"Amy..? Amy..! AMY!!!" Obsidian pressed her presence at her sister's mind, trying desperately to wake her up... but unfortunately, Amy simply mumbled in her sleep, smacked her lips and kept right on snoozing.
The form was utterly silent as it made its' way around Amy and headed into the cave itself, where Tourmaline was asleep. And, after a few nerve-racking minutes, it snuck back out and came over to where Amy and Obsidian were, then looked down at them.
From this close, Obsidian could make out a lot more detail; he was tall and broad, had a very long mane which was done up in a single, long, thick braid. He was also quite muscular; there was no hiding that fact. His legs looked thick and sturdy...
... all three of them.
Could she talk to him as well, or maybe only her own siblings were able to hear her? Well, it was time to find out!
"Washburn Washington, right? We've been searching for you!" she attempted to reach out to him as she had with her brother and sister before she received her speaking gift.
The form continued to stare for a bit, showing not the first sign he'd even heard her. Then the form leaned back a bit, using his mouth to reach into a pocket or some such and produced...
A knife. A BIG knife.
A knife which he began to bring towards Amy's throat!
"WASHINGTON!" Obsidian SCREAMED at the towering stallion with every bit of force that she could; even if she couldn't get his attention, perhaps at the very least she could awaken Amethyst!
The knife came down to her sister's pretty neck... then slid upward smoothly, cutting through the cord that held Obsidian. The knife then came back, and was put away... and he reached down and carefully picked Siddy up off of Amy's chest, placing her inside a pocket or such which was warm and smelled thickly of salt.
That done, she couldn't see anymore... but she could feel the sensation of moving - he was shardnapping her!
"Hey!" she called out, "Put me down! What do you think you're doing? Since when do Apples engage in stealing?!"
The movement continued on for a while, bouncing and jouncing along until it suddenly stopped. Light returned to Siddy's life as she was removed from whatever she was carried in and placed on a table, next to a number of other uncut gems and precious stones.
She was in a cavern, but this one was considerably bigger - and it was also filled with all manner of junk. Everything in this cave was piece-mealed together; couches made of canvas, wood and part of a grocery cart, a bed made from boxes and a thick-looking blanket of indeterminate age, shelves made of what looked to be carved rocks, and an actual wooden barrel that she saw water from a stalactite on the ceiling drip into.
Washburn Washington looked like a rugged stallion. His body was strong and capable, his body language spoke of a coiled spring about to strike, and his muzzle was a mess of scars - his big, almost radiant green eyes being the only thing unmarred about his face. He sat at a chair made of bent steel and a worn pillow, and just looked at her for a moment.
Then, slowly, he leaned over and took up what looked to be... oh Darkness preserve... a chisel!
"TOUCH ME WITH THAT THING AND I WILL BITE YOUR EARS OFF!" Damnation, so that's how he lived all these years? Separated from his family, merely because he thought, for some strange reason, that loss of a single leg would make him that much less useful to them? Was he always this level of crazy, or was it just the effect of sudden shock and blood loss from a missing limb?
The broad stallion lifted the chisel and touched it lightly to her, about mid-way... then, seeming to be pleased with his assessment, he brought his head back, aiming to bring it down on her with a firm blow...
And THAT was when she heard a large thump from above them both - and apparently, Wash heard it too, as he stopped before he could strike her. He slowly put the chisel down, and got up from the table. His scar-of-a-face was difficult to read, but his body language said he was going into defensive mode.
Then, there was another loud thump, and a muffled ripping sound... and dirt skittered down onto the table from overhead. Wash looked up... and found a hole in his ceiling. He frowned deeply. And when he heard voices, he began to creep out of her sight.
"I do not believe that is how you get water from a cactus, brother - in fact, I would dare say you've murdered the poor thing..." That sounded like... Quartz?
"{Oh no! I did not wish to commit a murder!}" And there was NO mistaking that voice - it was her siblings!
"Now, now... no fretting. We can possibly just replant it; no harm done, correct?"
"{Oh, I do hope so... I am so sorry, Mister Cactus!}"
Then, a face popped into sight at the hole - it was the grey and wrinkled muzzle of an old stallion who she KNEW to be a berserker. "Looks like some kinda cave or something... can't see a damned thing down he-... wait. Hold up. There's..."
He pulled his head back out of the hole. "There's someone living down there!"
"Living, er, underground, excuse us, you say?" And there was Opal - that accounted for everyone at the arena; they had ALL made it out alive, thank Harmony!
"HELP!" Obsidian cried out, not daring to calm herself down even a touch, due to relief - she was trapped here while this maniac was holding a chisel! She had no idea if it would be enough to damage a Sombra shard - probably not.
Hopefully not - otherwise she would feel pretty fucking stupid for not destroying Amber earlier.
"What was that!?"
"It sounded like..."
"{OBSIDYAN! IT WAS OBSIDYAN! I CAN HEAR HER!}"
"We think, um, that Diamond is, ah, correct in his assumption, yes."
"Where? Down there?"
"Indeed - and I shall volunteer to scout the premesis first; I can make up for how powerless I currently feel."
There was a scrabbling at the hole that made it a bit wider, then Quartz popped his head in to look around. "Well, I can certainly see what you mean - this is someone's home... and yet, they don't seem to be currently present."
He then cleared his throat. "Obsidian? Are you possibly down there, sister?"
"YES! I'M A SHARD! JUST GET DOWN HERE AND GET THIS MANIAC AWAY FROM ME!" Powerless, did he say? At least HE could move on his own... that, and nopony was trying to chisel him into a toothpick or something worse!
"A SHARD!? Oh sweet Darkness, just a moment!" He pulled his head up. "It IS Obsidian - and she's been sharded!"
"Oh, for cryin' out loud..."
"{Oh, my...}"
"HAAAAhahahahahahahahaaaaa... we mean, er, oh dear."
"If we could possibly find a less restrictive path downward, then we could-"
"MOVE, colt."
There was a solid, meaty >THUD<, and a LOT of dirt fell down into the cave, followed by spears of silvery moonlight.
"THERE! Now, we have a damned path - happy?"
"Brother, your brutishness knows no bounds..."
"You're welcome, Quarty. Now, you first."
"As you wish... er, may I possibly get some support, or shall I merely break only the bones I land on when I fall?"
"You big pussy..."
As she watched, a glow came from above as Quartz was being lifted by four sets of magic into the hole, then began to float down. "A moment, please - once I touch down, let me know where I am in reference to you, so that I may find you quickly, Obsidian."
This was nice and all... but Wash was possibly still hiding somewhere down here - and he was FAR bigger than Quartz was.
"Bring Aqua with you! This guy is BIG! And he has a knife and CHISEL!" At the moment, the chisel seemed to be a bit more intimidating to Siddy than the blade.
