play favourites, especially as both Tourmy and Amy had treated her rather roughly in the past... but it wasn't exactly their fault. It wasn't really even Onyx's fault... all the real blame rested the wicked shoulders of the stallion that once claimed the throne of the Crystal Empire. Besides, Amy deserved at least a gesture of trust to show her that Obsidian cared for her.
But hey, two out of three wasn't bad - especially as Diamond should be quite useful; considering the danger posed by Aquamarine, his healing skills would be invaluable.
"Well, I'm glad to hear such, princess. We would probably need to put wards around Amber before we release Tourmy's magic, though - there's a risk that she could try to take him over immediately. As soon as she's neutralized, there'll be no need to worry about that anymore." Of course, even if everything went perfectly, Obsidian still would have to figure out what to do with Amber. Evil or not - Onyx's side or not - they were STILL siblings. "I'd like to know the official status of Amy's dagger, as well - I've recently discovered that it's a powerful artifact... and I think it could be potentially useful."
Twilight nodded. "Yes, the Foci Blade - it is, indeed, a powerful artifact; right now, a number of my top researchers are examining it closely, trying to discover if it's a spell we can emulate. We won't be issuing Foci Blades to the entire Royal Guard, but we can see if the spell might have other applications we could use in less harmful ways." She gave a wave of her hoof. "I will make sure to hold Tourmaline's release until after Amber's shard is in a safer place... trust me, I don't want THAT to be mistaken, either."
With that said, she gave Obsidian a light bow. "I do hope you're successful - the last thing Equestria needs right now is another Umbral Incident."
That was nice and all, but what the princess seemed not to understand was the fact that it could be worse than that - this time, her siblings had ample time to prepare something a little better than a bunch of half-rotten undead corpses.
"I'll do whatever I can, princess, you have my word. But, er... I have one last question, if I may?" This time she was visibly more apprehensive; asking about the possibility that she possessed the body of a long lost mare was... rather strange.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, but nodded.
"I have been told I look considerably like Radiant Hope, a mare whose fate and whereabouts are unknown. Amethyst told me that something happened to her, and that Sombra effectively tried to recreate her. I've also started to have some rather strange dreams lately - dreams with Hope's memories - while I don't truly recall very much at all about my earliest years..." Obsidian tapped her hoof against the floor, a bit anxious. "Is there any spell that could possibly check to see if I occupy the restored body of a long-lost mare who apparently died while dabbling in Umbral Magic?"
Twilight looked at her for a moment as if she had lobsters crawling out of her ears. "You... wait, are you saying that you think you might be Radiant Hope? Really? It... I mean, I studied Sombra's history, but the fate of Radiant Hope was always one of the Crystal Empire's greatest mysteries; it would be incredible if you turned out to be her the entire time!"
Well DUH, it would be incredible... but Obsidian wasn't sure how she should feel about it, though. It would solve at least some of the mysteries that surrounded her own origins though, so she at least thought that it could end well for her. Unless of course, it turned out that Radiant Hope was also planning to return, supressing Siddy's personality and so on. She remembered her reaction when she'd heard the possibility for the first time - when she discovered that she was essentially her father's backup plan.
Twilight's horn lit up, and several books popped into existence around her head; she opened their covers and scanned the contents, making Siddy's library trick look like parlour magic in comparison as books flashed away, replaced with more flashing in - but never more than six present at one time. "I... don't seem to... see a spell... that could test... for something like that... but I can ask my researchers if they might be able to locate one, and we can possibly have it ready for when you get back."
"I initially hoped it would be possible to check blood relations between myself and my siblings... but I don't know of any way to do so. Besides, considering the fact that we're technically artificial creations, I'm not even sure it would work - or if it's even possible," Obsidian shrugged sligthly, a bit disappointed that the world-famous Element of Magic didn't know the answers to her problems. Even if she outright dismissed it and provided a good reason why it was impossible, she would feel that much more confident. Well, it was good enough for now.
"Thank you, princess," Obsidian bowed deeply.
She looked at Obsidian and sighed. "What I know for a fact is this; you have gone to great lengths to deal with these other shards, and have cared about their well-being enough to put yourself at risk for their benefit. To me, that makes you a family - because that's love, Obsidian... and REAL families, no matter how scattered or strange, have love."
She now smiled. "And last I checked, tools don't love, either... or was Luna wrong?"
"... best sister ever..." Ruby.
"... really glad I got to know you..." Tourmaline.
"... a pleasure to finally meet you..." Quartz.
"... thank you for your kindness..." Peridot.
"... just don't die..." Amethyst.
"{... you are so wonderful, Obsidyan...}" Diamond.
