Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Thirty Seven: Train Travels

Okay, so gifts - check. Clap's gratitude - check. Did she miss anything? She couldn't think of anything else, to be completely fair.

"All right, Tourmy - take care of yourself, don't die out of boredom, don't get into any fights with Amy, and if a fight does start, don't burn the house down, okay?" Obsidian smirked.

Tourmaline chuckled as he put his forehooves behind his head and stretched out in the hammock again. "As long as she doesn't touch my radio, we should be fine. Thank you, my sister; your gift is very much appreciated."

Tourmaline called her sister - he MUST have loved the gift!

Cupcake took this moment to poke his head into the room. "Okay, I got everything I think we'll need, aaaaaaaaand I sent word off to Wart to meet us on the train; I thought she might wanna avoid her number one fan and all. So, you two ready to get moving?"

"I am, Cup - see you later, Tourmaline! I hope we can regale you soon with some good news about a heartwarming family reunion with Quartz... and an absolute lack of any kind of danger!" Obsidian added cheerfuly as she turned to leave the basement.

She had a knife; everything should be fine.

Leaving the house, she got the distinct impression they were being watched... and a glance back at the house revealed the attic window being slightly open, a pair of eyes watching them all as they made their way off to the station.

Diamond sidled up to her as soon as she stepped outside. "{Obsidyan, shall I be allowed to go with you, to see this mane's hat on?}"

Gypsy slowly shook his head. "{You are restricted, for now - until the Princess is certain of your intentions; it should not take long, this one thinks, for all of them to see how kind you truly are, Diamond.}"

Mane's hat on... ah, Manehattan! Sometimes Diamond's ancient manner of speech made understanding him harder than it should be, even considering that it was one of the two languages Obsidian was able to use quite fluently.

Mundy looked a bit crestfallen, but then he shook it off and looked up to Obsidian again. "{Then I shall prepare for your return, my sister, and wish you the utmost best with Quartz; remember, his style is the most important thing to him... no matter HOW it looks.}"

Clap smirked. "He sounds so serious - he tellin' you to behave yourself?"

"{Oh yes, and behave yourself, Obsidyan.}" He gave a smirk of his own as Clap looked at him, clueless as to his words, and touseled his mane playfully.

"This one will be st-staying with him, to make c-certain he remains s-safe," Gypsy spoke up... however, he too seemed to be a bit put-out, due to his responsibilities. Knowing his nature, the Diamond Dog would never give his word falsely - but his low-hanging tail gave away more than his muzzle did.

At the station, things were as bustling as usual. The ticket booth was unoccupied, as the porter was busy stowing luggage.

"Don't worry about it, my brother - I know nothing about style, so I can compliment him no matter what he'd possibly be wearing. And yes, I'll behave myself," Obsidian smiled to him and reached her hoof out to ruffle his mane, too. Strange - she'd never wanted to do this before; perhaps it was because Clap did it? Diamond's mane was soft and silky; surprisingly so, actually, and he smiled sweetly at Obsidian for it.

"So now, um... could you possibly be so kind as to deal with our tickets, Cuppy?" Trains, travelling, flitting about, here and there... she'd been far too active lately.

Clap held up a hoof. "No way, Sids - I got this. You just let ME handle that expense!" The pegasus mare strolled to the ticket booth, while Cup simply shrugged, then moseyed over to Siddy's side and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, grinning in that almost-manic way of his.

Clap returned with the tickets, and they boarded the train. There were actually a great number of ponies here today, along with a few griffons, a pair of changelings, a diamond dog alseep in the back, a young dragon with his head out the window and another creature that looked like a pony, but had a weird bone coming out of its' head.

At the terminal, Gypsy and Diamond stood there as their friends got ready to leave. "Do not w-worry, Obsidian - Diamond shall b-be in good p-paws, this one promises."

Cup and Clap both gave Gypsy a warm hug, and Diamond followed suit (though he had to practically jump to hug Clap's tall form). "{Obsidyan, please be careful; I do not want harm to come to you or your wonderful friends. Stay safe, I beseech you.}"

"Nothing to worry about, my brother - I'm always careful!" Obsidian called out. Well, at least she kept trying to be careful. Or she wanted to be careful. Or...

Okay, it may possibly be a bit more problematic than she initially thought, but she was still sure that she didn't want any harm coming to her, her fiancee or her friends. Besides, she was still hoping that her upcoming meeting with Quartz would be a good one; perhaps it wouldn't be as pleasant as it had been with Diamond, but at least she hoped he would prove to be less than completely and utterly crazed and dangerous.

"I'll do my best to return with at least as many friends as I took with me," she smiled lightly to both her brother and her canine companion. Gypsy grinned, his tail wagging slightly, and Diamond gave her another hug before they boarded for the trip. They were both waving from the station's edge as the train pulled out with a hiss, a squeal, and a chugging that grew in intensity as it began its' journey.

Cup found them a seat, sat down and looked to Obsidian as he patted the seat next to him. Clap took the bench seat across from them - the entire seat, as the large pegasus leaned back and set her forehooves across the back of the bench.

"So, Sids," Clap grinned excitedly, "you've never been to The Big Applecore, have ya? Oh I promise, you're gonna have a moment where you're overwhelmed by the size of it, trust me - just keep a level head, and you should be alright. Stick with the flow of hoof traffic, don't cross ANY street without looking - even if the light says it's okay - and be real careful of anyone who tries to chat you up."

Cupcake smiled. "Well, I like having conversations with strangers!"

Clap gave a smirk. "Yeah... until one of those folks picks your pocket."

