Forty: Museum Muse
The Trotsonian Museum of Magical History was rather impressive, which was no surprise - according to the brochure, it had been constructed by Princess Twilight's decree, as one of her first public acts as the formal princess of Equestria.
It was bustling with activity, and there were a number of others all around them who were just as eager to see the displays as they were themselves. It felt good, knowing that knowledge had been escalated to the point of stardom in here, and that they understood: the brighter, the better.
The sections were well-displayed and informative, and there were a number of fascinating artifacts in glass cases that looked old enough to be quite real.
Obsidian and her friends had quite a time, observing the strange and unusual things housed within; pendants and staves and books... there was even a single magical comic book on display! It was such an interesting menagerie of magic, a collection that brought out the wonder in everyone from the eldest stllions to the youngest of fillies.
The trio rolled along until they reached the Legendary section, where it was Wart who pointed out that a Sonic Rainboom was painted across the ceiling in here, and that there was another display just for the phenomenon. After that, Obsidian saw a banner advertising the main attraction in the central museum hub... and there was a picture on it of a very familiar-looking dagger... that she could feel something growing inside her.
Dread or excitement, she couldn't tell which.
Perhaps it was time to finally learn more about this dagger that had almost ended up in her stomach. All this time, she'd thought it was a mere trinket - a sharp knife, that's for sure, but merely a knife; that its' only value lie in the fact that it was dear to Amethyst. It didn't seem to be the case, though.
She walked closer, eager to find out what was so special about this single damned weapon, and of course, her friends followed.
When they entered the Crystal Empire section, Obsidian was greeted with the sight of home.
Well... an artist's rendition, expanded to fit the entrie back wall. But it was HER Crystal Empire; she even recognized some of the background; it had been painted from a rooftop near the palace, hiding from Sombra as the work of art was created. It was bleak, cold and grey - very grey. There was barely a lick of color in the entire painting, and it felt as though the streets should be lined with manacles.
More than that was the double-whammy that was set into the display at the front; the banner hadn't taken a photograph of Amethyst's dagger for the display... it was taken from a single sheet of paper.
There were five of them in all, on display in a locked and sealed container, all placed carefully so that the words could be read, though there was a good bet there weren't many tourists who could read Ancient Crystallian. Peridot's journal - or, at least, the five remaining pages that Siddy hadn't torn up. Among them was the drawing of Amethyst's dagger, along with small placards for each page, giving a basic description on it's contents.
The one next to the dagger drawing read:
[MAGICAL FOCI BLADE: Though there were a number of replicas and duplicates made of this perfect blade, the original set of six were said to have passive abilities to make magic stronger in whomever wields them. Unfortunately, the last Foci Dagger was seen over a thousand years ago, and as far as is known, not a single one still exists to this day.]
Well, they were almost accurate...
It made magic... stronger? While obviously the museum was wrong about the supposed whereabouts of this thing, the Grey Princess was certain that wielding a blade like this would be of immense use. Technically speaking, Obsidian defeated Amethyst in battle already - more than once, in fact. It was her spoil of war! Rightfully!
Perhaps Princess Twilight would let her assume ownership of it - or perhaps at least borrow the thing. Her curiosity piqued, she walked closer to the other pages, to examine their contents.
Another page had a placard that spoke of a 'description of a crowd', but when she read the ancient words printed there, it was far more than a mere description; it was a vent - an angry one - aimed at how the noise and 'sharpness' of a crowd at the Crystal Palace was causing him severe distress, and it described the pain as 'a glowing hot nail, directly to the brain'.
The third page was a list of chemical solutions and a few of their uses; stomachache, spots in eyes, liver trouble, halitosis, or even just a sterile cleaning solution.
Page four was mostly unreadable... but there was a portion she could indentify as Peridot's writng, and it seemed as though this was part of a paper based on... Father?
[... deeper into his shadow, and it has begun to make him crazed, where he even acts as though he doesn't even realize he...]
And that was all. Maddeningly frustrating.
Page five, however, was a bit different... and parts of it were clear as a proverbial bell.
[-never told us, it was not very difficult to discover where he had been going. The time away from the knife-blades of the city is wonderful, and yet... and yet... to know that this is where we were created, leaves me with a humility I believe in wholeheartedly. The Umbral Altar, located in the ruins of Greygrove, has borne the truth of what Father has been trying to accomplish all this time. And I, for one, am pleased to have located it.]
Peridot found the Umbral Altar? She might have to have a chat with him, later; if he knew about Umbral Altars and their whereabouts...
It was a stroke of luck for the entire world that he hadn't decided to go there while he was controlling Midnight... it was quite possible that he would have chosen to destroy the entire nation Equestria with one single, powerful blast. Of course, nature (meaning the surrounding landscape) would be pulverized and turned to instant ash, but he would have his silence...
And this information - every page - was simply placed here for everypony around to read? Any creature knowing enough ancient Crystallian could possibly use this knowledge for their own ill gains! Hopefully, the rest of stuff presented here was able to catch the eye more easily - that way she could feel a bit safer, knowing that nopony would pay very much attention at all to few old pages torn from an ancient diary.
Cup suddenly gasped and stepped back from a display, holding a hoof to his cheek. After a moment to catch his breath, he pointed at a work of art that was in a case, a display of ancient artwork for modern perusal...
