Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Twenty Two: Doggone Chatty

The diamond dog looked a bit worried, but breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Siddy finally come out of the library. "The t-t-tr-train will be leaving shortly; if we hurry, w-we should make it with a few minutes left t-to spare."

A few minutes; would it be enough to possibly gather Peppermint from Sugarcube Corner? Maybe not, but it was fine for now - she didn't need Peppermint yet. She was simply going to meet with some distinguished senior citizens; it wasn't that important that some of them happened to be princesses old enough to have bested her father during his original reign, and lived to tell the story.

The train station wasn't terribly far, but Gypsy's excitement about traveling was apparent as he practically skipped along with her. Once they reached the station, they found they were just in time before their train left; there was enough leeway to present their tickets and get aboard before the train began to chug its' way southwest, headed for Silver Shores.

Gypsy seemed to enjoy the train ride; he spent some of it with his head out of the window, letting his purple tonuge flap in the breeze as his smile grew wider than a mile. Siddy had more than enough time to eat; the ride would take at least three hours.

AND SHE HAD FORGOTTEN TO BRING A BOOK WITH HER! She'd even been right there... in the library! Just great... wonderful. She could chew on her food for a while, and then she just had to do her best not to die from boredom. Hopefully Gypsy would be helpful with that - she grabbed her breakfast sack and began to dig in.

"So, how goes your day, Gypsy?" Honestly, a nice spot of small-talk wasn't bad.

The diamond dog looked at her, then brought his head back into the train with a somewhat cute sheepish grin. "Th-this one ap-p-pologizes for his behavior - he just LOVES to g-go fast!"

He sat down in his seat properly, then crossed his legs and tthought for a moment, shortly nodding before speaking up. "This one has b-been excited about the train ride s-since yesterd-day... and he thanks you very m-m-much for inviting him along. An opportunity t-to meet Celestia and Luna? Such an honor th-th-that this one's guardians found to b-be so very kind of you; they told this one t-t-to thank you for it."

"Otherwise, this one awoke early, and gr-groomed himself for a few hours, j-just to be sure he would be p-pr-presentable for the journey. His t-tongue is a bit sore, but he f-feels it was worth the attention to d-d-detail he paid."

"Silver Shores itself? Oh, he is happy t-to say he knows of it! Discovered by miners around two hundred years ago, the beaches have sand that reflects moonlight, therefore owing to its' name. There were a few trading p-posts that sprang up around those beaches, but they never seemed to make enough sales - being as out of the way as they were - but it was such a soothing atmosphere that elder p-ponies began building their homes th-there."

"The Silver Sands C-Community has been active for close to fifty years now, and boasts the largest gathering of elder beings from differeing cultures in one place; even diamond dogs speak of ret-t-tiring there sometimes, due to the beautiful, sparkly sands. Celestia and Luna, when they turned over their kingdom to Twilight Sparkle, moved there as to stay out of the way of what they f-felt would be a good ruler for Equestria, and they believe they have left the nation in capable hooves. To date, there has been little to prove them wrong... well, until the Umb-b-bral Incident, that is. However, the situation was handled well enough, s-so they felt little need to step in."

To be fair, the Umbral Incident was only handled well-enough because Obsidian and her friends were overtaxing themselves to save the world, and Onyx turned out to be a bit too manipulative to consider bringing Obsidian into their flock without using and discarding her like a snotty Grey tissue; quite the contrary, as she had seemed to be content doing everything to ensure that her youngest sister would absolutely and completely loathe the mere idea of joining forces with her.

"But... they still have their strength, yes... their magic as alicorns? Perhaps they would be willing to help us out a bit, in case things get bad?" It would be good to have a few other princesses on their side, willing to help make life a little bit easier on Obsidian and her poor friends.

Gypsy nodded. "Oh, they are still alicorns, yes - but they tend to use their p-powers for the elders that live with them, more often than n-not. But this one is c-certain they would be willing t-to help us; they still believe in H-Harmony, and it would be for the b-b-benefit of all to have their assistance."