Such a strange thing to consider... in an attempt to deal with a threat more efficiently, Mica went into Manehattan alone. Now, to keep their group together, they were heading to meet him... while Gypsy was stuck in Ponyville. They were split either way!

Big Applecore? Was it an idiom? A metaphor?

"Pick pockets, you say," Obsidian mused. The place they were headed to sounded far more busy than Ponyville, that's for sure - perhaps even more busy than her beloved Crystal Empire, that glorified (yet beautiful) city-state. "Well, in that case, I would simply go full Dark Magic on would-be-thief - don't worry," she smiled innocently.

Clap shook her head. "Nuh-uh. You can't get away with that as easily as you've been doin' in Ponyville; Manehattan News travels FAST, and you might be tossed in jail within five minutes of showing off that Dark Magic stuff!"

Cup shrugged. "Besides, you've got US here - and we won't let anyone take advantage of you! We got your back! And hey, if we find your brother quick enough, maybe we could still check out some sights before we head back, eh?"

Clap now put on a slightly worried expression. "I just really hope it's that easy..."

Obsidian gave Clap a shocked look. "Me? In jail? Well in that case, I guess I would simply take over the entire city," she chuckled quietly. "No worries - I jest. Still, the idea of catching a thief is far more pleasant than the thought of letting them escape. Let's just hope that no one will bother us."

Clap gave a light chuckle at Siddy's joke, but Cupcake quirked an eyebrow as he sat there. "Say... how long are we going to be in Manehattan? I mean, we're kinda under the impression that we'll be there and back in, what, thirty minutes or so, with commercials? What if this takes longer than that? Should we look into a hotel or something?"

Clap smiled. "Cupernicus, don't worry your little blue head about it; I'M covering the expenses for this trip, so you don't have to worry - if we need a place to sleep, we'll have one. Relax, okay? Thunderclap's on the job, here!"

There was a loud snore from the diamond dog in he back, and the weird bone-head pony gave him a flat look, but said nothing to him and just looked out of the window.

The pegasus settled back in her bench seat. "So, Sids - you got any idea where we're headed when we get there?"

"The Rockhoof Hotel," Obsidian responded immediately, "is the name of the place where Mica is staying. After meeting up with him, we search for Quartz. Afterwards, it will either be return to Ponyville, or the more probable option where everything will go completely crazy and we'll have to deal with my brother in a more enthusiastic manner. I hope we can avoid that - Quartz sounds like a nice pony, or at least not villainous."

Clap's eyes shot open when the name of the hotel was mentioned. "THE Rockhoof Hotel!? Like, the oldest and most famous hotel in all of Manehattan???" She paused a moment, then smirked. "Hunh. Guess he's got good taste after all."

She shook herself out of her aside and refocused intently on her. "Siddy, that's like the ritziest place in town! That's where a lot of elite and cultured pones stay while they're in Manehattan, and to be seen there is almost a guarantee that you'll be the talk of the entire city!"

She then blinked a bit. "Wait... Mica's there? How in the wide, wide world of Equestria is he paying for it?"

Now here was an example of one of those nice, lovely little details that Obsidian was completely unaware of which could be potentially helpful. "Perhaps he's secretly an agent in some Equestrian Secret Service, and that's how he was able to rent a room there... or maybe he met somecreature there who helped him afford it. A rich uncle? Markannus? Starswirl the Bearded? Anything is possible," she shrugged, unfazed by this little bit of trivia.

Well, there was always the possibility that Miss Maud found a very rich vein of precious stones and didn't tell anypony, hoarding it for her family and thus allowing her son to get into a place with that grand of a reputation.

Clap just sat there, looking a bit dazed as she tried to fathom how Mica Chip, son of Maud & Mudbriar, would have any means to afford such an expensive place. Meanwhile, Cup snuggled up a bit closer to Siddy, and leaned his head on her shoulder, nuzzling his snout into her mane as he sat there, warm and sweet-scented.

At the back again, the diamond dog let out a loud snore, then turned in his sleep to face the window. In the aisle across from him, the boneheaded pony sighed irritably, then shut her eyes and tried to rest... which, with another sharp snore, the bonehead's eyes opened... and she looked a touch irritated.

"Okay, so like, what do you know about this brother? Anything that could help Cup and me?" Clap inquired.

"Oh, he's a fashion designer - apparently a rather popular one. Princesses Celestia and Luna know him, and they never suspected him of... well, anything. He even donates to charity. However, my brother Peridot expects him to be rather easily mind-controlled, and as such he could be used as a pawn by my mind-controlling sister, Amber. It would be well-advised to keep something sharp with us at all times - he could try to use some fabric-based attacks, meaning we may have to cut our way to freedom."

Clap lifted an eyebrow. "A popular fashion designer? You mean a fashionisto, right? Like Eloquence? Well, in that case, you and me might get to go shopping yet!"

It was interesting; since she and Mica had shared a kiss, Clap didn't seem to even flinch at mentioning the fashionisto's name; Obsidian could still recall the first time she'd seen Thunderclap react to Elo's presence in the library... It felt like centuries ago, but no; that would have been her life before them - before her friends.

After all that had happened to her, it was obvious she wasn't the same mare she had been before... but that wasn't exactly a bad thing, was it? Before, she'd had purpose, sure - but she'd been alone; so alone, she hadn't even been aware of what 'alone' was. Now, she had her freedom, her own magic... and five friends who actually managed to show her what friendship actually was. She might still have some learning to do, but she was considerably further now.

Cupcake sighed happily from Siddy's mane. "I have small carving knives for all four of us - Mica included. Like I said, I have everything we need for this trip!"