The first thing she noticed was that it was heavily scorched down one side, and the paint had cracked and faded with time, but there was no mistaking the two individuals pictured therein: King Sombra, complete with crown, standing proud and tall... while at his side was a demure and unassuming-looking unicorn; Radiant Hope was portrayed next to him, though her part of the portrait was what held the most damage, as if purposefully destroyed only on that single side. Obsidian could barely make out her muzzle, but that platinum mane and her light lavender coat were unmistakable.
In this picture, her father looked... happy. He looked as though he were posing for a friend, and there was not a single trace of red in his horn that she could see. Maybe it was the artist's interpretation, but he looked as though he were the kind of ruler that Equestria itself would have gladly accepted.
It was labeled:
[Portrait of the New Royalty - attributed to Whistlewhite]
The part of the artwork that wasn't scorched looked almost alive, it was so well done; too bad the rest was a blackened shambles.
Whatever happened to him later had turned him into the most pathetic and cruel creature Equestria had ever known, and the mere fact that somepony had dared to paint him looking like that and didn't destroy their paints afterwards was getting Obsidian aggrivated. Perhaps it was made him furious as well - which was why the portrait looked scorched.
She scowled angrily at the artwork; she'd love to either destroy Sombra for good - or to force him to reform through making him suffer for everything he did! Make him PAY for his deeds! Then find a way to resurrect him, and do it again! Make him pay a THOUSAND times ov-
"Uh... Siddy?" Cup pointed at one of the more metallic cases, and in her reflection, she could see wisps of purple drifting lightly from the corners of her eyes. Not noticeably - not yet - but enough for her to realize what that meant.
"You okay? Is it the portrait?" He looked concerned, and was doing his best not to draw attention to them. Wart was just looking at her, waiting for a word or command to help however she could.
"Well, in case you forgot, I have a bit of a personal hatred of him," she fumed, but seeing the eye mist forced her to calm down a bit; she had no want to display any Dark Magic - at least not in public. "Let's move along to the next display... please..."
There were a number of pieces of Crystal Empire history here - even a portrait of a young Cadence and Shining Armor, with a little foal in their embrace who looked an awful lot like Flurry Heart. The title was 'The Royal Crystal Family' - and then listed the names, of which, Flur's was one of them. By Darkness, she was adorable as a foal... maybe a bit too adorable.
Otherwise, there were a few displays of local clay pottery and one on hanging plants, both as dull as could possibly be, and then...
When they rounded the corner, they were greeted with a beautiful sunset - even though it was still closer to noon!
However, once the initial shock settled down, it was simply another painting, enormous in size, that graced the back corner of this small section. Along with it, there was a placard next to the doorway leading inside the display room.
[Whistlewhite : "The Spirit of Equestria" - The legendary painter who breathed Life into every work she ever produced, her legacy was cut short when she was executed by King Sombra after his infamous Fifteenth Decree, which outlawed works of art completely, as well as those who created it.]
There were a number of different paintings here - and every last one of them looked more like a photograph than simple paint or dye. There were still lifes that looked as if they were barely able to hold still, portraits where you half-expected them to talk to you, and amazing scenes of the stars, the cliffs of Canterlot (including at least two from before the palace was built there), the Everfree Forest, and many, many more. Each one, a masterpiece.
In the center of all of this amazing artwork was a simple sketch on a piece of parchment of a mare in a long cloak, seated on a wooden stool at a canvas, in mid stroke. The mare's mane was longer than any mane Obsidian had ever seen before, spilling out of her hood and onto the floor, and though her eyes and most of the rest of her muzzle was obscured by the hood, what little could be seen of her held an expression of peace, calm and serenity.
"Whoa... look at this apple tree painting! I could reach out and just take one, it almost feels like!" Cup gushed as he looked over the artwork.
It was all beautiful, wonderful and simply breathtaking; killing this amazing artist was yet another crime on Sombra's long, long list of sins. But made Obsidian wonder... was it a mere coincidence that Diamond was also a bit of an artist? Did Sombra experiment with this artists's skills in some manner?
She would find out. She would seek out every single one of Sombra's little secrets, even if she would had to wrench it directly out of his wretched soul itself! But for now...
She walked closer to the simple sketch, curious about it and looking for its' description. Could it be the insanely foolish companion of her father, Radiant Hope? How did this single sketch survive?
Under the sketch was a small placard:
[Whistlewhite - only known portrait - artist unknown]
But that wasn't the part that reached Siddy's mind - what DID reach it was that this sketch was almost a perfect match for Diamond's own style; she'd stared at his drawing too often for her not to instantly recognize it. Equus' only known portrait of one of the greatest artists of all Equestrian history... and it was by her own brother's hoof?
Well then - yet another mystery. Curious.
If only she had a simple, portable way to communicate with her brother, as she had with Flurry - but alas, she had none. Now that she thought about it, that was yet another mistake on her part - a spell used by another princess of the Empire was extremely useful, and she should endeavor to learn about it as quickly as possible. In fact, perhaps it would be a good idea to put in a call to Flurry later...
...ooooor she could talk to her right now! With a mischievous smile, she reached to her saddlebags to get a specific bracelet and put it on her leg. Flurry, I had no idea you looked sooooooo cute as a foal!
