• Published 25th Dec 2021
  • 733 Views, 30 Comments

Obsidian: Legacy Of Sombra - Randimaxis



Equestria is in peril - will Obsidian and her friends be able to save the world, or is this the horrific beginning of a new Umbral Dynasty?

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Six: Paradise Found

~>-<~

She was... where was she?

In front of her within the dreamscape, there was a large, two-building manor-type house that seemed to stretch back beyond itself and out of sight; whatever edges it had stretched back father than her dream eyes could see. Though it was only two stories tall, it looked as though there were no visible end to the two structures on either side. The roofing, windows and walls were all done in some sort of material she'd never seen before, and looked both thick as iron and cute as a baby alicorn - there were many different designs to be seen, including hearts and stars, seemingly all part of the structure itself.

From where she was standing (which appeared to be in some manner of cloud or fog), she could see what looked to be an enormous swimming pool between the two buildings, complete with deck chairs and tables arranged around it, and three diving boards at differing heights.

She saw this through a large, ornate and golden front gate, the top of which had a scrimshawed and stylized verion of a single word:

] PARADISE [

This was new, that much was certain. The gate connected to a high brick wall that surrounded the entire area, covered with beautful runners of ivy and honeysuckle vine.

Okay, wait... what?

Of all places... of all dreams... this was perhaps the most unexpected. Obsidian had lived long enough to know that she should always expect the unexpected, but this was beyond all of her available mental capacity. Was it just a normal dream? Did her near-death experience let her to peek into the afterworld? Did Cup possibly snuggle her too hard, and had actually killed her?

What in Tartarus was going on here?

She also briefly felt a twinge of sadness that her artistic skills were woefully underdeveloped, as this sight before her would make one beautiful picture.

Obsidian trotted towards the strange gate, more and more confused with each step. Did ponies believe in paradise at all? She had no idea.

Reaching the gate, she found it open. Inside, there was the aforementioned pool, with chairs and tables to spare... and seated at one of the tables was none other than...

"Even though I assumed a redigestion would be, at best, a 17.2% chance of reintegration... I find myself in the wrong. Gladly so, in this case."

Peridot. Whole and ali-... well, whole, anyway.

The stallion stood up and smiled, stepping towards her to meet her directly. He seemed to be exactly as he'd been the last time; only the location was different. "Salutations, Obsidian... and congratulations... and thank you ever so kindly."

Wonderful! Perfect! Obsidian wasted no time - she practically charged at her brother to hug him. After all - this time, she was really afraid that he was gone for good.

"Oh, I doubt you were wrong, brother; we were just lucky, it seems! But... why are we in this place?" She was a bit more used to the Delvar Libratorium.

Peri hugged her tightly, and gave a bit of a chuckle as he stepped back. "I would like to know that as well - though I assume by your question that you know nothing of Paradise and what it meant to ancient ponies? Well, good - because I do happen to know, and I am eager to share with my sister. Come; walk with me."

He began to walk lazily around the enormous pool as he spoke.

"Ponykind originated from the long-lost outpost known as Dream Castle... but when it fell to vile forces, ponykind had noplace to live at all... until Paradise; it's an estate that spans much farther than it appears to... and is technically the actual home of ALL of modern ponykind, farther back in history even than Celestia, Luna OR the Crystal Empire..."

He then gave her a meaningful grin. "It was a gift to the homeridden ponies of Dream Castle... from a being known as The Moochick. It became the ancestral home of ponykind; from Dream Castle, ponies rarely strayed... but it was HERE, in Paradise, that they began to expand their horizons, and explore more of the world at large."

"Supposedly, Paradise was lost to time; once they left the gates for good, nopony ever found it again... nor was the likes of it ever available; it served its' purpose for our ancestors, and then it was no longer needed as we began to explore and create townships of our own."

Peridot then shrugged. "As to what it's doing inside your head, I haven't the first clue, honestly."

By Darkness - another mystery. What cruel beings kept puttting more and more mysterious things into her skull? First she had nightmares about being possessed by her father... then she suddenly found that she could talk with Ruby here... then - boom - Ponyville and the Crystal Empire... a filly alicorn...

And now, the inexplicable presence of the ancient ancestral home of all ponies. Lovely.

"If you don't know, then I'm afraid to even think about it - I don't think my grip on sanity is strong enough for that." She placed a hoof on her chin in thought. "It kind of reminds me Tambelon, to be fair; ancient, lost in time... but simply GOOD instead of EVIL."

"Tambelon..." Peri's eyes looked distant as he spoke those words, "the ancient Umbral capitol. The height of father's searches, and the one thing he swore he was destined to do - to rule Tambelon. Though he didn't mention it much at first, he spoke more and more of Tambelon as he sunk deeper and deeper into the studies of it."

"Paradise," he continued, "I feel is more a representation within your own head of how you've changed... and how I have changed as well. I don't hear the voices here, Obsidian - not even the first one... like it was before in your mind, except instead of my Delvar Libratorium, it's this place."

He stopped at the pool's edge and dipped a hoof into it, then nodded. "Warm. And inviting. I daresay someone has bestowed a miracle upon you - and I believe you may know whom did such a feat in your favor..."