As far as Obsidian was concerned, she'd really grown up since the old days -changed a lot, too. It's almost like the metaphor about a sailing ship - if every single plank in the ship would be replaced, would it be still the same ship? That's how she sometimes felt. But without these older experiences, she wouldn't be the same pony today - and she wouldn't appreciate her current life as much.

"That's great, Cup. Of course, I hope we won't have to use them... but, just in case, it would be better to have them without any need than to need them and not have them, right?" To be fair, Obsidian didn't have a plan; how would she go about discovering if Amber had Quartz under her influence? By Darkness, the situation with this mare was crazy. She had her right there in Ponyville... yet she had no clue what to do with her.

Behind them, the sleeping diamond dog suddenly lifted his leg in his sleep and let out a raucous fart, aimed directly at the boneheaded mare sitting across from him...

And her eyebrows caught fire.

The mare jumped up, turned to the dog, and a burst of black flame surrounded her; standing in her place was a mare of a violently different nature! Her mane was aflame, as well as her eyes, and she wore a look of extreme rage that almost put Onyx's angry-face to shame. She screamed loud enough to shake him out of his dreams and nearly onto the floor:

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SUCH A RACKET, WHY DON'T YOU GO SLEEP AT HOME!? THIS IS A PUBLIC PLACE, AND THAT'S RUDE TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU! CONSIDER OTHERS BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

The diamond dog looked close to wetting himself... but he gave a slow nod, his eyes locked on the fiery mare, trembling like a leaf in the wind. She then turned and walked out of the door, to the small platform between train cars. There was a muffled >foomp< sound, and when the door reopened, the mare from before walked in calmly, sat down in her seat, and looked over at the still-cowering diamond dog.

"I'm sorry, but... that was very rude. Excuse me." She pulled out a newspaper and began to read... but the dog got up and hustled past her seat, moving to the next car up.

Clap was also staring, but Cupcake shook his head with a grin. "Kirin. At least she was nice about it."

To be clear, anypony would get mad after being farted at - however, Obsidian hadn't expected a literal transformation into a burning, seething creature after an explosion of magic. And, to her great surprise, it wasn't Dark Magic - which she would expect from a display like that - but... Grey?

This damned, good-for-nothing Grey trickery that was actually a mix of two hardly compatible areas of magic? How very surprising. "Could you tell me more, Cup? I'm curious... very, very curious. And I don't think I remember reading about such a thing." Well, Jynx had a kirin friend, and Obsidian was going to meet her at their O&O meeting... and didn't she see one before, somewhere? Obsidian honestly couldn't recall; she must have been busy at the time. Otherwise, this was a new development for her.

Cup looked at her, then back at the bonehead. "Oh, Kirin? They're really nifty - Mom knows a few. They live on their emotions, sorta... at least, they express 'em a lot louder than other ponies. That is what happens when they get mad."

Clap gave a low whistle. "I'd say we don't make her mad, 'kay?"

It was an opportunity Obsidian wasn't going to pass up. It was probably the first time in her entire life when she could feel this kind of magic from some creature other than herself. This Kirin seemed to have gotten quite angry at the diamond dog, so she could expect this kind of behaviour might bring about the use of Dark Magic. And yet, it didn't.

Obsidian stood up and made her way to the Kirin, actually taking the same seat which had been abandoned by the diamond dog. "Good afternoon, madam. I'm Obsidian - may I take a moment of your time? I've never felt this kind of magic before, and I'm admittedly a bit curious."

The kirin looked up from her paper, cocking an eyebrow at Obsidian. "Er... well, I suppose - not like I'm going anywhere, after all. I do hope you're not bothered by my, eh... little outburst, back there. Really, I tried my best to ignore it, but some seem to think the world around them simply stops existing when they're not paying attention to it."

The mare was wearing a smart grey suit, and had a pair of glasses in her breast pocket. There was a small briefcase next to her on the seat, and she had the presence of someone who was used to acting professional... little, fiery outbursts notwithstanding. "Justice Spark; pleased to meet you."

"I'm not at all bothered - if anything, I'm amazed! I expected to sense Dark Magic, but instead I felt natural Grey Magic; I wasn't even aware that something like that existed! It isn't something you do on purpose, is it?" Obsidian took her trusty notebook from her saddlebags, along with a pen, to make notes. Now this was fascinating! A new race, and one that can apparently conjure Grey Magic naturally - with flames! So many things to learn! It was so exciting!

Justice raised the other eyebrow now, and gave Obsidian a flat look. "You're... not with the press, are you?"

Obsidian blinked. "No, I'm not - why would I be?"

Justice gave a light sigh of relief, then nodded. "My profession takes me many places, and there are a number of others who have something other than the best intentions for me. Always be aware of whom you're talking to; you never know when you're feeding information to the wrong individual."

She sat back and got comfortable. "As for those little outbursts, they're directly connected to our emotional center; we Kirin tend to wear our feelings out in the open, and that's because bottling them up produces the effect you just witnessed. Though this is the first I've heard of any 'Grey Magic' affiliations. How can you tell, if I may be so bold?"

Well, Obsidian was always aware about speaking to others... well, almost always... usually.... somewhat often. ...okay, maybe she hadn't cared about it, to be honest. Ponyville was a nice, cozy little place, and at the moment the only real trouble she'd had was because of her mouth - as in that little debacle with Mica after he felt insulted by her speech that love and friendship were worthless.