What? Sids, that you? A beat, then, Yeah, I was a little porcelain doll, yada yada yada - not as much fun when you have to live with everyone bringing those fuckin' pictures out whenever someone shows up, so you'll understand if I don't seem all that thrilled by the prospect... but yeah, totes dorbs lil' booger, that's me!
Wart was staring at one of Whistlewhite's other works; what appeared to be a grove of blood red roses, except for a single sunflower among them.
So, what the fuck is up, beautiful? Beaten down any naughty siblngs lately or some shit like that?
Obsidian smirked. I'm busy with exactly that right now, more or less. I'm in Manehattan, to deal with one of my brothers. I'm currently looking at a display about the Crystal Empire, so I thought I'd see what you were up to. How about you, dear princess - having a nice day?
FEH, kill me now; I have etiquette classes, and Miss Interpret is a DULL FUCKING STICK IN THE MUD - she thinks she has to BORE me to death to get me to learn anything, I swear! But otherwise, it's been okay besides that, but you've GOT to come visit sometime... unless I should visit you, maybe?
Etiquette class? Well, it was no surprise; Flurry could certainly use a bit more of it, that's for sure. That wouldn't be a bad idea... though I'd like to be assured that you and Clap won't try to kill each other during my wedding.
She could almost feel the irritation over the connection as Flur bristled with the mention of Thunderclap.
Yeah, sure - just keep me away from the big blue bitch, and things'll be golden; can't promise shit if we see each other, though.
Cup now began to walk along the row of paintings, his eyes devourng the artwork of a mare who was over a thousand years gone from Equestria.
So, you're looking at the Crystal Empire display, hunh? That means you're in Manehattan? Awwww... I LOVE that place! Wish you'da told me, Sids - I know some REAL party animals out that way! Woulda made your weekend, baby!
After a moment, Flur's giggles subsided, and she focused down a bit more. So... you like the display? Mom added a bunch of stuff to it, so she said she made it cool - IS it cool, Sids? I hope so, 'cause we've actually got a bunch of cool history and stuff, y'know?
There was a pause, then... ... uh, yeah - of course you know; like, you were here before WE were. My bad.
It's... an illuminating presentation. And please don't overestimate my personal knowledge; I spent most of my time locked in the catacombs or my room - the places we saw together earlier. I didn't even know that any of my siblings ran around more freely than me - I didn't even know I HAD siblings until recently. It took me a thousand years to discover that I'm the youngest of a fairly large group of artificial ponies... but yeah, I do like it. We're currently looking through Whistlewhite's paintings. Do you possibly know when she died? Obsidian asked.
Oh yeah, I do - she's one of Mom's fave artists! You ever seen 'Portrait of an Equestrian Family?' Classic, choice artwork - might be there, even! WW used techniques that artists nowadays WISH they had, and she's considered a treaure of Equestrian history.
There was a momentary pause. Story goes, she was a friend to the monarchy, until... uh, you-know-who took over; a number of years later, she was imprisoned and executed along with several other artists. Their mass grave has a marker, just outside of town. It's in Fuller's Field; can't miss it - in fact, Fuller himself tried to sell tickets to it when it was discovered, when he was a colt. Long story short, I put an end to that shit.
It could possibly mean that either Sombra had made Diamond quite early, or they were already young adults when they were created; Whistlewhite probably wouldn't have survived too long as a prisoner. Besides, the sketched portrait showed her to be a peaceful and calm mare.
Now that she thought about it, did she remember anything about her own foalhood? Flurry, how long did Sombra rule the Crystal Empire? How many years?
There was a momentary silence, then she replied, Uhhhhhh... like, what, twenty years? Eighteen, somewhere in there? The records had all been destroyed by his decree, but a few things were recalled by some of the surviving Crystal Ponies - not to mention some of WW's art, salvaged from the very search that turned up you, come to think of it.
Well, THAT wasn't helping much. In that timeframe, she could fit both her creation as a foal AND as a teenaged (biologically and mentally) artificial creature. The fact she wasn't sure if she had ever been a foal in the first place wasn't freaking her out - but it was still an extremely concering issue, and she wanted to find the truth about this.
Obsidian grinned. It seems I will have to ask my brother about a few things if I want to find out how old I am, then. Thanks, Flur - you're helping quite a lot, actually.
Sids, check it - that's friendship for ya; it's how we roll. And glad I could lend a hoof, truth. You need me, let me know - I'm there, mare.
Cup and Wart were now both standing in front of one of Whistlewhite's paintings; it was of a simple room, nothing fancy at all about it, and it was as plain as could be, without even so much as an amenity to be seen. The placard underneath read:
[Sanctuary - by Whistlewhite - presumed to be her studio]
But it wasn't her studio... it was Obsidian's room, down to the very last detail.
Now I see a painting of my old room... wonderful. She trotted closer to make sure it really was what she thoight it was. Seeing it closer, there was absolutely no doubt about it - which meant that her father had found her to be so worthless, even her prison seemed to be merely a repurposed room.
It was uncanny, and each detail was unmistakable; it didn't look any different than the last time she'd been to see it, when she'd brought back a scroll for Gypsy. The painting was obviously done with great care and attention to detail - she almost felt as if she were back in it... and a light shudder rolled up her spine.
After having her freedom, the thought of returning to her room/cell brought foul thoughts to her head; visiting was one thing... but, to go back to living in it? She'd survive it, yes - but she'd loathe it with every fiber of her being.