"... fair enough..." Onyx.
"... ỳ̳̟o͇̭͠ṷ̵̼ ̬̝͜a͍̮͠r͙͔͎e͈͈̻ ̸͓͈ṯ̨̹ẖ̵̫e͕̝͢ li͖ģ̺h̨ͅt̝̖̥..." Jade.
... all of them, shards of her past, yet pieces of her future as well. Was Twilight right? Were they a family already?
Well, that wasn't an issue to Obsidian; she cared about them, so they were her family - even if some of them resisted it rather actively AHEM Amy and Onyx...
She had wanted to test their blood bonds... but she really had no idea how such a thing would work for artificial ponies. Figuratively speaking, there was no reason why even a single drop of Sombra's blood would run through the veins of any of his creations, right?
"Oh no, Luna wasn't wrong - I hope to plan a wedding at a time when Equestria won't be under the oppressive risk of invasion," she quickly assured the purple princess.
Twilight smiled. "Well, I know of at least ONE pink earth pony mare who would burst out in excited giggles over that one."
She stood and gave a decisive nod. "I shall order the plans from Sacred Rune's workshop shortly; with another casting of Cell Wards on a proper container, we'll have nothing else to worry about from Amber. And I can send word to Cincineighti that you'll be coming to deal with a problem; the local police will be on your side. Once I finish those things... I'll see if I can't find a Tracing Spell for you - or maybe I can make one from scratch!" She seemed excited at the prospect.
"Good luck, Obsidian... and be careful." With that, her horn gave a flash... and she was gone.
Well, Miss Pinkie had more than one reason to be excited about Obsidian's planned wedding, didn't she? Damnation, and she really wished she could learn teleportation herself; sadly, she had so many things to do and so little time.
She felt woefully underprepared for her siblings... but right now, she had other things to do. She couldn't get anything accomplished by standing in an empty room, so she turned and left. There was one almost-brother-in-law waiting for rescue, and one shard-born brother waiting for somepony to force him to adhere to the Modern Equestria of today.
Outside in the waiting chambers sat all her friends... minus one. "Didja ask about Wart?" Clap flapped forward, too nervous to stay on her hooves.
"W-was it good n-news?" Gypsy's ears perked up.
"Relax, everyone," Mica kept his head, then turned to Obsidian. "What's the word on things?"
"Unfortunately, Wart stays," Obsidian said with a rather resigned voice; there was simply no arguing this matter. The princess didn't have to send Lemon to deal with this!
"I've gotten permission to take Diamond with us, though." Hopefully, they'd be able to face Opal as a united group without anypony having to stay in Ponyville.
Thunderclap's muzzle fell. "Awwwwww! But... b-but they can't tear apart The Siddy Six! They just can't!"
Mica sighed, disappointment writ small on his muzzle. "Well, it looks as though they just did, Clap. More's the pity, as it would have been a good fight to watch..."
"And Wart woulda kicked his sorry flank all the way back here," Clap sighed.
"Look - maybe, after everything that's happened, she could use a break, right?" Cup tried a different angle. "I mean, she had to suffer Peridot's Dream Curse-"
"So did I!" Clap interjected.
"Yes, you did, Clap," Mica finished, picking up on what Cupcake was saying, "but you got to sleep it off when it was over; Wart went back on duty, then accompanied you to Manehattan, where she got stepped on and almost trampled, then having to not only attend a party in a dress, but spying on Quartz - which was useful information - and then back here..."
As it dawned on Thunderclap, a look of slow shock settled in. "... where she's having to take on someone else's shift, to cover for the ones who'll be helping us... whoa."
Mica looked at her, but not unkindly. "I would rather she go too... but if this gives her a chance to recover from all we've done lately, then she'll be good to go when we need her most."
Cup grinned. "Our little Paladin."
"Her n-name is so very app-p-propriate," Gypsy added meekly.
Clap gave a grump sound, then looked at everyone. "Well, we're not getting there any quicker... might as well get a move on."
Feelings were low as they left the waiting chambers; maybe outdoors would be a nice change of scenery?
Obsidian felt there was no need to tell them about the allowed return of Tourmy's magic, or her own doubts about her origins. The fact that Wart wasn't going with them truly saddened Obsidian, but there was nothing she could do about it - and besides, maybe the little one DID deserve some relaxation... assuming she'd be able to relax while her friends were fighting off Aquamarine.
"I'd like to go find Lemon as soon as possible; is there anyone here who doesn't want to go with us to Clearwater today?"
It had been a lot of train-riding lately, but it had to be done to get to where they needed to be.
