Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Seventeen: Ninjas And Tea Parties

The room was opulent, though actually not as fashionable as the Rarity Suite had been; it was still rather nice, but far more subdued and regal-feeling. The bathtub was somewhat luxurious, as it was big enough for Siddy to fully submerge herself if she chose, but otherwise it was quite comfortable without being ostentatious.

What a day.

Ah, yes - luxuries. Normally she wouldn't be so happy about that detail, as she didn't really need it, but let's face reality - this day had been completely and utterly awful. She had to work like a harried slave, fought for her life, was almost certain that the enemy she had faced would kill her, all of her friends and the entirety of life on the planet...

She deserved this. And with that thought, she willingly went to the bathtub for some very radical relaxation in the warm water. In fact, it felt nice to be alone for a change. It was so quiet; she didn't have to hurry to let Amy, Tourmy or Cup in. She was completely alone, and everything seemed to be good and well.

The bath was incredible. What was more? The towels on the rack were soft and oh-so-fluffy, and by the time she came out of the bathroom, she was relaxed, clean, and more than ready for sleep. The bed provided was actually firm enough to support, yet still soft enough to be restful; whomever had made the mattress should have been given the highest awards in Equestria for making something that was as close to perfection as beds could get. It wasn't long at all after her head laid down upon the pillow that she sunk into a deep, sweet slumber...

~>-<~

"Are you gonna pour the tea, or do I have to do it myself?" Ruby sat across from her at the small table, one eyebrow raised in a question as she waited for service.

The tea set between them was actually one of Cupcake's, but surely he wouldn't mind if she dream-shared it with her favorite sister, would he? There were small teacakes, cookies, and even a few orange slices in a small bowl. The entire setup was adorable to behold, and Ruby herself was wearing a light, breezy sundress that nicely accented her lovely mane and tail.

"Oh, come on now - we talked about a tea party, and now we get to have one! Don't be a rude hostess," she teased, smiling happily as she just looked at Obsidian as if she had truly missed her.

It was a wonderful feeling to just let everything go. Not to have to concern herself with even a slight care about her siblings, the fate of the world, even her friends - just dive into the silence, embrace it and open her mind for its' soothing effects. She needed it, really - after the day she'd had, both her body and mind were simply exhausted and craved a chance to relax.

Honestly, as soon as she heard Ruby she could only nod her head with a smile and pour her favourite sister some tea. Really, with being her 'dead' sister, Obsidian had barely had any time to mourn her. Of course, she'd gotten initially angry during her discussion with Amethyst... but only because she had been complaining.

"You look lovely, Ruby. You always look lovely, but today you've really outdone yourself! This dream also looks far more pleasant than usual," she noticed as she poured some tea for herself as well.

Ruby smiled sweetly, took a sip from her cup, and daintily placed it back onto the saucer. "You've been doing so well, and you've worked so hard... I thought, 'how can I help the bestest sister ever to have a good day?' So naturally, I knew you just had to have some tea time with me!"

She gave a cute giggle, and used her magic to toss a cookie in the air, catching it in her mouth, chewing it, and giving an adorable gulp before washing it down with another sip of tea.

"And thank you for the fine compliment! I think you look nice today too - but then, I always thought you looked nice. Even when you weren't exactly fresh from the powder room, so to speak." She gave her head a light toss backwards, sending her luxurious mane rolling behind her shoulders. "You've been doing a LOT lately... and you should be recognized for it. It might not be fun to talk about, but you deserve the calling out - I know it wasn't easy to deal with Peri, but he was suffering - even back when he was alive. I never truly understood before; I tried to do what I could to be nice to him, but he always seemed as though he would avoid the rest of us. Well," she amended, "everyone but Amy, that is. I still have no idea why those two were so close..."

She shook her lovely head, took another sip, and continued. "But he's not suffering anymore - and that's thanks to you, Obsidian. It might have hurt to do what you had to do, but I believe he would have thanked you, if he'd had the chance. It was a sort of mercy, I guess you could say... but I know it had to be difficult for you."

She leaned forward and wrapped her forehooves around her sister. "But don't ever think you're some kind of horrible pony for it; you did what had to be done, and you're a LOT stronger than anyone really knows. And I love you for being strong."