Apparently Whistlewhite painted a picture of my room, plus Sombra at the very beginning of his rule, and had her own portrait drawn by my brother. Every new connection to my old life that I discover is slowly driving me CRAZY.
"That's my room," she muttered softly as she leaned towards Cup and Wart.
Wart gave a light chuckle. "Indeed, I could see your room in such a manner, Lady Siddy, as you have impressed upon us how very little you truly had, even as a princess-in-training. I could most certainly see you having your quarters in much a similar fashion."
Cup, however, just looked at her and blinked.
Obsidian looked at Cup and blinked back.
He looked back at the painting again, then at her... and slowly, he reached up and scratched his left ear with a hoof. "I... I believe you," he smiled.
Wart now turned to look at them both. "... have I missed something?"
Maybe they ALL were missing it, because she was beginning to feel a bit lost, herself. "Possibly... but I didn't mean that the room was similar to mine... I mean, this is literally a picture of my old room in the catacombs beneath the Crystal Empire... though it's a little more dusty now, obviously."
Wart blinked, looked back at the painting, then at Obsidian again. "Lady Siddy... this painting is over a thousand years old. It was painted by the master artist, Whistlewhite, and contains what is supposedly her studio... and yet, you tell me that this is your room, from your time in your father's dubious hooves?" She didn't sound as if she didn't believe her; she sounded as if she was making certain she was hearing this correctly.
"Wart," Obsidian deadpanned, "almost every pony from the Crystal Empire is over a thousand years old, remember? But yes, to answer the question - it is, indeed, my room."
Cupcake looked at her. "So... what's this mean? That you somehow have a connection to Whistlewhite? That Sombra put a master of the art to death? That we're gonna have hay bacon and biscuits tomorrow morning? I mean, I don't get it... what's it mean?"
Wart turned and looked at the painting again. "I am uncertain, myself - how can this connection help us figure anything out?"
Obsidian shrugged slightly. "It doesn't, actually - I only wanted to tell you it was my room, considering how it's the first opportunity for you two to see it."
Her two friends both looked at each other... then, back at the painting with a different perspective.
"Wow... you didn't have... anything..." Cup seemed saddened by the thought.
"Efficiency, at its' best," Wart declared, looking satified with what she saw. Indeed, they were two sides of the coin.
"Indeed... now, let's see the rest of the displays, shall we?" Perhaps she'd like this 'efficiency' more if she didn't know that Sombra simply didn't care at all about her in the first place.
The rest of the museum was quite a sight to see, but the enthusiasm had dampened a bit; it wasn't until they reached the end of the tour that things changed abruptly, as a filly of about seven summers came up to the group as they left the last exhibit hall, headed for the exit in the atrium.
"Escoose me, Miss Obsibiben," she said earnestly, "but can I hassa aubograf?"
Cup's muzzle lit up with a smile. "You want an autograph? From Miss Obsidian?"
The filly nodded her head with all her heart. She had a soft lavender coat, and a pale blue mane and tail, both in braids. Her little green eyes were wide and hopeful, and she was looking at Siddy as if she was starstruck. A mare with huge eyes ran her way over.
"Bell! Nonononono! We don't bother other-..." She got a look at them too, and a lightbulb of recognition went off behind her eyes. "Wait... you're Obsidian? You really are, aren't you?" The mare's expression brightened. "You must be here to promote the new exhibit, aren't you? I have to say, I didn't expect you to actually BE here!"
Aubograf? As always, Obsidian had some trouble with understanding the little filly's muddled speech - but luckily, Cup helped her out with translation before she hurt anyone's feelings.
"Um, yes, I'm Obsidian - but no, I'm not promoting anything. I'm just a regular guest here... it's nice to meet you two. So, what should I sign for you?" Hunh... fame seemed to have caught up with her.
Cupcake held out a marker and a balloon... a fully-inflated balloon, with no trace of where it came from. Which was typical for Cupcake Sprinkles, so it wasn't such a big deal. "I bet she'll like this signed, right-o?" Cup asked 'Bell' with a smile, and he was rewarded with an even more eager smile and nod.
"New exhibit?" Wart quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean by... such... a... a cl-claim..." The little mare reached over slowly and poked at Obsidian's leg, then pointed at the back wall.
Hanging there was a large, boldly-colored banner:
[Coming Soon: The UMBRAL Incident - including The Obsidian Six - Tickets On Sale NOW!]
Obsidian signed the balloon, not daring to ask aloud any sort of questions about it's origins which may have had answers too terrible for her logical mind to endure. "Coming soon, eh? Too bad we probably won't be in Manehattan for that long... and come on! 'The Obsidian Six' sounds even worse than 'The Siddy Six'."
Perhaps she was a bit too reserved about it - but to be fair, she was a little dumbstruck at the sight. This museum sure worked fast, didn't they?
"Look - it's them!"
"Over there! That's Obsidian!"
"Is the exhibit already open?"
"HEY! That's Obsidian; is the museum having an event?"
"Are you here for the event?"
"Obsidian! Obsidiaaaannnnn!!!"
And just like that, they were surrounded by ponies! Each one insistent on getting her attention as the bunch of them grew steadily louder as more and more began to take notice of the erstwhile stars in their midst.