It wasn't that surprising that Peridot wasn't hearing voices here - he was safely trapped in her head. However, his mention that 'someone' did it made her suspect one specific Tree had something to do with this.

"Well, we found Tambelon, and I'm interested in exploring it as soon as we send its' undead inhabitants back to their graves," Obsidian admitted. Ruling Tambelon... laying claim to a place more ancient than the entire Crystal Empire OR Equestria... that thought was quite charming.

"Wouldn't you prefer to be back in your beloved Libratorium, though?" she asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, really..." he said as he walked around the pool, "though the Libratorium was what I knew best, I admit that there are actually books here that you've never read before... and that intrigues me. I'm quite pleased to explore the place, and I daresay that there is probably more here than meets the eye."

He stopped right outside a beautiful pair of stained-glass double doors that led inside the manor itself.

"Besides, it's very much a change of pace for me; remember, I was stuck in the Delvar Libratorium in your mind since my passing - this is refreshing, not to mention a new twist to the idea that what lies in your head can be used by us as a weapon. In this case, a research weapon."

Books she'd never read before? Exactly what was this place? It surely wasn't a typical piece of her mind, sculpted into a strange and utterly alien shape. Why did she have a connection here?

"A research weapon... have you found anything interesting already? Or possilby something that could expidiate Onyx's chances for reintegration?" Obsidian tilted her head. "Or maybe about a filly alicorn?"

Peridot lifted an eyebrow. "A filly alicorn? What's this about? And Onyx's..."

He then grew a thoughtful look. "Well, I do know that both Ruby and I impressed upon her how important it was to make sure that Amethyst, Tourmaline and your shard would make it out alive from the caverns... but once Ruby decided to take matters into her own hooves and vanished, I ALSO recall Onyx looking quite worried."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Even as I prepared to sacrifice myself for your benefit, I admit that Onyx didn't want me to go; she didn't want to be alone. Which struck me as strange... until I realized that she had NEVER been alone before. Onyx had always been around father, and even when they came to the modern world, she'd had Amethyst and Tourmaline with her, as well as the others in touch at the drop of a hoof."

He then scratched his head. "But it sounds as though you're implying that she made the same sacrifice we all did... yet I seem to be here anyway. Where is Onyx?"

"I haven't, er... e-eaten her crystals yet," Obsidian answered plainly. So Onyx didn't want to be alone? Poor mare; she'd spent so much time in the mind library. Perhaps she could walk more freely around this 'paradise', so she could meet with Peridot? That could be enlighten-... wait.

"Wait - what do you mean 'she looked worried'? I thought none of you were capable of meeting each other in my head?"

"We weren't," he grinned, "but when you became a shard, we could communicate with each other, thanks to Ruby's research."

He looked at her with a small grin. "That mare sometimes makes me feel inferior; she'd spent time looking into ways to communicate with us without crossing borders - and she'd found it. The moment you went under, she called out to us and we could hear and see each other, albeit in our respective worlds and we couldn't touch each other."

"That was where both Onyx and I found out from Ruby that you were returned to shard form - though the spell she described should have vaporized you - and that our siblings needed help. She spoke earnestly about saving lives, then she seemed to concentrate, and poof... she was gone."

"When she didn't return, I naturally stepped up to take her place... which worked, I believe. After all, you're still here, yes? At any rate, Onyx begged me not to go, but I told her you were worth the risk."

He shook his head sadly. "I think Onyx was shocked, because nobody had ever told her that she was worth the risks... but inside, she knew I was right. There's something about you, Obsidian, that not a single other one of your siblings can duplicate or understand, yet I believe I do..."

He looked her squarely in the eyes. "I believe you are the only one of us that is capable of actually generating friendship and kindness; not a one of the rest of your family is capable of even holding a candle to what you have instilled in us all. You are the guidance we need, the heart we lack..."

He shrugged. "It's almost as if it's always been fated to be YOU who unites us all."

Obsidian focused on the part aboout 'vaporization'; she sat down hard and pressed a hoof to her chest, next to her heart, with a rather shocked look on her muzzle. And here, she'd thought that Amber had intentionally put her there - but it seemed that it had been a legitimate attempt to end her life that was unsuccesful only because of some kind of miracle.

Lately, it seemed as if she were staying alive mostly because of random miracles - and she didn't care for the fact that she seemed to be dependent on something she truly couldn't control.

"Yes, Peridot - Onyx emerged as well. And you know, Ruby, as far as I'm aware, seemed to be able to make friendships as well. She even got a coltfriend or two, if I remember correctly. And I feel that the reason why I was 'fated' is because I happen to inhabit the true remains of Radiant Hope's body, and we all have parts of her soul within us. It's only natural that those scraps gravitate towards their original source."

At least, that was as far as she felt she knew and understood about her current situation.

"Ruby was able to... fascinating... so you say. Well, that throws my theory right out the window, then."

He shrugged. "Then I have no idea; you seem to just be able to gather others to you, and rally their spirits. If it's NOT exclusive to you, then I have to go back to the proverbial drawing board and start over."