"I research it; I always thought that it was an artificial conglomeration of both Light and Dark Magics, so I'm rather surprised by this. So, feelings... out in... the open..." Obsidian made a few quick notes about bottling emotions and emotional centers. Did this mean that Kirin were able to fuel their internal magic sources with bottled emotions? Could they perhaps change into something different or less flammable? Curious. "Are those outbursts the only representation of Kirin magic, or can you utilize it in other ways as well?"

"Well," Justice began, "some of us have a means of creating magic, though usually linked to our emotional core, somehow. There've been a few Kirin with the ability to cast magic, but they tend to be few and far between... and for good reason, as emotional magic can be highly... eh, unstable, if not properly handled."

She glanced past Obsidian for a moment, then gave a small grin as she refocused on her. "I believe those two are watching us."

Both Cup and Clap were leaned out from their seats, staring at the two of them; when they were noticed, both sat back down quickly, trying to be non-chalant.

Cast magic, highly unstable... Obsidian would confirm all of this, eventually. "Yes - my friend and my fiancee. I kind of left them there to speak with you, without any warning to them... I can imagine they're somewhat curious about you."

She then smiled eagerly at the Kirin. "Where could I find a Kirin who can use magic?"

"Magical Kirin," Justice answered, "are usually found in the older villages - the ones that've stayed off the grid, for the most part. You'd have to venture a decent way to locate one, but they tend to be rather open with outsiders, so you shouldn't have an issue - once you actually find one."

The far end doorway slid open at the other end of the passenger car, and a very familiar muzzle entered; a small unicorn, no taller than a filly, with an intent look on her green-eyed muzzle. Cupcake was watching Siddy, but Clap saw her and waved at her to join them.

Wart was, for once, not wearing her guard armor - which she so dearly loved - and instead had on a saddlebag that looked as though it were made by the cheapest bagmaker in all of Equestria. The little unicorn mare saw Obsidian and the rest, and her dour demeanor faded under a small smile.

Was Twilight skimping on pay for her guards? Or perhaps Stalwart was simply choosing to hoard cash instead of spending it? Or maybe she just didn't need a better bag?

Obsidian waved cheerfully to her little friend. "Sounds like a good side-quest for later, then. I'll keep it mind..." Between world-saving adventures, it could be fun to look into.

Justice gave her a look. "Side quest? You sound as if you're going on some sort of adventure..."

She turned to her briefcase, opened it, took out a small card and closed it again. She turned back to Obsidian and gave her the card. "Eh, just in case - this is a bit of a different era than the time of the Mane Six, and villains are just as apt to go to court as heroes are."

The card read:

[JUSTICE SPARK - Attorney At Law]

It had a contact number as well, and an embossed picture of a briefcase covered in flames. "In case you should happen across a more litigious enemy," the Kirin smirked.

"My life is one, big adventure," Siddy answered Miss Spark first, "and whether I consider it lucky or not depends on my mood and the immediate probability of death," Obsidian admitted sorrowfully.

She took the offered card and inspected it with some curiosity; attorney... she wasn't really familiar with the term. Apparently, it was some sort of profession; she had no idea what that could be, except that it was something about courts and law...

Wart made her way directly over to Obsidian. "Lady Siddy - wonderful to see you again, Your Majesty. And have you made yet another friend?" Wart then gave Siddy a rare smirk. "Excelling at Princess Twilight's commands, are we?"

"Hello, Stalwart, good to see you... and in a manner of speaking, I suppose I am, though this time it's more about my magical research. But I've already learned a lot, though! Like... er..."

She turned her gaze to Justice again. "What are attorneys?" she asked with a somewhat embarrassed grin.

Justice looked at Wart; Wart looked back at her. The Kirin spoke slowly, as if trying to fathom it all. "Is she-"

"Quite serious, yes," Stalwart answered the Kirin. "She is displaced from another era and realm, and she seeks to gain wisdom from the modern world to fortify herself against its' many various hazards."

The kirin now gave Obsidian more of a thorough look. "I see... well, an attorney - also called a lawyer, in some circles - advises clients, and represents them and their legal rights in both criminal and civil cases. This can begin with imparting advice, then proceed with preparing documents and pleadings... and sometimes, ultimately, appearing in court to advocate on behalf of clients."

Wart nodded. "Yes; they are to Equestria's Court what I am to Equestria's Royalty. A respectable profession; I am Stalwart Stance, of Princess Twilight's Royal Guard."

Justice lifted an eyebrow. "Justice Spark; you must be impressive to see in a fight, if they took you in with your height... it must mean you earned that position."

Wart's little barrel swelled with pride.

Clients in criminal and civil cases, imparting advice, pleading, advocation... well then. It certainly sounded a bit more complicated than those good ol' bygone days of 'The King's Justice'. Obsidian didn't really pay attention to the issues of law - at the beginning, she'd cared a good bit about the fact that Dark Magic was discouraged, but that was back when she only knew that misusing her particular kind of magic would quite possibly sour her relations with the highest authority in the entire country.

Laws, lawyers and courts? That stuff was pure terra incognita to Obsidian.

"Oh yes - most impressive. Stalwart defended Ponyville and Twilight's Palace during the Umbral invasion. Without her, the princess' castle would have fallen."

Wart seemed to grow another inch in that moment.

Justice actually gave a full-on smile. "Seems like it's well-deserved. At least you've seen some actual action; most of mine involves paperwork. But it most certainly pays well, I can attest to that without perjury."

Clap tilted her head. "But why would you need surgery to take a test for it?"

That made Justice laugh out loud. "Your friends seem like fun, Obsidian... and you're interesting as well. You hang onto that card; if your exploits ever land you in court, feel free to give me a call."