"Siddy... I don't like this..." Cupcake said, moving closer to her as he tried to watch everyone at once. She could hear Wart's voice, but couldn't see her, nor make out what she was saying.
Once again Obsidian was mortified over the fact that she couldn't teleport. She did her best to try to move closer to the wall - once again, the paranoia feeling crept up on her as if she'd be backstabbed at any moment. "Erm... eh, please calm down everypony? Please!?"
The crowd simply seemed to move closer and closer to them, and it almost felt as though the entire world was getting smaller. Cupcake looked on the verge of panic, and she'd completely lost track of Stalwart by this point. All their voices were running together, and she couldn't make out anyone's speech at all; they were going to be crushed by a wall of fans!
However, just as they got insistent enough to almost raise a panic, there was a muffled >ping!< sound, and suddenly there was a squeal of surprise as a stallion was blasted in the face, full-on, by a foamy white mist, leaving his muzzle covered in something white and powdery.
"STAND DOWN, OR FEEL MY WRATH!" Another blast, and a mare yelped as she was pasted with a bolt of white stuff from below, across her barrel... and another one held up his hooves - staring down - and moved aside.
More blasts continued, and eventually, there was Stalwart Stance... holding a fire extinguisher and blasting anyone who came too close. From the looks of her, she'd started to be trampled; there was even a muddy hoofprint that circled one of her eyes. She looked serious, as if the nozzle of the extinguisher was a leathal weapon, and slowly worked the crowds back away from Cup and Siddy. "Lady Siddy, Cupcake - are you all right?"
Somepony hurt her friend...
They almost trampled a true hero of Ponyville, who fought a entire damned army of undead umbrals by herself! Obsidian felt some emotions which, as an upstanding pony hero of Equestria herself, really shouldn't be thinking about. Obsidian's eyes blazed with purple smoke as she turned her angry scowl to the crowd.
"WHO DARES TO HARM MY FRIEND!?" she practically growled as she began to look for even the smallest sign of guilt among them.
It was at this point that a mare flanked by two stallions pushed her way through the thronged crowd at the forefront towards them, even as the rest of the gathered ponies went silent at Obsidian's rather heated question.
The mare, looking very much like a librarian (and reminding her a bit of Miss Tome) came directly to them. "Oh I am so very sorry this never happens please I've never known anything like this to have happened here you have my sincerest apologies please if you-"
"Can you get us to somewhere we can be away from all this? Pleeeeeeeeease???" Cup asked exasperatedly.
"Yes! My office should suffice; I'm the curator here, and I assure you that I've never seen such a reaction like this!" She looked down at Wart. "Please oh please Stalwart Stance please forgive them - they got excited and it got-"
"Out of hoof quickly, yes - I gathered as much," she muttered, quite obviously a bit peeved at this turn of events as well.
"The lot of you - please DISPERSE!" The curator's voice could have been some sturdy competition for a Royal Canterlot one; the gathered ponies looked considerably mollified (and a bit shameful), and they began to scatter back to the lure of the museum itself.
And that was how a simple curator saved Manehattan from a vengeful slaughter; Obsidian's eye mist slowly evaporated, though she still looked angry enough to spit nails. "Yes, an office should suffice. Let us go; I wish to examine Stalwart's wounds."
Obsidian was furious, yes - but she had no reason not to trust a friendly museum curator... though it would be rather cunning for potential attackers to force the commoners on them, then 'rescue' them from what would appear to be an assumedly grisly end. With a calming sigh for Siddy, they made their way down the hall, the two flanking stallions following along silently.
The curator's office was a bit of a museum itself; a number of interesting artifacts and photographs were framed and on display for visitors to see - too bad there were more pressing things on their minds.
Cupcake sat down in a chair and leaned forward, gripping his knees in a quick embrace and shiver, before sitting upright and turning his attentions towards Siddy and Wart. Stalwart, meanwhile, had always been tougher than she looked; aside from cleaning off the hoofprint and needing some light healing for a few bruses, there was nothing seriously damaged on the little mare... except her pride, of course.
The two stallions waited outside the door, but the curator herself entered and made her way behind her desk, pacing back and forth over a well-worn groove in the wooden floor. "Truly I do apologize, Miss Obsidian - I honestly had no clue you'd ever come anywhere around Manehattan without it being in the news... because I assure you, the display we have set for the next season? It's all a tribute to the fine work you and your friends did in Ponyville, defeating Sombra and the Umbral hordes - as well as exposing Onyx, and suffering through Ruby's, um... passing... and bringing together a fighting force that rival's Princess Twilight's Mane Six?"
She blushed a bit. "Sorry - m-my name's Dusty Gold, and I, er... well, I am a fan, which is why I set up the exhibit! We have a number of photos, and even a few mementos of the incident; i-if it would ease your mind, I'd have no problems showing you what we have?"
Wart looked at the curator with a slight scowl. "And are we so well-known that I would be trampled, just so others can approach Lady Siddy?"
The curator again blushed. "That's one of the reasons I'm trying to champion this - almost everyone in Equestria knows of Obsidian, but the rest of your six are all but hoofnotes, unfortunately. I think you all deserve better than that, so..." She let her sentence trail off meaningfully.
"That's what I said! I said, 'The Siddy Six' is FAR too focused on me!" Obsidian scoffed, still nursing her boiling anger - though currently not at anything specific. Which, to be fair, was possibly worse; right now, she felt as though she could turn and point her fury at anything, reducing it to cinders and char...