Quartz's eyes went wide, and he began to look around quickly. Spotting something that kept his interest, he waited until he was close to the floor before using his magic to lift what looked like a long, thin piece of scrap metal, holding it like a sword in front of him as his hooves touched down and he began to scan the area.
"Words, Quarty! What's news?" Aquamarine bellowed down from above.
Quartz, remaining alert, replied sidelong to the ceiling. "I am on the ground, yet Obsidian tells me there may be a dangerous interloper about - I could possibly use some assistance, perhaps?"
A shadow fell over the hole, then elderly Aquamarine swung himself down into the cavern, dropped, and used his magic to cushion his fall.
"Brother," Quartz said as Aqua lightly touched down, "why could you not have just told me to do that?"
Aqua smiled. "And you didn't think of it yourself because..?"
Quartz gave a light chuckle. "Touche`, my sibling."
They both began to look around the room, seeking whatever might be hidden in here. "Table, rocks, chair, rocks, sofa, rocks, barrel..." Aqua listed off things off-hoofedly as his eyes looked over the surrounding furniture/refuse.
"AH! Excellent!" Quartz said with a grin as he came to the table, looking directly at Obsidian's dark crystal shard with a chuckle. "And so, your cavalry arrives, madam!"
"{You both need to watch out for this guy - he's the lost son of Applejack.}" Obsidian switched to ancient Crystallian, making sure she wasn't just blabbing away their plans in front of Washburn, regardless if he heard her or not. "{He only has three legs, but he's been living here for ages, so he is incredibly dangerous! I don't know why he didn't want to talk with me, though...}"
Maybe he lived here by himself for too long and forgot how to speak? She had no idea how long he had actually been living here...
And oh, by Darkness, it was so good to see these two! "{Tell Diamond he needs to check on Tourmaline; Washburn went into the cave where he was sleeping, but I don't know what he did with him! Or TO him!"
"Tourmy? Eh... {Tourmaline?}" Quartz said, catching on, "{Hopefully, nothing sinister... if the cad has wounded him or worse...}" Quartz sounded as defensive about his brother as Obsidian felt. Had they always cared about each other in secret? Or was this something that was, as Whistlewhite said, a product of her being involved?
There was a blur of movement from behind them, but Quartz was exceptionally astute, as he whirled and presented the metal as a sword, leveling it vertically in front of him as he scanned the area tightly. Another blur of motion and a YELL from Aqua, and the two of them stomped into view.
The strong, tall and exceedingly muscular stallion had his single, thick foreleg up, which was pushing on Aqua's own dual forehooves as they were apparently trying to shove each other backwards... and to Wash's visible surprise, Aqua was winning.
"There's no stallion born yet who wins at THIS game with ME!" Aqua laughed, even as Wash's expression grew angrier. It was a bit surreal, seeing the elderly pony pushing on the huge stallion hard enough to leave grooves in the dirt from the backwards progression of Washburn's rear hooves... but it was also a silent testament to Aqua's raw strength.
Quartz, in the meantime, took Obsidian up in his magic and planted her in the chest pocket of his maroon suit; this close to him, Obsidian could swear she smelled cologne, and the bright colors were even brighter than before. "Not to worry, o sister of mine - you have been retrieved!"
At that moment, there was a hard >WHUMP<, and Aqua went sailing through the air past them as Washburn simply dropped down and bucked from underneath himself, his powerful rear hooves slamming into the elderly pony's barrel. Wash then stood up, facing Quartz.
"Wary yourself, stranger," Quartz said as he took a defensive stance, "and know that I shall take no mercy on thee, should you happen to attack me!"
"Mmmmrrrr..." Wash said, sounding like a cross between a grinding stone and a creaking door; obviously, the stallion hadn't spoken much for quite some time.
Quartz whispered softly, "Oh dear, sweet Darkness, don't tell me he's a simpleton..."
They had to stop him somehow! She certainly hadn't expected this encounter to turn out as it was turning out! "Washburn! I know your sister, Butter Churn! And Applejack!" She tried to appeal to his family again, hoping he'd simply been paying her no attention previously due to distraction, or thinking, or...
Well, maybe he COULDN'T hear her - but it wasn't going to stop her from fucking TRYING!
"Mmmmmmrrrrrrr...." he growled again, and Obsidian felt Quartz shivering, just a bit.
"I warn you!" he said, clearly using nothing but bold bravado... even though he was scared enough to shake. Pussy indeed... Aqua didn't know Quartz's courage.
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaybe ya ought not break inta someun's HOME..." he finally ground out, his voice confirming the idea he hadn't used it in so long, as it sounded more like a Timberwolf's growl than a stallion's voice.
Quartz stared for a moment... then spoke up. "Since you can speak, then I beseech you to have mercy - this shard of crystal holds my dear sister, and I would most enjoy having her back among us! We seek shelter from the pain of war, and-"
"WHAR?" he said, a bit shocked, "Whut WHAR?"
"The war of-" Quartz began, but Aqua interrupted him.
"KICKING YOUR BIG FLANK, ASSHOLE!" he cried as he suddenly leapt onto Wash's back and slammed his hooves onto either side of his head.
Washburn Washington ROARED in anger, and instantly ran backwards into the table, breaking it and sending uncut gems flying everywhere. Aquamarine was taken a bit by surprise and grunted, but he didn't let go.
As she and Quartz watched, Wash went down on all fours threes and began to buck and jump as if he were having a fit; Aqua held on for dear life, looking a bit taken by surprise at the sheer POWER of the stallion!
"THE WAR OF UMBRALS! DAMNATION, CAN'T YOU CALM THE TARTARUS DOWN?!" Obsidian was now regretting not having access to her magic; it would be easier to separate them if she could reach out and simply pluck them apart. And why was it that everypony always had to attack when a situation was DE-escalating? Ruby and Thunderclap... Aquamarine and that one guardian... and now, Aqua and Washburn!
Wash kept bucking, and when his hooves connected with the wall, the whole cavern shook! Aqua held on tightly... but he was laughing? "That's IT, COLT! Gimme a ride I won't ever forget! YEEEE-HAAAA!"
She could see the first wisps of red coming from Aqua's eyes... and this wasn't lost on Quartz either. "Oh, darkness preserve, if he rages in this tiny cave..."
But it became a moot point as Obsidian heard a light thump, and Diamond poked his head up from behind the wreckage of the table. "{Owwwww...}"
He then stood up and marched his little self right over to where Wash and Aqua were having their rodeo.
"{That... will be...} ENUFF!" He said as his horn gave a bright glow; as soon as Wash turned to face him, he simply leapt up and lightly, delicately touched his glowing horn to the angry stallion's forehead. The horn flashed, Wash's eyes crossed, then he groaned and collapsed in a heap onto the cavern floor.
Aqua came up with a jump, irritation writ large on his elderly muzzle. "I was enjoying that, you littl-"
And before he could finish, Diamond did the exact same thing to Aqua; the wisps instantly vanished, and the elderly pony let out a hiccup as he hit the floor too.