"Oh, I surely will. Until today, I thought that problems with the law meant problems with the ruling princess, but I believe I understand a bit better now." Obsidian peeked again at the card she was holding... why was the briefcase burning? "It's simply a bit more complicated than I expected. And, of course, a thousand years ago, everything was somewhat different." Not better, of course - just different. "Though I doubt we'll get into any legal problems; I just want to meet my brother."

Justice nodded, then sat back in her seat. "If your brother lives in Manehattan, I'm sure you'll be okay. It's not a place that's easy to get used to... and I've worked cases there plenty of times. Headed there now, in fact. Which is why I pretty much assumed you were headed to the same place."

"Siddy, this mare really knows her stuff," Clap said as she also moved a few seats closer, to join in the conversation.

"So..." Justice counted to herself, "only four of you? Where's the rest of the Equestrian-famous 'Siddy Six'?" She smiled widely, and Cup giggled.

"You knew who we were the whole time?" Clap looked awed, but the kirin just shook her head.

"Not until Obsidian introduced herself; not many mares by that name, especially fewer who happen to be in the papers."

"Siddy's in the papers?" Cupcake sounded impressed.

"You all are," Justice grinned, "and I'd daresay you'll be noticed at least once or twice in Manehattan; word travels fast, and it hasn't been long enough for the memory of what happened to have faded yet."

Clap looked like she was excited at the prospect. "You mean... I'll be recognized?"

"MAYBE," Justice firmly intoned, "but not by everyone on the street, so I wouldn't go parading around like the top of the heap, so to speak. Better still to simply waltz through, have your meeting, and get home before the paparazzi catch wind of you."

Apparently, knowing such an individual would make everything easier in court. Hopefully for them, and not for Amber and her puppets. It also seemed that the ridiculous term 'The Siddy Six' was gaining more and more popularity. Eh, one name is as good as any other.

"Paparazzis are a kind of predatory bird, right?" Obsidian asked, curious why birds would catch any wind around her.

Justice smirked and said, "That's closer than you think, actually. Paparazzi are media photographers who follow and hound famous people, just to get a stray photograph or tidbit of a conversation. They're relentless, they're driven only by whatever they can get out of you, and they're horrible beings, with very few exceptions."

Cupcake nodded. "Yeah, Momma told me about when she and Auntie Twi and the others all got famous, and they couldn't get even a moment away from the paparazzi - they even scared her!"

Obsidian stared with amazement at Cupcake. "They... scared Miss Pie?" She blinked once or twice, trying to understand what she'd just heard. Was it even possible? Pinkie Pie seemed to be the least scare-able pony in the world!

"So... yeah, let's avoid these paparazzis. I mean, it would be a terrible shame if they noticed our necklaces, Cup. Not that it's a secret or anything, but I think we still have some friends that would prefer hear the news from us, and not read it from the papers."

"Well, should they present too much trouble, you're welcome to sue them for money - and again, I would be happy to help with that." Justice gave a pleasant grin.

"Wow," Cup smiled broadly, "what can't you do?"

She chuckled and blushed humbly. "A number of things... but when it comes to Law, not much."

Clap smiled. "Hey, you might've heard of who we're going to see - which one was it, Siddy?"

"Quartz," she answered. Well, if she knew anything about Obsidian, then she should already realize that a 'meeting with her brother' could be a bit more complicated than it probably should be.

She lifted an eyebrow, then Justice's muzzle grew more surprised. "You're... going to meet your brother... who I'll take it happens to be Smoky Quartz, the fashion designer? Are you serious? He's one of the current talks of the town, actually - you might be in for more paparazzi than you can handle." That brought worried looks to her friends' muzzles.

"Why is he the talk of the town?" Now it seemed like an important detail; if it was somehow connected to Amber...

"He's been doing work that the fashion world has been eating up for... oh, about two or three years now. The outfits are sturdy and reliable - but personally? I think his color choices are a bit off."

"What do you mean, 'a bit off'?" Clap asked.

Justice shrugged. "You'll see soon enough, I'm sure."

"But if he's been doing it for three years now... then why he is a currently the talk of the town? Did he do something noticible lately?" Obsidian wasn't done with asking questions - the more they learned, the better off they might be.

"Nobody ever starts famous; he had to earn that reputation on his own. And aside from some rumours, he's pretty much done it - Smoky Quartz can practically write his own ticket, as much as Manehattan loves him."

Cupcake looked puzzled. "Why would he write himself a ticket?"

Justice shook her head. "Just an expression - it means, he basically gets just about anything he asks for." She then turned back to Obsidian. "As for anything strange? It'd be hard to tell with THAT stallion..."

A shame; Obsidian had actually hoped for some juicy rumors or such - maybe that her brother got married recently or something of that nature... or that he started conquering local cities and had proclaimed himself the Dark Lord of Equestria. It would be a far more obvious sign that he was 'out of sorts' lately. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to find out when I meet him, then," she sighed deeply.

Justice nodded, then gave a thoughtful look. "Actually, from what the papers said, tonight he's having a Fashion Show at his loft - supposed to be a ritzy affair, from what I gather. If you'd want to find him quickly, that might be the place to look first."

Fashion Show, eh? Good to know; it could be an opportunity to meet him, assuming nothing bad would occur. And, if he did plan something evil, then it was quite possible he would try it out at such a social gathering - after all, he would have plenty of victims together in a single place, right?

Wart began pacing the length of the train car, walking a patrol, while Clap and Cup both moved to sit closer to Justice. "So, please... indulge me. May I ask about what it was like for you? I mean, the general talk about you says you're the daughter of Sombra, but they didn't put much else in there... anything you'd add, if you wanted folks to know about you?"