He wore a bit of an irritated look. "And I do NOT like it when I make such a mistake."

With a sigh, he turned to look out past the gates that said ] PARADISE [.

"I am still up for the challenge of discovering the secret to all of this... yet, I admit, for once I would like for something to go exactly as planned. Would it be too much to ask the world to allow me to gauge correctly, for once? Even in my blind pain, I couldn't manage to best you... and in the end, I didn't even want to. How can I equate THAT to all that's happened to you?"

Peridot turned and emphatically gave the wall a bump with the top of his head, avoiding marring the surface with his horn. "I only wish I knew more... but I suppose it may not be for me to discover."

"Er... The Moochick was a variable you didn't account for, methinks... a-and I'm able to gather others because I'm stubborn and - from time to time - outright suicidal with my many attempts to be a good sister," Obsidian admitted.

Stubborn. That was a good word for it.

"Stubborn, you most certainly are," Peri grinned.

He looked at the huge, stately manor house and shrugged. "If nothing more, it will possibly be a fine place to explore... and I look forward to it. Hopefully, with Ruby and Onyx as well. Do you plan to, eh... 'ingest' them as well?"

Obsidian shook her head. "Not all of them; Onyx is next in line, but Ruby... well, we believe we could actually get her back."

She quickly explained Opal's plan with the Umbral Altars, as best as she understood it.

Peridot listened carefully and nodded as he grew to understand. Then, when she was finished explaining, he looked as though he were on the verge of laughter. "Opal is a genius, of course - and if she says that she has what it takes to re-create a shard, then I believe her. More than that, though... I'm actually somewhat proud of her. Honestly? If you have her on your side - Lapo or not - you have a fair chance of winning this war, Obsidian."

He then reached over and gave her a firm hug. "Now... if she's right, then Opal will most likely require support to make her plans come to fruition; my suggestion is to rally the others around her, and to try to get them all to work together, for the common benefit. If you spearhead that idea, they'll go with it - regardless of what they may say."

He placed a hoof on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "Obsidian, you're the-"

~>O<~

"-wake yet? Here we are, doing thorough and exhausting calculations, and she's over there sleeping! Honestly, it's as if OUR work isn't worthy enough, yet HER work seems to be all you fools talk about!"

"Yes, it is... and I would say that a large portion of that very reason is due to the fact that she doesn't see herself as superior to her siblings. A lesson you could take to heart, my dear Lapo."

"{Obsidyan? Are you awake yet?}" She felt herself being gently shaken.

Like Peridot would do, Obsidian calculated that she had probably missed a compliment, by an 81.38% chance. Meh, could be worse, really.

"Peridot... is fine and well. And I apparently have the ancient homeland of ponykind in my head now, too," she muttered as she gave a stretch. Diamond looked at her strangely, but slowly nodded as if he was unsure that doing anything else was a good idea. Cup was still snuggled down, of course - but it seemed as though Opal Lapo and Mundy were awake, as well as Quartz.

"Ah, excellent to hear," her fashionable (?) brother spoke up, "and welcome back to the land of the waking nightmare."

"{Quartz. Be nice.}"

He bowed lightly. "I am always nice - it's the rest of the world that defines that state, not I. Still, have you managed to work out what has happened, Obsidian? And will you be leaving us soon to trek forth into the world to cease the uprising of the wicked Queen Amber?"

"He is always nice," Obsidian confirmed, finally opening her eyes. It was a fact - he was nice even when he had been trying (not) to kill her. The entire world would be so much better if all her enemies would behave in this manner... instead of cackling maniacally or screaming about skinning others alive. "Yes, Quartz; I plan to free all of our friends and family members, and then find her. And end her."

She started to untangle herself from Cup's delightful snuggles. "For now, we need to free Cup's sister Patty from Opal's factory. She managed to modify the Umbral Harnesses for flying... and I'm afraid what else she could do, under Amber's control."

Cup murmured as she wiggled away from him, then smiled sweetly and sighed in his sleep. "... zzzzzzz... yesh, I wanna marshmallow howzepet... zzzzzzz..."

Quartz lifted an eyebrow. "Your sweetheart sounds as if he's quite the charmer in his dreams."

She felt rested enough, but... oddly enough, something didn't quite feel right, either; it was like something was nagging at her heart... something she forgot, perhaps? No, no... maybe it was something she didn't know about yet? Whatever the case was, she knew that the longer she spent here, the longer Patty had to create more devices that they'd all regret later.

It was time to get moving.

Obsidian remembered the time she visitied Cupcake's dreams with Luna. She smiled at this distant memory; she was so very different back then.

"Yes indeed, Quartz - and it leaves only one matter... okay, well, TWO matters. First of all, I'll need to ask Opal to come with us to the factory; I think her help in her own home would be invaluable. Besides, I need to ask her to take a peek at our airship."

"Secondly... do any of us know much about glyphs? I've been given a number of them, and one is supposed to defend against mind control - unfortunately, I'm not certain which one it is. Given our situation, it's obviously very important... especially as I wonder if it could be used as more of a weapon. Imagine baiting Amber to a location surrounded by these glyphs, so she would have to surrender her control over Flurry Heart." She sighed - if only it could be so easy!