He looked out of the window and gave a soft sigh. "Th-they are the parents to this nation... p-protecting it and nurturing it f-for many, many years. This one is... a bit jealous, sometimes, b-but he tries not to show it." His ears drooped a bit. "This one h-h-has no natural parents to sp-speak of; he wishes he d-did, because he would be th-th-thrilled to meet them. However, his chosen Greatfather has t-told him they were not able t-to b-be attentive p-parents, and so... they gave him t-t-to the rest of the clan, and his Greatfather r-raised him among them all."

His eyes wandered to Siddy. "Your father might be a t-tyrant... but you at least kn-know who he is."

She could sympathize with Gypsy on some level; she was terribly let down when she learned that she didn't have any sort of normal mother, and that her father should technically be called her 'creator'... and then she practically orphaned herself by defeating him.

"Chosen Greatfather? How does that work?" She raised her eyebrows a bit. "And please, remember that my father basically made me to be nothing more than a servant - his tool, so to speak. In my case, heritage can be rather... annoying."

He nodded. "A diamond dog like th-this one is usually raised for a few years b-before they are chosen by a Greatfather, but he was given t-to his own at a very young age. Greatfather Skipper is this one's, a-and he was firm at t-times... but he showed great care and l-love during this one's younger y-years."

Gypsy smiled softly. "As this o-o-one grew, Greatfather Skipper tr-trained him well, and helped him learn the digging, the smelling, a-and the Origami; without h-him, this one would possibly be d-d-dead... or worse. And there are th-things worse than death, Obs-sidian."

He then gave a small smile. "The guardians were a b-bit hard on this one, b-but they mean well, and he is g-gr-grateful that they allowed him t-to go to the Friendship Academy. They even yelled at the others who m-mocked him for wanting to g-g-go in the first p-place. They love him... they just never knew the s-s-softness that ponies t-tend to... pr-pr-present company excluded, of course."

He looked at her, and cocked his head to one side. "This one is c-curious; do you recall your y-youth at all?"

Obsidian rubbed her temple with a hoof, gingerly. "Not really, no."

Now that she thought about it, did she have any kind of youth at all? Most of her memories were fairly similar to each other - father, training, magic, very rough conditions and so on. Were there times she could remember when her father looked taller to her? Or were shards crafted as older ponies already, in order to immediately begin their training?

"Training, learning, those kinds of things. I don't recall too much beyond that; either I don't remember being a small filly... or I wasn't ever a filly in the first place." Perhaps the most basic skills, like walking, talking or reading were imprinted into the part of father's soul that was forced into becoming her? It would make sense - that way, her father would get useful tools practically from 'birth'.

Gypsy seemed saddened to hear it, and he leaned forward and placed a caring paw on her shoulder. "If w-we could choose, not a one of us w-would ever have a parent that would harm or u-use us; but we can choose who w-we respect and love... and this one feels b-b-both towards you, Obsidian. If he had known you as a youth, h-he would have played w-with you, and we might have b-b-been friends then. But we are friends n-now, and that is wh-what matters today."

He smiled kindly at her. "A diamond dog's clan is b-bond; this one sees you as c-c-clan, and knows you see him as such, t-too."

Obsidian patted Gypsy's head in return. Maybe her search for information about Radiant Hope would bring her at least a feasible semblance of a mother in her life. Or, if she got desperate, she'd visit miss Pinkie Pie to talk about this whole 'mother-in-law' idea. Frankly speaking, it wouldn't be that bad. Probably.

"Well, we have our gang... that's what it's being called, right?" she asked.

Gypsy chuffed a laugh. "A gang is usually seen as th-thugs; we are seen as heroes. This one would suggest th-the word 'group' or 'club'... but he will always s-see it as a clan." Oh. So, uhh... should she stop using that term, then? Nopony had ever explained the difference before; she was fairly certain it had been a good word to use.

He took out a piece of white paper, and began to fold it in that curious way he had. "W-would you like something m-made for you? This one t-takes requests, yes... something in p-particular?"

Obsidian wondered briefly about his request - and smiled. "Make yourself," she said with a chuckle.