"Now," she started, "if it's okay for me to change the subject? I know you found some of our other lost siblings, but I'm not sure which ones. Really, I thought Onyx had simply misplaced them, or captured them, or something like that... but I guess not. Which is news to me, really."

"But it might be a chance for me to help you out some more, especially if they're siblings I know... I mean, knew well." She only gave a slight sigh before continuing. "Besides, it'll be some good small talk for me to remember about them, and it's a small way I can still help you, even if I can't be there myself!"

She glanced about a bit, then gave Obsidian a sweet grin. "It's strange, to exist like this and interact with you after what happened to me... but honestly? It's wonderful that I get to do this, and I hope beyond hope that you enjoy my visits here as much as I do. Because, even after everything else, I want to know you better... which might be why I'm still with you; it's Life's little way of giving you something good, even amidst all the bad you've been through." Her smile widened. "Best of all, we BOTH get to know the sister we wanted to know the most... and right now, teacakes!"

Her horn glowed, her magic wrapped around said goodie, and she floated it up in front of Obsidian's muzzle. "Try it! They're absolutely yummyfied!"

Obsidian didn't waste time with her own teacake, catching it with her teeth - she repaid in kind, doing the very same trick Ruby had done. Indeed, they were good... one could even say they were 'dreamy'.

Ruby giggled, then took a bite as well. "Mmmmmmmm! They're wonderful, aren't they?"

"I discovered Amber, Diamond and Jade," Obsidian said to Ruby after she'd mentioned she didn't know which siblings she'd discovered. It also reminded her that she didn't quite get the chance to tell Flurry much about them - the alicorn had been too upset at first, then the moment with her room... and they kind of forgot about that part.

"And of course I enjoy your visits, Ruby. I'm not sure how I would handle... well, the fact that I'd lost you in the physical world, if not for them." Frankly speaking, Amy would probably already be in a bad state. Right now, it almost felt as if Ruby was simply living somewhere nearby and visiting from time to time - it would be a completely different situation if her demise would have stolen her away for good.

She enjoyed the teacake quietly for a moment, then her smile brightened as she took in what Obsidian said. "You found Diamond? Oh, that's wonderful news! He was such a sweetheart! He was an expert in healing magics, and he had a gentle soul..." Her face fell a bit. "Father... didn't really approve of it, though - he kept saying Mundy was weak because of his mercy, and he tended to punish him for it on occasion. But even though he did, Mundy always kept his kind nature; if you found him, I promise you're gonna really like him!"

She then sighed. "Amber? Oh... well, I don't like saying anything bad so much, but... but she's kind of... well, she's nasty. Like, all the time, just mean and nasty. Father usually made her do all sorts of hard things, and made her work to develop her control until she... she kiiiiiinda snapped." Ruby looked up, as if she was pondering. "She controlled a lot of slaves that Father had, and made them beat each other to death. And when Father came to stop her, he was... uh, he was smiling about it. He said she finally had succeeded in doing what he'd told her to. She... well, she tried to control him, but of course he knew better; he'd been prepared, and he beat her for the attempt. But he was still proud."

She gave a concerned look. "Amber... I dunno if she should be allowed to be free, but... but I always felt sorry for her, for how she was treated. Maybe if she had enough love to counter her foulness, she might... well, I'm not sure, but I believe she's still got something besides evil in her."

Then, sadness rolled across her features. "Jade. Oh, poor Jade..." Ruby gave a sniffle, then looked as though she was trying to fight tears. "Jade... got a LOT of beatings. He stole from Father when he was younger, and he was never forgiven for it. There was... a lot of... t-torture involved... and Jade, he..." Ruby gave a slight shudder, then hung her head. "... Father made Peridot curse him. Jade always had a talent for curses, and Father... he..."

When she looked up at Obsidian, there were tears in her eyes. "... he made Jade a MONSTER. His entire body is... well, toxic. I mean, he breathes poison, his skin is poisonous, and his bite is venomous. He's in constant pain, and because of it, he... he j-just doesn't care. If anypony deserves some sort of mercy, it's him... but don't expect him to give it back."

"Jade was beaten, whipped, chained and cursed. The last time I saw him, he was sealed away in his shard form, and placed in a waterfall of pure acid, so he... h-he would hurt and hurt and hurt, until the day he gets free. Poor, poor Jade..."

