Equestria was in peril.
The machinations of Amber, the mind-controlling shard of Sombra, have turned the entire nation upside down. Twilight and the other former element bearers are captured, Princess Cadence has been murdered, and much of the nation was either in hiding, or defending their homes from the vile Umbral Harnesses - a nightmarish collaboration of Quartz's magic-soaking suits, Opal's Labor Harnesses, and vicious undead Umbral corpses.
But there was hope.
Obsidian, daughter of Sombra, had survived so much... and now, armed with the full knowledge of her heritage and her destiny, she was back with her friends, The Siddy Six, once more. And it was time to finally put this entire business to a close... to stop Amber's mad reach for power, and to put a final end to the horrific curse of The Umbra, once and for all.
Having recently been freed from her time as a crystal shard, Obsidian had been welcomed by her friends again, and was now in the process of doing something that a simple shard would never have really appreciated...
Obsidian was in the shower, and the warm water rolling down her body felt wonderful.
Being a shard had quite a few advantages, but having a real, living body was better than anything ever. What could beat the ability to prepare her own shower and then enjoy the tickling of the hot water running through her fur? Nothing, obviously.
When was the last time she actually had the chance to enjoy this sensation? Hmmmm... it was before they left to get Aqua, wasn't it? Of course, she'd gotten something even better from Cupcake. Later, she'd been much too focused on dreaming of the answers to her questions or fighting for her life...
Okay, the giant mechanical spider had been awesome, though; Obsidian really hoped that Opal and Quartz would work together to make something cool for her and her friends. Magical suits with nifty gadgets, maybe? With outfits like those, they could become a really deadly force to be reckoned with!
Hopefully, the anti-mind controlling glyphs would be simple enough to put on a suit. What could be a better sign that she hated treating others like tools than putting something preventing mind control on her clothes?
It was really easy to think when showering; thoughts were sliding through her head without even any effort on her side.
As she enjoyed the warm water running down her form, she heard the door open.
"Ummm... you got a towel?" Cupcake asked over the volume of the water washing down onto her. "'Cause I found you one that wasn't being used to cover the windows - I can leave it here, if you want me to..." There was a slight pause. "Or, uh... I could join you, and... wash your back, maybe?"
Cupcake had been quite affectionate with her after she'd made it back to them, but he'd been holding himself back so the others could have time with her, too... maybe now was a time he would be able to focus on her more? Then again, with the shower so soothing and warm... maybe she wanted to enjoy it alone, at least for a bit longer? After all, she'd been around others SO MUCH lately...
Still, it did prove that she was loved... and that part felt grand.
On the one hoof, Obsidian sort of wanted to be alone... yet on another hoof, she was fine with being alone with Cup - if he was her other half, then technically he practically counted as a part of her! "Come on in, Cup... the only thing better than a warm shower, is warm shower with you." She turned around to smile at him lovingly.
He slid the curtain aside, and with his own smile, he stepped in and immediately embraced her, soaking himself down as he held her tightly to him. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh... showers just aren't as nice without you, love."
Even in the shower, he smelled slightly sweet - and his close presence was warm and welcome. He stepped back (as much as the shower stall would allow) and took hold of a bristled brush - made for showering - and with a little shampoo, he started to scrub her back slowly and firmly, in small circles, working from her rump upwards.
"I missed you SO much," he spoke as he scrubbed her, "and I mean more than anything. After all that had happened to us, we sort of found each other in town... and all of us had a good cry at being duped."
Now, he began to work her shoulders into the routine, adding a touch of massage to his activity. "But that's all behind us, now," and to demonstrate, he lightly gave her rump a teasing pop with the brush. "Now, it's all about being the best team we can be, and kicking the crap out of whatever stands against us... and spreading some love, too..." He leaned in close and gave her ear a loving, gentle nip.
Okay, so it wasn't quite the right time to tell any of them that they had technically killed her - especially him, especially now. It would kind of kill the mood. She just... just didn't want to get separated from him, ever again. She was simply happy, just by being in his presence - and it was just the tip of an iceberg (that's the correct idiom, right?), as they were rarely limited to just being together.
Massage, mmmmmmmmmm... she really didn't deserve him.