But for now, she merely walked over to Cupcake, who placed a calming hoof on her back and began to pat her reassuringly. "...but yes, I think it would be a good idea if we could see this display first," Obsidian agreed.
Dusty nodded, then began to fumble through a desk drawer, presumably for keys. "Of course - I'll take you there, right away, I promise! As soon... as I find... the keys..."
Cupcake looked gratefully at his fiancee as she gave him a reassuring nuzzle - which he frankly looked like he needed right about then. Stalwart didn't really tend to need reassurance; a target for her hooves might be in order, though.
After much fumbling, the curator finally located the keys she required, and led the way as she took them to the warehouse area, through a set of steel doors that led to some rather chilly and dank service tunnels. Dusty assured them it was to keep another 'occurrance' from happening. She led them along rows of shelves filled with boxes, crates and packages, until they reached a section marked off with orange ribbons.
"Here we are," she said as she unlocked the steel safety mesh cage latched to the front of the shelves, "photographs and such in the boxes, and 'artifacts' will be in the large crates. We don't have the display cases we need, or I'd already have it out."
Though there were a number of things laying around on the tables and shelves, the first thing that Obsdian noticed was a badly bent lance.
Gasp! "Is this my lance?" Obsidian asked with renewed interest. After Cup seemed to be okay now and Stalwart turned out to be only a bit bruised, she felt a little better... but this certainly lifted her mood a bit more!
The curator nodded, venturing to smile a bit. "Yes, we were told you were a 'miracle of Light' when you were wielded it, so we had it brought here - as it was - to be put on display. I was thinking of naming it something catchy, like the 'Lance of Light', or some such thing."
She stepped forward just a bit, her eyes searching the Grey Princess' muzzle inquisitively. "I-is it the one you know?"
"It is," Obsidian grinned as she examined the damaged armament fondly, "and the Lance of Light happens to be exactly what I called it."
Curator Gold smiled. "Well, great minds, and all... not that I can hold even a candle to the wildfire of achievements YOU'VE managed, but... well, I guess we do okay, here." She pulled out a notepad and jotted down a few quick lines, then put it away and waited for further comment... which she got, from Stalwart.
"Lo and behold, is this my helmet?" She lifted up a battered Royal Guard helmet from the pile, with crude and tattered padding peeking out from the inside.
"Indeed it is, Stalwart - we made sure we got our hooves on that, after your incredible defense of Twilight's Castle at the Northern gate! We plan to have a small mural that features the event!."
Wart visibly blushed. "O-oh," was all she said as she placed the helmet carefully back on the table, rubbing a spot of dirt from it as she did.
Cupcake suddenly burst out laughing, and held up a folded paper swan. "HA! They even got a few of Gypsy's origami critters! That's nifty!"
Obsidian saw all sorts of newspaper articles, carefully cut and preserved in frames, about the exploits of her and her friends while they were fighting to put the undead back into the ground where they belonged. Someone's photograph of the Pie Brigade making their way down the street was carefully framed and placed along with the articles.
Among the other artifacts were some broken boards from the stand Onyx had stood on (and Gypsy collapsed), a few stray feathers from Thunderclap, a broken longsword; everything here was a touchstone of those times, and even though they weren't far behind for her, it still felt like a lifetime ago to Obsidian.
"Madam Gold," Wart said as she reached a thick wooden box, about the size of a toaster, "this box is locked; what is contained inside that requires a lock?"
The curator made her way over, not saying a word and looking a bit solemn as she lifted her keyring again, selected the right key and unlocked the box. She gingerly opened it. "We found a number of these at the site of the last battle, Miss Obsidian - I thought they might make for an interesting centerpiece for an explanation of Umbral Shards."
Inside the box, nestled into cotton batting, were several chunks of what looked to be shattered black crystal, no piece bigger than a bit.
Obsidian's good mood vanished instantly. "Those are dangerous." Of course, everything Onyx did was dangerous; these little things were quite possibly no exception.
Dusty Gold nodded, then closed the box softly, and locked it back. "If it's dangerous as you'd say, then what would you like done with it?" Wart looked a bit confused... but one look at Cupcake told Obsidian he'd already figured it out, and he was with her one-hundred percent on this one.
To be completely honest, Obsidian would love to take it home and research it. If it was good enough for Onyx, then it was good enough for her, right? Of course, there was an issue with Amethyst being there... Obsidian still couldn't understand why, and she honestly felt as if couldn't really trust any Sombra's spawns; even Ruby and Diamond were a bit suspect with them being so very nicey-wicey all the time.
"Take it home. Put in a safe place. Don't leave it unguarded." Each phrase was accompanied by Obsidian's serious frown.
The curator blinked a bit, then looked at her again. "Is... is it safe to have in my home? I'd... much rater either study it, display it or turn it over to the only authority I feel should have any say in the matter... you."
This was... weird. Obviously, the chunks of black crystal were all that remained of Onyx's shard - not including the presence in her head, of course - so, in a way, it was like those little pieces of black crystal were her corpse.
Would they possibly be able to bring her back with these... and, far more importantly, would they? After all, Onyx was the villain of the piece, the heavy, the big nasty, and had threatened Obsidian and her friends multiple times. However, there was something to be said about 'second chances'; after all, Tourmaline had proven to be one of the better cases for the argument - he seemed to have integrated nicely, even got himself a griffonfriend.
