Obsidian: Legacy Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Twelve: Love Is Love

Out in the square, her friends had joined the musicians, and the tempo had gotten much more lively.

Mica was actually dancing with Thunderclap, and despite her HUGE blush, she was smiling from ear to ear, her form looming over her coltfriend, but his steps not faltering, nor his loving gaze at her deterred.

Gypsy Rover was seated in the circle, with Biscuit on his knee and Bonzo sitting beside him, the three of them all sharing a laugh together about something that only they would know.

Stalwart Stance was standing at the sidelnes... but she had a smile on her muzzle as she seemed to just lose herself in the music of the moment; for once, not being weighed down with responsibility - just enjoying life.

And in the center, among the musicians themselves, was her Cupcake. He had an accordion in his hooves - who knows where it came from - and was merrily accompanying the other three musicians as they all enjoyed the melody.

It was a moment, to be sure - even in the midst of all that Amber had done to them... here they were, enjoying the simple act of living.

"They seem at peace, don't they?" Tourmaline's voice spoke up from behind her as she was watching her friends. "Even with all that's happening... they're just happy to be happy. There's a lot to be said in that, you know."

"Well, laughter is one of the elements of Harmony for a reason... it runs in the blood of the Equestrian nation, methinks," Obsidian replied. "And let's be honest, letting Amber spoil our happiness would be a victory to her, and a defeat for us. Have I missed anything among our siblings, dear brother?"

Tourmy grinned softly. "Well... Quartz has been working like a slave on his last chance, but he's been actually enjoying it - not like under Amber's hoof. He's got a number of fans who love watching him do his thing... and apparently, there's a mare who has his eye, and she's been acting as a clothes horse for him. Might be love, actually."

"Speaking of working, Opal and the mare with the bowler hat - Patty, was it? - have also been going hard at inventing and building some fantastic machines, some of them placed around Ponyville for protection purposes. They say - well, OPAL says - that if anything nasty comes to Ponyville now, it'll have to get through what she calls a 'plasma shield', whatever that is, and that the entire town will fall under its' protection. She also seems like she's a bit, er... 'taken' with Patty, as I've caught her staring at the mare like she was an advanced technical display."

"Aqua and Amethyst have been busy teaching fighting techniques to many of the stallions and mares who are able-bodied - he does the talking, while she does the demonstrations. Amy says it was Aqua's idea, as it would keep him from going berserk, but still bring his valuable wisdom into play. And Amy still puts on that purple getup & stalks Ponyville at night for a few hours... though I get the feeling it's more to boost morale than anything, as she's letting others catch glimpses of her in that outfit more frequently than before."

"Mundy, meanwhile, has become THE number one foalsitter in all of Ponyville; he gladly watches them romp and play, he heals scrapes and other various 'boo-boos', and he even feeds and rocks the foals to sleep. The mares ALL love the little guy, and he's quite the hit - especially with single mothers - but he STILL has eyes for no one but 'Stalwaat'." He chuckled.

"Adorable - that's our little brother, alright," Obsidian chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that you all managed to fit in here in Ponyville without any trouble. And I'd be rather interested to learn more about this mare who has caught Quartz's attention... though I'd be careful with calling it love so soon." After their initial meeting (which had been a total bust), she'd started to like Cup rather quickly. To be fair, though - she'd been under a lot of stress at the time.

"You know, now that I think about it... I wonder where Eloquence is? There are so many friends here that I simply have no time to check on them all," she said as she scratched her chin in ponderance. "I do hope he's somewhere around here; he would be invaluable to Quartz."

"The fashionisto, as he's referred to? I'm sure he could be of great help, too - his muzzle could certainly scare off the enemy, I'd wager." Tourmaline chuckled.

Come to think of it, he hadn't mentioned himself during the update - how was Tourmaline keeping busy?

"So... how about you, sister? What kept you away for a whole day, and why does your entire group seem so very chipper, as of a few minutes ago?" He grinned at her slyly and elbowed her gently. "Did you and Cupcake get married on the sly, or are you pregnant with his foal?"

By Darkness... he was joking with her, but... but...

Well, he was made from their Father's wisdom, after all.