"Oh? Well, there's no time like the present, then..." she purred when he mentioned spreading love. "Do you want me to brush your back and other surroundings, too...?"
Cupcake smiled sweetly at her, but kept right on scrubbing. "I would love that... but later, maybe. YOU have been through too much lately, and as your fiancee, I now make my demands that you be scrubbed, pampered and thoroughly comforted before you even think of spending one more minute on anyone else, love."
He nuzzled her. "This is YOUR time, right now... you just stand there and be beautiful, while I enjoy loving you."
Now, he took the brush to her neck and face (gently), while he moved up next to her and placed his hooves on her back, and began to massagggdmnc&vnlsxm*xmj6@mf... it was like he had tight-muscle-seeking powers, as his hooves found the right spots to start working her tension out with unerring accuracy.
And she had ZERO intentions of complaining about his point; after everything that had happened lately, she was actually QUITE certain that she deserved it and she could actually believe that she'd already more than earned everything good that had happened to her lately - Cup included.
"You're making up for all the time I spent in the ancient Crystal Empire, aren't you Cuppy?" she asked lazily. Ooooh, by Darkness, this was absolutely perfect...
He smiled. "I'm making up for a lifetime of bad things, by providing a reeeeeally good thing, as much as possible, for nobody else but you, love." His hooves worked like little construction workers, building miniature spas at each place they touched, sending ripples of relief through her entire being.
"Besides," he grinned impishly, "any chance I have to get my hooves on you, I'll take!"
"Oh, that's good... because I love having your hooves on me." Except when he'd wanted to kill her, of course, but that had been a rather different situation. Besides, he hadn't wanted to kill her, but her murderer instead - which Amber had trapped her in the illusion of, through her mind-chicanery.
Shards didn't have muscles, so they couldn't be massaged; she certainly preferred an actual body.
After a number of heavenly minutes, Cup finally finished his routine on her, then turned off the shower. "Out," he said gently, and pulled the curtain back for her. As soon as they were out, he grabbed a colorful towel from the sink basin, and unfolded it. He then began to towel her off, caressing her coat with the fuzzy fabric.
"Don't you do a thing; I'M in charge here, madame." he said with a light lilt to his speech as he did.
Ha, so he was in charge? It was a bit unexpected... but not at all unwanted. Obsidian stepped out, exposing herself to the influence of his towel. "Mmmmmmm... as you wish, Mister Sprinkles," she confirmed with an expression that was half-dreamy and half-sultry.
Cupcake lovingly made certain that every part of her - every part - was thoroughly dried and caressed. Then, he managed to scoop her up in his forelimbs, standing on his rear legs, and carried her from the bathroom into the bedroom.
Carefully, he laid her down on the mattress and slid in next to her. He then gently rolled her onto her belly, and his hooves were soon giving her a wonderful backrub.
"If I can't treat my queen the way she should be treated," he softly spoke, "then I don't deserve to be her king. So there." He planted a soft line of kisses along the back of her neck, burying his muzzle in her mane and inhaling deeply.
Obsidian was really growing to enjoy the fact that he liked her mane so much. Of course, he liked ALL of her, but it was just one little bit that made her care so much more about it. And considering his affection for her mane had ultimately saved Siddy's life, she was glad it had happened. "Oh Cuppy, you DO deserve it - we each deserve each other," she purred lovingly.
He snuggled up close to her and kissed her deeply. "I think we do, too. I love you, Obsidian... thank you for showing me what love really is."
"Thank you for showing me what life really is, Cup", she just had to - and did - outbid him, didn't she?
The unicorn stallion settled in, his forelegs wrapped around her lovingly, his smile broad and sweet as he slowly began to drift off with his love at his side.
Oh, umm... he just wanted just to, er, sleep? She had been fairly certain he would have wanted to spread some love, like he'd been saying...
Strange, but she wasn't going to complain; with everything that had occurred to her in just the past few days, Obsidian had been pushed to the brink, stressed, wounded, blasted and many, many other nasty, painful things.
She deserved a nap too.
~>-<~
She was standing in the middle of Ponyville again... but something felt off.
The town was as it usually was - barren of life - but still a perfect recreation of the whole village... well, at least what she already knew of, anyway. Houses, streets, shoppes, the fountain... the same as it always was.