"Er... Mundy?" Quartz asked, looking a bit surprised at his brother's actions.
The little stallion smiled. {"An Anesthetic Spell, straight to the head, makes anyone behave."}
Hmmmm... useful. Perhaps she could learn that one? But first things first, and she still had to learn LOTS of things - so Siddy added it to her mental list with an internal sigh. "{Thank you, brother; now, could you perchance take hold of me? And did you manage to check on Tourmy yet?}"
Diamond came over to Quartz, who carefully gave Obsidian over with his magic as he lowered his makeshift sword.
"{Oh, Obsidyan,}" Diamond hugged the shard to his warm, soft little chest. "{We were so worried about you! What has happened to Tourmaline and Amethyst, though?}"
Quartz, in the meantime, grabbed up some of the used rope and cable lying around, and began to tie up Washburn with it as he moaned in his state of numbness.
"{They fell asleep, since we were wandering in the gorge for a long, long time. Tourmy went to sleep at the back end of the cave, but we need to check on him, Diamond. Washburn went into that cave and I didn't see what he was doing!}" Why was he asking about Amy, though? She wasn't that far away... was she? Just how far off did the massive stallion carry her?
"Which cave?" Quartz broke in as he finished tying Wash up. "Obsidian, we must have passed a hundred different caves since we got to this place! How could we possibly have known which one held them?"
Diamond sighed. "{Oh... oh my... I hope that Brother Tourmaline is okay...}"
"And Sister Amethyst, as well?" Quartz asked.
Diamond said nothing... yet after a moment, he gave a small nod.
"Well then," Quartz said with a grin, "it seems as if we have some searching to do as well, eh? Perhaps we could base ourselves from here, and make outward-expansive rings to locate where they may be at."
"If we might possibly turn your attention to the fact that WE are still present up here in a solo capacity!" Lapo yelled down at them from the hole above.
Quartz sighed. "And retrieve Opal from outside." He then smirked. "... mayhaps."
"We heard that, you sickening sycophant!"
"GOOD - then perhaps it would teach you a touch of humility, dear sister." Quartz winked at Mundy and Siddy. "But yes, we should fetch her before something dreadful can happ-"
There was a sudden shriek from above, and the sound of something heavy slamming into the ground made a few scant particles of dirt sprinkle down from above them.
"Tryin' ta get away, hunh? WHERE'S SIDDY, YOU ROTTEN SHARDSTER!?" That was THUNDERCLAP! And what was worse, she had no idea that Opal was (more or less) on their side now! The pegasus would likely beat Opal to a pulp without her mechanical defenses!
"{We were near this really tall cactus; I saw Washburn leaving his hideout from the place where Amy slept. You shouldn't have any trouble spotting her...}" Now Obsidian was starting to become a bit more anxious; who knew what Washburn possibly could have done to poor Tourmaline?
"CLAP! I'M FINE!" Obsidian was really starting to miss her magic... and her body.
There were indistinct noises from above, then the hole BURST inwards, and the pegasus landed squarely in the center of the room, taking a martial arts-style stance.
"Nobody move! Thunderclap Dash is HERE!" she bellowed.
Oooooooooh... something was going on that was decidedly new; when Clap hit the ground, Obsidian felt a tingle inside her, as if there was something particular that was drawing her to Thunderclap, directly. It felt like the pegasus was a magnet, and Siddy was a pile of metal shavings; she felt like she wanted nothing more than to hug her brash yet charitable friend...
Obsidian had no idea that she'd truly missed her so much.
Quartz, nonplussed, simply blinked at her. "Yes, yes, that's nice... and do you plan to be of any help, while you're here?"
Clap spun to face Quartz. "YOU! Now I know something's up! The suitmaker and the egghead up there, and..." Now, she caught sight of Diamond and blinked. "... a-and Mundy? Plus, I KNOW I heard Siddy somewhere in all this - don't you lie to me!"
Diamond lifted the shard up to be seen. "{Here she is!}"
Clap looked... and her entire muzzzle fell at the sight of the simple little shard. "Oh... oh, no no... Siddy? Sidster? Is... i-is that YOU?" She looked heartbroken.
It was SO good to see her! And this time, she wasn't hostile! "Ha! I beat both you and Mica! One shot, double win!" Siddy obviously wasn't going to miss an opportunity to brag about it... just a little bit - especially as she really managed to beat them quite fairly. "And you know what? Now we can fly together - which we should do, since we need to find Tourmaline and Amethyst. I don't know where Washburn took me... can you help us find them somehow?" She sounded a bit more cheerful than one could normally reasonably expect from a shard. If one expected things from shards.
Her eyes flew open as Obsidian spoke. "HOLY HIGH ALTITUDE! S... S-S-SIDDY!? How in the buck can I HEAR you from in there!? Oh, Sids-"
She grabbed the shard from Diamond's hooves and cradled it in her powerful forelegs as she gave a crushing hug that Siddy, for once, wasn't crushed in. "When that bimbo let us think again, Mikey and I were SO SORRY! We thought you were HIM, and when HE showed up, we wanted him DONE! We wanted him DEAD! WE TRIED TO KILL YOU, SIDDEEEEEE..."
Clap began to sob, hugging the shard to her barrel for all she was worth. "Oh, please please PLEASE say you don't hate us! I couldn't STAND it if you hated us, PLEASE tell me you're okay, and we didn't hurt you too much, PLEEE-HEE-HEEEEESE!!!"
Quartz lifted an eyebrow. "... tried to... oh, yes, Amber. Well, at least she isn't under the influence; no sickly glow in her eyes."
HOORAY! A hug that didn't bend her skeleton! Being a shard certainly had its advantages! "Clappy! ME, hating YOU? I love you, girl - ALL of you! And don't worry; you and Mica didn't damage me too much! And damnation, you won't believe what's been happening as of la-"
Wait a second. "Uhm... Quartz? Does a Sharding Spell include our clothing as well? I wonder where my wedding necklace got to, or if it's here with me..."
Clap's muzzle broke out in a teary grin. "Oh Sids, I love ya too, oh my friend..."
She then stopped cold, pulled the shard from her and glared at her with a playful smirk. "Heeeeyyyyyy... you can't count that as a win! We were under mind control! We didn't really have much of a plan! I mean, I'm already in trouble for stealing those lightning rods from the Weather Factory..." She then sighed, "... which means I'm probably out of a job... fudge bars..."
Clap looked back up at the shard with a challenging grin as she continued. "You wanna know if you can do it for real, you gotta do it without help from your stupid sister!"
She then turned to Quartz, and her muzzle hardened. "You. Let her out."
Quartz shrugged. "I assure you, madam, that I would if I knew how. Normally, interaction with either an alicorn or one of us is required, yet... well, she hasn't reformed from the touch of MY magic, so it doesn't seem to be working that way, this time..."