But it was never that easy.

Quartz nodded. "I can see the merit in bringing Opal along with you, indeed. However... do you believe you can control Lapo, should she pop out? After all, you'll be going into the factory she took an entire year to build... and Lapo is diabolically clever; who's to say if she has any backup plans in place for situations such as these? And who says whether or not she truly believes in you yet?"

Then, his smile broadened. "As for glyphs of warding and such... that would be my forte, as you're speaking of protection wards - which happen to be my specialty, dear sister. If you have your hooves on some of the same glyphs that protected me in my prison cell, then by all means, please share! I'd be MORE than happy to utilize them to our benefit!"

"If she does end up believing in me, everything will be fine... and if she doesn't, she needs to start believing, sooner or later; this should be a good oppoortunity for that." At least, Obsidiann hoped so. "And even if that's not the case, I need to hope that she'd prefer fighting Amber instead of joining her. After all, Equestria gives FAR more opportunities than a mind controlling, practically psychotic tyrant."

Obsidian moved her saddlebags closer with her magic to grab the glyphs and show them to Quartz. Her hirsuite brother looked over the glyphs rather quickly, and carefully selected three from the entire stack. "These seem to be what we're looking for! Give me two jingles of a slaves shackles, and I'll-..."

He paused, then looked at Obsidian and spoke far more softly. "I suppose I shouldn't use idioms like that, eh? Well, all the same... give me a few moments, and I should be able to prepare the proper glyphs for your journey; present me with an article of clothing I can stitch into, and I'll place the protections on them."

"Oh, don't worry - I still use those from time to time... I mean, everyone keeps giving me strange looks when I do but... meh, it happens," Obsidian shrugged lightly. As long as her idioms sounded logical, they were fine; Modern Equestrian idioms were simply strange.

He glanced over at where he saw his blonde and bespectacled sister working, and sighed lightly. "If you'll be so kind as to fetch Opal's lab coat, I'll put the glyphs inside that as well."

"Article of clothing - right. I guess you didn't have either the time or materials in prison to make hero suits for us," Obsidian mused. "Would my scarf be good enough, mayhaps?"

Quartz grinned. "Indeed it would... and truly, now that I'm free, I'll be working on those outfits you requested. I daresay I could have them ready within a day or two... after all, I have been speed-producing for a few years now; wouldn't be quite a stretch as Amber put upon me, I promise you."

He gently took her scarf in his magic and floated it to himself, eyeballing it as he did. "This is exceedingly well-crafted; by chance, is this your own creation? If so, you're more talented than you've let on, dear sister..."

Obsidian chuckled. "It's a gift, actually - from Aqua's parents-in-law. I'd met them a while ago, and I would dearly appreciate some protection, dear brother; something to make our fight against the Umbrals a bit more even. I would think that a nicely made super-suit should do the trick... especially if we look stylish."

Then, however, she suddenly reminded herself about one more detail. "There's... a question I've wanted to ask you for a while now, dear brother: How are you choosing the colours for your designs?" she tried to ask as gently as possible.

Quartz lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "The same way as I always do; with forethought and concern for pattern placement, eye-attraction and psychological impact. Colours are far more than mere decoration, after all. They encompass certain parts of the brain's chemistry, and there is a deep connection to the subconscious through the proper usage of such in modern designs."

He then gave her a sly grin. "Of course, those who don't know any better merely assume I have an awful taste for coloration... yet, have you possibly noticed that they still speak of my creations? What one stallion claims is an eyesore, I claim as having successfully caught someone's eye, and left an impact great enough to warrant speaking about it."

A smug smile on his lips, he took her scarf over towards one of the makeshift tables and removed a needle and thread from his own lapel. "Of course, far be it for me to correct the social masses - whatever they wish to believe, they may. As long as they're buying my creations, they can claim them to be as ugly as they like... no fur off my flank."

By Darkness - so many words, and she understood so few of them! So basically... he was using this 'design feature' to advertise himself? "...hunh... o... kaaaaay. Do you plan to design our suits in the proper way to, uhm... l-leave enough impact to warrant speaking about them, then?"

As long as they'd be functional, it should be fine... but it was always better to go with style.

Quartz's grin redoubled. "I think I plan to have them make an impact of their own, yes... no worries, Obsidian; I know more about style than Amethyst knows about anatomy."

As she watched, his magic began to make the needle flit about rapidly, and his stitching began. It was far more artful and coordinated than Amber's sloppy controlled sewing; there was a delicacy and focus to him that made it seem less like a chore, and more like fun.

Obsidian felt there was no point in needling him any further - she felt that she was already pushing her luck, as implying to a lauded fashion designer that his colours were unacceptable could possibly (though not likely) end with her being skewered by his blade.

But first things first; Obsidian trotted to Opal for her coat.

Her tinkering sister was quietly humming to herself as she worked, intent on the pipes she was working on with a rusty yet still usable tool in her magical grip. When she noticed Obsidian, her humming stopped, and she stepped back from her work for a moment. "Um, hello, right, Obsidian... is there, maybe, something I can help you, perhaps, with, eh?"