"Talk to me - what have YOU been up to, sneaky sister of mine?"

"Well, during an attempt to save a number of Amber's mindslaves, I foolishly walked directly into her trap; she poisoned a book with magic and left it in the middle of the Harmony Tree's cavern... and I, of course, simply had to pick it up, because I tend to put FAR too much trust into books. Then, I spent the rest of that time trying not to die. Luckily, the diamond dogs we liberated saved me while Peridot and Onyx entertained me in Paradise."

Not a single lie here.

"And you know, I was just going to tell you about the marriage, dear brother - you spoiled the surprise," she said while shaking her head. "The celebrations will have to wait until we're done with this mess, of course."

Tourmaline blinked... than gave a low and reserved chuckle.

"Frankly, I'm actually more surprised that I guessed it, rather than at you having done so. With things the way they are, I'm pretty sure something like a wedding - especially yours - would be too much for Amber to resist messing with; she might have used explosives for that one."

He nodded. "So I get it - and don't worry; I'll keep quiet about it. You don't need Cupcake becoming a further target of Amber's than he already is, so I'll just hold onto that knowledge until you tell me it's safe to speak of."

He then gave a light sigh. "I did get to see Gunther for a bit... but then he was sent back to Griffonstone to deliver a very important letter," he gave Obsidian a mock-glare, then sighed, "Still... maybe someday, when we can afford to, he and I will marry as well. I'd certainly like that."

Well, the idea of marriage that wasn't directly political or outright economical was alien for Obsidian towards the beginning of her new life. Then, she'd learned that it wasn't exactly legal to arrange marriages for family members anymore - not in a royal sense, anyhow. Then, she'd actually heard about the importance of marriage before foals.

Might have gotten a little ahead of herself, there...

In this crazy, mixed-up world of the future, she wasn't sure what should surprise her or not, to be fair.

"Thank you, my dear brother - I hope we can defeat Amber, so we shall be able to fully realize our plans - all of us - as quickly as possible."

Tourmy's look went grim at mention of their rogue sister. "Yes... Amber. Honestly, Siddy - even with how I knew her before, I had no idea that she was THIS bad... well, I mean, the potential was there; I never thought she'd ever have the chance to capitalize on it, is all."

He sighed and shook his head, then looked back at her. "To let you know, Opal says she's got everything she needs and is ready to set up her equipment at the Umbral Altars - as long as we can get her to them. She's shown me some the plans she has in store... but it's all over my head, honestly. So I mostly just nod and smile as she talks."

He shrugged. "And I suppose, when the time comes, we'll all be headed to the Crystal Empire to do this thing; I'm a bit nervous about the idea, but we have got to stop Amber - and soon, too."

Obsidian tapped her hoof as she digested the situation. The Umbral Altars... what a grim place for a rebirth.

How could they be ABSOLUTELY certain that Ruby wouldn't get corrupted by its' horrific and insidious force? Or that The Umbra wouldn't try to use this opportunity to get them ALL in one fell swoop? As far as she had experienced, every time those damnable Umbral Altars were concerned in any way, shape or form, disaster was bound to happen. The mere thought sickened her.

"R-right. I've heard that some of the infiltrators were talking about where Amber currently is and what she's planning," she realized. "Did you hear about the tower she's apparently building?"

Tourmaline nodded. "You mean... built?" he sighed. "The tower is complete, Siddy - it has been since last night, according to the spies we liberated..."

He then gave a small smirk. "By the by... did you like my trap idea? The whole party thing was a lure, and Amber took the bait multiple times. I thought it was rather inspired, myself." He then shook himself out of his prideful moment. "Still - we need to move fast and we need to move soon, or else she may become more powerful than we can imagine."

"Yes, I found out about it... and your trap almost gave me a heart attack; my friends were behaving so strangely that I nearly decided to attack first and ask questions later," Obsidian scoffed. "But yes - it worked quite well, it seems. What else did we learn?"

"Amber has her Umbral Harnesses amassing around that tower, and from last count we got..." he gave her a worried look, "... they number over two million, with the last few made before the factory was destroyed still trickling in.
Production has stopped on them, but it doesn't mean she's got nothing - there's still a group of ponies she has working day & night for her, endlessly toiling to build more of those spheres, as well as maintaining the harnesses already 'in play', so to speak."