And yet, she definitely felt a tingle from Thunderclap's simple touch...
"And I didn't have my magic and was already tired after my fight with Gypsy! Now, Clappy - where's the rest of the team? We need to reunite... and find Amy and Tourmy, of course."
"The team's hiding out - all of us - at Sugarcube Corner, duh! Since things went sideways, there's been a TON of those harness things out there - and they've got Umbrals in 'em! This is SERIOUSLY SCREWED, Siddy..." Clap then sighed as her muzzle fell a bit. "Worse? She's got a LOT of ponies under her control - Princess Twilight, Professor Fluttershy, Miss Rarity, Pinkie AND my mom are all missing, and I'm scared to death that she... she..."
The pegasus suddenly stood up straight, and angrily wiped away the tears that were trying to fall from her eyes. "Siddy, she's got my mom... I don't know WHAT to do!"
"Try, perhaps, doing as she was suggesting; find Amethyst and Tourmaline, then take Obsidian back to your friends. I don't believe that would be out of line, as I've met Cupcake personally... and I am certain he misses his love." Quartz grinned.
Clap looked at him skepticatlly. "But... you're the Bad Guy; why are you being so nice?"
Quartz chuckled at the comment. "Have you not heard of rehabilitation, my dear? Besides, 'evil' isn't very fashionable, this season," he then frowned to himself, "contrary to the apparent popular belief of some siblings..."
"Rehal... rehabul... you mean, you're gonna switch sides, then?" Clap asked.
Quartz smiled in return. "I believe we ALL are ready to do so, in order to stop Amber's inherent madness - she was going to have us all fight to the death, until she was stopped by some rather clever thinking on Amethyst's part."
Clap's jaw dropped open. "Queen Cranky bested the bimbo!?"
Well, the situation was terribly serious: Ponyville was under enemy occupation, key figures had been lost to undead mechanical forces... apparently including Princess Twilight Sparkle, who held the secret of how to stop Amber's mind-controlling powers...
Overall, they were outnumbered, outgunned and outsmarted... just another, boring day in Equestria. Nothing new.
"Yes, Clap, she did indeed - she also was the one who helped us in Manehattan and in Cin... Cin... uh, that city with the strange name. Mare Do-Well? That was her! She could use magic the entire time, and yet she didn't. Wonderful, isn't it?" Obsidian still had some leftover happiness in her voice, but it wasn't going to last for long. "I also met Whistlewhite, and Onyx is on our side as well! Overall, Amber made a terrible mistake by threatening our entire family at once; we are now all united against the oncoming enemy... well, except for Amber, of course. And Sapphire as well, because I frankly have no idea where she could be... but we will save Equestria, Clap. Again."
Clap just stared as she talked, then gave a low whistle as she finished. "Sids, whoa... that's, like, WOW. Mare-Do-Well was Amy? A-and ONYX!? I mean, what... how..."
Then she took a deep breath, and laughed. "Eeyup! Totally just another day for the Siddy Six! Ha-HA!"
She stood up and looked to Quartz. "Okay, suitguy - I guess I gotta go find Tourmy and Amy! You, uhhh..." She now noticed the tied-up stallion, and walked over to look at him. "This one's a BIG fella... how did-"
Her eyes stopped cold as they reached his cutie mark: an apple with a heart cut into it, seeds visible in the center.
"... that... TH-THAT'S WASHBURN WASHINGTON! WHAT IN THE CUMULONIMBUS..." She stared for a moment more before shaking herself out of it, then looked at the shard. "Siddy... we've got a LOT of catching up to do, you and me! Tell ya what, my friend..."
She then struck a dramatic pose, wings fully extended and a foreleg pointed to the sky. "Let's DASH!"
And with a single, powerful flap, Siddy felt like she was suddenly airborne! Clap flew straight up through the hole, making Opal yelp in surprise as she shot by, and flared her wings in the moonlight when she reached the skies.
"HA-HAAA! Clap and Siddy, together again!" she cried out, and took off over the gorge. The sight was breathtaking - they were high up, and Obsidian had a complete view of it all as Clap tied the broken ends of the cord together and tossed it around her own neck.
WOO-HOOOOOOO! FLYYYYIIIIING! Obsidian had only once gotten an opportunity to really fly - and it was in a dream where she was an alicorn, and it only lasted for a fleeting moment. Other, smaller flights - like her failed attempt to invade Opal's spider mech - didn't really count; too many things prevented her from enjoying that experience very much.
Now, however? She could see exactly how flying looked for a pegasus like Thunderclap Dash. She didn't have to worry about crashing, her weight wasn't bothering her friend's flight...
Being a shard definitely had its' advantages.
"Clap, Clap! I saw my own birth!" she decided to inform her, in case Clap didn't already consider this day to be among the very strangest of their lives.
"Whaaaaaaat? That sounds kinda... messy, Siddy! Or were you made in a lab? I only know how it goes for normal pones; you, girl, are WAAAAAAAY beyond normal - but in the best way!" She sailed over the gorge; it looked so small from up here... had they really walked it for so long? She had to admit that having wings was definitely an incredible advantage!
"So you saw all that stuff... but did you finally get to see what Radiant Hope was up to? I know that was bothering you for a long time... was she as dumb as you thought she was? Did she goof it up somehow?"
Obsidian spoke excitedly. "I was created in a dark cavern where Hope accidentally turned herself into a shard; Sombra was trying to drag her back into the world, but each time he tried, he kept getting a different foal until eventually, when he tried to break the shard - which was when I appeared! Which, to be fair, feels kind of strange... especially considering that part of her lives on in each of us. Myself included. I can even kind of feel her, but she's not in any shape to chat, sadly."
Clap stared down at her for a moment with a patented Thunderclap-style confused look on her muzzle, then shook her head slowly. "Geez, I can't even... that's harsh, Siddy. I mean, it's a lot to take in, y'know? I gotta get Mica to help put this where I can understand it better!"
Clap suddenly changed direction, and it felt as natural as taking a step. "Saw that - movement down there." What movement? Obsidian didn't see any...
"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!" came from below in a screeching, violent voice that was the aural equivalent of glass shattering. Beneath them, Obsidian saw what looked to be a whirling dervish of destruction, tearing at rocks and ground equally, while another figure stood waaaaaay back, but observing.
"That can't be good," Clap said, displaying her gift for stating the obvious - DAMNATION, Siddy had really MISSED her! "Should we check it out?"
What was the worst thing that could happen to them? They were absolutely awesome, after all! Clap could crush their foes with powerful divebomb attacks from the air! And Obsidian could - er... um, sparkle prettily? The worst thing would be falling into Amber's tender embrace once again... "Yes, but be careful - don't get too close, and if you'll even think you see poor Flurry Heart down there, we need to get out of here QUICKLY."
