Obsidian: Legacy Of Sombra

by Randimaxis

Eight: The Gathering Storm

As the ship grew closer, however...

What she saw was a HUGE pile of broken and burning Umbral Harnesses, gathered together for the occasion. She also noticed the barricades were down, and there were a number of ponies milling about outside.

The thing that was the most noticeable were the dragons that were seated around Sugarcube Corner; eight of them, all VERY large and intimidating, all encircling the sweets shop with their bodies and tails, almost like a wall. As the airship came in closer, she could pick out three individuals that were smaller than the massive dragons, all standing with each other near the front doors of the Corner...

A blue pegasus mare with a blonde mane. A more compact purple dragon. And a mustard yellow unicorn stallion with an eyesore of a pink mane.

They weren't in trouble; they had been the trouble. For the harnesses.

Good - Lemon was back! And he wasn't alone, it seemed - the wonderful, clever bastard had managed to bring some serious firepower with him who should TOTALLY be presented with some nice, safe glyphs... because Obsidian wouldn't want Amber to get her scuzzy hooves even on a single one of them.

She stood proudly on deck, watching the situation below with growing excitement; this time, they had the upper hoof - and by Darkness, they were going to use it to turn these haunted harnesses into weapons of war for winning!

"Opal, Patty... do you think we could recycle these harnesses for use?" she asked, hungrily eyeballing the pile.

The two of them came to the rail's edge and looked it over. Patty pondered for a moment, then happily nodded as she came to her own conclusions. Opal was... uhhh...

Obsidian caught Opal staring at Patty... staring at her in the same way she'd caught Cupcake staring at herself, on occasion. However, once she noticed Obsidian had spoken to her, she jumped and blinked rapidly.

"OH! Uh, well, I, heh, yes, umm, gosh, er, we, ahem, could, yes, sure, right!" And what was this development?

At any rate, apparently they most certainly were salvagable - and Patty seemed to already have a few ideas, as she was gathering materials already. Opal watched her for a moment, then stepped over and began to help pull pieces fom the pile of junk Butter and Wash had brought along - a pile that was dwindling since they'd left.

Looking up, the three figures outside waved at the airship - with Clap darting right over immediately. "Whoa-ho-HOOOO, Siddy! Look at this thing! You must've got the DELUXE upgrade, hunh? Lookin' good, Sids!"

"Yes, I have to admit, this looks FAR more like the warship we need, than the pleasure barge we once had; greetings, Obsidian," Lemon piped up as he drew close.

Spike goggled at it for a moment. "Wow - you really did a number on Celestia's old ship; this thing looks like it's ready for a fight!"

So... any unsuccesful raid done by Amber's harness-bound forces would possibly result in the strenghtening of their own ranks, due to Patty and Opal using it to their own advantage? Good... very, very good.

"Greetings," Obsidian said calmly as she stepped down from the ship, feeling more like a hero than ever before. Her own airship, victorious battles... who could ask for anything more? "Oh, it most certainly IS ready to fight, I assure you; it's already faster than the harnesses, has decent armour and a powerful weapon. Now, we will be able to use it as a mobile base to destroy Amber as quickly as possible!"

She looked around, enjoying the view of the more-or-less free Ponyville. "Anything important that missed me - except for your triumph, of course?"

Lemon grinned. "Well, for starters, we-"

"Siddy, you shoulda SEEN it!" Clap interrupted, "The dragons all came in, and it was like WHAM! FOOSH! KERPLOW! And they turned those Umbrals into so much scrap! And like, when they landed, they let Lemon down... but Wart..."

"Stalwart," Lemon counter-interrupted (looking a bit chagrined), "was quite the hit with Queen Ember... after a bit of proving, that is. We were sent home with these fine individuals, as well as a decree from the Queen that we will receive assistance when we need it."

Spike gave a grim look. "And we'll need it; Amber's got Canterlot under her hoof... as well as Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity and-"

He stopped, and a pained look crossed all three of their features before he continued.

"... and Ember thinks they might be in the Canterlot dungeons. But we're working on a plan for that, so you guys need to focus on taking Amber out - we've got the rescuing part."