"It was... different. Getting used to the modern world was rather difficult and strange, and I had to do it kind of quickly, because... well, my siblings weren't exactly being pillars of the community," Obsidian shrugged slightly. "I got lucky."

Clap chuckled. "Yeah - lucky she had us! Like, seriously, Siddy picked up really quick from all of us, and she's practically a native by now!"

Wart lifted an eyebrow. "I... would say that Lady Siddy has acclimated well, yes. Though I believe that she helped each of us as well, Thunderclap - she is not the sole recipient of knowledge, here."

Cup just smiled at Siddy; Justice had asked HER a question, not everyone else - he was letting her continue, instead of interjecting. Justice, curious about this new information, looked to Obsidian to either confirm or deny.

"Yes - without my friends, I wouldn't even be here. I would either be dead, or perhaps would have been mewling at Sombra's hooves, waiting for a few meager scraps to fall from his table. It took me a while to realize that he was hardly the greatest pony in known history. Luckily, I realized it quickly enough to kick his plot and giftwrap him for Princess Twilight - complete with ribbon," Obsidian smiled slightly.

That surprise in his eyes... meh, it was too bad that the princess had decided to be so merciful to him; he certainly didn't deserve it.

Justice smirked. "With a ribbon, you say? You know what - I can believe it. The Mane Six had to deal with him, back a few decades, and they found it quite harrowing... to hear you simply blow off such an encounter like that, it wouldn't surprise me if you and your friends end up being Equestria's new Elements of Harmony!"

Cup, Clap and Wart all simply froze where they were... and looked as though they were thinking rather intently about the Kirin's words.

"Or, at the very least, the heroes of the day. It's been ages since anything on such a scale has happened; Umbral undead ponies, libraries ransacked, and now you're headed to The Big Applecore?" She chuckled. "Can't wait to see what comes of it."

Obsidian simply waved her hoof. "Hopefully, not too much; I just want to meet my brother, that's all. Nothing suspicious or dangerous. In fact, I might like to see if he has any available wedding dresses, but that's all."

Of course it wasn't all, but there was no reason to concern Justice with stories of mind-controlling dark unicorns and so on. And Peridot told her himself that there was a chance of Harmony's intervention. However, Obsidian was honestly more interested in other possibilities; Elements were probably nice and all, but wings? Or control over Grey Magic? Those things, in her mind, were even better!

"Wedding dresses, you say?" Justice smiled. Cupcake blushed, grinning ear to ear in that way of his. The kirin looked back and forth between them, then nodded. "Your kids are gonna be interesting, I can tell that much."

"Yeah, and I'll be the foalsitter!" Clap grinned. "I'll have the lil' tykes laughing and playing for days on end! Plus, it'll give Siddy here a moment to rest - after all, I'm pretty sure they'll make a bunch o' kiddos!"

Wart seemed to pale a smidgen at the thought; no doubt, leftover memories of her time in Onyx's Nightmare Spell. The little mare found a seat a little further up the aisle and sat down, her eyes still watchful... but an almost ill look on her muzzle, and ran a forehoof idly over her stomach with a shiver.

"But... but what if I wanna foalsit 'em?" Cup asked plainitively, to which Clap gave him a flat smirk.

"Cupster... they'll be YOUR kids; I'm sure you'll be with 'em all the time, but even YOU could use a break, every now and again!" Clap laughed.

"Interesting, you say? Oh, I wouldn't worry too much - they're just the grandfoals of both Sombra and Pinkie Pie; I'm sure everything will be perfectly fine," Obsidian smirked. Bunch of kids, eh? Well, they'll have to wait and see... surely the first one would give them a hard time, with both of his/her parents trying to figure out how foals work.

"Everything will be juuuuuuust fine." Assuming they wouldn't get slaughtered by Jade, Amber, a returning Onyx, a returning Sombra, a returning Tirek, Grogar, and so on, and so forth...

The train trip continued, and the Kirin shared a few stories with Obsidian, Thunderclap and Cupcake for quite some time. Hours seemed to fly by, and soon it was dark outside.

Cup, by this point, had fallen asleep with his muzzle pressed against the window; doubtless, anyone outside who saw it would be either utterly terrified or highly amused.

Clap had idly chatted up Justice until the Kirin realized she had some paperwork to attend to, and thanked them for the conversation before she started into her briefcase, getting to work. Her interest generator removed, Clap also fell asleep - and took up the entire bench across from Obsidian to do it.

Wart, however, had remained silent since the earlier mention of foals. Now, as the train rolled on and the car had grown quiet, she was sitting and looking out of the window, her eyes gazing far beyond what they could see, so to speak.

It was nice to make new friends - especially from interesting, unknown races that were able to naturally use Grey Magic. If only she didn't have to protect the world from her overzealous siblings once again...

Obsidian moved over and sat down closer to Stalwart, slightly worried about that silence. Of course, there was also the important detail of the little mare being the last of her friends who were still awake with her, so Obsidian could either take a nap as well or try to talk Wart's issue out of her. "Everything all right, Stalwart...?"

She blinked, and glanced sideways at Obsidian for a moment, thoughtfully, before she spoke. "I am... uncertain."

She turned her head to face her. "When Miss Justice mentioned the possibility of us... replacing the Element Bearers, I first thought 'no, that could never be true'. And yet, here I sit, wondering about exactly that. Miss Applejack," she said with a hefty sigh, "represents a broken link in the chain - one that, the more I think about it - means that the most powerful gathering of power in Equestria is... is undone."