"Quartz would like to borrow your lab coat to sew a few protection glyphs into it... and I'd also like to ask you to join us on our current little voyage to your factory; there's an important pony we need to save who's being held there. Also, this way we could try to get to know each other a little bit more," Obsidian smiled as gently as she could; no need to trigger Lapo's appearance.

Opal sort of gave a slight grimace. "Er, m-my... factory, you say, yes? Hmmmm... well I did want, yes, to go back to it, ah, so I could gather a few, uhm, things. So I would, sure, most definitely wish to, quite, accompany you."

Her magic floated the tool down onto the table, and she began to look around in earnest as she magically removed her lab coat and drifted it to Obsidian. Opal's own fur was a pale tan color, but now that the lab coat was off of her, Obsidian could see her very thin and slight frame. She had a few small scars around her hooves, and her ribs were as visible as Obsidian's own had been when she'd first come back in this modern world... and Opal had been here for a few years already.

Plus, not for the first time, she also noticed the crack near the base of Opal's horn, as well as finally seeing her cutie mark for the first time: a crystal heart like her own, except instead of Dark Magic surrounding it, it had a hollow in the center which held a mass of cogs and gears, as if the heart itself was filled with clockwork.

"Here... Quartz is, ah, quite good at what he does, indeed; I expect, really, that it won't take, um, too long."

Gather a few things, eh? Whatever could help them win against Amber; in other circumstances, Obsidian would be rather paranoid about it - and rightly so - but now, in the midst of a war against a mind-controlling beast, and after besting Opal once already, she was able to let it slide.

And oh dear... yet another sibling which Amber had treated terribly.

"Dear sister of mine... have you asked Diamond if he could possibly help you with your horn? It... well, it doesn't... look so good," Obsidian admitted hesistantly.

Opal looked at her and blinked, then went cross-eyed as she looked at her own horn and gave a soft sigh.

"Oh, he already knows about that, yes... that was a reminder, quite, from Father - not Amber, no ma'am - a reminder to never, yeeeeaaah, let Lapo speak in his presence, nope..."

It wasn't exactly an actual answer to Obsidian's question; she wanted to know if Diamond could possibly fix it, not how did she get it. Unless, of course, she was suggesting that she wanted to keep a reminder of the wicked entity that had possessed the body of their father.

She took up some sturdy saddlebags in her magic, and secured them to herself as all manner of tools were levitated into them. Once full, she tied the cover flaps down, and brought her coat to where Quartz was working. "Eh, here, yes - is this what you wanted, hmmm?" she asked, and got a smile in return from him.

"That will do just fine; almost done here..." Already? Quartz DID work fast.

"So... did you actually manage to ask Diamond about it, my sister?" Obsidian asked.

She looked a bit distantly at the cavern's inner walls for a moment. "Er, y-yes... and he, um, told us that... that..."

Her expression hardened then, but she shrugged nonchalantly. "... that it was most certainly feasible, yes - but we aren't interested. Now, if you would stop wasting our time and allow us to get moving towards Cincineighti, we would be MOST appreciative."

Now that Obsidian thought about it, Lapo was quite annoying. She seemed to be aggresive, obstructive and probably more then a bit insane - and while those facts alone wouldn't normally be too dangerous, Lapo also possessed an exceedingly brilliant mind.

Quartz sat back with a grin, and levitated Obsidian's scarf to her. "Here you are, dear sister - one glyph against mind control, as requested." Sure enough, on the purple scarf, there was a deeper purple sigil that was neatly stitched into the center of it. The stallion grinned at her, then lifted the lab coat with his magic and began working on it.

Obsidian glared at Lapo, then quickly put on her scarf; the less danger of being randomly mind-controlled, the better.

"A question if I may, Quartz? Do you think it might be possible to make some sort of mobile trap, using these glyphs - one which could be used to free Flurry Heart from Amber's control?"

She'd just wanted to know if that crack on her sister's horn could be repaired; was it too much for Lapo to handle?

The stallion considered it for a moment, then shrugged. "I suppose such a thing is possible... however, it would take more than a single glyph on a sheet or such; I daresay it might take a lot more work to trap an alicorn than to merely keep one out of one's brain."

He finished up a few more stitches, then glanced over at Lapo and gave a soft sigh, then motioned Obsidian closer to him and spoke quietly. "Lapo may be under the belief that fixing Opal's horn might bring an end to her completely... which is why she seems to be so, er... testy about it. She's still warming up to you, dearest Obsidian; give her a bit more time."

So... Lapo was more or less afraid that healing Opal's injury would possibly destroy her. Honestly, Obsidian wouldn't complain, to be fair - as soon as they defeated Amber, she wouldn't need to 'defend' her anymore. Even during their own conflict, Lapo had been a kind of wild card. No tears would be shed by the Grey Princess if Lapo were to disappear for good.