Father was proud of Amber? To be fair, even despite the fact that Obsidian herself had bested him, she still felt a touch of envy at the words; she had been working so hard to get him to acknowledge her and be proud of her, and yet... she never felt that it was enough to satisfy him.

But at least she got it better than Jade, it seemed - to steal from King Sombra himself? It certainly didn't sound like a wise idea. She wondered what it was he'd tried to take that drove their Father to be so very rough with him - perhaps something personal? His armor, or perhaps his cape or... Darkness forbid, was it his crown?

The poor fellow deserved help, but Obsidian really doubted she would be able to provide it without plenty of assistance involved. It would be the easiest to ask the princesses for help - but what if Flurry was right, that they were going to be completely unreasonable? Sealing them away in this situation would be outright cruelty, due to Jade's fate - he may have been a danger... but he was also a victim.

Just like the rest of them, technically speaking.

"Overall, I have a brother that I can theoretically already release, who shouldn't make any trouble... another brother that needs to be released as soon as possible, directly into care for his body, his state and his mental well-being... and a sister that should be immediately robbed of her magic, right after her release," Obsidian concluded, "so I'll need to prepare properly..."

Ruby sighed and took another sip of tea. "You will. I mean, if you could reach Jade, it would be wonderful. But I still say you need to be careful with him - Father pretty much beat the 'pony' out of him, and even HE sees himself as a monster. He even said it a number of times..."

Even if Obsidian couldn't reach him, even if he would end up in an asylum or a prison... it would probably be a far more preferable fate than being stuck inside a crystal and drenched with acid. There had to be a way to get rid of this curse... oh, and she would also need to a touch of research on mind control, too.

Ruby shook her head sadly, then looked at Obsidian with caring eyes. "And how are you doing? I mean, you've been through a lot lately, and even though you have friends who really do care about you... your sister here cares, too. So really, you can tell me everything and anything that's on your mind." She gave a slight grin. "Because I love my sister, and I'm here to listen to her, if she needs me to."

Everything that was on her mind? Obsidian didn't know if she'd be asleep that long.

"Princess Twilight practically wasted all the hard work done the other day by Cupcake... only because her son felt ill, could you believe that? I don't understand why she wanted to have this festival-thing called a 'birthday party', but then she ends up cancelling it because Midnight seemed a bit tired - seems like a bit of overkill to me, especially as the entire town was full of anticipation for it! She could have, oh I don't know, merely postponed it? Or just get on with it anyhow, since each and every pony around me seemed to be looking forward to the proceedings - and they were rather upset when the entire affair was called off. Besides, we've already freed Midnight from Peridot's curse; it didn't even take us that much time..."

She sipped at some of her tea. "But noooOOOOoooo, let's be ungrateful! I even saw perfectly-wrapped gifts in trash bins; why was everything just disposed of like that? What a complete and utter waste..."

Ruby gasped. "In the trash? Oh, my... no no no, that sounds HORRIBLE! It sounds to me like someone should let her know what that meant to the townsfolk, and encourage her to have that party, now that the threat is dealt with. Someone nice, and thoughtful, and respected..."

She giggled. "I mean you, of course! I think it would be great of you to do that, and it might also be nice if you possibly forgave her for what she did wrong here; she was afraid for her child, I think. I mean, I never had any foals myself, but I got the impression from the time I spent out that parents are supposed to care about their children. I looked at it as 'she was worried... aaaand she panicked a bit'."

Ruby chuckled softly. "From what I've learned about her, she does tend to panic sometimes... though supposedly a LOT more, when she was younger."

Obsidian sighed dramatically. "Oh, I'll do it, of course... but regardless, it still, er, what was that term - rubs me the wrong way," she shrugged slightly and sipped at her tea again.

"I truly despise pointless waste. Luckily, my friends had already convinced me that friendship, joy and so on are not wasteful... though that was hardly my opinion to begin with. And yes... Princess Sparkle could stand to be a bit more stable, I concur," Obsidian muttered. After all, there was once a time when Twilight almost went full-on Dark mode, after Applejack's bitter demise. "And how about you, dearest sister? Do you have anything else to do beyond visiting my dreams from time to time? Do you perhaps keep contact with Onyx?"