Thunderclap looked over at Cupcake and gave a rare gentle smile. "What, and leave Cupster all jittery over his big brother? I'd rather get right to it, so we can all see Lemon's sour muzzle again. Right, Cuppie?"
Cupcake Sprinkles had tears of gratitude standing in his eyes. "Thanks, Clapperino... thanks, you guys... I r-really, reeeeeeally love all of you so much..."
Mica nodded. "That's what friends are for, Cup." Gypsy simply gave a nod and a smile to add.
"Let's say we meet in one hour at the train station then, okay? In the meantime, let's eat something, prepare our bags, relax a bit while we wait. Dear Gypsy, could you possibly inform Diamond that he is allowed to accompany us to see a bit more of the world?" Obsidian smiled inwardly as she arranged things - she already had a few plans of her own for how to pass the time...
Gypsy, wagging his tail, seemed to light up. "This one i-i-is to go and f-fetch Diamond for the trip now? He is h-happy to do so - he will b-b-be so pl-pleased!" The diamond dog scampered off towards the direction of the Harmony Suites (Obsidian had finally learned what that section of the castle was called), seeming quite happy to go and get his newest friend, her little-big brother.
Mica looked at them. "I think I want to let my Mom and Dad know I'm still alive - though we're still trying to remedy that." He almost smiled. "One hour; I'll be there." He turned and, with a quick squeeze for Clap, he headed off.
Cup looked like he was calming himself... and finally, gave a small smile and looked at her. "Siddy, thanks again for getting to this so quickly... though, I hope I can just stay calm for one more hour, not thinking about Lemon broken over your brother's knee, or not thinking about him crushed under a rock, or not thinking about him being eaten by wild weasel-nadoes, or not thinking about a possible land shark atta-"
"YO, CUP!" Clap shouted with an almost Canterlot-Voice-volume.
Shaken, her yell succeeded in getting his attention, and he blinked out of his rant. "Uh... wait, what? What?"
Clap just shook her head and grinned. "Lemon'll be fine, Cup. Trust me."
Obsidian patted Cup's back reassuringly. "Let's go home for a while - we'll calm down there for a bit, then go straight to the train station, okay?"
Cup sighed, then looked at Siddy with eyes full of emotion. "I... Siddy, I can't. I just can't. Even if he isn't exactly the nicest pony around, Lemmy was always there for me when I really, reeeeeally needed him... and, I don't know, I mean... I just don't feel right, trying to relax when I know he's going into what might be a really bad situation..."
He smiled at her. "If it's all the same... I think I'd rather just wait here, i-if it's okay; it's just hard to think about anything else when your own sibling's lives are on the line."
Obsidian sighed deeply. First Stalwart interrupted them, and now Cup wasn't in the mood? It seemed like there was simply no way she could do anything fun! "Does that mean you've already taken all those cookies you were baking to Twilight's palace?"
Cup looked at her... then gave a resigned sigh. "I guess... if I'm with you, I might could be okay. Maybe. Hugs could help."
Okay, maybe... while he didn't seem to be in a very good mood, what she wanted could actually make him a bit happier and calmer.
"... Cup... come with me, and we'll do so much more than hugs..." she whispered into his ear with hope.
What? Mares have their needs too, from time to time!
Cupcake looked at her blankly for a moment... then, when it finally reahed home what she was implying, he blushed fiercely. Then, putting on one of his charming grins, he reached out and took her hoof, pressing a kiss to it before answering her. "Well then, my Dark Princess... with an offer like that, I guess I have to say yes, now don't I?"
The two of them walked home next to each other, close enough to touch while walking... and it wasn't bad at all. Of course, Thunderclap was hitting the food carts around the station; she'd be there when they returned.
Reaching the house with no disruptions or hassles... just two teenagers sneaking into their room to do naughty things to each other. Obsidian had to admit, even though she was still new to the act, she certainly found herself interested in practising all the more.
And of course, Cupcake was being led right into it, by his... er, hormones. Yeah, hormones. That's the word.
He seemed to be much calmer now; luckily, she'd managed to turn his mind away from those grim thoughts and put it into a much, much more pleasurable place. In fact, Obsidian could use a pleasant break as well - and they had an entire hour to do the deed, refresh a bit and get back to the train station. It was foolproof.
The house was reached... the door, opened quietly... a careful tiphoof through house... making it to their bedroom... opening the door... creeping inside... closing said door...
... and for once, 'foolproof' was not a death wish; they'd made it into their room, safe and sound, and were all alone to do as they wished.
"I love you more than you'll ever know, Obsidian..." Cup sighed as he nuzzled her warmly.