"Well, it's not just for Flurry; it could be useful to bring back any of our friends or relatives that could find themselves under Amber's mind control. It's her most terrifying skill, and we need to prepare accordingly," Obsidian noticed. After all, they were going to rescue Patty; Obsidian doubted that she was working for Amber out of her own free will. "And... okay, Quartz... more time for her to grow on me, I suppose."

Her brother nodded, then grew a thoughtful look. "Hmmmmm... now that I have the proper glyphs, I believe it may be time to begin working on those uniforms you asked about; I can incorporate them into the suit itself, thereby making it that much more difficult to break."

He then grinned. "And, of course, they'll be all the rage in fashion, once this fiasco is done with. I'll also see if there's something I can cook up for Amber to deal with, while I'm at it."

Meanwhile, Tourmaline was seated at the table, staring thoughtfully at the small pile of purple stones there; Ruby's pile had already been gathered up by Opal... but the rather comparitively miniscule collection of little purple stones seemed to worry him a bit.

"Thank you, brother - perhaps we could think about something utilizing Amber's stolen ingenuity? Little flying machines with glyphs, able to create anti-mind control fields," Obsidian mused, her faith in the power of technology and magic remained unshaken - even despite the fact that she managed to beat one of its' finest examples.

She couldn't wait to see what sort of super-suits Quartz would come up with; for now, the amazing P.P.L. was doing its work as a supreme source of firepower. With Quartz's suits and glyphs, she would be practically invicible!

"I'll go check on the progress, then." She turned around to trot over to Tourmy. The purple pile in front of him was, uh... er.... damnation. They had to bring her back; Obsidian had already thought that she'd lost her for good once; she didn't want to relive the experience.

Tourmaline looked up as she approached, then returned his gaze to the pile and sighed. "Obsidian... are we becoming weak?"

He held up a hoof to stave off her protests as he explained. "I mean... here is what's left of Onyx; with everything she did to me - the yelling, the orders, the many applications of the Nightmare Spell - and yet, I actually feel bad for not having gathered more of her. I'm genuinely sorry that this is such a small pile."

He then looked at her. "But... should I feel bad for her? I mean, since you've been a part of all this, you've taught us that it was okay to care. But, honestly speaking, Father would call that a weakness in us - forgiveness and such."

He closed his eyes. "Are we growing weak in our various mercies?"

Well, then. Obsidian once again reminded herself of their first meeting - and couldn't be more amazed by the contrast.
"Do you mean our father as in King Sombra, or as in the body possessed by the Umbral parasite that wanted to kill us?" she asked, just to be sure. "Because as much as I've seen about our real father, I doubt he would dislike forgiveness."

Tourmy looked at her strangely for a moment... then seemed to think it over a bit. "I suppose I should think about it that way, shouldn't I? I mean, there was a point in time where I actually spoke to... um, 'Good King Sombra'... before his complete change. And you're right of course..."

He sighed again. "But, really - does it make me weak to forgive Onyx? I mean, shouldn't there be some sort of punishment for her?"

"I'd think," Aquamarine said as he walked out from his corner and came to the table, "that watching her precious plans being stolen from her, as well as seeing Amber destroy father's statue might have been one Tartarus of a punishment, don't you?"

"Yes, but is it enough?" Tourmy stressed.

Aqua looked firmly into his brother's eyes. "I dunno - how much pain & suffering do you think is enough for someone?"

"She will be punished, there's no doubt about that - assuming she will reappear in the flesh someday soon, with her memories and personality intact. She did invade Equestria, which led to the death of many ponies..."

She stopped talking for a moment - what was the difference between Onyx and Amy?

"Yourself and Amethyst were practically forced to integrate. Her crimes are rather more severe, considering that she was in control for quite some time. But justice can go alongside forgiveness... and forgiveness does not imply weakness. We're family, after all."

He seemed to take a small comfort in her words, as he smiled a bit... but the smile fell as he looked at the tiny pile of rocks.
"I just hope there's enough left to actually count as Onyx anymore - if she's gone 'simple' because of my lack for gathering-"

"We'll whip that slave when we reach them," Aqua said softly, "but for now, it's just something we'll have to wait and see what goes on. Hopefully, she'll be whole, then she'll get some sort of a trial, maybe... where, I hope, Obsidian could possibly stand up for her behalf. Until then..."

Aqua also sighed at the small pile. "We'll just have to hope, won't we?"

Ah, it felt nice to stand among other ponies who know how to use proper idioms without flinching.

At this point, Cupcake sidled up next to Obsidian and laid a hoof on her shoulder. "Love? The airship's ready and stocked - we can leave whenever you're ready."

"Give me just a moment, Cupcake. I wonder if I should go ahead and try to eat Onyx..." She looked over at Tourmaline. "We won't find anymore of them for now, will we? I don't think it would be wise to return to that same, specific tunnel..."

Tourmy shrugged. "I mean, if we feel like going all the way back to those escape tunnels, possibly running into the harnesses again, maybe even tipping off Amber to our presence if she's still there..."

"Purple gemstones?" came the deep, rough voice of Washburn Washington as he and his sister came from the back area. "Ah'm purdy good at findin' gemstones; I could look fer 'em, if'n ya like?"