Ruby gave an enigmatic grin. "Oh, I keep myself busy, I suppose... you don't have to worry so much about me, though - I get to have tea time with my all-time-favorite sister, so it's not bad at all!"

She looked up towards the blue sky above them and her smile grew wide and warm. "I think Cupcake's about to wake you up with a kiss; I can smell his breath, and it's always sweet like chocolate. That, or he's snoring in your face." She reached over and gave Siddy a tight embrace. "I love you, sister. Please be careful, and take care of yourself. Thanks for joining me for tea - it was as nice as I'd hoped it would be!"

If any of her other siblings would say that they 'keep themselves busy', Obsidian would immediately freak out and paranoia would set upon her like a pack of wolves on a helpless lamb. Luckily, this was Ruby who was speaking these words, so everything was probably just fine. She didn't answer the question about Onyx, though... Obsidian was interested in their fates - everypony would be, in her situation.

"I'm a bit surprised... after all, I'm in the Crystal Empire, and he stayed behind in Ponyville," Obsidian mused as she returned the hug. "Next time let's dream about a shopping trip, shall we?"

Then again, it was Cupcake - for a second, she almost forgot who they were talking about. He would most likely be willing to travel to another country, just to catch up with her.

Ruby smiled broadly. "Oh, yes please! I'd LOVE to do some shopping with you! Oh, Obsidian! I lo-"

~>O<~

"-ve you, my darling Siddy." There was the kiss; it was warm, soft and slightly sweet. There was only one stallion who would do such a thing to her. When Siddy opened her eyes, Cupcake was right there, a foreleg around her middle, and his muzzle right next to hers.

"G'morning, beautiful," he said gently with a smile, "I found you."

Hello? Staff? Yes, she had a stallion in her bed, and he wasn't there when she was going to sleep. Not that she was complaining about it, of course. Well, maybe a little bit, as she was rather used to being alone before Father sealed her in crystal... and since then, she very rarely had so much time for herself.

But it was her coltfriend; the sole, solitary reason she would purposely want her slumber interrupted.

"Good morning, Cup," she said lazily, snuggling into him. "I hope it wasn't too difficult to find me. When did you arrive in the Empire, love?"

"As soon as Clap started complaining about being bored and wanting to go get pastries," he smiled, "I knew you'd been successful! So I made sure she got home, then made my way here as soon as I could. Shining Armor, the captain of the guard, told me where you were at, so I kinda... well, I snuck in."

He pointed at the comfy chair nearby, where there was what looked like a black suit, along with a length of rope, a grappling hook, and some weird-looking cup-soled boots.

"Mom let me use her sneaky stuff," he giggled. "It was kinda fun, actually." He then sat up, looking her over. "And how do YOU feel, my little hero?"

O... kaaaaay, that was something surprising; even when she thought she was prepared for being 'Cupcaked', he kept proving her wrong. Really now, wasn't that some sort of crime? She was fairly sure he would have just talked his way in.

"You never cease to amaze me, Cup," she admitted, "and I actually feel wonderful. Sleeping in such luxurious conditions after stopping the end of the world is simply grand. I may have... indulged myself, to be fair."

She peeked over at the suit, lifted an eyebrow, then shifted her glance back to Cup. "Would you, eh... put it on, maybe? I'm... curious to see how you look in it."

Cup actually blushed a bit, yet he stood and picked it up, wriggling into it carefully. It was cute to see him put it on, especially as he had to wiggle his butt a good bit to get it past his waist. Eventually, he stood up - and he was almost completely covered in black fabric - except for his eyes, which looked out at her from the darkness of the suit.

He looked... actually rather attractive in it. It accented his form, hugging the wiry muscle he had while lending him an air of mystery and danger.

"I... look silly, don't I?" came his voice from behind the mask that covered his mouth.

Obsidian had held a crush on Cupcake for quite some time, and that included a physical attraction as well. She had no idea whether she would have liked him that much if he would more resemble, say, Eloquence. She was rather glad that she didn't have to even consider that possibly shallow side of herself.

She wondered if it were times such as these that helped coin phrases such as 'form-fitting', because the stealth suit was quite fitting, to her. It also meant that she was rather enjoying looking at him right now... and when he was putting it on. It was hard to mistake those eyes and that frame, so she would be able to recognize him easily.