But Onyx was also far more intelligent and crafty than could be safe to trust... and her plotting skills were extremely dangerous. Allowing her to live would possibly put them at odds again... and this time, Obsidian wasn't sure she could beat her a second time.
But... she was family, and Obsidian's quest to HAVE a family wouldn't feel complete without trying to help Onyx reform - possibly even in a literal sense.
"Lady Siddy? What are these?" Wart asked, eyeballing the box that contained the pieces.
The answer was simple; Obsidian had to become far, far more powerful before unleashing Onyx into the world once again.
It would be a curious challenge to try to use Sombra's spells and her sister's shards to create a new body for her. If anything, it would be a serious breakthrough for all of Equestria! Just imagine, being able to create completely new bodies for ponies all around the country...
"Oh, those are shards of a particularly nasty, dark magical crystal. Perhaps you remember it from our last battle against one rather specific, tyrannical, dumbass king..?" The Grey Princess lowered her head to look at the chunks and slivers more closely.
They held so much potential... they could give her so much knowledge, after some proper research...
Wart lifted an eyebrow. "But... Sombra didn't use any crystal shards..."
Cupcake, who had already picked up on it (and had taken the appropriate three steps back when he did) spoke up, "Yeah - he didn't. So, if these are shard chunklets, and they didn't come from Ol' Sombrero..."
The little mare's eyes flew open, and she looked at the curator with a look of deadly seriousness. "Destroy them. Do not leave even a single, solitary sliver to survive, then burn the ashes - just to be absolutely certain the deed is complete."
"Wart," Obsidian began, "I'm not sure it's possible to burn these crys-"
Wart turned to face Obsidian, heat in her stare. "Then smash them! Turn them to dust, then feed the dust to a dragon, then BURN THE DRAGON FECES!"
Of all of her friends, The Nightmare Spell cast by Onyx had stuck with Wart the most; the memory of the situation she'd been in... the utter humiliation of it... had bothered poor Stalwart ever since. Even mentioning foals made the little mare's hoof unconsciously lift to touch her belly while she did her best not to shudder.
Cupcake placed a gentle hoof on Wart's shoulder. "Wart - get a grip on yourself. It's Siddy's decision, and we should respect it... whatever she chooses."
Wart was glaring at the box, as if half-expecting Onyx to leap out of it at any moment. "It... is your decision, Lady Siddy. I simply hope you make the RIGHT one."
"She will," Cup said, looking at her with a warm grin, "because whatever she choose to do will be the right decision. I'm sure of it."
Apparently, it seemed that Stalwart held quite a grudge against Onyx. Hopefully it wouldn't stop her from possibly dating Diamond. After all, if Cupcake wasn't discouraged by the fact that Sombra would essentially be his father-in-law, then Wart shouldn't be scared of her potential sister-in-law, right?
"I need to research it, Stalwart - it could be useful. I don't really have much of an opportunity to see the results of Dark Wizardry without something trying to kill me, so it will be a nice change of pace to be able to examine it at my own leisure."
Wart stared at her for a moment... then shut her eys and sighed. "I do NOT approve of this idea, for the record - this shall turn out to be a grave mistake, mark my words."
Cup rolled his eyes. "Wart... shush."
The little mare glared at the unicorn stallion for a moment, then spun on her hooves and strode to the doorway, choosing to keep it company instead of trying to reason any further.
Cupcake walked over and gave her a quick side-hug. "She'll be okay - Wart tends to hold a grudge, but maybe if there is a way to reform... uh, her... then why can't we try the same thing on the rest of your family? I mean, Siddy, I've been kinda proud of ya lately, with this quest to try to reunite a family that wasn't very united to begin with."
He smiled. "It's noble of you to try - even if some of them will never appreciate it."
"I'm on the side of good now, so I'm trying to make good things, Cup. Besides, I really do want to research it; I hope that her pieces will be far less dangerous than the whole." Obsidian shrugged.
She would obviously not dare to dabble at all with Jade's or Amber's shards for very important reasons (like a fear of unleashing them by accident), but fragments of a shattered shard should work well enough.
"Perhaps you're right, Miss Gold - if you could, have them sent to Ponyville; I'll deal with them myself."
She nodded. "I can have them shipped there, First Class, to either the scientific wing of Twilight's Palace, or to the Friendship Academy's Library... whichever you think would be the safest place."
A tough call. The Scientific Wing was where they'd brought Diamond out of his shard, and they had plenty of security features and holding cells - including anti-magic ones - and a number of guards and scientists at all times... but, it would also have a chance to simply be seen as 'research material', and the shards might accidentally end up in an experiment.
On the other hoof, the Library was quiet and had only a few others through the office area each day, which practically guaranteed it wouldn't be bothered... however, there was also the fact that it was a LIBRARY - good for book research, but not so much for magical experimentation, as there were no anti-magic rooms or lab equipment there.
Decisions, decisions...
"At the moment, send them to the library. I'll handle it when we get back home," Obsidian waved her hoof. If anything, it would be easier to move the shards from the library to scientific wing than the other way around.