Clap nodded in response (it was a good thing Siddy could see) and began to make a lazy spiral downward, observing as she came to a better vantage point.
The cyclone of destruction was pony-shaped, and sounded a LOT like Amethyst in the midst of a screaming fit, while the other presence was Tourmaline; he had a canvas tarp wrapped around him like a cloak. He looked as though he was crying... but Amethyst was absolutely livid; apparently, they had awoken to discover Obsidian gone. Which, with the way she and Amy had been bonding lately, must have been quite a shock for her.
"Oh good, we've found them!" Obsidian was exceedingly happy to realize that the first part of their mission was already finished. "Let's land; we need to point them towards the rest of the family and assure them that I'm fine."
Clap hovered for a moment. "Uhhhhhh... Sids? I'm not landing where she can get to me... but..."
She swooped low over Tourmaline, and hovered over his head, out of reach. "Yo, Tourms!" she called out, "Look what I gooooot!"
Tourmaline looked up, gave a start at what he saw, then tuned to face Amy's direction. "AMETHYST! WE FOUND HER!"
Amy came to a dead stop, looking more like Aquamarine right now than herself, panting for breath and wearing a grimace that made her look utterly insane. But she took one look at Clap, saw the shard around her neck and rushed over to where they both were.
"DID YOU TAKE HER!? DID YOU TAKE HER!?!?" she sceamed, her voice cracking as tears flowed from her purple-misting eyes.
"No, geez!" Clap called back, "She was with the others - the egghead, the suitmaker, the elder and Mundy! They found her with someone I haven't seen in a decade, at least! And she's fine, Amy! CHILL!"
Amethyst looked utterly relieved and drained, and she sunk to the ground in a heap, gasping for breath as she kept her eyes glued to the shard.
"Uhhhh, Sids? That mare could use some comfort, I think - tell her you're okay, okay?"
"Yup! Comfort her! I will comfort her! We need to have a bit of a chat!" Obisidan practically chirped, relieved that Amy was better now... and secretly pleased that she managed to get into the violent mare's heart so much. Who would have thought that Amy, her dear sister Amethyst, could behave like that?
Amy gave a soft, barely controlled sob and held out her forelegs... and Clap, with a soft smile, generously placed Obsidian's shard into her trembling hooves, where Amy fiercely embraced the sliver of crystal. "Not when I was just starting to love you... no no no... not when I'd finally found someone who wants me here... not... no no no... no..."
Wow. Even Clap was taken aback by the teary display of affection. "Uhhhhh... yeah, she's good. So..." she turned to Tourmy, "like, what happened?"
Tourmaline dried his own eyes on his makeshift cloak. "Well, when... when I woke up, I was covered in this piece of canvas, like a blanket - which felt good, as I was a bit cold. When I came out to see what had happened to Obsidian and Amethyst, I found her lying on a rock asleep... and no shard around her neck."
"I searched a bit, then panicked when I realized she wasn't here - that's when I woke Amy, and when she reached for a shard that wasn't there... she, well..." He gestured to the still sobbing Amy. "She lost it."
"Yeeeeaaaaahhhh... I kinda figured that one out. So, now that we found ya, we can help you two make it to where the rest are, and reunite with everyone in the family, right?" Clap asked.
Tourmaline scowled. "Almost everyone; I know of at least ONE who won't be invited..."
Oh dear; Amy was really getting into this whole 'sisterly love' thing. And Obsidian sadly didn't have any legs that could help her return her sister's hug - what a terrible loss.
"Hey, Amy! I missed you, and I love you too!" It felt a bit strange to say out loud, but apparently Amy had been keeping her emotions all to herself for so long; now that she'd found out that she can actually show them to the world, it was no surprise that she seemed to be going a bit overboard.
"Oh, don't worry, brother - sooner or later, Amber will be invited as well... as the main course." Obsidian didn't even have a mouth to make a predatory grin with - another great loss. "But yes, I was taken away by the pony I was talking about. He wasn't, er... too talktative, but he apparently gave you this canvas to cover up with and, well... Quartz and Aqua rescued me from him and his chisel. *ahem* We left the rest of them back in his hideout, safe underground for the time being. I would gladly point it out to you but, uh... I don't exactly have anything to point with, at the moment."
Clap chuckled. "C'mon you two - let's get you back to the others."
She made her way over to Amethyst and after a bit of mental debate, she placed a tenative hoof on Amy's shoulder, ready to flinch away at any moment. "Hey, uhhhh... you wanna hold onto her while I guide you guys to the cave?"
Amy wordlessly nodded her head vigorously, and Clap smiled. "Yeah, you stay with Amy, Siddy - keep her company while we head back."
Amy slowly got up and slipped the repaired cord around her neck, but kept Siddy next to her barrel with a foreleg, as if she was afraid the entire world was trying to steal her sister away. Clap led the way, and Tourmy and Amy followed. Amethyst managed to get herself under control after a bit, but she still held Siddy tightly to her.
It was a surprising amount of walking, but they reached the hole in the ground soon enough; no Opal above, so they had likely gotten her down into the cavern with the rest of them. Clap brought them to the hole itself, then smiled as she dropped down into it, presumably to inform the others.
Above ground, Tourmy sat down and patted the rock next to him, where Amy parked herself. The two of them then simply sat there, both looking at Obsidian's shard.
"We thought we'd lost you for good," he sighed, "and I'm glad we haven't. You're the one thing that makes me believe our little gathering of misfits might actually become a family, someday. And now that I know how that feels," he glanced at Amy with a gentle smile, "I don't want to give it up. Not for anything."
Amy simply nodded... then, as she looked at Obsidian, she leaned ever-so-slightly on Toumaline's shoulder. And he didn't push her away; he placed a foreleg around her shoulders, and she placed one on his chest. The two of them, finally acting as brother and sister, looking sweetly down at their favorite sibling.
"I'm glad we met you," Amy whispered, "and I'm glad you care about us... I think we needed that more than any of us even knew."
Walking was far less tiresome when somepony was carrying you all the way and family reunions were far more pleasant when nopony was trying to kill each other... which was kind of surprising. Obsidian knew that Tourmy and Amy had been getting along a bit more lately, but she didn't expect them to have bonded so rapidly, even in such drastic circumstances.
"I thank you, dear sister and brother of mine; I'm glad I could do something like that for you both." Even though they couldn't see it, Obsidian smiled mentally. And awwww... really, it was kind of cute - so cute that if Obsidian had teeth right now, she would probably already be suffering a nasty toothache. "Soon enough, we'll be able to get Ruby back, too... maybe even Onyx as well - would you believe she apologized and hugged me? No resurrection for Peridot yet, though... at least until we find a way to deal with his unique problem."
Amy nodded in understanding. "Yeah... the voices..."