But... no one seemed to be waiting to greet her. Normally, this was where she'd find Ruby, her sweetheart of a sister, waiting for her with a hug, a smile... aaaaaand usually some bad news. But there was no Ruby; even the light pink tint was missing from the town.
Where was everypony at? Where was Ruby? Strange. Hopefully it wasn't another of Amber's tricks.
She expected that Ruby would like to have a bit of a chat about revent events - as did Siddy herself. Was she hiding inside one of the houses? Perhaps she was sleeping somewhere else? Could she even sleep at all?
Obsidian's search was cold and lonely; there wasn't a single, solitary soul to be found there - and on a whim, nor in the palace library, either - it all looked neat and tidy, but utterly abandoned. There was not a single trace of Ruby, nor of Onyx... was Peridot missing as well?
If Onyx had done something to them, then it meant Obsidian had no plans brewing against Amber, and no geniuses around to plot the way for her.
She mentally shifted herself to the Delvar Libratorium, to check on Peri.
The Libratorium... was wrong.
What she saw in her dreams was the modern version she'd encountered during her fight with PeriMidnight in the Empire - and not the ancient one that her brother seemingly preferred. In its' modernized form, it looked dull, like the version it once was had been beaten into a shell of its' former self. It still stood proud and tall... but it looked sterile. Neutered, somehow.
And not a single trace of Peridot to be found, inside OR out.
By Darkness, what was wrong with her mind? She tried to move herself into Hope's research lab, which she'd seen during her previous dreams - perhaps she could feel at least one presence in her mind, maybe?
A shifting of scenery around her, and she was standing within the hidden laboratory of her long lost mother. The place was filled with charts, diagrams, bottles and other items one would find in an alchemy lab... except for an alchemist. No sign of anyone having been here; the burners were cold, and the candles unlit and solid. No layer of dust, but nothing new either.
She was supposed to have three or four entities in her head to chat with... but where WERE they?
Granted, Obsidian was fairly sure she wouldn't meet anypony else around here - after all, she never did get a chance to meet Hope, and it would be a bit too weird if she would do so right now - but any sign of her presence would calm her nerves at this point, though.
"RUBY? ONYX? PERIDOT?" She simply called out to them, hoping for at least some form of reply.
She felt something... yet it wasn't anything she recognized, but she most certainly felt something pull her in the direction of... Twilight's Palace? Why did she want to go there? Was one of her siblings trying to contact her from that dreamscape location?
It was a no-brainer, as she had literally no other clue. She focused on a mental image of the throne room she'd seen before...
... and she was there.
Twilight's throne room was as regal as ever, complete with banners and insignia and lush carpeting. There were sconces on the walls, tables bearing fine antiquities, and tapestries depicting the legends of the Mane Six.
But there was something in this room that didn't belong here, as far as she knew; sitting next to the throne and playing with what looked like a stuffed purple dragon toy was an absolutley adorable little filly.
Her coat was clean and well-kept, and a soft brown color - like milk chocolate - but with a few dark and light dapples here and there, with her right eye surrpounded by a brown patch, and her left rear leg was fully white from hoof to flank, like a long sock. Her eyes were big, luminous and mismatched - the left eye was a bright, vibrant green, while the other was a cool, serene blue. Her mane was brushed back and full, tied into three braids; one on each side, and one in the middle; her mane's coloration was fascinating, as the brown and grey patterns kept slowly shifting and moving around each other, like a lava lamp (Cup had showed her one of those), and her tail was the same way. Her most notable feature was her little wings and her little horn, which both looked utterly adorable on her.
Honestly, she might have been the cutest filly Obsidian had ever seen before in her life. Not that she'd seen many fillies in her life... but she was still somewhat interested in her, nonetheless. Especially as she was yet another being inside the walls of her mind, born out of nowhere... and an alicorn, to boot.
Just who was she? She didn't resemble any of her fallen siblings - especially as none of them had grown wings and a horn lately.
"You... aren't Princess Cadance, are you?" she asked hesistantly. The pink Princess of Love was the only alicorn that had died recently, after all. Or perhaps it was yet another incarnation of Whistlewhite? Or...
"Do I look that old?" The little filly sounded almost insulted as she carefully placed the stuffed dragon on the throne. "I'm not Peridot or Onyx, either... buuuut I AM Ruby!"