Butter nodded. "Shucks, we can both go look, which could give y'all time ta head to Cincineighti; by th' time y'get back, we might've found enough ta make it a decent-sized pile!"

Tourmaline stood up, looking at them both. "Well, I could... s-show you where we were running for our lives..."

Both Butter and Wash nodded vigorously.

Obsidian considered the idea with her hoof tapping her cheek; should she, should she not? "Actually, I think Tourmaline is right - it's too dangerous, and I promised I'd bring both of you back to your home. Unless..."

She looked over at Amy. "I think with Amethyst's help you could be safe, more or less. And of course, you'll need some protection glyphs from Quartz."

Amy, trailing along behind the two apples, gave a slow smile. "Yeah... that wouldn't be too much of a strain, I'd think - and if Quartzy can make sure we don't become zombies for Amber, then I'm pretty sure I can get us back to where we were."

Tourmaline looked at Obsidian. "Do I really come across as that level of inept and unable? I'm almost insulted..." Almost, because she was pretty sure he was secretly glad he didn't have to go back there, regardless of who was with him.

Amethyst chuckled. "Well then, you're an eyesore of an idiot - now, you should be insulted."

Tourmy glared at her for a moment, as she returned a smug smile... then, his expression melted away as they both broke into laughter. Quartz, on the sidelines, nudged Obsidian and smiled.

"Alright, alright," Tourmaline grinned sheepishly, "I guess I should listen to the sister who can kick my flank, eh? Fine then - while you two are busy gathering rocks, I can get a look at those glyphs myself; maybe I can figure out some other ways to use them."

"Good luck with that," Quartz replied, "because I'll be rather busy, getting outfits together for everyone here... as well as creating more for the group gathered with Obsidian's other friends."

Aqua lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah... and what about me?"

"Well, you're a fine fighter, dear brother of mine... but in this case, I think that Amy's stealth skills would be a bit more useful. After all, she is Mare Do-Well, and I'd prefer to keep the squad for this task as small as possible," she explained quickly to Tourmy, just in case he felt that he was insulted, "And for you, dear brother Aqua; I'd like you to take care of our defenses here - Quartz will be working, Tourmy wants to do research, and Diamond isn't really into violence... that leaves you as our best choice for protection here."

When Obsidian spoke of Mare-Do-Well, three things happened:

Butter Churn's eyes went wide as saucers. "She's WHUT, now? Mare-Do-Well?"

Washburn turned and looked over at Amy and gave a low chuckle. "Guess that 'splains how y'got a few o' them there scars, missy..."

Amethyst's eyes bugged out as she STARED at Obsidian intently... and not happily.

Tourmaline, however, gave a hearty laugh, then trotted past them all, speaking sotto voce to Obsidian in passing: "I think she wanted that to be a secret, dear sister."

Oops. Damnation. "S-sorry, Amy," Obsidian smiled sheepishly. Well, until now, most of the ponies around her already knew about that little secret - now everypony here knew. She just kinda forgot that Butter was a pony from 'outside' their usual circle.

Aqua stretched and grinned. "Yeah, I can hold down things here - good call. Besides, when ol' Washy over there gets back, we can have a rematch... hoof-wrestling, to be precise. Unless he's chicken..."

Washburn smirked at Aqua. "Wouldn't wanna hurt ya none, gramps."

Aqua cackled merrily. "You neither, fetus!"

They gave each other a rival's grin.

"It seems as if that's about it for the planning," Obsidian spoke up, "Anything more before we head out?"

Quartz stopped his stitching, set down his needle, and rose from the table to walk over to Obsidian... and embrace her in a hug. "Thank you," he said softly.

Slowly, he was joined by Tourmaline, Aquamarine and Amethyst, who all hugged their sister kindly.

"Thank you, Siddy."
"Yeah... thanks."
"Thank you... really."

There was a groan from Opal Lapo behind them. "Oh, for the love of proton diffusers, ENOUGH already! Shall we go, or must I endure more of this saccharine sweet nonsense?"

Quartz's embrace wasn't surprising... Aqua had plenty of time to get used to his life outside of Empire, and was a rather kind (if somewhat crotchety) grandpa now... Tourmy had already liked her for a while now... Amy wasn't exactly surprising either, considering all things they'd been through together.

The fact that they decided to give her a group hug, though? Now that was surprising. She gladly returned the favour.

"Okay, okay, Opal! I'm going!", she shouted back to her double-sister, as she pulled herself from the hug. "Tell Diamond to be ready for anything, okay?" she added before she trotted out to the airship.

When she reached the ship, she found Cupcake there... as well as Diamond.

The little medic was standing on the ship's gangplank, a firm and determined look on his muzzle as Cup seemed to be trying to reason with him. "Mundy, you can't go with us! I'll be, like, reeeeeeeeally dangerous!"

The small stallion looked over to Obsidian and Opal as they entered. "{Obsidyan, tell Cupcakes that I am more than capable of handling myself in a fight! Does he not recall when I used those exploding rocks from the back of the Police Chariot?}"

"Siddy," Cup begged, "tell Mundy he can't go with us; he has to stay here for the others, just in case - that, and he's just too little!"