"That and, well... I now personally know where the other Element Bearers are... and I haven't shared that knowledge yet, as it might send a number of individuals off on a suicide mission to try to rescue them."

He looked her right in the eyes, and spoke low and quiet. "Amber's using them to carry her throne - her STONE throne."

Two million? Siddy's side currently had two battleships, meaning each one would have to destroy a million on their own. They needed some very efficient weapons, perhaps with wide-area effects, definitely more ammunition...

DAMNATION, that was a lot of Umbrals.

Obsidian couldn't help but cringe at the fate of Equestria's former heroes.

"By Darkness, she really IS stupid - how can one waste so much opportunity and so many resources? My thought is, either she gets something useful out of all the constant torment she inflicts on others... or she is the most idiotic and heartless conqueror in the entire history of Equestria. Unfortunately for us, she's also likely the most powerful conqueror as well."

Five mares carrying an undoubtedly weighty granite throne... they'd have to be rescued quickly. In fact, she was half-amazed that they were apparently still alive.

"Well, my dear brother, fashioned from Father's wisdom... what do you think would be the best course of action here? We have Ruby to resurrect, Jade to worry about, Sapphire to find and a nation's worth of ponies to save. Oh, and a TON of Umbral Harnesses to destroy - your thoughts?"

He thought about it for a moment, then looked at her with all seriousness. "I say we do it tomorrow - as in, no more waiting. And I also say we go it alone."

He gestured around him. "These folks? They're ALL potential fodder for the machine; they won't stand a chance against the might of those mechanical monstrosities... but, between our siblings and your 'Siddy Six', we can do it ourselves, and counteract the loss of life. We'll gather every one of our trusted allies; you and your friends hit the army to keep them occupied, while we Shards take the airship and slip in behind them, get Opal and her stuff to the altars while the rest of us cover the entrance, and then send the airship to pick you up, then have you and your friends deal with Amber herself directly."

He nodded. "That way, we'll have Ruby back in time to celebrate your victory... or help us plan an escape."

"Sounds logical to me," Obsidian admitted after a moment of consideration. "We currently have two airships - Celestia's and the Pies - so we could use both. It might be a good idea to take Patty on our ship as well, to keep it repaired and upgraded with new weapons, if it becomes necessary."

She pondered a bit more. "I believe I'll need to speak with Opal, as well - I'm still entertaining the idea of her making autonomous machines that could actually carry the glyphs. Could be useful if we would get an opportunity to save anypony.... especially and particularly Flurry Heart."

He nodded. "I hope that poor alicorn isn't a lost cause... but we need to operate under the assumption that she'll get back to normal if Amber's defeated. How to do that," he looked at her with worry writ large in his eyes, "will be up to you and your friends; I have no clue as to how to defeat Amber as an alicorn... but you always seem to manage, so I have faith that you can win this, Siddy."

He then leaned over and gave her a warm hug. "Now... Opal's in the Corner's basement with Patty, Quartz is at our house, and Amy and Aqua are at the Town Hall - talk to whomever you need to, but we have GOT to get this thing going before Amber preempts us... and possibly kills many, MANY more before she can be stopped."

He looked at her and grinned. "Good luck, Obsidian."

"I'll likely need it," she replied without missing a beat. "And good luck to you as well. Oh, and one last thing... we haven't learned anything new about either Jade or Sapphire, have we?"

Tourmaline shrugged. "Jade's current situation, we know practically nothing about - but the spies also assure us that Amber's lost track of him too; nobody's seen him since he walked out of Ponyville. I figure with his nature, he's staying as far away from anyone as possible to keep from having anyone else die at his hooves. Frankly, as pissed off as Midnight Star seems to be, that's probably a good idea on his part."

"Sapphire..."

His expression turned sad. "Well, the last that was seen of her was a spy who said Amber had been making her work on different spells... but that Sapphire herself seems to have snuck off - and apparently took a bunch of magical items from Amber as well. Our wicked sister apparently said 'the stuff she stole no longer matters', and just seems to have completely forgotten her. I don't know if that's a good sign or not, but it does show that Sapphire is apparently no longer working with Amber. Which is nothing BUT good news, if you ask me."