Obsidian lifted an eyebrow. "Oh. Well, you look a bit different than when I last sa-"
"Ruby Chocolate, to be more precise!" The filly stepped back, her eyes fixed on the adorable little toy. She nodded with satisfaction, then gave the most solemn of bows before it. "All hail, King Spike The Best!"
What was THIS new development? Was this another possible sibling who hadn't revealed themselves yet? Was it some leftover from Amber's control? Was it maybe a portion of Hope, trying to communicate? Maybe King Sombra had cheated (in a manner of speaking) on Radiant Hope? Was it a ponysonification of Amber's innocence, or possibly even another strange leftover of her brutal mind control?
Was it that 'questionably fresh' boxed fruit pie she'd had?
"Indeed - hail, hail," she agreed with the filly, even giving a mock salute. "So, if you don't mind, could you, er..."
"I think so," the filly suddenly replied, interrupting before Siddy could even get the thought out. It took her aback.
"What do you mean, 'you think so'?"
"I think I could... but what do YOU mean?"
Obsidian groaned quietly, wondering why this new presence in her mind had decided to annoy her so much. Did all foals behave like this?
"Are you possibly another one of my siblings?" She decided to cut straight to the chase.
Filly chuckled in reply; what was more, her laughter sounded alarmingly familiar - but where had Obsidian heard it before?
"No - I'm pretty sure my mum is not your mum, and my papa is not your papa. I can't really say who I am, but don't worry - I have some, um... really good reasons to be on your side."
It looked as if this 'Ruby Chocolate' had bit her tongue at the last moment, avoiding saying a few words too many. Obsidian sighed - it was just another average day, again. She didn't expect to meet yet another presence in her mind... but she had to stay calm. Radiant Hope didn't look anything like that, and it was likely that Amber would prefer a more sadistic approach.
She simply didn't have the first clue who she was.
"So... are you the reason why my siblings aren't available?" she let loose with another important question.
The little alicorn filly shook her head. "Naaaaah... they're dead."
"I know that they are," Obsidian deadpanned.
"Oh, no, no! I mean like, dead-dead." The filly looked up at her. "They helped out A-... A-Amethyst and Tourmaline, right? They... uh, what was the word... sah-cry-fy-ceed themselves!"
The Grey Princess' blood ran cold.
Peridot... gone? Just... pulled from her head, in order to save her other siblings? Onyx... well, she might have been just getting used to her, but it was still a loss - especially right after she'd FINALLY seen the Light. Ruby...
"B-but don't worry, M-... Miss Obsidian!" It seemed as if the filly once again corrected herself at the last possible moment.
"Just ask... your brother about that; I think he could help them!"
"Which brother - I do have a few," Obsidian asked carefully, struggling to maintain a calm posture and expression on her muzzle. It was harder than she thought; the mere idea that not one, not two, but three of her siblings were gone now, just to help her...
It was a soul-crushing experience; Obsidian had to fight the urge to cry in front of the little filly.
"The griffy one!" Ruby Chocolate finished cheerfully as she climbed up onto the throne and sat next to her dragon toy. She spread her wings out to make her look bigger and more regal.
"Now... you have heard enough!" She pointed a hoof towards the sky. "I command you to go and save the world!... or, uh, something like that."
It was absolutely devastating news... but this filly was just so gosh-darn cute.
"The, er, 'griffy' one?" Who was the griffy one, and what could she possibly mean by that? Well, if she meant 'griffon', then it might mean someone sulky and moody, like Gavin Garrison was.
Oh great - now she just had to figure out which sibling was the grumpy one she'd referred to... FUCK, she'd be guessing all day!
"Er... griffy?" Obsidian repeated.
"Yus yus! U-... ummmm, he has a griffon-friend!" Ruby waved her hooves emphatically. "Griffy! Is that enough?"
"I think so, yes," Obsidian mused. That would explain a bit - now the advice was far more clear. "I'll ask Tourmaline, then. Thank you kindly." She still didn't know who this mysterious filly was.
"DUH! I told you to go save the world! You know, those big, mean zombies in armor? Evil A-... Amber? Really, how much can one mare sleep?!" Ruby looked a bit flustered, but it only added to her near-lethal levels of cuteness.
