Obsidian: Legacy Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Ten: Recoveries & Discoveries

~>-<~

... dammit.

And here she was once more, standing outside of the gates with the large, metal proclamation of [PARADISE] over them.

At least she could breathe now... well, IF she was breathing, of course. She might have been dead - again - but she couldn't tell; as far as she knew, she'd just been put under by Amber - again - and there was no way to know for certain if she would ever wake up.

The gate creaked lightly open, and Peridot stuck his head out, looking at her. "Ah. There you are. I was wondering if you would show up here or not - it was literally a 50% chance, clear down the median."

Now that was an interesting thought; as far as she was concerned, everything was happening inside her head. If she died, this ancient and magical place follow suit?

"Good afternoon, Peridot. It's, eh... let's say an 'emergency visit'. Amber poisoned me," she admitted, resigned and a touch chagrined.

Peridot nodded. "Yes, yes - we saw it on the television. I admit, I never believed diamond dogs had their own society; interesting to see it directly like that. Please, do come in... we've got a few things to discuss with you."

He opened the gate, and once again, Obsidian was treated to the sight of Paradise - the massive pool, the deck chairs, the parasol-wielding tables, et cetera.

He began to make his way to a pair of glass doors that led into the manor itself.

'We' - so Onyx was here, apparently. What a relief! Obsidian followed Peridot, looking at the marvels around her. All of this surely wasn't just inside her head - she would never have been able to dream up luxuries such as these.

The interior was especially beautiful. Everything looked clean and modernized - which was interesting, as this place had existed long, long ago, supposedly. Sleek and shiny steel cabinets, cool and crisp conditioned air, elegant carpet and well-laid tile, and beautiful murals of flowers and such all over each wall.

There seemed to be planter boxes in every room, as fresh flowers were all over the place, and the furniture was so cozy and comfy-looking... and all of this was for ponies in ancient times? Why would they have ever wanted to leave such a home in the first place?

It looked like something that was decades ahead of the Equestria she currently knew... but how could it have been this way? If this place really was the ancient home of all ponykind, either someone here was really being innovative, or Equestria had somehow lost all this technology along the way somewhere.

In the rather spacious living room, there was a circular couch that was a light blue color; it fit well with the rest of the decor. Centered in it was a small table, and on that was a tea tray, complete with cups and saucers, as well as a teapot. Across from that - on the wall, no less - was a large monitor with the words [Technical Difficulties: Please Stand By] on it.

And seated at the table was...

"Hello, Obsidian... I was wondering when you'd..."

It was Onyx.

"... um... sh-show up to... uhhh... check on me."

... wasn't it?

"ONYX!" Obsidian cried as she glomped her. "I would have come so much sooner, but there's been a LOT going on lately! I'm so glad to see you again, my sister!" Obsidian chirped.

Onyx hugged back, nodding. "Yes, I'm most certainly... um... mo... m-most certainly back. Peri and I have been catching..."

Her eyes went semi-blank for a moment, as if lost in thought... then, she blinked out of it. "... catching up with each other. It's been interesting, I'll say that much."

Peridot came over to the circle couch and sat down across from the two of them. "So, now that we all have a moment, perhaps now would be a good time to discuss what the actual game plan is, and whether or not we can help you in that regard."

Onyx nodded. "Of course, we've been talking it over, and... er..."

Peridot sighed. "And to bring that up, as well."

"... y-yes, to bring up certain points." Onyx seemed a bit... off, somehow.

"But first," Peridot nodded, "I suppose we'll have to discuss what can be done with your current situation."

"Well, my current situation is as thus: either Mica will save me, or I'm stone-cold dead," she shrugged with somewhat nihilistic resignation. "If it's been deemed that I shall survive, I expect we'll probably get a few more airships and while the rest will try their best to save the Element Bearers, I was possibly thinking I might look for Jade. But... first things first, sister; what's wrong with you?" Obsidian asked with worry. "Was it the lack of material to work with, from your shard?"

Onyx gave an irritated sigh. "I'm not sure, honestly; it just feels like... l-like, uhhhh..."

Peridot motioned to her with a hoof. "And she's been like that since she showed up here. Pausing to gather her thoughts like that - I would say there's a 86.4% chance that her loss of self has something to do with it, yes."

"... l-like I have to concentrate to keep my train... t-train of thought." she finished.

"Still, for what it's worth, she's still brilliant," Peridot interjected with a kind grin, " if perhaps just a bit-"

"Slower, yes," Onyx finished with a chagrined look on her muzzle. "I think she gets it."

Poor Onyx. Hopefully this setback wouldn't stop her, and hopefully she could return to form, given enough time. At the moment, she was practically crippled - and it wasn't lost on Obsidian that it was at least somewhat her fault.

Peridot nodded, then turned back to face Obsidian. "As for your situation, rest assured that your friend Mica Chip is intelligent enough to figure out ways to keep you alive. Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be admonished just a bit for falling for that book trap."

"Left on the stump of the Tree of Harmony, and you... eh... y-you just had to pick it up and read it. Honestly, I thought you would have... w-would have..."

She spaced out for a moment, then shook herself out of it. "... w-would have learned from the LAST time you trusted a book's contents. Such as the spell that brought you to the Black Pool?"

Okay, so they had a point.