Well, as long as they weren't mind-enslaved, it was good enough for Obsidian - for now, at least. Stupid Amber. She could have won easily, but instead she chose utter nihilism.

"Well, I'll get to gathering our siblings as soon as I get to spend a few minutes with my Cupcake... perhaps a dance? You must admit, we've earned it," she smirked.

Tourmaline grinned. "With all you two have done? You deserve the happiest ending the world could give you."

He gave her one last hug, then made his way towards town. Looking at him now, Tourmaline seemed nothing like he'd been when she first saw him on the outskirts of Ponyville, threatening her with death and doom. He was a changed stallion... and it was because of Obsidian.

... well, to be fair, Gunther too. A kinder, gentler Amethyst as well. Yes, her dear brother was no longer a crazed stooge; he had grown into a fine and wise brother.

However, before she could move to go get her Cupcake, she felt a gentle tug on her tail. "{Obsidyan? May I please have a moment of your precious time, dear sister?}"

Heh... speak of foalsitting, and look who shows up.

"{But of course, dear brother of mine - I was going to meet with you all anyway, so you've saved me a bit of time I'd have spent searching for you.}"

He smiled sweetly at her. "{Many are the thanks I have for you. Now, I have The Serious Request for you, Obsidyan - a thing that has been much long in coming, and can no longer await another time, according to my heart.}"

He gave a large sigh (large for his size, anyway), then looked her dead in the eye as he spoke.

"{Obsidyan? I require you to take me to Stalwaat, so that I may possibly ask her for The Date. She has bewitched my heart and soul, and I can no longer live with myself without at least asking her if she would ever have any interest in me. She is perfection, and I would be a fool for not taking the opportunity to tell her so.}"

He looked over at the miniature warrior now, as she stood smiling at the party's proceedings. "{Can you see how beautiful she is, right now? This would be the PERFECT moment to ask her for The Date, yes?}"

Well, he seemed to follow a similar reasoning as Obsidian; she'd just gotten married, so she would be the last pony to judge another's crushes. "{Keep in mind we're leaving on a mission to bring back Ruby soon... but I will gladly translate for you, my brother.}"

His smile threatened not only to devour his face... but have Siddy's heart for dessert. "{Oh, how I love you, my dearest sister - thank you!}"

The two of them made their way over to Stalwart, whose muzzle lit up as she saw Obsidian coming her way. "Lady Siddy! And..." she raised an eyebrow at her little little brother, "... a-and Diamond, I see. Might I assist you in some fashion?"

Diamond looked at Obsidian, then nodded as he stepped up to meet her - eye to eye, actually; a rarity for either of them.

"Stalwaat Stanze... {you are the most incredible, beautiful, intelligent and loyal mare I have ever seen in my entire life. Your honor is grand, your heart is enormous, and you have charmed my very soul with your exquisite existence. Might this stallion be made so very happy, as to ask of you to possibly accompany him on The Date?}"

Obsidian truthfully translated his words - albeit with a bit of a blush - and left none of his flowery prose unspoken.

When she finished, Siddy offered a sheepish smirk. "So, er... wh-what do you think, Stalwart? You do recall our little discussion about it on the train, yes?"

Wart blushed hotly, looking stunned at the request. Her eyes darted back and forth between them for a moment, until she finally closed them, took a breath, then re-opened them and locked her gaze on Diamond. And grinned.

"Diamond of the Greyheart... your words are flattering, and you have pursued me most doggedly. Such a dedication does not miss my attention, and I am quite taken with the idea that, perhaps, you and I would possibly make a... cute couple."

She then smiled widely. "Which means to say that, yes, I would be honored to accompany you upon one of these 'dates' I have heard so much about."

Diamond smiled broadly, and tears formed in his eyes. "... thaaaaankyoo, Stalwaat. Hye whanchew soh vurreh mush."

Wart blinked, then looked at Obsidian. "I... I think I understood that. A bit."

"Then you've got the advantage here, my friend," Obsidian chuckled, "I think I got the first two words... the rest are beyond me, I'm afraid."