She was a bit impetuous, perhaps... but the little filly was undeniably adorable, so it sort of balanced out. Tourmaline... he'd been there when they'd done what they'd done... so perhaps he had some further insight as to what happened?
But the question remained; could it be UNdone? Could she get her siblings back? Would they be in her head, or would she have to find new bodies for them? Maybe they were just... hiding?
No; Ruby Chocolate said they were... gone; it might be some sort of manipulation, but then why did this little filly's presence feel so good to her?
"Oh, and Miss Whistlewhite said to tell you that she says 'hi'!" the alicorn filly added with an innocent and cheerful voice - along with a rather smug look on her muzzle.
Wait, what?
~>O<~
She heard her door open slowly; with everything that had gone down with her lately, a little paranoia was to be expected; Obsidian most certainly had the feeling she was being watched...
Three of her siblings were gone, her head had a new tenant of some sort and Whistlewhite was still messing with her a bit - though most likely in a rather loving way. Ruby Chocolate seemed to be too cute to be a spawn of The Umbra, didn't she? So perhaps-
Intruder. Maybe she should pretend that she was still sleeping. She laid perfectly still, trying to hear anything that would indicate who had just entered her room.
There were what had to be the softest hoofsteps she'd ever heard that tracked across the floor, and what sounded like a few deep breaths. Then a few more steps, and a pressure on the blanket next to her... a hoof.
A small hoof.
"... you cannot know," said a low, whispering, and very familiar voice next to her, "how much you mean to me. To us. You cannot fathom how very important you are... to all of us, yes, but..."
Wart sighed softly. "I had never known the honor of true friendship, before you. My mother and my quest for physical perfection left me... alone. All alone. Others knew who I was, yet they barely paid any attention to me... which incuded the Royal Guard."
"Yet it wasn't just me: Cupcake was spending all his time with his mother, Clap and Mica were outsiders together, and Gypsy was a footnote in the background. None of us really knew each other very well... but then you came, and turned our worlds upside-down... which, in the end, we ALL truly needed. You were the catalyst that begat this group, this gathering of souls... and you are our heart, Obsidian. The beating, living and marvellous heart of our band of heroes."
She sighed, then brought her hoof back down to the floor again. "Though I still feel that I do not deserve your friendship... I shall accept it. And honor it, as long as breath still enters my body. You are more beloved than you even know, my dear friend... and it's the way things should be."
Wart's soft steps went towards the door again. "Good night to you, Lady Obsidian Greyheart; I look forward to being at your side, no matter the challenge... because, with you? We shall be victorious; in my mind, there is no doubt of that."
Obsidian was kind of sure she heard something like this before from her miniature friend... but if Stalwart needed to say it again, then good for her. Obsidian wasn't going to stop her, though the problem with the small mare lie in the fact that she kept praising her so much; she wanted to deny it all and explain she was not that important. Being placed atop of a group like that felt rather selfish.
"Stalwart... thank you," Obsidian said as she opened her eyes and raised head a bit.
Wart paused at the door. "No, my lady... thank you." And with that, she left.
Stalwart Stance - a more loyal and strong friend would be impossible to find. She was apparently still upset over what had happened when Amber had mind-controlled them to see her as her murderer; they'd practically killed her. The little mare had even cut off a part of her own ear, in some form of penitence for the horrible crime of doing the same to Obsidian; Siddy's ear had grown back, true, but the little mare still had her half-ear.
Wart was hard on herself... but that was also what made her so very vicious and determined as a warrior, so it was simply something she would have to get over, sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.
Cupcake gave a soft mumble of gibberish, then snuggled tighter against Obsidian. Well, either she could try to return to sleep... or she could try to see what was next for her intrepid band of fighters; either way, she was now awake in a room with a sleeping Cuppy by her side.
Snuggling with Cupcake was pleasant, but the filly from her strange dream was right - she had a world to save. What was worse, snuggling was far more pleasant when the other side was snuggling back like he was, and she didn't want to wake him up.
So Obsidian carefully got up, doing her best not to wake her fiancee. She could use a bit of a chat with Gypsy, and perhaps plan a trip to visit Brother Tourmaline. As she unwound herself from Cupcake's embrace, he mumbled again and went to wrap his hooves around her middle... aaaaaaaand got her pillow instead. She watched as he smiled and gave the pillow a kiss in his sleep, then nuzzled it warmly.