"I thought it might be... I don't know, the last words of the Moochick, o-or perhaps something hint that Amber wanted to use this specific source of wood in a ritual or... something," she admitted.

"Well, if you would be so kind as to practice a little bit more caution in the... the, err... th-the future, as WE have to live within YOU, it would be much appreciated." Onyx admonished her a bit, but it had nowhere near the same snark as when she was taunting her as a villain.

Peridot nodded. "That being said, I believe part of your issue is your tendency to underestimate your foes, Obsidian. You seem to get stuck on the idea that your opponents are 'stupid', which leads you to doubt their ability to best you..."

"Which brings you here, more often than not." Onyx finished.

"So, my first advice to you would be to take your opponents just a bit more seriously - particularly Amber."

Onyx blinked blankly for a moment, then sat back and rubbed her forehead with a hoof. "Yes... she was one of His favorites for a reason, you know. Amber always had a penchant for making others suf-... uhh, s-suffer... so you'd do well to take note of that fact."

"Aside from that," Peri continued, "we should also discuss Sapphire, or to be more precise, the pronounced lack of her lately."

"Well, this obsession Amber has with suffering is the bit that explains why I consider her stupid; if she would care less about making everypony miserable and more about outright defeating her enemies, I would likely be rotting in a mass grave already! Or even on her side!" Obsidian scoffed. As far as she was aware, she was overestimating Amber! "And I know absolutely nothing about Sapphire. Nothing; a complete and utter lack of data."

Onyx and Peridot exchanged a worrisome look, then looked back at her.

Peridot sighed. "That's the thing - as far as I am aware, Sapphire has all but vanished off the face of Equestria. In ancient times, she was always headstrong and dedicated to the ideals that He raised us to have; she felt that it was working for those ideals that would make Father love us more."

"But when I awoke her in modern Equestria, she just wanted to help us bring... uh, b-bring..." Onyx hesitated.

"Bring Father back, yes." Peri finished for her. "From what Onyx has told me, she simply kept working hard to help bring about The Plan, and after Onyx's demise, Amber simply worked her harder and harder."

"Yes - no rest for the wicked, indeed. But all I was doing was having her deal with deliveries - and nowhere NEAR the breakneck schedule that... that Amber, er... th-that she had her on. Even I had standards, after all."

Peri sighed. "She had always held Father in high regard, because she had known just a fraction of his affection... yet always yearned for more. She somewhat understood that He and Father were not the same, and was one who tried to help things along with the idea that He might release Father someday."

Onyx scoffed. "As if IT even would - but that was MY thought, too, so I suppose I shouldn't... sh-sh-shouldn't, umm... shouldn't judge her for it."

Peridot nodded. "What's more, it seems as if there's more treachery ahead from Amber... and we're afraid she may have already done something to Sapphire - hence her absence."

"All but vanished," Obsidian mused, wondering about whatever fate Amber prepared for Sapphire. "Her ability... it was about controlling the elements, wasn't it? As far as I recall, I heard that she could even fly?" She tried to focus on the various and random bits of information she'd already heard before. "She outright discarded Opal, even after the mare successfully diverted our attention from Ponyville long enough for Flurry's possession to take place..."

Poor Flurry Heart...

Obsidian winced only for a moment, then continued. "Do you believe that she could potentially have other plans for Sapphire? She really doesn't seem to be the type that takes care of her toys..."

Onyx frowned. "No, she won't. I may have been a bit... a b-bit... umm..."

"Insensitive?" Peridot offered.

"Y-y-y-... th-that works, yes... insensitive... but at least I still had plans for Amethyst & Tourmaline to HAVE a future. Amber doesn't care WHO she crushes, as long as she gets her way. A distinct difference to make between... uh..."

Peridot nodded. "Yes, an important distinction to be made. Amber is far more dangerous, because she simply seems to be putting Equestria to the torch; nihilism at its' most rampant."

Obsidian put a hoof to her cheek. "So why would she keep Sapphire? I don't know many specifics about our lost sister's powers or abilities - I only know that she was working herself senseless along with Quartz, and... well, that's actually about it. I didn't even recognize her back when we first met, and it didn't help that she lied about being related."

Siddy recalled she'd had a haunted look on her muzzle, back then.

Peridot pondered. "Honestly, I have no clue what she would need her for..."

"IF she even needed her at all," Onyx spoke up, "because, for all WE know, she may have... uhh... mmm... mmmmmay have already done away with her. Though the loss of her elemental powers would be senseless, not to mention incredibly foolhardy."

"She could have done ANYTHING with her. After all, we're not exactly speaking of someone whose mind is stable and predictable." Peri sighed and shook his head slowly.

Onyx shrugged. "For all we know, Sapphire could be executing her OWN plans!"

"To be certain, the loss of Opal's genius mind alone would have been senseless... but she'd intended to throw her into the ring at the Umbral Colosseum with the rest of us!" Obsidian noticed that at least Amber had seemed to hate them all equally.

Sapphire executing her own plans... hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

She frowned. "From the looks of it, we actually aren't really able to do much of anything about Sapphire, except to hope we'll hear something more?"

"Seems that way," Peridot said with a sigh of irritated acquiescence.

Onyx got up from the couch and went to the glass doors, her eyes somewhere outside as she pondered. "Well... since we're both in the same place now, Peri and I can work on a plan for what comes next - and between our collective genius, I'm s-... uh... s-sure... we can figure out something."