Tourmaline cocked his head. "Onyx? Apologizing? Hugging? Well... from anyone else, I'd call bullshit... but from you? Astounding... how do you DO it? How can you be so good at bringing everyone together like this?"
"She said so earlier," Amy added, smiling, "it's her Destiny."
Clap shot back up out of the hole, and landed deftly in front of them. "Alright - I'm takin' Siddy with me to go gather up and see the others; they kinda NEED her, too. You two okay now?"
Tourmy and Amy both nodded. Clap smiled. "Awesome. Now, can I have Siddy back, please?" And she held out her hoof.
Amy hesitantly took off the cord, and placed the shard carefully into Clap's hoof, where she placed the cord around her own neck. "Don't worry," the blue pegasus said to them, "she's safe with me."
"We know," Tourmaline smirked, "or we wouldn't let you take her."
"Be careful," Amy added.
Clap smartly saluted them both, then shot into the sky once again. "Next stop - Sugarcube Corner! Now, let's wreck this route!" And with that, she took off across the skies, leaving Siddy a breathtakingly beautiful sight of the land below, shrouded in moonlight.
"Until later, my dear siblings! If I had hooves, I would be waving to youuuuu!" she called out as she was forced to describe herself. To be fair, Obsidian wanted to understand how it was possible that Onyx had done so as well; perhaps she'd just needed somepony to talk to instead of screaming at?
Then she was flying again! Oh dear - quickly flying! Regarding the world below her, she realized it would be such a waste if a world so beautiful would fall into Amber's or - Harmony forbid - The Umbra's hooves... er, paws? What exactly did The Umbra have at the end of its limbs? Did it even have limbs?
The flight was fascinating, as they passed over many different fields and towns. The view was grand, and it seemed like Equestria itself was so beautiful... until they reached a bridge, which was ablaze with fire; Umbral Harnesses on on end, and townsponies with torches on the other.
Then a farmhouse with every possible opening boarded shut, and not a single soul in sight.
And a small shopping center that had ponies on the rooftop, blasting with both magic and rifles at the amassed harnesses below them, desperately trying to hold them back.
And then there was the occasional march of Umbral Harnesses - some of whom took occasional potshots at Clap as she stuck her tongue out at them while they flew by.
Then, there was Ponyville itself...
There were a number of quick-shot walls constructed of junk and carts surrounding the town... and with good reason, as there were what looked like a veritable ring of harnesses surrounding the borders - not attacking, but patrolling the outskirts in groups of fifteen. The town itself didn't look as bad as the damage from the previous attacks had once left it, but there seemed to be a lack of some sort, and she could feel the fear and worry that seemed to radiate from almost every shuttered house there.
Sugarcube Corner stood where it always had, but the window shutters were closed and locked, as well as the front door - a rare sight during normal business hours. Clap dropped down in front of that door, and knocked loudly. "Yo, it's me - and I brought a guest! Open up!"
There was the sound of latches and chains being moved, then the doorway cracked a bit, and a single blue eye looked out.
"C-C-Clap?" spoke an all-too-familiar canine voice, "you have returned; any n-n-news?"
"Lemme in, Gypper! I found Siddy!" Thunderclap said proudly.
The door instantly flew open, and the diamond dog grabbed her and pulled her inside. "Obsidian!? Wh-where? Where i-i-i-is she, C-Cl-Clap?"
Now, the tingle she felt when she'd first seen her pegasus friend became even moreso, and she felt as if she was beginning to get a light surge of energy from his presence...
Did Amy's sucking of Amber's magic hamper her ability to control everyone simultaneously more than Obsidian thought it had? She had honestly already expected Equestria to be on its knees by now, fully conquered. Ponyville itself wasn't even occupied! One would think that with such a massive amount of firepower alone, Amber could easily conquer everything and anything in her path!
Ah - home, sweet home. "I'm here, Gypsy! I met Whistlewhite!" She was practically beaming with happiness and pride at the sight of her canine friend. "Where's everyone else?"
Gypsy's ears lifted when she spoke, and he looked around for a moment...
"Yo," Clap said, and pointed a hoof at the shard.
Gypsy's eyes went wide. "Ob-b-b-b... O-b-b-b-b-b..." Tears in his eyes, he stared at it, then threw his forearms around Clap and hugged them both tightly. "Ob-b-b... {Obsidian! Oh, Obsidian! This one is a HORRIBLE friend for doing what he did! He feels nothing but shame and pain for what he put you through! Please, please forgive this humble fool for what he could not see...}"
"I dunno what you said there," Clap grinned, "but if it's what I think you were saying, I don't think Siddy's gonna hold a grudge for the whole 'Jacknife' thing."
"Gypsy, you have to imagine it, but I'm patting you right now; you haven't done anything that would even require my forgiveness. It's all Amber's fault, really." Besides, Gypsy had been the least problematic of her friends to deal with. "By the way, how's your head? I hope you weren't injured too badly..."
The diamond dog began to whimper and cry, but he was smiling and his tail was wagging a mile a minute. "Y-y-your f-f-forg-g-giveness i-i-is am-mazing, Obs-s-sidian," he said through his tears.
Clap smirked. "C'mon Gypsy - we've got a reunion to attend!"
He smiled and nodded, and they both went to the counter, and with the tilt of a cookie jar, they were sliding down the twisty tubes and into the ball pit at the bottom. However, now there was a bit of a difference...
The shelves, once piled high with party supplies, were now filled with canned goods, packaged food, bottled waters and other acoutrements that would be key in surviving a siege. There was also a workbench, filled with all manner of devices and gadgets - though all of them looked only half-complete to her... um... 'eyes'.
From the back room, she could hear other voices she knew very well indeed:
"Canterlot, maybe? Would there be any place to work from there?" The erudite Mica Chip.
"Oh, that's a big old nope; she's got that already - no point in trying to find help there. Well, not help that would actually, you know, help us; more like they'd report us to her to get out of torture, or maybe she'd even make them try to take us in themselves!" Her wonderful Cupcake Sprinkles.
"There shall be no mercy, once we find that harlot - mark my words." The stoic voice of Stalwart Stance.
As she was brought closer and closer to the room they were all in, Obsidian felt that previous energy GROWING inside her, like some sort of force or power was beginning to become quite noticable...
And it felt good.
"Alright folks," Clap said as she walked right into the meeting room, "who wants to say hi?"
And there they were.
Mica was wearing a bandage around his left foreleg and was sporting a slightly blackened eye, but otherwise looked as okay as he could; he seemed listless and tired, though. Wart looked like she was nothing but serious, even a bit cold. And Cupcake - HER Cupcake - looked like a sight for sore eyes; he was just as handsome as ever, even moreso to her.
"Well, then," Clap looked at the shard, "why don't YOU say hi?"
Mercy? Oh, Amber would have to beg for it - and she would find not the first scrap; it seemed that at least Stalwart had the same intentions.