Gypsy looked at her curiously a her request, but grinned, nodded, and spoke as he began to fold. "Greatfather was always t-telling this one his p-p-paws were very gifted, and that he w-would be quite good at Origami. He w-was right, of course - and this one was s-s-so proud to prove it t-to him."

Slowly, the form began to take shape; the floppy ears, the hoodie, the tail, the big paws on the thin arms... each detail was carefully done. Once the folding was complete, he produced markers from his sleeves, and began to color it appropriately. "This one w-wonders... are Obsidian and Cupcake t-to be wedded? Will th-they marry? Maybe not n-now, but in the future, p-p-perhaps? He thinks th-they make a good pairing, and would have m-m-many nice pups."

Obsidian almost choked on the question - what was the deal with everyone? She would expect something like that from the literal Princess of Love... but why would Gypsy bring it up? "Gypsy, I don't know anything about weddings, marriages, or even about, uh... having pups - er, foals, I mean. My father didn't bother to teach me about that aspect of life, as it was obviously not important for a pony who was merely holding a fraction of his soul for his emergency plan."

Gypsy's eyes widened, and he almost dropped the origami sculpture. "You... you d-d-don't know?" He considered for a moment, then looked to her again. "Well, if you w-wish, this one can t-t-tell you what he knows of s-such things... he loves t-to share knowledge, a-a-and he would th-think it a good thing for y-you to know of these things. P-plus, it will take up t-travel time."

"As far as I'm aware of, marriages happen when two realms want to solidify their alliance, and the heirs somehow appear later. I know even less when we're talking about non-royal marriages. I would not be adverse to learning a bit during our trip; you may enlighten me, if you feel it to be so important, my friend," Obsidian said, somewhat resigned to the idea that she might as well learn now, from someone she knew she could trust.

Gypsy gave a small nod. "A-as you wish, Obsidian. Now, w-we shall begin with c-conception..."

The next two hours were very informative indeed. Gypsy knew about reproduction, and wasn't bashful at all to tell Siddy about it - in detail. He explained truths to her that she never even imagined could be possible... and he made certain she understood everything he told her.

The diamond dog wasn't about to let his friend remain ignorant. Whether she wanted to know or not, Obsidian was now knowledgeble in the ways of a typical marriage, courtship rituals... and, most of all, the act of copulation - better known as sex.

Sweet... Darkness.

By the end of her friend's lesson, Obsidian's ears were pressed tightly to her skull and a mix of different emotions - particularly confusion, terror and embarassment - were visible in her eyes. Considering that Cup was her coltfriend... did it mean they were supposed to do that? Obsidian wasn't sure if she got the cultural and societal significance of the act and the current local traditions about it... would they be important?

Gypsy seemed pleased that he was able to help his friend, but looked at her curiously as he finished speaking. "I-is there something you d-d-don't understand, p-perhaps?"

"I think," Obsidian said with wide eyes, "that's quite enough for now. I need to... think about all this. If I have other questions or something, perhaps I can ask Miss Pie for her perspective as well; she has a rather large family, so she could have more knowledge from her own experiences."

The diamond dog nodded, then looked toward the window. "We will be approaching S-S-Silver Sands soon... c-can this one feel the wind once m-more before we arrive?" His tail wagged hopefully; he didn't even seem bothered at all by what he'd just explained to her - he just wanted to put his head out of the window again.

"Of course, Gypsy," she smiled, honestly glad the talk was done, "just be careful... should I hold you steady with my magic, or...?"

He grinned, and his tail wagged happily. "Oh, that's n-not necessary - he already knows how to p-p-position himself, and w-w-would feel silly asking you for such. In f-fact, would you like to t-t-try it?"

She shook her head quickly. Frankly, she had no idea why he would find such an act so entertaining... it was just the wind, after all.

"S-suit yourself," he shrugged, then proceeded to lean out of the window and let his tongue flap next to his cheek.