DAMNABLE ACCENTS! But in some cases, she didn't really need to understand the words to understand their meaning. "I'd say it's quite a good sign - I'm certain you wouldn't want a tagalong translator for EVERY date."

Wart looked back at the smol Shard. "I have a feeling, Lady Siddy, that Diamond would STILL find a way to communicate, regardless."

Mundy then took her hoof in his, and gently reached down and placed a kiss on it.

And Stalwart Stance, hero of Equestria and fledgling member of the Royal Equestrian Guard... blushed prettily.

"Excellent," Obsidian grinned as she nodded her head in satisfaction. She had no idea what would've happened if Stalwart had said 'no' - or even worse, if she'd reacted outright negatively. Happily, it seemed that the best possible outcome had been realized here.

"{Now that you've gotten that bit of business out of the way, dear brother of mine... could we possibly talk a bit more privately? There's an rather important issue I need to inform you of...}"

Diamond's eyes were locked on Wart... and she was trying NOT to do the same back at him. And finding it difficult.

"Er... excuse me, Diamond?" Wart spoke up, "Um... y-your sister is speaking to you."

Mundy non-chalantly waved a hoof at Obsidian. "{It can wait, yes? Stalwaat is BLUSHING. For ME. Please, do not take me from this magical moment...}"

He looked so very drawn to the little mare; the two of them were just the right height to see eye to eye - and if kissing happened, they wouldn't have to climb or stoop to reach each other's lips.

Wart. Kissing someone. Eeyup - it HAD to be a sign of the end times if THAT was a possibility.

Obsidian chuckled, yet decided to wait patiently. After what had happened with Wart previously, having to wait on her and Cup in the shower... well, she sort of owed her.

"Iss nahd fhorr mee tyoo sahay... bhutt hye hamm... hablayz... fhorr hyew, Stalwaat..."

She blinked. "You... you say you are ablaze for me?"

He nodded vigorously... and Wart's lovely shade of pink went a darker hue of red. "OH... oh my... y-you sound like Lord Ferrangold in the 'Crinos' novels..."

Diamond's smile got wider. "{She reads the romance books? I read the romance books! Oh, Obsidyan - my heart flies on the winds of passion, and she likes the flowery words?}"

He seemed excited about the prospect; who knew, when Obsidian had jokingly told Stalwart she might enjoy those books that it would lead to such a conclusion?

Maybe those books were worth a read after all?

It was an unexpected turn of events, to say the least... and to think, she'd only suggested it because Stalwart had been treating it so ridiculously seriously that she simply couldn't stop herself from trying to pull a little prank on her. Wonders never cease - ironic wonders, even moreso.

"{You'll apparently need to read more Equestrian romances aloud to train your language skills,}" Siddy suggested.

He looked at her and nodded. "{Yes, yes - OH! Would you ask Stalwaat if I could read them TO her!?}"

He looked extremely excited by the idea... so much so that Wart was giving him strange, yet amused looks.

"I suggested he should read more romance novels - aloud, to broaden his vocabulary and train himself further in Equestrian. He... well, he wants to read them to you," Obsidian smirked.

Wart looked at her... then at him... then smiled sweetly at Diamond.

"I would love to share the Crinos series with you, sweet Diamond... and it would be an honor to assist you in learning to speak proper Equestrian. Especially with such, ah... vigorous prose being the focus of the stories."

Now Diamond was the one who was blushing.

"You have not only proven to be capable, but you are a healer - a profession I have MUCH respect for. You are also dedicated, determined and exceedingly loyal - such as I am certain Lady Obsidian herself would say of me."

She gave a small giggle. "And I believe teaching you to speak romantically would be a grand service to all of Equestria... but perhaps, more specifically, to me."

Well, now... perhaps Stalwart Stance would become a member of Obsidian's family after all?

Obsidian put hoof on her chest. Be still, beating heart... and she'd just gotten married herself!

It was beginning to become obvious that she might have to speak of her concerns later - these two were somewhat locked in each other's world at the moment; Mundy deserved this. As did Wart, honestly.

Besides - if Skipper had been correct, she had an entire YEAR to deal with what was coming. This, of course, based solely on the idea that she would survive the upcoming battle.

And well, if she didn't... the point was moot, wasn't it?