Peridot looked at Obsidian. "Anything else to bring up, while you're here?"

Well, least they'd be working together; as far as Obsidian was concerned, she could rely on these two to process all the information she could dig up, leaving more of her own conscious mind to focus on other, more immediate things - like ambushes. Or spells. Or anything that concerned saving her current existence.

Not that she couldn't think on her own, nope... just... well, she trusted their collective genius. Particularly the fact that Peri could keep an eye on her dark sister. Y'know, just in case, no big deal.

Well then - what else needed to be addressed? The airship fleet. Locating Jade. Using the Umbral Altars to (hopefully) resurrect Ruby. Amber's tower. What else had to be brought up?

"The Tree of Harmony is no more. We have a seed that we're supposed to plant in the ground 'in our bleakest hour' while saying the phrase 'Friendship is Magic', but... well, frankly speaking, we still seem to have some room to fall. Do you think there's any chance of salvaging what was left of the tree?"

Onyx raised an eyebrow. "The Tree of Harmony... gone? Heh... I have to admit, I should've thought of that myself."

But Peridot blanched at the words. "G-GONE? Obsidian... that's BAD."

He stood up and began to pace. "During my studies while I was alive, I ran across enough evidence that the Tree itself was a protector, a force that kept ponies alive, even in the worst of times. There's even some books which spoke of a connection to Harmony which dated back beyond written pony history."

"Sort of like... l-like..." Onyx spaced out again, and her blank look was alarming.

"... like?" Peri prompted, and she seemed to snap out of it.

"... like THIS place? 'Paradise'?" she finally finished.

"The Tree of Harmony was only the most recent incarnation of The Moochick, and I sincerely doubt that he... she... it would be so readily damaged by a bunch of simple axes and saws. After all, Whistlewhite also died, and yet I still spoke with her a bit... though that was a bit disconcerting," Obsidian mused.

Hearing Onyx's stutter sent cracks through her heart, every time.

"Could there possibly be more information about Harmony hidden somewhere in here? Within Paradise itself?"

"We've already been checking," Onyx said, "and there's a library here - much to Peridot's liking..."

Peri at least had the decency to blush slightly.

"... and we've found a number of books that don't... d-dont, um... do not..."

"Exist, anymore," he finished for her, "and I, for one, am overjoyed to have been reading them - especially the stories about Firefly, one of the first pegasi ponies ever spoken of in Pony history!"

"Y-yes... and did you know there was always an Applejack among the various gatherings of ponies in the past?" Onyx said, finally getting her focus back.

"Indeed - there are SO MANY of our own ancestors who were lost to time - and now, we can read about them ALL!"

"The 'Moochick', you say?" Onyx pondered that for a moment. "There's... a bit on that individual, but he wasn't a pony."

Peridot nodded. "Yes - The Moochick was a gnome, and lived in his Mushram, in what would NOW be known as the Everfree Forest. Though there's nothing that says where that Mushram might be..."

Onyx waved the thought away. "Meh, not important right now; what we can do is search the stacks, and see what... wh-what..."

"What we CAN find and try to report it to you when next you sleep." Peridot grew a concerned look across his features. "IF you wake up, that is... admittedly, I'm beginning to worry a bit."

Obsidian shrugged lightly. "Either I shall wake up sooner or later to continue The Good Fight... or I'll die from the poison - in which case, we should probably try to appreciate our last moments together, right?" She was trying to cheer them up a bit, using the darkest humor she could think of.

Admittedly, she doubted it would work.

It was MADDENING, even trying to conceptualize the idea that stupid, stupid Amber had won the war, all because Obsidian couldn't keep her hooves off a damned book!

What could possibly wait for her, after death? Was there any kind of afterlife for a shard like herself? Soul or no soul, what waited for the lot of them, beyond the veil of mortality?

... wait, no. N-no... she wouldn't actually die, right? She had a destiny to fulfil, legendary deeds yet to be known for, songs yet to be written about her...

"Does this mean we should have our own Applejack, too? Interesting... and The Moochick was a pony as well - Whistlewhite, to be more precise. And the Tree of Harmony, apparently. Maybe... he chose this place because it reminded him of home?" she added, attempting to put the thoughts of these being her last moments behind her.

Peridot faced her again. "Actually, Paradise wasn't the FIRST home for ponykind; Dream Valley and Dream Castle were where we ponies all have our origins - even the Crystal Empire's original settlers came from there."

Onyx nodded. "... y-yes, but it was overrun by a creature known as the Smooze, and as ponykind had nowhere to go, The Moochick created Paradise Estate as a shelter for them. To hear that he was also... uhh..."

Peridot picked up from there. "The Moochick, Whistlewhite, the Tree of Harmony... are they truly all the same entity? THAT would be a fascinating being to speak to, I imagine!" He looked excited over the prospect. "What was he-... I mean, SHE like?"

Onyx, snapping back and seeing herself not-so-much in the conversation, turned and used her magic (which was noticably dimmer than Obsidian recalled) to lift a small, flat & grey little box from the table, and pointed it at the large television screen.

There was a >click!<, and Obsidian heard what sounded like muffled words coming from it, along with a VERY blurry picture.