Missed opportunities... well, she could always make them up later, right?
Leaving the room, she found herself upstairs in Sugarcube Corner; they hadn't been able to get back to their house yet, but Cup was simply using his old room here - which used to be his mother's room, but he'd thoroughly made it his own. A bit unkempt... but still his own.
The others had taken over various rooms here; Clap and Mica were sharing the master bedroom, while Gypsy was sleeping curled in a ball on the couch in the sitting room. Nobody knew where Wart slept, but she didn't seem to be listless or tired, so it was assumed she was sleeping, at least. It was quite early, and the sun was barely beginning to peek out from over the first rooftop. Breakfast might be in order - after all, at least a third of the dowstairs area was a kitchen, so it should be doable.
Okay, it was time to take a risk; perhaps she could make breakfast for everypony? That was quite a sound idea, yes! It was time to embrace the mystical path of cooking... or at least prepare some basic foodstuffs.
She didn't want to burn the place down, after all.
Checking their supplies in the well-used kitchen, there was hay bacon, biscuit mix, milk, eggs, pancake flour, bean-curd sausages, lettuce, oranges, carrots, celery, loaved bread... just about anything that could be made for breakfast (within typical fare) was here... now all she had to do was prepare it.
She'd been watching Cup prepare breakfast a few times, so it shouldn't be too difficult, right? Right?
She prepared a little something for herself first, though - just to be sure that she wouldn't waste too much food, in the case of a complete kitchen disaster.
Some things were fairly easy; oranges were simple to squeeze, though the seeds had to be removed from the pitcher when she was done. Toast was easy - there was a toaster already available. And small salads were a snap, with carrot slices in them.
The biscuit mix... not so much. She didn't use a lot of it, but it didn't seem like dough that she had to pour into the pan seemed right. Sure enough, they were goopy puddles, even after baking; too much milk.
On the other hoof, there was the hay bacon... the horrible hay bacon. It curled when it was cooked in the frying pan... and the long, lovely strips of hay were soon crispy little balls of bacon in the pan. She'd tried to straighten them, but the hay bacon would have NONE of it; it defied her, and left her with a number of hay bacon balls, instead of lovely strips.
Her adventure into the world of pancakes was... sort of a success? She'd managed to produce about twenty of them that were fairly good-looking... but the mess left behind was awful, and stuck to almost everything it touched - including her mane.
Okay, it was obviously pointless to try to emulate such an accomplished chef as Cupcake. She wasted more time and resources than she would have if she'd simply waited for more competent cooks to wake up. And she needed another bath, damnation! Perhaps her experiments were edible - but she doubted that it would be any better than the food she'd been eating in the Empire, back in the old days...
Which meant that it was likely going to be terrible.
Pouting a bit, Obsidian immediately got to cleaning all evidence of the war crimes she'd commited against pancakes. Good thing that there was no Princess of Cooking; otherwise, she would have made a mortal enemy out of them today.
As she was cleaning up, she heard a sniffing sound, then Gypsy poked his head around the corner and looked at her with a hopeful smile.
"Would th-this be a breakf-fast this one smells? Oh, he is a h-h-hungry pup..." Even though he was mostly standing around the corner, Obsidian kept catching glimpses of his wagging tail as it whipped by.
"Yes, Gypsy - please, help yourself. I think it's edible... though I would be rather wary, were I you," Obsidian said with a resigned voice. "And good morning. Did you sleep well, my friend?"
He made his way into the kitchen with a smile on his muzzle. "Y-y-yes, this one slept s-soundly, thank you. Did you sleep as w-w-well, yes?"
He wandered towards the counter where the foodstuffs were, and eyed the hay bacon balls before grabbing one up and popping it into his mouth. "Mmmmmmmm... it is good! Th-thank you for the foodst-stuffs; he likes it very much. But, what are you th-throwing out?"
He took up a pancake in passing, and came over to watch her for a moment. Then, without even asking, he took hold of a nearby washcloth and began to wipe down the countertops, ridding them of the pancake batter spilled all over them.