Thunderclap still seemed as though her mother was on her mind, but Lemon - ever the professional - nodded and turned to look at Obsidian directly. "There are also some representatives who have arrived to speak with you - three hippogriffs who brought Licorice back with them, two griffons you might recognize, and a mother and son who have been asking for you quite profusely..."

Lemon now gave a stoic grin. "Honestly? I'm somewhat proud to see how far you've come, Obsidian - quite the accomplishment for a refugee from the past."

"HA! Y'think that's hard, try living for another thirty years first!" Aquamarine said as he came down the gangplank and strolled up to Lemon. "And looks like you're still in one piece, Guard Colt," he grinned.

Lemon returned the grin with a fierce glint in his eye. "And it seems as if you're STILL alive and kicking, Old One."

So the decision to send Stalwart to the dragonlands was a good one; Obsidian had a gut feeling that they'd be impressed by the small warrior - and that her miniscule size would make it even easier to amaze them, as they probably wouldn't have appreciated her at first.

"Aaaaand, I have some diplomatic stuff to do. It seems that my life-long wish... well, the one I had until I'd defeated my own father - to be a ruler got realized, in a way," she sighed slightly. Hippogrifs, griffons... and a mother and son? "Could you tell me more about the griffons... and I might recognize the mother and son? No need to be cryptic here, Lemon"

Lemon chuckled. "The griffon ambassador, Gavin Garrison, for one - and secondly, Gunther Gadfly, from the school. Those two have been getting along like... well, like griffons."

Oh no... not Gavin.

He then grew a pondering look. "The mother and son are both earth ponies, but they have been most insistant on seeing you, specifically - and won't say why. But they..."

He stared for a moment; the diamond dog pup he was staring at stared back at him. He then turned his attention back to Obsidian. "... well. Obsidian... who is this?"

Biscuit's eyes widened a bit at all the others here, and she shied back behind Siddy's hindlegs a bit.

"Oh, that's Gypsy's sister, Biscuit - say hello to Mr. Lemon Custard, Biscuit," she gave the diamond pup a pat on her back to calm her a bit.

Biscuit held up a little paw and gave a quick wave. "H'lo."

Lemon lifted an eyebrow. "Gypsy Rover, eh? Well then," he said, turning and stooping to look at her on the same level, "I suppose we're in good company then, as your brother is quite the scholar and hero among us."

Biscuit's eyes grew even wider, but not with fear. "Bruvver Gypsy iz heroh?"

Lemon nodded. "Indeed - he deciphered ancient Umbral runes, and helped Obsidian here to find spells to combat the enemy; he's been a very useful and kind asset to our side."

"OOH! Iz he heer? I haz queztiun for GYPSYYYYYYY!!!" she asked as she clapped her paws together with excitement.

Lemon nodded. "He is - among a number of others, as well. If you like, I can show you some of them, if you like?"

Biscuit's tail began to wag rapidly, and she clapped her paws in excited jubilation again. Lemon looked at Obsidian with a small smirk. "That is, if she has permission?"

"Oh, but of course she does - and I'd like to see our own little team too, before any other meetings." She'd hoped for a nap after their return, but it seemed that would have to wait. "By the way, my dear soon-to-be brother in law... do you know anypony with a special talent pertaining to trees? Plants? That kind of thing?"

Lemon gave her a smirk as she addressed him, then grew thoughtful for a moment. "Well, if you're looking for someone who knows things about plants, then I'd say you should go and speak to Miss Tree Hugger, who arrived with the wave of refugees we got earlier... however, if you're looking for something a bit different than the simple effects plants would have... there's a zebra mare meditating upstairs in Sugarcube Corner; she might know."

With that, he turned to the diamond pup. "Now... how would you like to meet Spike The Mighty, here?"

Spike, blushing, grinned and waved a claw dismissively. "Aww... I haven't gone by THAT in a long time!"

But little Biscuit's eyes were abloom for the purple dragon as soon as she saw him. "Yu iz a heroh too?"

Spike began speaking (with just a touch of pride) as they walked towards the rickety form of Sugarcube Corner; it had honestly seen much better days, but hopefuly there would be plenty of repairs, once this was all over with.

Lemon started to speak, but Clap beat him to it. "Siddy Six Group Meeting - GOT IT!" With that, she darted inside the little building.