"So then, Dream Castle wasn't far from the Crystal Empire? I mean, any sort of settlers wouldn't get too far in the notoriously arctic climate... unless it was far warmer back then and-..." Obsidian stopped when she saw the screen pop to life. Supposedly, the view would have been through her eyes... so she was, in her dreams, looking through her own eyes?

Surreal. She decided to observe what was going on in the waking world, leaving her thought unfinished.

Onyx fiddled with the little box a bit, and the sounds began to become clearer.

"... uv diz pony! Iz no need for her!"

"You shut your mouth!" That was... Mica? He sounded LIVID! "If it wasn't for her, you would all be DEAD, right now! Do you hear me, you mangy mutt!?"

A loud growl was the response, but then another voice broke in.

"Please... no name-calling; it belittles us both."

"Skipper, DIS IZ STOOPID! Howler's Heart iz NOH for poneez! IZ FOR DOGS ONLEE! NOH give it to her!"

"Even AFTER she saved your daughter, you ungrateful moron!?" A deep breath, then, "Mister Skipper, please, I BEG you... give her the potion, if you think it will cure her! Please!"

"Hmmmmm... this one is thinking about a trade, yes? He knows of you, Pony Chip, and knows of your mother, Pony Pie, who knows rocks, yes... do you know rocks?"

A beat. "I... know something about minerals, yes."

"Skipper! Dis IZ-"

"Quiet, Bonzo - dogs say that this one is in charge still, as vote was taken. You are still under this one's command."

A quiet growl... but no more protest. At least, not yet.

"I don't think I very much like this 'Bonzo'," Onyx muttered.

"Admittedly, it's been quite a while since I've heard Mica even half that angry," Obsidian added. "But unfortunately, Bonzo is in the best position to hold negotiations. He holds all the aces, while we have nary a one. It's understandable that he would want to get as much as possible from this situation." At worst, she might have to deal with them later.

"A question, Pony Chip - when you two came to the tunnel, did you KNOW diamond dogs would be there?"

"Yah," Bonzo spoke up, "waz it cuz yu KNEW we waz dere arreddy? Cuz if so, dat meanz yu was comin tu save UZ... if not, den yu was comin tu save PONEEZ, an juzt PONEES."

Onyx smirked, "Oh, this will be a very efficient lie, I'm sure - your friend can win this argument right now, if he's smart."

Peridot just looked at Obsidian with a questioning look. "IS he clever enough to know what to say here?"

"Mica is far more intelligent than I am... er, not that it's a difficult thing," Obsidian admitted sheepishly, "and we didn't come here to save ponies, but to save slaves. We were well aware that they were of mixed races. Besides, we noticed the diamond dog guards before we decided to go in - he doesn't need to lie at all."

There was a sigh... then:

"When we came this way, we were following a line of carts - led by ponies, yes-"

"HAH! See, Skipper! DEY-"

"SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE!"

"Yes, Bonzo... shut the gaping hole, so Pony Chip can finish."

"But-"

"THIS ONE CALLS FOR SILENCE, PUP!" It sounded like the elder diamond dog had his own Royal Canterlot Voice! There was a whack, then a whimper... then another sigh.

"Continue, please."

"... but when we saw that diamond dogs were also here, we both agreed to save everyone - not just ponies. Besides, we had recently heard that Gypsy Rover's family had gone missing, from a pup that Obsidian rescued... Biscuit, to be exact."

There was silence for a moment.

"We intended to save everyone, yes... but I won't lie to tell you we knew you were here."

"Hmmmmmmmm..."

Blurry shapes moved around on the screen.

"This one appreciates your honesty, Pony Chip. It makes the difference here, yes; you chose it over pleasing Bonzo, which is admirable. And Bonzo, you owe this mare a debt of gratitude for saving little Biscuit."

A muttered growl in return.

"Then we make a deal, yes? Pony Chip, you help diamond dogs find good ore, yes? Promise to this one - and he will give the potion to Obsidian."

"I promise on my mother's good name, Mister Skipper!"

"Please - no 'misters' here; only dog and pony show, yes? Help dogs find good ore for... eh, THREE summers... is fair?"

"Onlee THREE!?"

"Bonzo... shush."

"Three summers is nothing compared to what Obsidian means to us, my friends and I. I give you my solemn oath that I will do so."

"And because Pony Chip did not lie, this one shall accept your promise."

"But-"

"BONZO, HEEL!" Another whimper.

"Thank you, oh thank you!"

"Of course - besides, this one would not be a good Greatfather to Gypsy Rover if he said no."

Onyx looked at Obsidian. "Greatfather? What is that?"

"The father of a parent, I believe?" Obsidian replied. Did Mica just sell himself to slavery, in a manner of speaking? Obsidian could feel her stomach clenching a bit just at the thought of it. The fact that he was doing this in the first place was making her feel exceedingly guilty - not to mention MORE than a little angry.

"...well, we do tend towards a disturbing lack of granparents, ourselves... unless we can track Radiant Hope's parentage."

This was not going unaddressed... three summers? THREE!?

While seated on the couch in her mind, she suddenly felt something cool and wet sliding down her throat, though it wasn't blocking her airway.

The television screen in front of them brightened a bit, but still not much for definition. However...

"Amazing... simply amazing..."

"Yes, Pony Chip - Howler's Heart is the elixir he made to save diamond dogs from the Four Plagues; in the end, his own life was given so that diamond dogs would survive them. This was many, many summers back - and this bottle is the only one left. This is why there were only drops for her - we must preserve it as much as we..."