Honestly? It did look like the diamond dog was having grand fun doing it; strange, but then, he wasn't a pony - no telling what else he might find fun. Still, he seemed happy to do so, and who was Obsidian to stand in the way of her friend's happiness?

It was always nice to see her friends having a good time, even if she herself had no idea why they were enjoying it. Did he like the feeling of the wind hitting his muzzle that much? Or was that simply a diamond dog cultural thing? Whatever it was, it seemed to be a good thing for a diamond dog to enjoy - it was free, it was simple in its' actions and didn't need any long or drawn out preparation. Pure, innocent happiness... with the added effect of making him just a bit more adorable in the process.

Arriving at the station, they were greeted by the salty smell of the ocean, a cool and light breeze, soft and gentle music from the overhead speakers, and...

"Well, lookee here? Ain't THAT just the thing?"

... familiar voices.

A single passenger car down, Short Round and Whisper Winds were exiting the exact same train that she was; they had been there with them the whole time, and neither party had been the wiser.

"I guess y'couldn't wait no more, couldja? Well butter my biscuits, that's just a real treat, then! An' hey, y'brought a friend!" Gypsy turned to Siddy and lifted an eyebrow at the coincidence. "We was headed here after th' party yesterday, an' whoooooo-eeeee! 23 Skiddoo, missy - it was a LIVE 'un!"

How fortuitous - so the problem with looking for her two elderly friends was no longer an issue to worry about. "Good afternoon! I'm glad you liked it - even I was surprised how enjoyable it was!" To think that she hadn't liked it in the beginning, and had mostly used it as a means to deal with a few issues all at once... then, oh, how it had ended...

"This is Gypsy, my friend from school; Gypsy, meet mister Short Round and miss Whisper Winds. They helped me a few days ago with an annoying problem," she informed him as she introduced them to each other.

Gypsy gave a low bow. "It is n-nice to meet you, mist-ter and madam."

Short smiled, but Whisper's eyes went wide... and she moved to come muzzle-to-muzzle with Gypsy, who looked a bit nervous as she stared into his eyes for a moment... and then she grabbed him up in a big hug, a smile breaking out across her features as Gypsy gave a little sheepish grin as well.

Short barked out a laugh, then turned to Siddy. "She loves puppies, y'know; though I don't think she's ever met a diamond doggy a'fore."

"That would mean it was a grand idea to bring Gypsy with me, then... as long as you're okay with all this attention, Gypsy?"
Ponies in the modern era were pretty darn huggable, and in most cases they didn't protest about hugs in the least (granted, Amy was a notable exception)... and yet on the other hoof, they were a bit too huggy-prone. Not every creature appreciated that.

Gypsy, however, simply blushed and grinned. "Y-yes... though th-this one... is having... tr-trouble breathing..."

Whisper gasped, then set him down gently. She was all smiles as she then patted him on his head, then began to scratch him behind his left ear with a hoof. Gypsy's eyes bulged for all of a second, then went half-lidded as he leaned into the scratching, letting his tongue loll from his mouth. Oddly, his right rear leg began to thump against the wooden planks below.

Yup, Whisper obviously really liked dogs... and apparently, diamond dogs weren't that different from typical, non-talking ones. Was it some kind of evolutionary trait, perhaps? Well, as long as Gypsy wasn't bothered by it, everything was fine. At least Obsidian didn't have to worry that she might have annoyed her hosts when she brought one of her friends along without clearing it with them first.

"Eeyep - she always knows right where ta git 'em; one o' her special talents with critters, I think. So," Short turned to her, "I s'pose yer gonna want ta find a place to settle fer a spell? Well, me an' the missus could take ya over ta ol' 'Motion's Bakery', if'n ya want a mite t'chew... or we could head straight home. Whaddya say?"

Regardless of how highly she thought of him, it was sometimes difficult to decipher what Short Round was saying. Accents... damned accents! "Umm... straight home, methinks. We had also hoped to meet with the princesses later, if it was possible. Is it difficult to gain an.... audience... with them?"