Lemon simply shook his head, then looked to Obsidian again. "You have no idea how many refugees are asking about 'The Siddy Six'; some of them even speak with reverence usually reserved for alicorns."

Hmmmm... well, while talking to a zebra could be interesting, Obsidian was currently concerned about plants... specifically, about trees... and to be even more precise, she wanted to know if there was any bit of life left in the poor Harmony Tree's miniscule remains. There was always hope, right?

"Reverence? Is that so?" she asked, somewhat surprised and not really knowing what to do with this information. She was a hero, right... but she was certainly no alicorn. In fact, she'd spent most of her time lately merely tidying up after her siblings, and while being well-known was nice, outright reverence was... something else. "Were Princess Twilight and her friends treated in a similar fashion?"

Lemon gave her a bit of a look. "Well, they most certainly had their tribulations, yes... however, I would dare say that having Equestria taken over by a crazed sibling with a deathwish up her sphincter is a new one by me... so, no - there's really not much of a precedent for such a thing. Princess Twilight and the other Bearers slowly amassed their blessings over a few years... but to have come so far on your own?"

Now, he turned to walk back inside. "I dare say you've gotten the attention of the entire nation. In record time. But, having known you... it doesn't really surprise me."

Cupcake sidled up next to her and gave her a hug. "Siddy, have you seen the way Opal's been looking at Patty?"

"Yes indeed - hopefully, Lapo won't feel such a need to constantly insult her anymore," Obsidian replied shortly as she turned to walk into Sugarcube Corner.

Inside, there was a LOT more activity than had previously been. The place was filled with ponies, all seemingly having different conversations. What was more, there were a few other races involved, such as griffons, one or two kirin, a few yaks, and even a hippogriff was present!

It was just like her first day at the Friendship Academy... except maybe about a fifth of the space, but it felt like the same amount of diversity.

"Obsidian, Cup..." she heard the smooth, suave tones of Licorice Twist's voice grace her ears as he slipped out of the crowd... flanked on either side by two very lovely hippogriff mares. "Good to see you both again; this is Shelly and Pearlescent - my, er, 'friends' from Mount Arris."

The two 'griffs bowed politely... but both kept a forehoof around the black stallion.

"I brought a few of these lovely ladies back here with me - they act as representatives of the Hippogriff Community; hopefully, they'll back us when the manure finally hits the fan."

Ooooh, kirin! She really had to study this innate Grey Magic of theirs... but there was so little time, and so many things to do! With just a bit of luck, one of them would possibly know a bit more about the subject as, at the moment, Obsidian wasn't quite ready to take a trip to one of their villages.

And, ah yes - Licorice being Licorice. It would probably be a good idea to try to find him a wife - one that would keep him on a short leash. "Hello Licorice, greetings Shelly and Pearlescent. "You wanted to talk to me, as far as I've heard?"

Licky grinned, then peeked sidelong at his companions. "Oh, ahem... well, these two are perfectly content just walking about with me..." then he put on his brooding muzzle, "... I just don't understand WHY they would want to-"

"Can it, pretty-pretty," Pearlescent spoke up, stopping Licorice's broody rant in mid-brood, "we came to offer the Hippogriff Nation's support - to her."

"Yeah," Shelly giggled, "studs are nice... but we need LEADERS."

Licorice seemed to pout just a bit at being put off like that... but honestly, the support of another race in this mounting war was a great relief.

"Well... support will always be appreciated, especially in the current situation; Equestria will not forget," Or so Obsidian hoped. "But...shouldn't there be someone else? I've heard about three hippogriffs visiting."

The two looked at each other with a grimace, and Licorice sighed. "Y-yes... but he's nowhere near as pleasant as these two - I promise you, you're better off not speaking with him. Just trust me."

Cupcake eyed him for a moment. "Is it because these two are maybe his daughters or something?"

All three froze in place, until Licky muttered "something like that" between his teeth. Cupcake gave his brother a bit of a disapproving look, but still asked, "So, then... who's the one we ARE looking for?"

"YO!" Clap called out, "I got all but you two in here!" she said from one of the rooms.

Cup shrugged. "Reunion time, or did you wanna see about the others, first?"