Skipper paused, then simply said. "Oh."

"Oh? What oh? What do you mean, oh?"

"Very interesting - the glow in the belly, you see it, yes?"

"Y-yes... isn't that where the potion is?"

"Yes... but Howler's Heart only glows when it heals life. Obsidian was glowing, yes?"

Suspiciously, "Yyyyyeeeeessss..?"

"Then, so do those healed... without and within."

"Wait... hold on... do you mean-"

"Yes, Pony Chip - both she and her foal will be well."

Both Onyx and Peridot's jaws dropped open, and they turned to look directly at their sister.

...

Obsidian blinked, completely dumbfounded. What a strange thing to say... they said it as if she was-

...

She turned her head to look at Peridot, her eyes wide open in shock. She wasn't angry, furious or worried... simply stunned.

Mica's voice sputtered. "... I... I don't... uh..."

"Is your pup?"

"NO! Nooooo no no no! Not mine, but... well, I know whose it probably is... and I'll bet he's gonna be overjoyed to hear it. But, uh..."

"Yes?"

"... I'm not sure how safe it would be to TELL her, with what we're dealing with. The LAST thing that needs to happen is Amber discovering this. She'd probably try to either take it, or..."

There was an audible gulp. "No... no, Amber must NEVER know. But... that just seems wrong..."

"So... no telling ponee she haz pup?"

A pause. "I... don't know if she could keep it to herself; news like this? It would be written all over her muzzle, even if she said NOTHING about it. She's... not very good at hiding her emotions, at times..."

Onyx barked a laugh. "Ah, yes - he's got you there, you know. That, and your talk about 'rubbing stuff' gave you away before."

"A shard, with child?" Peridot still seemed lost on that subject.

"I... I don't know... she should know, but... I want to protect her, too... what do I do, Mist-... er, Skipper?"

"Your heart will tell you... or, the mare shall already know. Either way, be her friend."

"Always, sir. Thank you so much..."

That's when the screen began to clear, focus and seemingly move closer to her, as well... the screen getting nearer and nearer to her face...

Until she was there, blinking up at Skipper, Bonzo and Mica Chip - who looked relieved as he realized she was AWAKE.

"Siddy! Oh, by Twilight's Crown, thank goodness you're okay! Thank goodness - and diamond dogs!"

"Greetings, Obsidian," Skipper smiled, "How are the feelings of your body?"

Well, now they had proof that Shards were fertile... or that at least she was. After all, her body was the closest thing to Radiant Hope that they had. They'd need to have a few more experiments with the rest of the group to be sure - both stallions and mares - to make sure they-...

...what in Tartarus was she thinking about?!

"How long is a typical equine pregnancy?" she asked plainly.

Mica's jaw dropped open, Skipper smiled kindly... and Bonzo just started laughing.

"Yu know - ponee maybee WURTH saving, if she so smart!" he guffawed.

"This one sees that it is a very recent pregnancy - it will be an entire summer before your foal is born; you have plenty of time to prepare, Obsidian."

Mica looked a bit ashamed, but still immensely pleased to see her up and about in... in...

Where the Tartarus WAS she?

She seemed to be inside a room that was surrounded by rock and dirt, but with strips of cloth and colorful decorations everywhere. It was a wide room, but not a tall one, and the decor looked suited best to a diamond dogs' physique. There were trinkets and such all over the walls and hanging from the ceiling, and a dirt floor that looked well-travelled.

"Poison is gone from you; you shall be well," Skipper said as he stepped back from her.

"I promise you that I'm not that smart; I simply regained consciousness close to the end of your conversation over me," she muttered as she got up. Okay, whatever that potion was, it was incredible - she hadn't felt this good since the last time she was under Diamond's care.

"So, this is your home, then?" she said as Obsidian glanced around her. She'd never truly considered what a diamond dog's home would look like; rather interesting, to say the least.

Skipper smiled at her. "Welcome to Howler's Hollow, Obsidian; we brought you here after we escape from the tunnels. Bonzo burying the bad book kept the gasses at bay, while pony and dog dig together to get out. Afterward, bring here because there was a cure..."

Bonzo glowered a bit at that but said nothing.

"... and we administered it. Now, you and foal are well, yes... and dogs are safe. Ponies, too - they have gone to the Ponyville, as suggested by the Pony Chip."

"Y-yeah... I sent them with Blue Raspberry; they should make it easily in the airship." Mica offered.

"Obsideeun..." Bonzo stepped forward to meet her - and he was still quite tall. "I haz tu thanx yu for Biscuit's rezque - she meenz the world tu me. She iz all I haz of hur mama, now... an I am... grateful... for yu help for hur."

"Yes, yes," Skipper said, "but now, you are headed to the Ponyville again, this one expects?"

If Blue took the airship, she should be safe, then. She'd given thanks, asked questions... probably better not to mention that Amethyst kicked Biscuit from the bushes... er, in fact? Obsidian herself didn't really do much of anything to 'rescue' her... except for giving her a pony ride, perhaps.

"Yes, I'd like to head there... but first, let's discuss some more important things, such as are you and yours going to be safe here, and how many diamond dogs are still missing?"