Short grinned. "Y'made yer way out here jus' ta see Celly, didja? Heh, an' here I thought 'twas m'charming personality that brought ya!" He gave a chuckle over that, then nodded. "T'ain't hard at all, missy - it ain't like she's got schedules t'keep or guards ta go through n'more - she's got her an' Luna a lil' cottage in the Community; twenty lil' cottages, all lined up t'gether, that's alla us. That, an' the Community Center in th' middle. Can't miss it!"

Whisper finished scratching Gypsy, and he looked at her like she was the most wonderful pony in the entire world. The two made their way over to join Short and Siddy.

"Welp," the elder stallion grinned, "guess we're headed home, then; I can show ya which one's Celly's cottage... but I got me an idea that you'll figger it out fer yerselves. C'mon!" He and Whisper began to walk down a flagstone path that led into what looked a bit like Ponyville, but with different buildings.

Gypsy smiled at Obsidian. "This one l-l-likes them. Especially Madam W-Winds; she knows of the Skritchies!"

Obsidian had enough decency to be embarrassed about being caught in a social faux-pas like this one; she'd come to see someone completely other than who she'd run into, and it felt awkward to her. "Well, er... the fact that the princesses live here and I have some business to attend with them only made us visit sooner; I would have visited even without the errand ahead of us. After all, you did invite me, Mister Short - this is just a... pleasant coincidence, let's say."

At least Whisper and Gypsy seemed to be practically made for each other; if Obsidian were in Short's position, she would perhaps be a touch jealous. "Skritchies?" she then asked Gyspy, "What are these? A form of diamond dog magic, mayhaps?" she tried to guess as they trotted into the community after the happy elderly couple.

Gypsy smiled dreamily. "Oh, that is n-not inaccurate..."

They walked along the smooth stone pathway, and Obsidian saw that a large number of the citizens here were elderly, though there seemed to be a few younger ponies as well, and even one or two children, though usually in the company of an elder.

The place had a very calming effect; it felt safe, happy, and not at all bustling like Ponyville could be. In fact, the general atmosphere was one of relaxed joy - the kind of smile one puts on at the end of a satisfying day. The buildings were subdued colors, but not washed out - just softer than the bright shades she was used to seeing at home. A number of passers-by waved to the elderly couple, who waved back with occasional greetings from Short Round.

When they crested a gently rolling hill, Obsidian saw what looked like a ring of cottages that were surrounding a taller, four-story structure in the center; a nearby sign proclaimed:

[Silver Sands Community Retirement Center]
{A great place for seniors to relax and enjoy life.}
{BINGO: Tue - Sat, 5 pm - 9 pm}
{Community Dinner: Sat. Nights 7pm}

Short and Whisper motioned to the cluster of buildings with a light flourish; they'd practised this, apparently. "Welcome to our humble lil' commun'ty! Don't worry - ain't nobody here bit nobody since Rag Doll lost 'er dentures five years afore!" He laughed merrily, and Whisper giggled silently behind her hoof.

She was certain Gypsy could provide more historical details - a veritable encyclopedia of them. And this place felt, well... grand... parent... y? Obsidian had never met her own grandparents; she wasn't even sure she HAD any to begin with (just who could spawn the foal that would turn into King Sombra?), but she could yearn for (and enjoy) that feeling.

"Er... what's bingo?" she asked shortly.

"Shhhh!" Short Round warned... but too late, it seemed. Whisper's eyes lit up, and a smile broke across her features as she sighed happily, then started lightly skipping towards the Community Center. Short Round just chuckled and shook his head. "It's a game we old folks like ta play... and Whispy's real good at it! That girl practically can feel when she's gonna win, and she loves it! Mebbe if'n you stay a spell, we can take ya to see fer yerself!"

Okay, so Whisper was good at this 'Bingo' event, and it seemed to be meant for the elderly to enjoy. Short Round's answer didn't exactly explain what it was - it mostly left more questions.

However, when they got close enough, Obsidian heard a strange, soft hissing sound that seemed to fade in and out as they walked. Then, when they were closer to the community, she saw it... for the first time in her entire life, Obsidian could see the waves washing ashore onto the beach, just peeking around the side of a sand dune.