Still, he was very lucky that she had been sleeping when he was sneaking in; otherwise, he could have gotten a little bit, er... blasted.

Obsidian tilted head to the side with a sultry smirk, eyeballing him from the bed. "Not even a little bit, Cuppy; quite the contrary, I daresay - you look... deliciously good. Doesn't seem as though such an outfit would be too comfortable for snuggling in bed, though..."

Cup chuckled deeply. He spoke in a deep, rich voice and struck a pose. "My dearest Obsidian... I say we give it a try, shall we?"

With that, he crept up to the bed, and without so much as a single shudder of the mattress, he slunk his way up to her until he was directly over her, looking down at her as she felt his warmth through the smooth, silky material. He looked deep into her eyes, leaned forward... and began to tickle her mercilessly.

"NINJA ATTAAAAAACK!" he giggled.

Cupcake never ceased to amaze her, really; in her old, organized world, she used to more or less know what to expect from her Father. Even now, in the Modern World, most of her friends were rather organized and straightforward - Clap, Stalwart, Gypsy... and yet Cup alone was always, literally always, able to completely take her by surprise. Even the few times he wasn't as surprising, he countered that by being so enthusiastic and active.

Of all things, she didn't expect to be tickled, and her sleepy brain didn't realize what was going on before it was too late.

"Oh... oh no no no no NOOO!" she hoarsely giggled, wiggling below him to avoid the ruthless tickles. Ripples of laughter escaped her mouth. "Mercyyyyyyy!!!"

She couldn't stop laughing, completely helpless. This was a rarity for her, as during her days with her Father, he... well, let's just say he really wasn't the laughing type. Even later on, she was able to smirk, smile and sometimes giggle... but laughing was a completely different thing. It really wasn't hard to make her cry tears from laughter - the poor mare just wasn't ready for that surprise interaction... though, even with her howls for him to stop, she secretly loved every moment.

After a bit of enjoying her laughter, he then flopped down next to her on the bed and hugged her, joining her in her merriment. "I love to hear laughter... but I think I love your laughter best, Siddy." He snuggled her warmly, then moved off the bed and started to remove the suit... which did strange things to Obsidian's heart, watching him strip out of it.

Cupcake was really close to overloading her brain for a moment... or at least making her entire outside one big red blush. Of course, it didn't help that it was pretty enjoyable to see him taking off that suit - which, coupled with the healthy laughter, was making Obsidian blush rather profoundly - also a rather rare occurance.

"Okay, so... can I ask what happened? I mean, after you left the house? I was SO worried about you, but I knew you'd be okay - you are amazing, after all! You beat it, whatever it was, so... tell me what went down while you get ready to go. I got us a couple of return tickets for Ponyville, so all you have to do is be there with me when it shows up later."

He grinned. "Of course, those tickets are for noon... and it's still early. We can go for breakfast, if you like?"

"I'd say... we get back to bed, and I can tell you everything. Breakfast won't escape... plus, I eat far better these days than I once used to - so we can even skip it." Maybe it would be nice to see some more of the Crystal Empire... but Obsidian didn't plan on sightseeing alone, as wanted to do so with a group of friends. And she was feeling a bit decadent right now.

He gave her a blank look for a second... then smiled with his own blush as he made his way over to her, leaned down... and booped her nose. "Boop."

He gave a giggle, then a nuzzle... then sighed and rolled his eyes playfully as he flopped down next to her, the mattress bouncing a bit as he landed. "Okay, you win - breakfast IS the most important meal of the day... but I think I might be the best fed stallion in all of Equestria, after the feast you give my eyes, love."

He nuzzled her again, and kissed her gently, softly running a hoof through her mane and over the back of her neck. "So... what happened?"

Okay, that was a clever use of an idiom, she had to admit. There were also others which involved things about love, eating and so on, right? Like, uh... wasn't there something about the stomach and heart? Like, the shortest way to a stallion's stomach is through his heart? Something like that - she always seemed to have a few small problems with these - obviously, her Father hadn't been in the habit of using too many of them around her.