Skipper sighed at that. "A few... but most of our home is back now; we will send searchers to gather the rest, if we can find them. And with glyph symbol cloths, we can stay safe fom AmberBitch, yes."

He held up a single claw. "We has the shamans, and they would be very interested to learn the glyph magics - symbol alone does nothing; needs must have right spell to go with them."

Mica looked at her. "This place is a short walk from Ponyville; if the Friendship Train was still running, we could take it there, but... well, Amber has everything shut down."

"But," Skipper continued, "yes, we are safe here; we shall NOT fall for AmberBitch again so easily."

"How long was I unconscious, then?" Only a short walk, perhaps... but they were coming from the Everfree Forest, and she had no idea how long she had already been here. Would it be nightfall by now?

But she made a mental note to get the Glyph-Ward Spell to the Diamond Dogs here, as soon as she was able to relay the message.

Skipper nodded. "Eh... an entire cycle, or... one day, yes?"

Mica confirmed. "A whole day, yes - and I'm pretty sure our respective sweethearts are probably worried sick by now. We should stock up and get moving; it's after noon, but the sun is still up right now. We could probably make it back before dark, if we leave soon."

"I come wif yu," Bonzo said, "cuz I wanna see my daughter... an my Chozin Son."

"Wait... does that make you Gyspy's father, then?" Mica asked.

The diamond dog nodded. "Yis - but I iz Chozin Father, an he iz Chozin Son; I think he NOH BELONG wif poneez... bud I nod stop him from go tu Ponee Skool. Him urn dat."

Obsidian didn't remember how much the others knew about Gypsy's family situation - she remembered that he had family, and that they weren't too happy with him going to Ponyville, but that was pretty much all she knew.

"He's saved the entire world... at least twice," she added. "And he's the best friend we could ask for."

Now, there was only one thing left to discuss.

"Now, if I may... what exactly were your terms for these 'three summers' you had mentioned, regarding Mica?" she asked as calmly as possible.

Mica blinked. "It..." His muzzle then went back to his neutral look. "... it's my business, Obsidian - I agreed to it, and I stick by my word."

"Now, Pony Chip - concern is written on Obsidian's face; friendship and such, yes?" Skipper made his way over to a chair (where she noticed he walked with a pronounced limp) and took a seat.

"With what has happened, dogs now have fewer places to find ores, yes? Taken by AmberBitch, for making metal monsters, yes? So where is ore left for us now?"

He looked at Mica. "Dogs good at finding ore, but not so much ore to find, yes? So, take on help from knowledgeable Pony Chip, of Maud Pie family. Maud Pie WELL known for knowledge of rocks and ore; Mica Chip shall help dogs find more ore, so they can survive and thrive until mess is sorted out. It is NOT the slavery, Obsidian - it is more the 'extra job', so to speak. Pony Chip will be paid for work with foods and drinks, occasionally money. But work with us for three summers - by that time, many others will be fine."

"Summer as in 'season', or Summer as in 'year'?" Obsidian asked, a bit growly. The insistence that it wouldn't exactly be slavery didn't ease her mind much. He was a student at the Friendship School, he was a free pony, and she didn't care if it was 'his' business or not.

Skipper grinned. "Assist on days off from the Friendship School... calling them 'weekends'?... when needed. We will not make him come every day, no - we need help, not do all for us."

He then held up a bottle that was a third of the way filled with a lightly glowing blue liquid. "Howler's Heart is worth help; not a question, but a fact. This is all we have left, so-"

"So yu shuld be GREYTFULL, ponee!" Bonzo stepped forward.

Mica also stepped forth. "Plus, Obsidian? It was MY decision; as far as I'm concerned, if they ask me to do things, I'll do them - having you alive is worth that much to me."

"Pluz, nod YUR deel," Bonzo added with a firm grump.

"Oh, don't get me wrong - I'm very grateful. Doubly so, even," she said as she put a forehoof on her chest.

To think that something like this could happen to her... and in the middle of what was for all intents and purposes, a war... oh, there was so much she didn't know.

"...but, Mica, my dear friend? Rest assured that if you need anything during your time working for them, just tell me; I'll do whatever I can to ease that burden you've taken upon yourself in my stead."

She paused for a moment, then grinned. "I mean, in our stead."

Well, at least she'd quickly accepted the facts of the matter.

"Besides," she smirked. "it's in my best interests to help you with this; I imagine that Clap won't be too happy to hear that you're working every Summer weekend."

Mica nodded. "I... can accept help, should I need it. Thank you, Siddy."

Skipper smiled, then turned and looked to Bonzo. "Now, you behave yourself, Bonzo - no getting ponies angry or scared of you, understand?"

Bonzo gave a quick nod. "Yis, papa. I be gud for poneez, shoor."

He nodded again. "Good boi. Now, when you go, Bonzo can lead you out easily, then you stick to the roads - timberwolves are not friendly here, no. Follow back to your home, and take Bonzo to Biscuit."

"Yis... yis, pleeze," Bonzo whined softly.

Obsidian rubbed her chin - might as well move on; there were other things to worry about now. "Very well - let's go, then. I thank you once again for your help, Elder Skipper. If your Diamond Dogs need anything, I'll do my best to assist you, too. Er... without need for a binding agreement, though."

Skipper smiled, and his tail behind him gave a weak but happy wag. "This one believes you will. Have care, and may your roof stay high."