But if she did, there was the little issue that she had absolutely no idea about the ramifications of being pregnant. After all, it was her first time. Any strange physical sensations or reactions, any sort of disobedience of the body, and even the smallest injury - she would be continually afraid of possibly panicking for nothing, or a lackadaisical overlooking the MOST important thing...

But it seemed that, as usual, first things had to be first - and for Diamond, Stalwart was the firstest thing of them all.

Deciding to let love take the natural course she'd helped usher on, she smiled and went to search for her own sweetheart - Her Cupcake.

She found him at the edge of the musician's circle, just finishing up a lively polka - much to the elderly cello player's exhausted relief. He put his accordion away in that place Obsidian knew nothing about and looked up to see her - all smiles.

"Hiya, love," he said as he came over and kissed her cheek, "how you doing?"

"Me? Perfectly fine - I really have no other choice on a day like today, right?" She smiled at her coltfrie-
...er, fianc-
Husband.

... well, that was something she'd have to get used to, but she didn't even feel a single want to complain about it. "I've decided we deserve to spend a moment of our own, together. I can gather the war-party later... we should have some time to celebrate too."

Cupcake nuzzled her lovingly. "I think I like that idea; shall we just sit here and be sweet on each other? Or... do you wanna sneak home & sleep in our own bed tonight?"

Something told her he planned to do MORE than just 'sleep'... but then, it WAS their own bed, after all.

... okay, maybe it would take more than a few minutes. Why not? "Well, there's no better place for spending a moment together than our very own home, right?"

He grinned from ear to ear and took her hoof in his as they began to walk from the town square toward their little homestead. Ponyville had lanterns all over the place, which not only kept them safe, but had the added charm of being somewhat romantic as well.

Cupcake sighed. "Y'know... Life really IS beautiful, sometimes. How things can change, how others can change... and how, sometimes, it seems like everything in the entire, whole universe is connected somehow."

Whistlewhite's revelation of how Radiant Hope's research had eventually led to Spell Foals like Cupcake came to Siddy's mind; connections, indeed.

"I mean, a year ago, I never, ever, EEEEEVER thought I'd be together with a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful mare like you - I never had a clue. But, I'm kinda glad; Life always seems to have some of the BEST surprises!"

Obsidian chuckled. "A year ago, I... er, w-was a popsicle. I can barely fit everything that's happened to me so far into my own skull! Awakening, making friends, learning about history, fighting powerful enemies... meeting and getting to know you..."

Not to mention defeating Sombra, dealing with Peridot, Onyx's awful Nightmare Spell, the Umbrals, stupid, stupid Amber...

She sighed happily. "Just think of how statistically impossible our relationship is, Cuppy... and yet, here we are. Married."

He grinned. "Everyone always told my Momma that she did the impossible; I'm glad I found someone who can do that too. Even if you don't have a party cannon, or some weird storage thingy you can do, or even a set of insta-change outfits..."

He kissed her deeply enough for them to stop walking for a moment... and letting it end with a soft pop before they resumed, a goofy grin on both of their muzzles.

"... but you're YOU. YOU got Lemon's approval. YOU came back from death and being a crystal again. YOU defeated Onyx, Amethyst AND Tourmaline, then brought them ALL back to the 'good' side of the fence."

He sighed. "And you won the heart of the most clueless stallion in Ponyville. ALL that stuff... you're so special, there's not even the right words made yet to describe how special you are."

"Well, I know one very good word to describe how special I am - Obsidian." She smiled at him widely and rather teasingly, proud of herself for her clever wit. "And never forget that it's us, not me; without you - all of you - Equestria would be doomed already."

His eyes got a bit misty at that. "I think, in the grand cosmic scheme of things, we all needed each other. Clap needed someone to pal around with who wasn't secretly in love with her... Mica needed someone to shake him out of his routine... Gypsy needed someone to help him feel more important... and Wart needed someone to bring her out of her shell."

He chuckled lightly. "We ALL needed someone to touch our hearts... and that's what YOU did, my Dark Princess. You may have come from the Dark, but your presence in our lives has brought us so much Light..."

They reached their little house; except for the carefully boarded-up windows, it was still the same cottage - the same home - she remembered it to be.