Obsidian's mind quickly focused on this newest experience - a strange sound she could hear all around her. Just what was it? Some sort of machine, mayhaps? Or possibly one of her siblings had gotten there before she could, and was preparing something unholy and cruel....

And then, she saw it...

A lake. A BIG lake.

A... very BIG... lake?

Very, VERY BIG, even...

She stopped immediately, staring at the vast field of rolling blue water in front of her. "... woah..."

Short smiled. "I take it y'all ain't never seen the ocean afore? There she is... beautiful, ain't she? Soothin' sounds o' the waves, that salty scent inna air, an' sand fer miles! Mebbe we outghta go an' see it fer yer sake?"

He led her down past the community to the top of the soft hill... and it just didn't end! Waves. The beach. The rolling tides. It was just... there.

"Majestic," Obsidian eventually managed to squeeze out of her throat. She had seen maps, of course; she simply had never before even imagined how big that blue thing could be, right in front of her muzzle. "It's almost like the snow-covered borders of the Crystal Empire... just with water instead of... of snow and ice."

"Ooooh, th' Crystal Empire?" Short laughed merrily. "Now, there's a place me an' the missus ain't never been afore - sure would like ta see it, too. I heard it's prettier than a picture, an' Princess Cadence is s'posed ta be as sweet as sugar! Mind you, we can't afford a trip like that'un... but it's sure somethin' ta think about!"

The sea seemed to just connect to the horizon; it was almost as if Obsidian couldn't see where the two separated.

"Well, when yer done seagazin', I c'n take ya t'see Celly; she's prob'ly makin' up a mess o' chow right now, so if'n ya wanna taste her cookin' - an' b'lieve me, ya do - then I'd suggest ya folla me."

"The Empire... i-it is indeed pretty," she said, trying to pull herself from the hypnotic blue ocean, "a-and Princess Cadence is very sweet, indeed; I would daresay she is the lovliest pony I've ever seen." In fact, it was almost terrifying how gorgeous she had been; rulers of nations shouldn't be so beautiful! She had looked as if she could seduce an entire kingdom into obeying her, easily...

Obsidian could only hope that she had understood Mister Short correctly; Princess Celestia would be eating at the moment? Did she hear him correctly? "Umm... yes, okay... I suppose that the sooner we speak with them, the sooner we can come back to visit with yourself and Miss Whisper without a task waiting over our heads."

With a nod, Short Round led her back to the little hub of cottages. Among them, there was one that had a lovely rose garden out front, along with a number of little sun statues all along the sides of the place. Over the doorway, there was a beautiful metal sculpture of a sun and a half-moon, both joined together in a circle.

"In case ya ain't figgered it out yet," Short grinned, "this's Celly an' Luna's place."

"It's... surprisingly... normal. Well, aside from the sun statues," Obsidian noticed. She couldn't imagine her father living in such place... or even entertaining the idea of retiring at all. If anything, he would probably want to live forever, eternally ruling over his realm and his slaves for all time...

Celestia's and Luna's home. Where they actually existed. These princesses were ancient and legendary... Obsidian almost could feel the gravity of the ages. "Gypsy, are... are you ready?"

Her diamond dog companion, who was enjoying some extra petting and attention from Whisper, blinked back into the world and gave Siddy an embarrassed grin. "W-we are."

As soon as she reached the front of the small house, Obsidian could hear what sounded like humming from inside; it was melodious and rich, and sounded like a lullabye. The voice alone sent small shivers down the Dark Princess' spine... THAT had to be Celestia, there was little doubt.

"Celly!" Short Round knocked as he announced himself. "Y'all got a minnit? We got some guests who wanna meetcha!"

"One moment, Shorty!"

... Shorty? Not something to be expected from a Princess... er, an ex-Princess?

To say that Obsidian was a little bit nervous would be quite an understatement; everything else had seemed to work out just fine, up until this moment. The idea of meeting with the princesses about the current problems with her siblings was a great one (especially as she could adress thee concerns in a single visit), and she'd effectively had a 'casus belli', as Short Round had originally invited her...