Opal/Lapo simply facehoofed.

That would explain why the little medic wasn't there for the group hug - though perhaps it was better that way; after all, nopony could tell how he might react to Amy's attempt to pull him closer to her. They'd spent a lot of time together, of course, but memories and instincts are funny things...

"Diamond, I'm afraid Cup is right. You should be here, just in case this place might be attacked, and there's always the possibility that Amy, Butter or Wash could get hurt during their mission. If anything happens to us, I know some healing spells; we should be fine." Hopefully, she didn't say.

Diamond bristled. "{Yet I was important enough to accompany you to the hotel, where we spoke of many things, and we were attacked! And survived!}"

Cupcake groaned, then looked at his fiancee. "Do I get that bad? I mean, I couldn't posibly be that bad... am I?"

Diamond glared at Cupcake. "Coopkayk... zhuzh!"

Cup stared with a bit of a shocked look on his muzzle, while somewhere in the distance, Obsidian could almost swear she heard Wart laughing. Hopefully it was just her imagination, and not Stalwart's sneaking into the airship to accompany them on this dangerous mission.

"No one is bad here, Cupcake... and Diamond, when we took you to the hotel, we weren't afraid that Ponyville could be attacked with nopony around to heal any wounds..."

Cup looked at the smaller stallion and sighed. "Mundy... the situation was a bit different before."

Diamond looked to his sister. "{Going to a place where you are bound and determined to save someone from the machinations of a sister while under a touch of stress?}"

Cupcake lifted an eyebrow. "I don't know what he said, but... it didn't sound like 'okay, as you wish'."

"{How do you know I will not be needed to heal the Pattee?}" he asked, calmly.

Obsidian considered his words, trying to count the advantages and disadvantages of this plan. If everything went well, Amy and the Apples won't even meet any resistance. However, she and Cup would surely be getting into trouble. What's worse, it was a rescue mission, and nopony had any idea what Amber could have done to Patty. However, she'd already told Diamond quite a few times that he should stay there. She might appear to be weak if she changed her mind now...

Well, she'd just talked with Tourmy about weakness.

"Cup? I think he has a point; this place will be guarded, that's for sure. What's worse, we have no idea what we'll find there."

Cupcake looked at her in surprise, but the smol stallion gave a smug grin as he turned and walked the rest of the gangplank, entering the gondola of the airship. "{Thank you, sister - I am confident that you are making the wise choice.}"

Cupcake gave a soft sigh. "Well... I'm still not sure it's a good idea, but..." he then smiled at Obsidian, "how can I say no to such a cute mare like you?" He gave her a nuzzle as he passed her to enter the ship.

Behind her, she heard a giggle as Opal came last upon the gangplank. "The, uh, interactions between you and Cupcake, heh, are utterly adorable, for the record, y'know?"

She made her way onto the ship, then looked around at it with interest. "Well, this is certainly, yes, quite a unique way to travel, indeed! With this vehicle, hmm, I believe we'll be in, er, Cincineighti in no time, yes!"

She then eyeballed the damaged side and the few blast marks. "If it doesn't fall right out of the air first, that is..."

While lately her opinion about Sombra's children had improved somewhat, her opinion about herself had not - and the assurance that Cupcake wouldn't protest because she was a cute mare hardly made her feel more confident in her own leadership skills.

At least Opal had considered it to be cute.

"Well, yes, sister - we are engaged, after all... and these are dangerous times. We need to..." she peeked at Cup. "...enjoy every moment. And to be fair, I hoped that you would like the airship, and perhaps take a look at it later. I'm sure you could upgrade it in your free time."

Opal looked it over a bit... then Lapo shrugged. "Meh... a royal airship such as this is probably so delicate that any improvements I might be tempted to make are FAR overshadowed by the sheer pompousity of the thing - I mean, truly, GOLD trim? How much tackier can an airship become than to boast such a flagrant display of wealth and waste? I would MUCH rather use that gold for circuitry connections... BAH, such a foppish waste..."

With that, she made her way to the crew cabin. Cupcake, still at the anchor levers, watched her leave, then turned to look at his fiancee. "Is it bad that I like Opal, but I hope Lapo falls overboard?"

"Kind of," Obsidian admitted. "She does have a point here; it's a luxury airship, and not the war machine we need."

Author's Note:

Peridot, Son of Sombra

{==I O I==}

Yes, the 'Paradise' referred to here is the Paradise Estate, of MLP past glory. I have done some plumbing through the depths of the series, and felt that this was too good to pass up. But why it exists in Obsidian's head is ANYONE'S guess...

Quartz and the protection glyphs; this was one of the most underrated, yet more important moments in the story. Those glyphs are extremely useful, and will become moreso as the tale progresses... as well as making Quartz invaluable to the resistance.

Lapo: love or hate her, she's coming along for the ride. N-joi.

And so - onward to revisit Cincineighti, and to hopefully rescue Peppermint Patty from the clutches of Amber's machinations. Hopefully, there'll be a way to save her... but there might be a complicaton or two as well. Here's hoping their luck holds out!