"Hi everyone!" she chirped, "It's me, Obsidian! Now, can I possibly get a long-overdue group hug?"
With all this energy she kept feeling tingling inside her, she was expecting something good to happen during their reunion. Besides, group hugs were nice - and she found them far more acceptable than she used to.
Cupcake and Mica stood up instantly, both shocked and overjoyed at the sound of her voice.
"Obsidian!"
"SIDDY! MY SIDDY!"
The two of them came right over and both took turns taking hold of Obsidian, Mica hugging her tightly and Cup practically covering the shard in kisses.
"Oh, SIDDY! Oh, you're a shard, but I DON'T CARE, IT'S YOUUUUUUU!!!" Cupcake couldn't seem to keep from kissing every facet of her crystalline form.
Mica laughed and smiled broadly, very much unlike his usual expression. "I'd say you most certainly look thinner; have you been dieting?" he laughed.
Wart, however, only hung her head low, then turned and walked out of the room.
Hah! Siddy had no idea that, as a shard, she would be able to feel so much! It was an absolute relief to be in company of her best friends once more, laughing and enjoying her presence and...
"Now that you mention it, Mica, I don't remember when I last had a good meal! But for now... er, could you possibly throw me at Stalwart, please?"
Both Cup and Mica looked back to where the little mare had been standing... but she wasn't there.
Cup sighed. "Yeah... Siddy, we're all super-duper sorry for the whole thing with Jacknife... but Wart? I think she took it harder than any of us. I felt awful for my part, all of us do, but..." He looked to the others and sighed again. "She's really... I mean, she... she just..."
Mica stepped up. "She feels it's HER fault completely; mind control or no. She attacked you - WART attacked you - and she can't deal with it, because she thinks the world of you. We've tried to convince her, but-"
"Yeah," Clap added, "Wart's PISSED at Amber, and wants her ground into fine powder... but I think she's taking it waaaaaay too hard on herself."
"Well, believe me when I say it's hard not to be too pissed at Amber," Obsidian said seriously, "she murdered Princess Cadance." Mind control or not... oh Stalwart, why were you always expecting so much out of yourself?
The look that slapped itself onto the muzzle of everyone present was one of outrage and sorrow at this devastating news.
"N-no, not... she murdered her?" Mica looked thunderstruck.
Cupcake's smile vanished, and he shut his eyes tightly. "Auntie Cadey... oh no..."
Clap turned and slammed a hoof into the wall, then just hung her head and began to cry as Mica went to her and embraced her tightly.
Gypsy whimpered, then went to Clap to hug her as well, his tail hanging all the way to the floor.
Cupcake held Obsidian's shard to his chest and cradled it like a foal. "Why would she do that? Why would she-"
"Cup, Amber wants the Crystal Empire, remember?" Mica looked back at him with a solemn look on his face once more. "And now that..." he choked back a sob, "... that the way is clear, nothing can stop her from succeeding where Sombra failed-"
"Nuh-uh," Clap raised her head, a spark of fire in her eyes, "no, we're NOT going out like that."
She turned to the rest of them. "That's IT, guys - that's just IT! With all the crap we've had to go through to get to this point, where the Bad Girl wins, and we all become slaves or fodder or something..."
She then defiantly puffed her chest out - which, with her muscles, was a heckuva sight. "But no - SCREW THAT. I'm DONE being mind-controlled, or misled, or lied to, or just plain FOOLED... I have had enough! WE are gonna stop that craptacular creep from taking over anything! WE are gonna beat the living snot out of anything she throws at us! WE are gonna be her downfall, and revenge like that will be SOOOOOOOO SWEET!"
She looked at them all. "We're the Siddy Six... and we're the best shot Equestria has at winning this nightmare! We've got something that punk WISHES she had..."
She smiled now. "... each other."
"Why? Because Amber has proven to be only one thing - an evil pony. Even Onyx simply wanted to earn Sombra's praise and she more-or-less cared about her siblings... but Amber? She killed our father, then she wanted us to fight to the death - and I mean both The Siddy Six and Sombra's shards - and then she cruelly murdered Princess Cadance. She even betrayed Onyx!"
"Unless she is under the very strong influence of The Umbra, an ancient evil from Tambelon... she is just that - a bad pony." Clap gave a nice speech, there; somewhat plain, but it was good for rousing their spirits.
"We're already working on plans for how to defeat her, and almost all of my siblings are on our side - even Onyx. As soon as we reach Princess Twilight, we may actually be in a good position to kick Amber's ass all the way back into the ancient age! But for now... we all need each other - and that means Stalwart, too. Could anypony go after her - with me in hoof, preferably?"
Cup nodded, and with the others all watching, he slowly went into the warehouse with Siddy in his grasp.
It was dark and quiet in here, and it took him a moment before he located the little mare; she was standing all the way at the back, at full attention, looking over the supplies they had.
Cup stepped forward lightly. "Ummm... Wart?"
"Yes, Cupcake," she replied in a neutral, emotionless voice, "what is it?"
"We... we got Siddy back..." he said hesitantly.
"And I am exceedingly glad you have," she still didn't look in their direction.
"Don't you, um... don't you wanna say hello?" Cupcake's voice held a fragile question in it.
Wart paused for a moment... then continued looking over their supplies. "I do not deserve to, Cupcake; leave me alone, please."
Cup looked at the shard, sighed, then gently placed it on a nearby table. "Good luck," he whispered to the shard as he backed away, then with a sad glance at Wart, he walked off to give them some privacy.
The little mare set the clipboard down as soon as he was gone, and simply hung her head.
Oh, Stalwart and her pride... and her standards... and her everything. Usually it was exceedingly noble of her, but from time to time it got in their way... such as now.
"Stalwart, I've seen that you love me... and I love you too, my dear friend. You have no reason to feel bad for anything that Amber made you do," Obsidian stated firmly, right from the beginning.
Wart jumped when she heard the voice... but didn't turn around.
"... hello, Your Majesty." Oh, no - was she back to THAT again?
"I am... very glad you are alive. I..." Obsidian, from inside her shard, colud almost feel the palpable pain the mare was putting herself through.
"... our s-supplies are at their peak, due to Cupcake and Gypsy's diligence, and Thunderclap has brought her smuggled Lightning Rods as well. We have access to anything that Pinkie Pie has available here, as well as a hidden entrance to Twilight's Palace that we can utilize." She straightened her stance. "As is such, we will be able to hold out here for a number of months."
She was actively trying NOT to speak about it... but Wart was hurting, and it was as obvious to Obsidian as the mare's size was.
Obsidian gave a soft sigh. "Listen, the only reason why I'm not hugging you right now is the fact that I lack legs at the moment. Warty, please - we're friends. You stopped calling me that weeks ago." Ooooooooh... a hidden entrance? Now that was a pleasant surprise! "And I need you in your best condition - the kind of condition that can exist only when properly supplied by the magic of friendship."