"On the subject of my quality of sleep, I'd say... it was kind of restful? I've discovered another presence in my head in place of Onyx, Ruby and Peridot - a little filly who told me that they were gone, but that Tourmaline could somehow help with that... then mentioned that the Moochick said 'hello'. A rather confusing night, methinks," Obsidian admitted.
He was so kind to assist... but frankly, Gypsy had to help her; she'd turned the bakery's kitchen into a pancake slaughterhouse. "Thanks," she muttered as she wiped a glob of nearly-dry batter from the side of one of the ovens.
The diamond dog looked over his shoulder at her. "Again, y-you mention The Moochick; th-this one believes it may be a s-sign, though he still is unc-certain what sort of s-sign it may be. He hopes it is a g-good one, though."
He continued to wipe down the countertops, thinking a bit as he did. "And you s-say that your head-siblings are g-g-gone? How can this b-be so? And what would Brother T-Tourmaline have to d-do with them?"
"They helped us - myself, Amy and Tourmy - escape from the Umbral Harnesses that had been sent to stop our retreat. It was apparently a bit too much for them, so they disappeared." Though the resignation wasn't disappearing from Obsidian's voice. She discovered it was rather hard to talk about the sudden, sibling-shaped voids in her head. "I have no idea why Tourmy would be able to help, though... but Ruby Chocolate didn't say anything else. She was an alicorn filly; does that remind you anything from your historical knowledge?"
Gypsy pondered for a moment, then shrugged. "As Thunderclap would s-say, this one's got nothing, unf-fortunately; many ap-p-pologies, Obsidian. But he can research th-this, possibly - alicorn fillies that have any s-significance in historical m-matters."
He finished with the counters, then went and took up a broom and dustpan and began sweeping. "So, they have s-sacrificed themselves to save your l-lives; a noble thing - and s-s-surprising to hear about Onyx - but a loss, all the s-same. And you say Tourmaline has some c-c-c-connection? This one was w-wondering where the rest of your s-siblings had gotten to."
"Ghastly Gorge," Obsidian answered instantly. "All gathered at Washburn Washington's hideout. I do hope that stallion is more inclined towards a normal, pleasant discussion than he was before."
Okay, there - almost done, but it still was unnecessary work, if she'd have waited for someone else to do it. Well, it seemed as if she would need to take another shower - at least as long as she didn't want Cup to get messy when he went to play with her mane...
And he would. She was sure of that.
Gypsy swept until the floor was clear, then dumped the dustpan in the trash bin and put the tools back where they belonged. Turning back to Obsidian, he placed a paw on his chin in thought. "Making your way out t-t-to Ghastly Gorge might be a f-feat; Thunderclap can fly, wh-which is wh-why she was out as far as she was..."
He looked at her earnestly. "After what h-happened, we were ALL seeking you out; no st-stone left unturned. And she found you... which was g-g-good news, indeed. But the trip b-back will be a long one, unless you ha-have transportation?"
"I can't really think of any, off-hoof," Obsidian admitted. "Perhaps we could find a car we could use, here in Ponyville? Or maybe we could use Miss Pie's firework cart? Granted, it was a bit damaged during my fight with Mica and Clap... but it looked like it would make a good mobile base. What do you think?" Nice of them to look for her; though if Amber's plan had gone through, they wouldn't have even found her body.
Gypsy pondered a bit more, then he snapped his fingers (a move that most Equestrians flinched at, thanks to Discord) and smiled. "AH! Perhaps Cupcake might have access t-to the airship, do you r-r-remember it? If you were t-to get enough altitude, the harnesses c-c-couldn't reach you!"
"Yes, that makes sense - I completely forgot about such things," Obsidian admitted. It would be an even better mobile base - though she had no idea how this thing was fueled - would they be at risk of being stranded?
"Do you think it would be safe? What about any possible sky-based accidents?"
Speaking of snapping... "Did Amber possibly get to Jynx and Discord as well, by the way?
Gypsy pondered her first question... yet he shuddered as she asked the second one. "Airship travel is p-p-perfectly safe," he assured her, "as m-much of it is d-done electronically now - no fire, but magical b-batteries, instead. Accidents? Well, as there is l-litte in the air to run into, this o-one would say that the chances are s-slim."