"I think we all love you, in our own way... I was just the one lucky enough to get your heart."

"Well, some of my siblings tried to get to my heart too... especially Amy, with her dagger." Despite her ironic words, she nuzzled him a bit and enjoyed his presence. "I think Quartz might be working here, but it shouldn't be a problem. Let's just enjoy ourselves for a bit, without thinking about... well, anything."

Cupcake nodded and opened the door. "Ladies first," he said to her with a low bow.

Obsidian went first, rather teasingly brushing her tail against him as she went walking by. He shivered sweetly as she teased him while walking in to... uh...

Clothing.

Clothing everywhere.

Every possible flat surface was COVERED in folded piles of clothing. Shirts, skirts, blouses and belts, hats, scarves, stockings, vests, halter tops, sundresses, headbands, shawls, pants... every possible, conceivable article of clothing was present, in abundance.

"Whoa," Cupcake intoned, staring at all the piles of clothing, "I... guess Quarty's been a bit busy, hunh?"

With that, there was a rattling and jarring noise from the stairwell that led to the basement. Cupcake took a defensive stance next to Obsidian. The basement door suddenly flew open, and two ponies hit the ground, wrestling with each other vigorously...

Wait... waaaaaaiiiiiiit...

They weren't wrestling... they were... kissing?

Yes, they were - it was Quartz and... uhh, some mare?... and they were in a frenzied bout of smooching that seemed to have them both VERY hot and heavy with each other. Cupcake stared for a moment, then looked at his wife with a 'now what do we do' look.

By Darkness, she thought he'd be busy doing some little spiffy tailor-things with glyphs... not turning their entire house into a textiles warehouse!!

It seemed Quartz was quite busy. Obsidian didn't want to interrupt them - her brother was just old enough to seriously think about finding himself a wife and settling down, right? It was a bit quick, but perhaps he known her from his life before?

She pointed with her hoof to the stairs leading to their own room... what were Quartz and this strange mare doing in Tourmy's room?

Nope. Better not think about it.

Cupcake nodded and reached behind himself, pulling out two sets of bunny slippers. He put his own hooves in one set and offered the other to Obsidian.

However, at that moment, they both witnessed something they had NO CLUE how to describe...

From where they were on the floor, the mare suddenly flashed, and now Quartz was kissing a hippogriff mare with long, sensual wings that she wrapped around the stallion beneath her.

Cupcake blinked. Then looked at Obsidian. Then blinked again.

The two continued kissing, even bumping into a table and knocking a pile of shirts onto themselves. She heard Quartz laugh and shove the pile aside as there was another flash; when the clothing was cleared away, Quartz now had his forelegs around a female diamond dog!

Cupcake's mouth moved up and down, but not a sound came out.

The female grabbed Quartz and stared at him lustfully. "Oh, you're just such an animal, Q!"

He chuckled in reply. "Myself? I daresay you are the animal right now, my dearest!"

There was another flash... and now, straddling her brother was Queen Vexillarius, looking down at him with unabashed love in her eyes. "What can I say, hot stuff - you bring it out of me!"

She dipped down and the two of them continued kissing each other madly, rolling on the floor like a couple of warring children - but it seemed as if they would both win this war.

There were times Obsidian thought nothing else she would possibly see could surprise her... that fighting her power-mad sister who was possessing an alicorn body while carrying the ancient source of all ponykind in her head had made her... well, immune to the joys of novelty.

Well played, Reality. Well played.

Cupcake smiled brightly and motioned for Obsidian to follow him to the stairs to their room. It took her a moment to respond as she had to pull her attention from her musings, but she blinked and turned away, following her... Husband...

Wait... would this put Changelings in her Family Tree as well?

Climbing the stairs softly, they made it to their room without disturbing the two lovebirds, and Cup quietly closed (and locked) their bedroom door before making his way over to their bed and chuckling softly. "You know... come to think of it, I can't imagine anyone better for Quartz; she'd make the PERFECT dress model, wouldn't she?"

"You have a fair point," Obsidian acquiesced, though still in a touch of shock. Who would have thought it would happen; hadn't she been on the raid into his Manehattan tailor shop?