Leaving the elder's home, Obsidian now saw that they were inside some sort of underground village - and it was amazing.

Everywhere she looked, there were other dwellings like Skipper's; all built from carved out stone and dirt, shored up with lumber and steel, and all of them decorated separately and distinctly, yet all seeming to fit together, despite the variety.
There were also thick, braided cords that stretched from one end to the other, across the high ceilings and connecting the upper floors of multiple structures. And almost everything in here was bedecked with gemstones of some sort or another - they were all over the place, and even set into poles at each home where the gem on top glowed bright enough to easily see by.

To all of those who thought diamond dogs were just squatters and scavengers... this town proved that they were, indeed, a full blown society of their own.

Mica didn't say much, but Bonzo seemed to be quite chatty.

"Diz iz Howler's Hollow - bilt ovur two-hunnit summers ago, an we juz kepp addin tu id, tu make id bedder an bedder... until id iz tooday, th BESS dog-home dere iz, pawz down! We gotz wadur, an we gotz gardinz, an we gotz even sum lectricitty, tu - but nod in all homez yed; we still wurx on dat. But we iz cloze, tho!"

The underground city was truly remarkable - an in working order, as well. Quite modern, as far as she was concerned, with many interesting examples of the canines' local culture in evidence. She couldn't help but feel a bit mesmerized by the sight.

"You know, Diamond Dogs and ponies working together could make some truly wonderful things," she mused. "Undergrounds cities would work well as a means to stop overpopulation, or perhaps to keep some industries in a safer place. Possibly even underground trains, which could mean more access to the Equestrian market and better resources.
Tell me, how are your relations with Equestria? Are you considered an independent commune?"

Bonzo looked at her for a moment, then seemed to think hard... then slowly nodded.

"Yyyyyyyyyis... iz independund. Mostly cuz poneez noh bin guud tu uz, evur sinze 'The Day Uv Manee Winez', where BAD dogs dun BAD thingz, an mayde a ponee MAD enuff to wine an drive dem crazee. Sinz den, poneez noh truss dogz, and viza-verza... dey leeve uz lone, we leeve dem lone."

He then gave a slight frown. "DAT why I sez tu Gypsy, 'noh go tu Ponee Skool, cuz poneez iz trubble'. An yu know what he tol me?"

Mica shook his head. Bonzo gave a chuff of a chuckle, then looked at Obsidian.

"He sez, 'fremship iz majik, an iz a majik dat dogs desurrv to hav, cuz fremship shood be for evreewun'. Me, I still don geddit, bud... HE gedzit, so I sez 'okay den go'."

He then smiled a bit. "An he shoze me papur whut sez he gotz a PURFEKT SKOR, so I iz happee for him. An he sez iz a guud place, an I sez I iz glad, an he sez he can't wait tu share fremship wid diamond dogs."

He kept walking along. "I juz howp dat iz so."

It was beginning to make sense; some past incident that led to a separation of Diamond Dogs from Pony society at large. And their self-sufficiency, though admirable, meant there was even less reason for them to even want to make contact with the rest of the world.

"I hope that, at least from now on, the Diamond Dogs might be willing to see Ponies in a different light - the world is losing quite a lot of innovation from this lack of trust."

Bonzo looked at her for a moment, then just made a 'hunh' sound and kept walking with them. It took about twenty more minutes of walking before she finally saw the light of outside at the cave's entrance... and it was near sunset.

"Uhm... I might have miscalculated a bit," Mica admitted, "but I think we could still make it to Ponyville before night truly falls."

Bonzo looked at him with a smirk. "Heh... yu think dat, ponee, yu think dat."

And, sure enough, they were only walking for about ten more minutes before the sun finally sank over the horizon in the distance.

"Oh, yah - we gonna make it guud tu Ponytown, for dark comez," the diamond dog smirked at Mica, who seemed to be getting a bit irked at Bonzo's antics.

"We'll have to make sure the train system is up and running," Obsidian noticed, not really fazed by the darkness, "because this walk certainly wouldn't encourage much travel without it."

There were timberwolves here, right? Well... timber burns. Besides, she had a lot to think about...

She was apparently pregnant; though she didn't see the results of the telltale glow with her own eyes, she had no reason to mistrust Skipper, nor to doubt that the dog would know the legends better than she would have.

"You know, Mica... I think I need to tell our entire group about... er, that. Nopony else, not even miss Pie, nor my siblings. At least until we've torn Amber's head from her neck."

A beat. "Ah, her real head - not Flurry's, to be precise."

The words 'pregnancy' and it's derivatives weren't exactly easy to speak aloud for her just yet.

Then it hit her. "Wait a minute, Mica Chip - what did you mean by stating that you probably knows whose it is?"

Mica looked at her and blinked. "Well, to be fair, we have been dealing with someone who can control minds; there was always that infantismal chance that she'd done something vile and nasty to you, and none of us knew about it - but my bet is on Cupcake Sprinkles being the soon-to-be-proud papa."

Obsidian's muzzle turned from irritation into a mask of sheer horror. She felt sick at the concept of what Amber might have been capable of; they NEEDED to free Flurry Heart before she was traumatized beyond the breaking point.

Bonzo looked confused. "Wait - diz stallyun iz the PIE colt? Dat wun hoo talked Gypsy intu trying Pony Skool? Bloo an haz a cake cannun? DAT Cupcake Sprinklez?"