Then he cleared his throat and spoke far more softly. "This o-o-one d-does not kn-know of th-the f-f-f-fate of J-J-J-J... of those t-two, n-no."
Damnation. Well, perhaps the others might know...
"I'll ask Cup as soon as possible about those things," she assured the canine. "Is there anything else I should know? Or perhaps anything you'd like to know?"
She almost forgot that she'd originally made this breakfast for herself; she grabbed a pancake.
Gypsy looked at her for a moment... then his ears sagged slightly. "This one... h-he wants to ask if... i-if you are o-o-okay... after..."
What they had done to her under Amber's influence had bothered them all quite deeply; it was heartwarming to know they cared so much... yet it was also a bit sad, also knowing they all had issues they would probably need to talk out with her. Cup seemed okay... and Wart was, well, managing... and Clap had gotten hers out already. It seemed that Gypsy was going through a bit as well. Would Mica have similar issues, too?
"... a-a-after what happened? N-not just physically, but... b-but mentally, too?" he finished, looking at Siddy eagerly for a response.
Hmmm... all things considered, it didn't taste too bad. She had certainly expected something far, far worse.
"I have a lot to digest and I'm rather frustrated that there is still another dangerous enemy that wants our blood, but... meh, I'll survive."
They'd gone through worse. They'd eventually bested each and every enemy they'd faced, and they even had Harmony itself (or The Moochick, or Whistlewhite, or whatever) on their side. The loss of Onyx, Ruby and Peridot was terrible, but Tourmy could apparently do something about it. There was also the issue of the recently released Jade...
Obsidian looked over at him. "...and if you're asking anything about our fight, I really don't mind what the lot of you did to me, too much. You were under mind control - and that's all. I bear no grudge or ill will, my friend."
Gypsy seemed to accept that. "It is g-g-good; if he had h-harmed you badly, this o-one might have never f-f-forgiven himself. You are n-not only his friend... you are his packmate."
She wasn't certain what the distinction between the two was... but it sounded like it was important to the diamond dog, at least.
"Still... it m-makes this one w-wonder, is there any m-magic that might be cap-p-pable of preventng this from h-happening again?" He took up another hay bacon ball, and away into his hungry maw it went.
So he was considering her a part of his... er, family, for a lack of better understanding? "Thank you, Gypsy - I consider it quite a big honor," she replied kindly, as even if she didn't know the exact meaning of his words, she understood their spirit.
"And yes, Gypsy... we do. We need to research those prison cell glyphs; if we can, we need to find Princess Twilight Sparkle or any trace of her communications with Manehattan, as they had something in that prison that was able to stop Amber's influence on Quartz. Too bad I don't have any official status; they didn't want to tell me what those glyphs were," she sighed deeply.
"After this issue is solved, I'll have to ask the princess to consider us all... I don't know, secret agents? Special forces?
Pretty much anything that might actually be able to get ponies to work with us. We could've avoided it all completely if Manehattan's police would have simply given us the knowledge we needed, without the need for a princess to deal with it."
Gypsy shrugged. "Or... w-we could use the secret t-t-tunnel to Twilight's Palace, and see if we c-c-can't find the glyphs th-there?"
"I think that would count as either our first or third option, to be fair. Is the palace safe, though? I know that my toxic brother was released, and he was inside when it occurred..." Poor Jade; a tortured soul, imprisoned in a tormented body, she simply had to help him... but at the moment, his salvation semed to be further away than ever before. Without Onyx, without Peridot, without any sort of organized state's help...
And it was quite likely that the unecessary and cruel death of Princess Cadance was also probably haunting him too. Poor, poor Jade.
Gypsy looked at her. "Th-there is f-f-footage of his act-tivities once he left the p-palace... and yes, the p-path he took is still... hot?... yes, hot. But he did n-not roam the palace, so this one believes it w-would be safe." He sighed. "It st-stands abandoned, for the m-moment; there would be n-no encounters within it, this one b-believes."
He started for the door, grabbing another pancake as he passed them. "He can get s-someone to sh-show you the camera footage, if you w-w-wish to see him."
"Yes, I want to see him," she replied almost instantly, "as he's just another victim of the cruelty that befell us all, Gypsy. I need to see him; I have to do my utmost best to see a brother in him."
The diamond dog nodded. "Follow," he said simply.