She walked slowly to their bed. "So... ahh, Cup? Maybe... how should I put this... would you believe, the very moment our marriage was officially proclaimed, I... h-heard a voice calling me... 'mom'?"

Cup looked at her seriously, then sat next to her on their bed and tilted his head. "Really? Was it another dream, maybe?"

She would normally ask how he knew about those... but frankly, after everything they'd been through together, Obsidian was starting to accept that he really was just his mother's son; she seemed to know a lot more than she let on, and so did he apparently.

And, by Darkness, she was getting used to it.

"I'd heard this voice earlier in a different dream - it was when I first learned that Onyx, Peridot and Ruby were gone from my mind." She'd told him that, a while ago - it felt like ages ago. "I was visited by that alicorn filly - Ruby Chocolate, remember? She called out to me, right after Midnight finished speaking... while I was fully awake."

He stared at her for a moment, then a slow smile spread across his features. "You mean... that cute little filly from your dreams was... is... I mean, will be..."

He gave a giggle, then put his forelegs around Obsidian and gave her a loving squeeze. "Like I said - Life is amazing."

He then blinked and looked at his wife with a mixture of wonder and apprehension. "Which means... you're gonna have an alicorn? I... I don't know what to say..."

Then, he smiled. "Except she's gonna be LOVED sooooooo much!"

Would she have an alicorn? It hardly made much sense to her... but then again, very few things in her life ever made any sense anymore. But there had to be some measure of normality, right?

"Well, I think I dreamed about her before she was... ah... conceived... so I don't think our foal could really be an alicorn," Obsidian tried to reassure Cup. And herself. Mostly herself.

"It was likely just, uhhh... aaaanother way for Harmony to play tricks on me, o-or perhaps our future daughter is so ambitious that she's already pictured herself as an alicorn... then again, it IS also entirely possible that perhaps I've just gone insane."

Regardless of the imminent situation, she gave a slight smile. "But you know what? Ruby Chocolate does sound good to me; it would certainly fit both branches of our family. Doesn't it sound like a dessert to you?"

Cupcake blushed. "Well, I don't know, really... but I can make it so, I'll bet!"

He snuggled warmly against her barrel as he settled into bed with her, putting his snout directly into her mane and taking a long, loving sniff before speaking again. "I'll bet I could make it a dessert with chocolate cake and raspberries... with a bit of chocolate cream in the center layer, maybe a dark chocolate and cherry icing? Oh, or what about raspberries AND strawberries together? Hmmmmmmm..."

He began to caress her lovingly with his hooves. "This may take some time to figure out properly."

Now his hooves were straying from the nice caress to a naughty caress. "Or maybe I could use some ruby grapefruit with the cake batter - with the proper amount of sugar, of course - and make it a bit more of a citrus-y treat?"

"Seems to me something like that may already exist... but that shall be a question for later," she smiled at him, her own hooves wandering over his sides and withers.

"After all, we are not in any sort of rush... right, my dear husband?" Obsidian purred.

"Absolutely, my delectable wife," he smiled broadly, his hooves now wandering into very naughty territory. "All the time in the world, right this moment..."

And slowly, his head sank beneath the covers and went low, low, and LOW...

Then, he began to do that thing that made Obsidian warble like a songbird and roll her eyes to the back of her head.

Author's Note:

Quartz, Son of Sombra

[]==@==[]

I've always believed that love can change so many things - for better AND for worse - which makes it one of the most powerful forces in all of existence. In the instance of my own tales here, love heals and supports, and I tend to represent it in a far kinder light than some do. Which is fine: everyone has their own spin on the same record, you dig?

I hope folks enjoyed discovering Quartz's new assistant... and yeah, I think Cuppy's right - The Perfect Clotheshorse.

Admittedly, I almost took out the part where Diamond wanted a date, during the actual roleplay itself... but by that point, I'd wanted a touch of sweetness and whimsy, and Mundy's always good at providing that. I figured it was about time that he finally built up the courage... as well as Wart softening her Stance on him, too. Honestly? They are a totes dorbs ship, and I love the idea that they're having this moment here.

Comments

[Edguy0009]

Someone looks refined.

IT LIIIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!