Yet she still couldn't help but remain as tense as Tartarus. Speaking to Princess Twilight was one thing, as she was quite young (at least compared to the other alicorns), and Obsidian had met her in different circumstances. Meeting Cadance had been purely accidential, and she was much too beautiful and kind to be of any bad concerns. Princess Luna had already visited her within her dreams, and at the time Obsidian was depressed about her own problems, and hadn't cared about such an honor...

But... Celestia? She remembered reading stories about her exploits from her own time; she still remembered the rumors that she was coming to the Crystal Empire. Celestia was not just some enemy; she was THE Enemy for her conquering Father. Obsidian was going to meet an honest-to-Darkness living legend...

The fact that she was currently living in a small retirement community didn't help; it just added to the sense of improbability of it all.

When the front door of the cottage opened... it was a sight to behold, that was for certain.

Celestia had a number of splotches of what looked like cupcake batter all over her muzzle and barrel; she had her flowing, waving mane back in a ponytail, and wore an apron that said 'HCIC: Head Chef In Charge' on it, and was also covered in dough. Otherwise, and even in spite of this, she was radiant. Obsidian could feel the majesty of ages coming from this alicorn mare, even if she looked like a kitchen chef after a doughball fight.

"Sorry - Luna and I were... ah, 'settling our differences' as to what sort of cake we were making. My apologies, Shorty..." She then looked over Gypsy and Obsidian, and the younger mare could feel the weight of those kind eyes on her. "And guests, too? Well, please come in - we love to receive company!"

"Wipe your hooves!" came a voice from the kitchen.

Celestia laughed prettily, then nodded. "And yes, please wipe your hooves... though at this point, it's a bit moot - at least as far as the kitchen goes!"

She went back inside, and Whisper let herself in, daintily wiping her hooves on the floormat provided. Short Round did the same, then held the door for Obsidian. "Ma'am? Pup?"

Gypsy wiped his big feet on the mat, and went inside, looking back to wait for Siddy.

The only reason why Obsidian's jaw didn't hit the ground in a much-too-deep bow was that her actions were simply delayed a bit by the sight in front of her, and before she even got the opportunity to bow, Celestia had already moved into a different room.

So that was 'The Equestrian Terror', Sol Invicta in the horseflesh...

Obsidian wouldn't ever dream of disobeying a direct command to wipe her hooves - in fact, she would have done so anyway (as she hated messes), but this bellowed command made it OFFICIAL.

So, she wiped her hooves on the doormat and followed the others into the modest cottage home of two ancient beings of vast and unknowable power.

Author's Note:

Gypsy's tale (tail?) isn't one of straight abandonment; his parents were very active in finding new homes for diamond dog clans, and knew they didn't have time to properly raise their child - so, they gave him to their clan. Heartless? Responsible? Only one can judge for themselves... and either way, Gypsy seems well-adjusted enough. Little doggo buddy. }:)

Celestia and Luna living together in a small retirement community out in Silver Shores; I lived in Florida for ten years myself, and we lived in a community suburb which was chock-slap FULL of retirees; I know my elders, thank you much.

Skipper, for the record, was the name of the first dog I ever met as a kid; the neighbor's beagle. When I was two, I apparently fed him soda crackers, and he loved me like he was my own. Though I haven't seen him in over 30 years, I still remember that dog fondly. Gypsy's Greatfather is my homage. *sniffle* Sorry... allergies, I swear.

Luna and Celestia portrayal incoming; let me know how I do. Encouragement is magic.

Comments

[Truthseeker]

I cannot wait to see how you describe Celly and Lulu. I'm sure by now it goes without saying but I ADORE Gypsy Rover and the scenes with him hanging his head out the window and letting his tongue flap in the wind were perfect. I really, REALLY love dogs and Gypsy is so perfect to me. He has a nervous stutter just lime I do, he loves history just like I do, he is a dog which is just awesome... honestly it almost feels like he is me.

[Randimaxis]

This one is honored by such a compliment. *bows humbly*