Stalwart finally turned at the words 'I lack legs'... and Wart's expression was one of inconsolable anguish. It looked terrible on the little mare, and her emerald eyes were shiny with tears. She noticed that Wart was wearing only her worn saddlebags and some flimsy cloth armor... and Obsidian also noticed that Wart only had a single ear, the other cut cleanly in half - just like Obsidian's had been.
"You... you're..." She took a step towards the shard... then shied back.
"No, Your Majesty - I am a DANGER to you, and I shall not be placed in a position to FAIL you yet again; you deserve better than I, and I have even... e-even made a list of those who could replace me with the best chance of being the most useful... t-to you..."
She squeezed her eyes shut, sending more tears down her muzzle. "... but I am UNWORTHY of such a designation; I am a HORRIBLE friend to have, and I shall do my utmost best to keep my distance from you, Your Majesty, so that you might find another protector who IS capable... and not have to suffer my incompetence and betrayal any longer!"
"Stalwart... Amber made Princess Cadance kill herself - right in front of Flurry Heart. Do you think anypony could resist her direct mind control? You were hurting, and had merely wanted to avenge my death - that's all."
"And I could not SEE you! All I saw was RAGE, and... a-and I WOUNDED you! I couldn't-" Then what she'd said hit the little guardmare fully.
"... Princess... Cadence? No... no..." She wavered in place, and had to place her hooves on the table to keep herself upright. "... that... that cur... that cowardly cur... to do such a thing... to a Princess... OF LOVE..."
She gritted her teeth, then slammed her hoof into the flroor hard enough to leave cracks in the concrete. "... unforgivable... inexcusable... reprehensible..."
She then finally sat down on the nearby chair, and covered her face with her hooves, her mane and her ear-and-a-half being the only parts of her head Siddy could see now. "... I wish... I wish I was... was..."
Her sob told Obsidian what that last word was... and it was the very LAST thing she would ever have thought the little mare to say, to even IMPLY.
"Stalwart, she wanted to kill us all; she did what she did to Princess Cadance, and even murdered our father as well, right in front of my eyes. She is too strong for any ONE of us to take down - we need to do this together. As brothers, sisters... and as friends. We need you, Stalwart - I need you..."
Was her attempt to ignite anger in Wart's heart an example of manipulation? Did Obsidian subconsciously consider her as a tool? Hopefully not... but she just had to shake her friend out of this piss-poor mental state!
"NO!" Wart jumped back from the table as if she had been bitten by a snake. "I WILL NOT! I DO NOT DESERVE FORGIVENESS! MY EAR WAS NOT ENOUGH! MY LIFE IS NOT ENOUGH! I HARMED YOU, AND TRIED TO KILL YOU! I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE BUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN SHOULD SHE TAKE ME AGAIN!!"
She sobbed as she spoke, "YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND, OBSIDIAN - WHICH IS WHY I CAN NO LONGER SERVE YOU! IF SHE MADE ME MURDER YOU, I WOULD MURDER MYSELF!"
Her heart finally given voice, the unicorn mare hit the floor, sobbing hysterically. Obsidian could now see, from the back, that the others had gathered there and were all moving towards them, all of them with only eyes for little Wart. They came around the table, Cup laying a hoof on the shard as they all stood there.
"... I am worthless..." she moaned pitifully.
"Bullshit," Mica spoke up, "you held back two whole waves of Umbrals, singlehoofedly."
"And you busted Tourmaline's ribs when he tied to kill Siddy," Clap added.
"Not to mention keeping the fans at bay, in the museum... with a fire extinguisher," Cup said.
"A-a-and the defeat of Q-Q-Quartz, with a vent grill, if th-this one has heard correctly," Gypsy offered.
Stalwart Stance lie on the floor, trembling and crying. She slowly looked up at them all. "... I... I don't..." she started, but Gypsy cut her off.
"W-we love you, St-Stalwart," he said simply.
"Yeah, Warty - we love you." Clap.
"Yes, we love you," Mica.
"We love our little friend," Cup.
She just looked at them all, dumbfounded.
Did she have to cut off half of her ear to understand that it wasn't her fault? Worse - she still didn't seem to understand it! Perhaps it would be wise not to mention to them all that Obsidian actually died for a moment, just yet...
"Stalwart, we will get something that will protect us from Amber's mind control - so you won't kill me. But if you don't stay by our side, I'd say that the chances of our demise will only rise." Obsidian's voice was firm, yet cautious. "And besides, I want nopony else in our little group to take your place but you. You know your value - we know your value.... and we are your friends."
Her eyes washed over with tears again. "But I don't deserve you..."
"Nuh-uh," Clap countered, "we don't deserve you, girl - but we've got each other, all of us... and that's what'll win this thing. All of us. Together."
Cup gave a light grin. "Besides... the Siddy Five just doesn't have the same ring to it, you know?"
Wart slowly stood up and looked at them all. "... thank you. ALL of you."
With that, Cup picked Siddy up, and they all came in to completely bury Wart in their group hug... which she accepted.
"... thank you..." she said softly, finally giving in to the warm hearts of the rest of the Siddy Six.
Magic Tiiiiiiiiiime! Obsidian suddenly heard Whistlewhite's voice as if in her ear, and then her entire world went white...
... and when it cleared, she was standing there - actually STANDING there - in her own body, right in the middle of the group hug! Her siblings hadn't been able to free her... but her closest, dearest friends had succeeded. She was WHOLE again... and fully healed up, she noticed - not a single scratch on her.
Obsidian smiled - really, truly smiled. She even reached up and placed a hoof to her mouth, just to be sure that she had her lips again and they were actually curving upwards.
Then she laughed aloud happily and grabbed Stalwart up in a strong, powerful hug, using all of energy she saved up when her siblings had been carrying her around. Then, just for good measure, she kissed her on the forehead next to her horn.
Every member of their group received a similar treatment - with the notable and obvious exception of Cup, who received a more proper welcome from his lovely unicorn mare.
Being a shard had some advantages; having a real body had even more.
"Ha! Thank you, guys!" Obsidian laughed aloud. "Friendship really is magic - literally!"
Stunned at first, her return was then greeted by the rest of The Siddy Six with tears, laughter, smiles and QUITE a kiss from Cupcake - so much so that even Mica blushed a bit.
"Siddy... oh, Siddy..."
"MY Siddy..."
"OUR Siddy..."
"Y-yes Cup - sh-share."
"... Lady... S-Siddy..."
They were all together. They had their fiery determination, they had their stockpiled supplies, they had each other... and most important of all, they had hope. The surge of power inside Obsidian's very core told her that THIS was where she belonged, THIS was where she would make a difference, THIS was where the final stand would be made...
... and she was finally, finally ready.
Amber's going down.
-=[ To Be Concluded... ]=-