Wart turned to look back out of the window once more. "The world maintains a balance, Lady Siddy - I have seen it more, often than not. And here we are, rushing head-and-horn first into more adventure than has been had since The Great Parasprite Flood." A guilty look crossed her features. "I worry if perhaps Miss Justice may be more correct than even she realizes. And it worries me."

"Oh, she's probably going to prove to be correct, as far as I'm concerned; my brother Peridot also told me that there's a sizable chance of Harmony's intervention. What's there to worry about?" Obsidian asked, almost flippantly.

Stalwart shut her eyes. "Plenty."

"To begin with, I've read about the kind of awful things the Mane Six had to go through, in order to conquer the foes they had to face. Trials and tribulations that pain me grievously to imagine you having to go through, Lady Siddy. Not that you wouldn't pass, no - but the suffering they could cause makes me ache for an easier life for you. For them. For us."

"Secondly, if we were to take over those positions, we might not find time for much else - each of our hobbies and separate associates would atrophy, and we might not even be able to effectively do anything but save Equestria, again and again, until we grow too old to continue doing anything but dying."

"And third..." Wart looked at Obsidian, and there was something in her eyes that didn't look like it belonged there at all - incredulous shame. "... how would Harmony ever find me worthy of such a distinct honor?"

Obsidian sighed - deeply. Now, where to begin...

"Primo, everything you just said about any trials we may face is true - but we've already gone through plenty of trials, don't you agree? It would be worth it - somepony has to protect Equestria, and we would be protecting ourselves just as much as the entire country. Besides, it will STILL be more pleasant than my old life."

"Secundo, as far as I'm concerned, the Mane Six still had plenty of time for their hobbies... maybe with the exception of the princess, but it's connected to her position as a ruler - not her position as the Element of Magic. Even as an alicorn, she was still pursuing her hobbies... at least until Celestia and Luna abdicated."

"And tertio, Warty," Obsidian smiled at her, "the Elements would have to be blind to not find you worthy." She thought about it for a moment. "Though they technically are blind - after all, they don't exactly have eyes, right? But you get the idea..."

Wart blinked at her. "No... I don't."

She turned in the seat to face away from the window, and bowed her head with her ears flattened against her skull. "I was only able to become the Royal Guard I always wanted to be because of you and Lemon Custard; were it not for those interventions, I probably never would have had even the slightest of chances. My country did not find me worthy, and only by the grace of calamity was I granted what I sought for so long."

"I could not stop Onyx from casting her dreadful Nightmare Spell, nor could I stop Peridot from infecting me with his curse, nor could I even manage to be present to possibly save Lady Ruby. I have tried with all my heart to live up to my potential..."

She shut her eyes. "Yet I fear I may fail you again. And to fail as an honest-to-goodness Element of Harmony? It might kill you... it might well kill us all. How can I be worthy of such a grand and glorious honor, when I am... just me?"

Well, it seemed that Obsidian wasn't the only pony around who was worried that her position was unjustly given to her. Perhaps it shouldn't be so surprising - even proud ponies such as Wart were surely plagued by doubt. Perhaps they had it even worse than the rest of ponykind.

"You were only able to become a Royal Guard because of your skills and your will - without them, neither I nor Lemon would change anything. We weren't the reason for your admission into the guard - we merely provided an opportunity. Your only flaw was your height; a chance to prove yourself would have happened anyway, sooner or later... and none of us were able to stop Onyx or Peridot - and yet, we won... eventually. It was hard and painful - but we did it, because we did not stop. And that means you are perfect to be an Element Bearer, because you never stop. You are not just you - you are a loyal, strong mare and a wonderful friend. Overall... you are pretty awesome, Stalwart."

Stalwart Stance was quiet for a long moment... then, quite suddenly, she actually gave a laugh that sounded pleased. "Lady Siddy... Obsidian of the GreyHeart... I thank you. I may not be certain of what others may see in me... yet they still see something, and it takes a true, true friend to point that out sometimes. You make me proud to call you my own friend - my best friend - and I hope that I am able to return at least a fraction of that to you with my own meager companionship."

She slowly leaned over and gave Obsidian a gentle hug. "And you are beyond awesome, Your Majesty."

Obsidian returned the hug, glad that she somehow managed to help Stalwart. "We are beyond awesome, Stalwart. And there's nothing that can stop us as a team."

She nodded... then looked over at Obsidian. "Should we truly become those elements, then I do hope you become our Twilight Sparkle; she stood as the heart of the Mane Six, and you've shown that capacity time and again. I, for one, would follow you into the Gates of Tartarus themselves."

She settled back against the bench and sighed. "I am glad you came into our lives, Lady Siddy - I believe we needed you as much as you needed us."

Obsidian settled herself on the bench as well. "You have before... but, as I said, another chance would have come up for you to prove your mettle, sooner or later. And the rest, well... I think it was all pretty fine before I was dug up by Princess Twilight. Meanwhile you - all of you - almost literally turned me into a different pony."

"As did you, Obsidian... as did you, unto us." Wart nestled back, and gave a stretch as she yawned.

She was quiet for another long moment, yet just as Siddy thought she might be asleep... "Lady Obsidian... does Cupcake Sprinkles ever romance you with... poetry?"

Obsidian smirked. "He sometimes says highly poetic things, but no poetry itself, no."

Wart sighed softly. "I... h-have read the book you suggested to me in the library." There was a pause. "A-and several more in the series." Another soft sigh, and then... a shy giggle?