Obsidian shivered slightly when Cup ran his hoof over her neck. It was quite a strange feeling, really... strange, but not at all unwelcome.

"I was a bit late getting there, and either Spike didn't have time to put the magic inhibitors on Midnight... or they were easily broken. Peridot took control of his body, but I managed to reach Princess Twilight. She teleported me all way here, where I found Flurry Heart and we flew directly to the Delvar Libratorium. I was lucky, as I had no idea where it was and my brother had managed to curse me as well. It wasn't a nice thing to experience."

She sighed softly. "Then, despite Peridot's attempts to discourage us, I found his notebook and destroyed it - he was magically tied to it, somehow. So... he is gone. And Midnight is fine." It was strange - for so many events that had happened, it felt weird to talk about it in such a compact way.

Though he looked alarmed about hearing her being cursed, Cup smiled and hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you beat him, Siddy; he sounds like he might've been pretty mean, and shame on him for hurting you like that. I'm mostly glad you're okay, though... because if you hadn't been, I would've..."

He shuddered a bit, then sighed. "Well, it wouldn't have been nice, whatever I would do." He then put on a smirk. "So you met Flurry Heart, did you? From what I've seen of her, she's kinda nice... but she needs her mouth washed out with soap, it's SO filthy. Still, she never hurt anyone - except Clap's pride, that is. Those two do NOT get along."

He then sighed as he nuzzled her again. "But I'm glad to hear Midnight's okay... and Auntie Twily will be, too. Sounds like everything worked out for the best. Good."

"That's the most surprising part, Cup - he really wasn't mean. He was just... troubled. And a bit too clever for his own good, I'd say. He needed some form of mental help, to be honest... but in an alicorn body, he was too powerful and dangerous to reach..."

Obsidian shook her head a bit. "And yes, er... Flurry uses a number of words that I don't really understand; sometimes they seem to be used together with terms that I know are vulgar, but I still don't understand their meaning beyond that."

So Clap and Flurry had quite a story together, eh? Obsidian was a bit curious about it - especially as Clap had mentioned something about Flurry during their first meeting. "And what's going on back home? Everything's fine, right? Please tell me everything's fine..."

Cup smiled broadly. "Everything's peachy keen! Clap woke up and complained, Wart woke up and started fussing over her armor, then they both wanted to look for you, but I sent them home, saying I would find you. Gypsy came back before I left, and told me Mica was okay, too... though he said Mica also had been busy doing some research, and wanted to meet with you to talk about it." He gave a light shrug. "Don't know what it's about, but I figure someone as smart as Mica will probably have something interesting to talk about."

Mica, doing research... she was curious as to what it could be about. He didn't mention anything during their previous meeting - maybe he was looking for information about Midnight's past? "I'll certainly meet him later."

Okay, she had asked about home, and everything was fine... this bed was still quite comfortable... did she have anything more to ask?

"Cup... what does 'score' mean?" She spoke aloud as she recalled the terminology. Asking about Flurry's strange words could wait, but that one had been puzzling her since she'd heard it.

Cup gave her a questioning look, but shrugged. "Uhhh... score? It usually means something about sports... I think. Like, when someone does a good thing, and it gives them a point? That's called 'scoring', and it kinda means you're winning. Mom used to play Buckball professionally, and might be able to tell you more about it. As far as me, though... I don't really care much for sports - except for competitive eating, which is totally my sport!"

Well, it confirmed her thoughts. Still, it didn't really make any sense in the context she'd heard it in.

"But we didn't play any sports..." she wondered aloud. "I've overheard once at school somepony talking that you'd 'scored a mare', so I was just curious. Sadly, said pony didn't seem to want to explain when I asked about it that time; I really hate when someone uses a word I don't understand and then doesn't want to tell me what it meant!"

To be fair, the entire line had been a bit longer than just 'scored a mare'... but she'd cut off the adjectives and so on. The heart of the matter was the important thing.

"Oh. Oooooohhhhhhh... oh." He blushed brightly. "Uhh, th-that refers to... um, finding a really good mare to have as a marefriend. Or finding a good stallion for a coltfriend. In that context, it means good things." He smiled. "Like, I'd say 'how did I ever score a mare like you, Siddy?'"

With that, he kissed her again. Maybe this 'scoring' wasn't so bad after all, if it got her kisses and compliments...