He really had to love her a lot if he was able to stop worrying about Lemon so quickly - or perhaps he wanted this as much as she did? Possibly both?
"You are the number one most important pony in my life, Cuppy," she cooed in response, gently guiding him to their bed, which was soft and inviting,...and Cupcake himself was soft, sweet and warm...
And the hour flew by.
The next thing Obsidian knew, she was being gently kissed awake. "Love? Siddy? We have to go - the train leaves in ten minutes, but we can get there easy." Cupcake went to stand, but wobbled a bit and held onto the mattress to steady himself.
He grinned sheepishly. "Uh, if I can walk properly, that is!" he laughed. Oddly enough, Obsidian was thinking the exact same thing. She had been right - it had relaxed both of them. Thoroughly.
She couldn't speak for Cup, but she was so terribly relaxed right now that she could barely think about anything else than snuggling her coltfriend for a while longer. Sadly - first things first, eh?
Obsidian sighed deeply and somehow managed to stand up. She levitated her saddlebags onto her back, secured them and put the bracelet on her leg, because she really hoped that Flurry - with her wings, horn and such - would find them, sooner or later. The fact that she left after her argument with Clap and never returned was a bit concerning. Luckily, Obsidian had an easy way to contact her in any case...
"We enjoyed each other too much to do it too quickly, hmmmm?" she mused slyly. However, she quickly got serious. "But you're right - let's go. And let's try to walk as straight as possible..."
Cupcake giggled, like they were hiding a secret. "Okay... but you've gotta stop looking so pleased." Cup would have to do the same, actually - he was almost glowing with satisfaction. If she looked anything like he did, they would be found out in a Manehattan Minute. Hunh... she sort of understood the saying now, how things happened so quickly there...
But seriously, if Cup didn't want her looking so pleased, then perhaps he shouldn't please her so much! It was only his own fault that she loved him so much - every inch of his body and every scrap of his brilliant, warm, gentle and kind soul, and...
Okay, this train of thought wasn't helping in not looking pleased; maybe she should try to scowl, like in the good, old days? But it seemed to be physically impossible for her right now; damnation, but Cup was GOOD.
Anyway, it wasn't long before they reached the station, where Clap and Mica were standing at the platform, with Gypsy and-
"{Obsidyan!}"
... and Diamond, who tacklehugged her leg as soon as he saw her. "{Oh, Obsidyan! Thank you for this opportunity to help you do some good! I am so very much looking forward to our adventure together - I will be our brave and clever medic, ever alert for danger and able to heal the wounds that would end your very lives!}"
"He's extra-talky today," Clap said with a smirk, "still don't know what he's saying, but whatever it is, I like his enthusiasm!"
Diamond disconnected from her leg and practically skipped over to the rest of them. Gypsy, Mica, Clap, Cup, Diamond... it wasn't quite The Siddy Six... but maybe it would be enough? I mean, the number six was still involved, right?
"{I'd prefer to avoid any life-threatening wounds personally, Diamond... but I do appreciate your enthusiasm,}" she smiled gently at him. He wasn't Stalwart, not in any way... and as far as she knew, the heroic sixes - Pillars, Element Bearers, the six brave students from the Friendship Academy - were supposed to stay in the same squad. They needed Stalwart... but they did manage to get Quartz without Gypsy, so perhaps this time it would work out the same way?
"Is everyone ready for another dangerous adventure that we're not getting paid enough for?" she asked cheerfuly - way too cheerfuly. What's worse, she wasn't being sarcastic or ironic - she was just good-old snarky Obsidian... just doing her best to try to maintain a positive attitude. Even if she herself didn't believe in it much.
Mica lifted a bemused eyebrow. "I didn't know there was pay."
Thunderclap nodded. "Yeah - lets go kick his flank for him!"
Gypsy grinned. "Th-this one is so exc-c-cited to see so many new p-places!"
Diamond's horn gave a glow, and Pancho slid out of his saddlebag and onto his head, perched for adventure. "{Onward, to seize the day!}"
Cupcake gave Obsidian a peck on the cheek. "Thanks to you, I'm ready for anything!"
They only had to mention their names at the kiosk; their tickets were waiting for them - First Class, no less. All the way to Clearwater, which, according to the tickets, would taaaaaaaaake...
Ten hours. Non-stop.
Damnation - she forgot something to read again. Ten hours? Well, at least Lemon shouldn't have enough time get into any trouble ahead of them. "Alright, let's put this family reunion in motion."