"...so, do you have any other potentially dangerous things around here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
The curator wrote out a small note, then taped it to the box as she set it down again. "There are... well, there's one I wanted for the collection, but couldn't get the clearance for it. However, most of the rest of what I have is fairly harmless... though I do have some of the black ichor from the Umbrals in a jar, and some of the spent ammunition from the Pie Cannon Brigade-"
"I remember that," Cup said with a slight sigh, "because we kicked some serious flank, together... that aaaaaaand Mom's 'injury' spurred us on. When she 'fessed up, Blue was furious... but Lemon understood, and explained it to her. Still, Momma apologized, and we all had a big hug session... minus Blue and Lemon, of course - their choice."
The curator grinned. "Yes, Mr. Sprinkles - there were reports of hearing the cannon blasts from as far as Appleoosa! It was a glorious moment, to be certain."
"Well, I'm sure spent ammunition is safe..." Obsidian narrowed her eyes a bit as she glanced at her coltfriend. "right?"
Cup chuckled. "Should be - but I'd thoroughly check Patty's before you display 'em; if they're still active, let her know and she can disarm 'em for ya!"
The curator tilted her head. "Your sister would come all the way here, just to defuse an explosive?"
"Naaaaah," Cup grinned, "she'd come for the museum itself! Offer her a free tour, and she'll be happy to disarm those for you! I mean," he quickly corrected, "she'd do it anyway, but she'd love a tour, all the same."
Wart, still at the door, gave a passing looky-loo a cold stare, which sent him on his way again.
"Well, she did participate in the history being made in Ponyville... and will likely participate in the close future as well. She is a genius, after all," Obsidian scratched at her chin lightly in thought. If everything would go smoothly, Patty would be rescuing the world from a mad magical-technological dark magic user, soon enough.
Obsidian shrugged. "The ichor is definitely not safe, but... eh, as long as it's not used directly, it probably won't kill anypony."
The curator shook her head. "Oh, no no no... the container we have it in has been hermetically sealed; it's impossible to open, save for forcibly breaking it - which would be extremely difficult. I mean to use it in a display case... where it will sit undisturbed for a very long time, if I have my way about it. And please let Miss Patty know I would love to utilize her services..." She smiled. "In exchange for a guided tour, if she so wishes."
Cup nodded vigorously, then smiled at Obsidian. "Shouldn't we try to head back soon?"
To be fair, there were plenty of liquids that were dangerous to one's health, and yet they were available to everypony - like alcohol or gasoline.
"And yes, Cuppy; we still have plenty of things to do, I'm afraid." Saving the world, meeting her brother, checking to see if her new, beautifully red cape was making her look like a real queen...
The curator nodded as she led them back towards the front. "I am glad you stopped by - though, again, I am DEEPLY sorry for the mess earlier. Hopefully, should you choose to return, I'd be quite pleased to extend a free visit to you and your friends... and, extra security, of course."
At the front, the curator left them with the big suited stallions, who escorted them silently to the front doors; though a few onlookers did take notice of the three of them, nobody dared approach the huge muscle-bound stallions that walked with them.
Once outside, Cupcake looked over at the two of them. "I'm not really too keen on buses - maybe we should hail a-"
At that exact moment in the conversation, a yellow taxicab from the other side of the street suddenly swerved, bounced over the median, and screeeeeeched to a halt at the curb next to them.
"Hey-o!" a voice said as the passenger side window came down, "You three look in need of some big city transpo, am I right?"
Inside was a deer - a buck, to be exact, who wore a purple velour tracksuit and pitch black shades. His horns were adorned with rings and bracelet chains and even a single air freshner that looked like a pine tree.
Cup looked at Obsidian. "I didn't know deer had Pinkie Sense too!"
It was a bit concerning... Obsidian lowered her head to whisper to Stalwart. "Do you remember that feeling when we were being followed? Do you think this is a trap?" she whispered.
Wart looked to the deer for a moment. The deer looked back, smiling lazily.
After a moment, she turned back to face Siddy. "I'm not completely certain, Lady Siddy - there is little precedent for a cab driver to simply KNOW we needed a ride, yet we are not cab drivers, so I have no other context to go from. Perhaps if I could get him to talk for a while, I could-"
"Obsidian," the deer said, looking around a bit before continuing, "if you're asking Wart if I'm safe, you could ask if it would be safe to check out a few chemistry books next time, as I'm done with biology for now." The deer grinned, and tipped Obsidian a wink.
Obsidian blinked. Then blinked again. "Wha-... how... but, but..." she stuttered, truly dumbfounded.
The 'deer' grinned. "Just get in - we can chat en route."
Cupcake blinked, then it dawned on him. "Hiya, Mar-"
"SHHHHHHHH!" He glanced around furitively, then motioned at them to get in. "C'mon - I promise, the fare will be heavily discounted."
To be fair, Markannus could have struck them all dead, if he wanted to. But unless he was really working for Onyx, nudging Obsidian into re-uniting their entire family to summon back Sombra or something... she was pretty sure the changeling was safe.
Like... 90% sure. Maybe 88%? 86%?
She got in anyway; whether he killed them or not, at least it wasn't the bus.
Stats
Page generated in 0.026 seconds
Total duration
902 users online
655,940 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
There's one unmentioned "dangerous" object referred to, I wonder what it is?
10919002
Amethyst's Foci Dagger, of course... why else would she be turned down?
acrefully?
The what princess?
A lot of interesting lore in this! And I wonder what the reporters might have to say about Siddy.