"Oh. Well, I... guess it makes sense," Obsidian said happily and nuzzled him in response. "I'm happy I scored you, then! Especially as everypony keeps telling me you've never shown a real interest in this kind of thing with other mares before I appeared."

Lucky Cup; he almost literally got a marefriend fresh out of the fridge. A big crystal fridge.

He gave a slight giggle. "I think we both scored. I mean, I knew that mares thought I was... 'cute'... but I never really, really noticed any of them back. It just... never crossed my mind."

"When I met you, I... well, it wasn't very romantic, no. But as I got to know you... well, I wanted to know you more. I wanted to know what your favorite thing to eat was, or what your favorite color was, or... well, everything! And I'd never felt like that about anymare before."

He kissed her... and this one was a deep, long kiss. "You made me notice you," he said when he finished, "and I don't regret it one little-bitty-bit."

Obsidian sometimes wasn't sure if living together with Cup was such a good idea... especially since Mica and Clap weren't doing the same, and she had literally gone straight from 'living in a small cell and being controlled by an evil father' to 'living in a big house with her coltfriend and siblings'. However, she never really regretted that she'd gotten interested in him - and vice versa. Besides, his kisses were deeply satisfying.

"Well, that 'meanie' part at the beginning sure made you notice me," she smirked at him slightly, poking at the romantic mood a bit, "but I'm glad you're with me, Cuppy. You are the incarnation of everything that was forbidden to me during my old life... and I absolutely love it."

His smile went a bit wobbly, and tears welled up in his eyes, but didn't fall. "Siddy. Oh, I love you so muchly-much. Thank you for loving me back."

He hugged her fiercely, then got up and shook himself a bit. "Whoo! That felt great! Okay, so - now I'm hungry! So, let's go get something to fill our bellies with..." A wicked smile crept across his muzzle. "Unless, of course, you think you can withstand another ninja attack, that is!"

Almost literally, he was the 'incarnation of everything forbidden'; If their super-friendship-attack hadn't defeated her Father, she could simply have told him that Cup was her coltfriend - that would surely have given him a heart attack on the spot.

"By Darkness, no, I'm up! I'm up!" Obsidian giggled as she got to her hooves very quickly - impressively so, in fact. A bit of tickllng was fine from time to time, but she didn't want to overdose.

"Okay, last question - what 'protection' can be acquired during 'scoring'?" That had been a really strange talk. She didn't mean to overhear - it was rude - but she did it only by accident, and asked for clarification because they were talking about her and Cup. Sadly, none was given... and those two ponies seemed to avoid her now. Sad.

Cup blinked a bit. "Uhm... shoulderpads? Helmets? There was one time when I heard about something called a 'cup' when it came to protection in sports... but I never figured out what that was." He shrugged. "Okay, then - let's go to one of the ritzy-type cafes they have here; I hear they serve ice cream in glass goblets. Fancy-schmancy, right?"

"No, no... this term was used during a discussion I'd overheard; something about protection to avoid a little Cupcake... with Dark Magic, I think? Is there any way you could change size? And Lemon once told me to never teach you Dark Magic..."

Ice cream sounded nice, though; hopefully, Cup brought enough cash with him... because Obsidian teleported with nothing but herself.

"Small Cupcake? I dunno - I'm all for BIGGER cupcakes, honestly! The bigger, the better!" He then blinked a bit more. "But I don't think cupcakes made with Dark Magic would taste very good... unless it makes dark chocolate. I looooooove dark chocolate!"

He went to the door and opened it, flourishing with a foreleg. "Shall we go, my sweet lady? There's a gallon of ice cream with our names on it, and I don't wanna make my tummy angry!"

She could always ask Clap about it, Obsidian decided. The things Cup was saying didn't make sense in the context of that overheard discussion... of course, it also wasn't that important; she was just curious.

"Sadly, I don't know about any Dark Magic that makes chocolate... though, world conquest would go far more smoothly with something like that, methinks. Cities and villages would surrender without a fight!"

Obsidian smirked a bit as she headed out of the room. "Okay, so - breakfast first. I've read that eating ice cream on an empty stomach is not healthy for you."