Mica nodded, and Bonzo turned to look at her with a droop of his ears. "I'z feel SO sorree for yu rite now, Siddyun. SO sorree."

"And exactly what is wrong with Cupcake being the father, Mr. Bonzo?" Obsidian asked, "He happens to be the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Bonzo shook his head sadly. "Dere iz a thing what happen when dogs eet the CrazeeRoot whut growz in sum placez; dey ged all sorda weerd an goofee, lyke dey iz gon dumm or somefinz - dey noh guud for work OR play; dey juz gotta cloudee hed."

He then sighed. "Cupcakez iz godda cloudee hed ALL da time; he awways weerd an sillee and he talkee tu much... lyke HE eeted the CrazeeRoot, himsef."

"He's friendly, responsible, hard-working and serious when the need calls - I swear to you, he's not silly all the time," Obsidian pouted as she got defensive.

Bonzo still just shook his head. "If papa iz weerd, pup will be weerd; if yu iz powurful, and he iz weerd... den pup gonna be a LODDA work an worree."

"Which Obsidian and Cupcake will handle just fine," Mica spoke up, with a nod to Siddy on the side. "Speaking of which, Gypsy keeps saying that he's an orphan - care to explain that?"

Nice subject change, Mica.

The big diamond dog sighed and nodded. "Yup - hiz mama and papa diddun hav time or room for him, az dey waz travelz for finding dog cavez - iz a hard job, an no rest evur, cuz diamong dogs awways need placez to live. Dey diddun wan dat for Gypsy, an dey truss me... so, dey asked if I culd be a Chozin Father. And I sez yis. Soh, he my Chozin Son, now."

He gave a slight grin. "Dat waz wen Sugar Sand wuz still alive; she luv him soh mush, but she awways luv, so iz noh supprize dere. Bud I luv tu, cuz he wuz kyoot pup. Awways drawingz - on wallz, on floorz, evun on ceelingz sumtimez!"

He sighed, and his ears drooped again. "Den... Sugar gotz pregnunt, but alzo god sick, an Howler's Heart no culd fix; Skipper tried, bud onlee sav liddle wun. Gypsy was reel qwiet for long timez... an me tu, cuz I miz her hard."

Then his smile broke through. "Bud den, he hep rayz Biscuit, an dey was gud palz, yis. Wen Cupcakez talk aboud Ponee Skool, Biscuit sez Gypsy shuld goh - an he agreed. I sez id waz stoopid, but I noh stop him. Den, me an Biscuit became gud palz, tu."

Even though Bonzo was a bit rough around the edges, it was obvious he was a good parent - at least, by diamond dog standards.

Well, better than King Sombra, that's for sure.

"So his biological parents are still around? Alive?" Obsidian asked, hopeful.

Bonzo shrugged. "Dunno - we not seed dem sinze dey leev Gypsy wid me; dey mebbe in Griffunlanz, mebbe in Dragunlanz, mebbe in somewherez elze... mebbe ded, tu. Jus dunno. Sumtimez, thingz happun an no dog evur knowz - juz bezt not tu think bouddit."

Mica now shook his head. "That seems so... defeated. Like you just gave up on-"

"HEY," Bonzo bristled, "NOH givvup... juz don THINK boudddit! Or... uh..."

He gave a grim, weary sigh. "Try nod tu think bouddit. Can't hep sometimez... bud TRY nod tu."

Obsidian sighed. "Well Mica, all things considering, they simply don't have a way to know. But there's always a chance of discovering the truth, sooner or later."

Just like she did with... well, pretty much everything since she woke up in this time period.

"So, Mica - did you ever find that seed in my bags?"

Mica shook his head. "No, Obsidian - I didn't find any seeds in your bags. Just your stuff; I even pulled everything out to search while you were asleep, but there was no seed to be found."

He sighed and looked at her. "You said Whistlewhite gave it to you in your dreams - are you sure it was real, or did it never come out of your dreamscape?"

Now that she thought about it...

"I'll look for it myself, later. I'm pretty sure it was in my dream, and I have a distinct feeling that it was very real. However, I was turned into a shard at the time, so I had a few other priorities... for instance, like figuring out how to communicate with my siblings who were not shards."

The fact that something had appeared to her in a magically-induced dream didn't mean it wasn't real.

Mica nodded to her as they continued on... but still held a slightly worried look on his muzzle.

Author's Note:

Onyx, Daughter of Sombra

~~I=O=I~~

Been a while, but I'm not down for the count just yet.

As I've been focusing on a completely different and separate story from this one lately, my focus hasn't been the best. But, over time I HAVE been working on it - even if some days, all I do is edit a single sentence.

However, baby steps forward are STILL steps forward.

The revelations in this chapter are certainly something to see... and we now know the reason Siddy's been dreaming of a cute little filly. Now, all she has to do to give her a good future is defeat Amber and save the world.

Easy-peasy-Lemon-squeezy, right?

Oh, and Happy 46th Birthday to me; instead of getting a present, I give this chapter to y'all; n-joi.

}:)

Comments

[Silverblood1776]

Love it keep up the good work and Happy Birthday :)

[Truthseeker]

Happy Birthday man! Great to see you continue this GROTESQUELY underrated story.

[Reclusive]

rip Onyx