"Oh, to hear of Mortalis' honeyed words... the manner in which he speaks makes my heart thrum faster, my knees weak, and my head hazy. So poetic... so romantic, as if there was no one else in the entirety of existence that would be as perfect as the lucky mare who became the focus of his attentions! I have latched onto every word the character speaks, and yearn for those words to be spoken unto myself by... whomever finds me worthy of their love, I suppose."

It had been less of a suggestion and more of a joke... who would ever have thought that Stalwart would enjoy them that much? While Obsidian didn't think she would hate the book, she had no idea that she would get so hooked on it. After all, when did she get the first tome - merely a few days ago? To think that she could read several books in such a short time...

"Well... Diamond speaks rather poetically about you. In Crystallian, but he does," Obsidian offered.

Wart actually sat up to glance at Obsidian. "Truly? I had merely thought him babbling away in Crystallian, yet he was saying... what, exactly? Do you recall his words about such?" This seemed to have Stalwart's attention, all right.

"That his soul is ablaze, um... something about shining like stars... and about a heart meeting the universe..." Obsidian rubbed her temple with a hoof, trying to recall. "It sounded rather poetic... at least in my opinion. Hopefully, he'll be learning Equestrian soon, so you'll be able to understand him."

Wart blinked again, clearly shocked. "He... said that? A-about me?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment... then shook her head and gave a rueful grin. "Mayhaps... I should learn Crystallian? If you would do me the honor of instructing me a bit, perhaps?"

Well, it looked as though poor Midnight would be heartbroken to find out that he wouldn't be getting together with the little mare anytime soon. "It could take a while, Warty; it's not simple, I'm afraid. I would gladly help you, though."

Wart nodded, and returned to her nestled-in position. "Then, with you as my guide, I shall learn of your language... and perhaps I shall give Diamond a bit more time to... grow on me. Such as you, yourself, did."

She sighed and rolled to face out of the window; she looked so tiny in the huge bench seat, nestled against the corner. It was hard to deny that she was a warrior... but at times like these, she was undeniably, heartwrenchingly cute.

"My mother... was not a kind mare, yet she was a just mare, and fair with my raising upon the rock farm." Wart spoke softly as she continued. "I toiled in the fields from the day I could understand directions, and though she was relentless, she always made certain I took on no more than I could handle. Even with my size, she still continued to work me as if I were... normal."

"But between my chores, and my self-taught training for the Royal Guard, and my home schooling... I had little time for even meeting others, let alone to harvest any possible meaningful friendship. Of course, the others had been around - Cupcake himself was the first one to introduce me around, with our family heritage, yet even though I was acknowledged, I'd always felt... as if I was mere ivy upon the wall, so to speak."

"Then you came. I was hesitant to accept a supposed child of Sombra, as would be any guard worth their salt, and yet... you not only held such a regal air that I couldn't help but see you as a princess, but you were also insightful and clever during our time together, and watching your evolution into whom you are today - in only about a month - has been incredible to witness."

"Your arrival has heralded what I feel to be the dawn of a new era, Lady Siddy - and though there will be trials and pain to come... I know that my friends, you chiefly among them, will be there for me, just as they trust me to be there for their sakes."

Slowly, her eyes listed to a half-lidded state, and she gave a small, satisfied sigh. "And I shall."

With all of the emotional baggage Obsidian had on her head, and with her own sad backstory of being the daughter of one of the most infamous tyrants in the known history of ponykind... she was somewhat surprised that other, normal ponies could have issues with their upbrining as well. She couldn't help but symphatize with Wart's toil, even if a solid part of it - self-training - was not forced upon her, as it had been with Siddy.

"A new dawn..." Obsidian mused under her breath. That's something that villains would possibly say - an entire, broad speech of a 'new and wonderful age', and so on. Luckily, she was pretty sure that Stalwart was no baddie. "We'll see what this new dawn will bring... and if we won't like it, we'll change it. Together."

Wart smiled gently then. "Yes. I like that, Lady Siddy... quite a bit."

The train rocked beneath them, and it wasn't long before Wart began to make a whispery sound; she was asleep, and moved her lips when she exhaled. It wasn't talking, per se... but it sounded cute, coming from the little mare.

Cupcake was nestled next to her, his soft snore mixing well with Wart's sleep whispering. Clap, though, made zero noise - but made up for it with what appeared to be a rather impressive string of drool that went from her lower lip, all the way to the floor.

Onward, to Mica... yet, without Gypsy. Was it really so difficult to bring all her friends together again, as they'd been when she'd faced down her father?

Their next villain should really strike Ponyville; that way, there would be no difficulty in gathering the team together again. Well, whatever - she should probably take a quick nap as well. Perhaps she could chit-chat a bit with Ruby again? Or investigate that mysterious last entity in her mind...

The train's rythym and quiet sounds were like a lullaby, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note:

Justice was my attempt at getting Obsidian exposed to other races more - and, admittedly, I do like Kirin. As an attorney, I figured she'd probably be rather reserved normally - farting diamond dogs notwithstanding. Plus, the mental image of a flaming briefcase on her business card was nifty.

Ah, and so the idea of our heroes replacing the Elements comes up... and poor Wart feels unworthy. Demanding too much of ourselves has become commonplace in the world today - that's why we have friends to help us keep our heads and realize our worth.

Pay attention to the next chapter coming up; it starts getting deep from here on out.

Comments

[Truthseeker]

Still never a disappointment with this story. Once people realize it's here, they will come in droves. I too have an appreciation for Kirin and their quirks. Wart is still a mini-nuke in personality and fighting potential and I love her for it.