He smiled as he led her out. "ALL would fall before the mighty Obsidian, and her Dark Chocolate Army! Entire cities, washed away with nummy deliciousness! Canterlot itself would be renamed 'Choco-Lot'! And there would be a thousand years of darkness... in chocolate form!"

He laughed a bit, then looked at her. "Well, yeah - we'll have to get the ice cream last, for dessert; the GOOD stuff would have to be first, right? And I feel like having some hayburgers!"

On the street, there were a number of beings all around them... including the lovely crystal ponies that Obsidian once saw as slaves. However, they certainly looked a LOT happier than the crystal ponies she remembered. Cup continued to chatter away pleasantly, and made a few jokes to keep the smile on Siddy's muzzle.

Eventually, they reached an outdoor cafe, by the name of 'The Mint & Berry Eatery Salon'.

"Sounds yummy," Cup said as he looked it over. "Shall we try it out?"

Suddenly Obsidian felt an urge to eat some chocolate. Hard chocolate. Cut into little crystal shapes. And maybe with a dye to make it even more black... Obsidian chocolate... yessssssss... she could convince Cup to make something like that and get royalties from the sales. Or at least enjoy the fact that there was a dessert made in her honour.

But for now, hayburgers were okay. Actually, Obsidian had been through an exceedingly long day yesterday, and didn't eat very much - so it would be fine to fill her stomach with something proper. "Yes, we shall. If we don't like it, we can always look for another place. In the worst case scenario, we can call Flurry and ask for help with finding the best hayburgers in the City," she suggested.

The doors to the place were fancy. The windows were fancy. The interior was fancy.

The look on the serving host's face, however, was not so fancy.

"Ahem," he said, standing there in his fancy outfit, "sir and madam. May I help you?"

"I sure hope so," Cup smiled, "we're pretty starved!"

"Oh, sir," he said with a bit of a sneer, "I'm afraid I cannot permit it. This place is only for members of our 'Elite Diners' club, and I'm afraid you are not members. My sincerest apologies," he went on, "but I'm afraid you'll have to-"

"Port, it's okay - they're with me." The voice was one of distinctly high class quality, but the stallion who stood there wasn't anyone Obsidian recognized.

However, the host instantly stood upright, and his eyes widened as he heard it. "Oh! Mister Blue, I had no idea you were expecting company, sir!"

The stallion was indeed blue; his coat was a powder blue, while his mane and well-braided tail were a darker, more distinguished blue. He wore a fine blue suit, and even his eyes were almost a pale sky blue.

"Neither did I, Port. But they're welcome friends. You two," he waved a hoof towards the dining area, "won't you follow me?"

The host bowed to them both, then went back to looking over his lists. Blue smiled, and motioned for them to follow as he walked to a far table and sat down. Cup looked at Siddy, shrugged, and went to the table as well.

It was either a trap... or she was just famous and somepony wanted to help her out. It would be a welcome change - her life would be far better off if, instead of worrying about sudden sibling attacks, she would have to wonder how many dinners would be offered to her like this.

And, frankly, considering that Cup already went with this unknown pony, she had no other option but to follow them as well - she wasn't going to leave him in this place alone, after all.

"Sir, are you sure this isn't a mistake?" she asked. It was the most honest question she could think of.

'Mister Blue' gave a slight chuckle, then smiled broadly as they both sat down. "Oh, I don't believe so, Miss Obsidian... after all, if it hadn't been for your help, I would never have made such a good grade on my Biology exams."

Wait... why was that familiar?

"Besides, I would rather eat with friends than alone," he grinned.

Author's Note:

A bit more about the three shards, a bit more about what may be happening, and a bit more Cupcake Sprinkles being Cupcake Sprinkles. All three things are stuff I'm hoping you folks are looking forward to. And tea parties, because Ruby mentioned them before.

Ninja Tickle Attacks claim the grumpiness of thousands of people, every single year. Make sure to stay up to date and informed about these attacks, because you never know when or where they may strike. Consider yourself warned.

Comments

[Truthseeker]

If I was in Obsidian's position I would be chomping at the bit to let out Diamond A.S.A.P. if anyone could find a cure for their cursed brother, it would likely be him. And this 'Blue' guy gives me the creeps something fierce.

[Reclusive]

Now that was some incredibly lewd teasing.