The train wasn't too crowded, and the First Class section wasn't just comfy... it was cooled by magical devices known as 'air conditioners' that somehow made the entire passenger car cool and crisp. The seats were plush and comfy, and had levers to allow them to lie back for sleeping. There were even personal little lamps for each seat, so you could read without disturbing your neighbor. There were snack trays at each end of the room (thankfully, very few sweets) and a machine that dispensed cannisters of soda pop and juice. It was like a bigger limousine than the one she'd been in with Markannus and his queen...
Markannus... was he okay? There was no way to tell, unless he wanted them to know; she didn't even know where to start searching for him, if she even thought she could find him.
Cup sat next to her, with Clap and Mica in front and Gypsy and Diamond seated behind her. Some idle chat passed between most of them, but it wasn't long before Obsidian saw Thunderclap's wings wilt, then her head bob to one side as one of her legendary strings of drool began its' trek down her chin. Mica leaned his head on her side, and was soon breathing evenly. Gypsy and Diamond apparently weren't tired, as they chatted quietly and amicably in Ancient Crystallian while the train rolled on.
Cupcake leaned over until his head was resting on his fiancee's shoulder. "You're my everything, I hope you know that - if anything happened to you, I don't know that I'd be able to be the same stallion anymore... you're like a limb I can't live without. Like, my head."
Ten long hours... but with Cup at her side it should be okay. And even if Cup alone didn't make this journey interesting enough to keep her from dying of boredom, she had her other friends and her brother there as well.
But she still regretted not bringing any books.
"Well that's rather obvious, as we've made ourselves a very big portion of our lives together," she mused, resting peacefully. Aaaah, this was what she needed; in the perfect world, she'd have been able to get some well-deserved sleep right after being so thoroughly pleased, making it the ice on the cake... er, icing, rather. Stupid idioms.
The short trot to the station may have cooled her head a bit, but she was still in a rather... satisfied... mood. "Don't worry, Cuppy... I don't plan to let anything happen to me," she chuckled softly.
He smiled. "Good... 'cause I'm addicted to my Siddy, and I don't ever wanna kick the habit." He leaned up and kissed her lovingly, his breath warm, his tongue sweet-tasting, his-
"...{siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhhh}..."
Cupcake opened his eyes - frozen in mid-kiss - and looked up. Diamond was leaned over the headrest above them with what looked like little pink hearts in his eyes as he gazed at them, looking as though he was watching a romance movie.
"{Please... don't mind me...}" he said in a soft, almost sighing voice.
Obsidian blinked. Then blinked again. "{Weren't you just talking with Gypsy, a moment ago?}"
Mundy sighed lovingly. "{Oh yes, I was - but when I saw the two of you getting all cozy, it just looked so very wonderful... I do hope, one day, to be able to smooch Stalwaat in such an incredibly romantic fashion...}"
Gypsy chuckled. "{One would do well to ensure he has permission before trying such.}"
Diamond looked aghast at the thought. "{Gypsee! NEVER would I take such a delectable treat without permission! I would not wish to sully her in such a manner - the very thought is preposterous!}"
Cup looked back at Siddy, then smiled and laid back against her shoulder again. "When he gets all chatty like this, I can't understand him... but he sounds like he's enjoying talking, and that's good enough for me. That, and having my very own Siddy to snuggle."
"He said that he, er... finds us romantic to observe, and is hoping that he'll end up in a similar situation with Stalwart," Obsidian explained to Cup with a touch of embarrassment. She was sort of okay with doing things like this here - after all they had a bit of privacy, and were surrounded by friends; being outright stared at was something new. It felt considerably different than being cheered on at the party, when she kissed Cup after their dance.
"Yes... let's snuggle each other to sleep. We have a long trip ahead of us." She doubted they would be able to sleep the entire way, but it was good to take naps whenever possible when chasing down the shards of Sombra. Cup placed a foreleg around her, and nestled into her side. He was so warm, so soft... Her Cupcake... and she was his Dark Princess.
Something about that was a deep connection with her; it wasn't owning like slaves, no... it was both more entrapping AND more free, at the same time. But it felt wonderful to be in love. And to think, if it hadn't been for Princess Twilight waking her up before Onyx's plans could, she never would have had such an opportunity to ever know what this felt like. It would have been a crying shame...
But instead, she HAD been through all of that, and had gained five incredible and wonderful friends: Thunderclap Dash, the hot-shot with the generous heart. Mica Chip, the logical and honest stallion. Gypsy Rover, the kindly scholar. Stalwart Stance, the endlessly loyal and stoic knight. And Cupcake Sprinkles, whose heart shared its' laughter with everyone around him.
All of them had become firm pieces in her life, solid presences that affected her, bolstered her and even got her into situations she never knew existed. Yet, they were her friends... and was she theirs?
You bet your fur.