"I can deal with an unpleasant Licorice; I'll have a talk with him after our reunion," Obsidian assured him, giving the dark stallion a disapproving look as well. Amy might be a good partner for him - there would be no way he could be bold enough to step out of the line with HER looking through his shoulder.

That... was the correct idiom, right?

"But first things first," she added as she turned to head to Sugarcube Corner to meet with Clap and the rest.

The room was simply one of the storage rooms for baking goods, but the contents were all transferred downstairs; now it was just a table and six seats. Clap was sitting in the chair closest to the door, and smiled as they entered. "Yeah, we knew you'd be back - you always come back, even when you, like, die and stuff!"

Mica sat next to her, and lifted an eyebrow in response to Obsidian's entry - good enough as a smile from him. "Good to see you. We have information to discuss, so the sooner we get down to it, the sooner we can get to action."

Gypsy was next to him, but the diamond dog looked troubled; all the same, he gave a small smile and wave as he saw them enter the little room. "Th-this one is p-pl-pleased to see y-you again, Ob-b-bsidian."

Wart was in the chair next to Gyspy... and she looked quite the sight, as she was bedecked by gold necklaces, laden with gems and other riches, as well as bracelets, twin sword scabbards of exquisite craftsmanship, and... was that a crown? "Greetings, Lady Siddy; suffice it to say, I was well-received by the dragons."

Cup sat down in the next open chair, and patted the seat next to him with a grin.

They were all together again... and, like before, she could feel that strange tingling in her horn as she took in the sight of her friends.

Ah, her dear friends! It felt good to be with them all again. Obsidian smiled at the entire group, and chuckled lightly at the sight of Stalwart - she'd always heard that it was rather hard to separarate a dragon from his/her luxuries, so apparently the little mare was the best ambassador Obsidian could have chosen.

"Discussion? Right away, without at least a small group hug? Oh, fine," she chuckled again and sat down next to Cup. "It seems I'm going to be doing some talking before the next quest... oh, and Gypsy! Your sister is here!"
She was glad she'd reminded herself to mention that little detail; he looked a bit off, after all.

Gypsy leapt up from the chair, a look of utter shock on his muzzle. "B-B-BISCUIT!? Sh-sh-she i-i-is... H-HERE!?"

Mica held out a hoof to his friend. "Easy, Gypsy... that was actually one of the things I was going to discuss with you; he returned home to Howler's Hollow, but found it completely empty of his fellow diamond dogs, not to mention his family. But it seems as if you've found one of them."

"P-P-P-PLEASE! I-i-is sh-she ok-k-kay? I-i-is sh-sh-she h-hurt o-o-or..."

"Biscuit's fine - and cute as a strawberry button! Gypsy, why didn't you ever mention your adorable little sister before? She's with Spike, by the way - I'd say she's in good hoov-... er, claws." Cupcake filled in.

Gypsy sat back down with tears forming in his eyes. "Th-th-this one can n-never th-thank you e-e-e-enough, Ob-b-bsidian... he i-is SO happy th-that she's s-s-safe!"

Mica nodded, then looked back at Obsidian. "From all the info I've gathered, we've made a good bit of progress with gathering up forces to help defeat Amber and her army of Umbrals."

He grew a thoughtful look as he spoke. "So far, we have the refugees here in Ponyville, plus the dragons, plus the kirin. We've gotten word from Licorice that the hippogriffs send their support, and Ambassador Garrison assures me that the griffon nation is with us, too."

"The last we heard from Luna, she and her sister support us... however, they've been having a Tartarus of a time defending Silver Shores, so they might not be available - at least until they clear things up. Plus, we have word that we also have the support of the yaks, as they hate the Umbrals as much as we do."

He now gave the tiniest of grins. "We have a fair-sized army who can help us make it through this stormfront of death... anything else to add?"

Hmmmmm... they had pony survivors, yaks, dragons, griffons, hippogriffs...

"Well, Amber is known for her magic, and not for her strategical acumen or diplomacy. We may need to relieve Silver Shores as soon as possible... but as soon as we'll do that, we might actually have an advantage over her. At least as long as we'll remember to keep all of us glyphed against mind control."

Mica nodded, but it was Wart who spoke up next.

"The dragons have volunteered a number of weapons and other necessities to our cause, as Amber has already tried forging a path through the dragonlands - and was nearly successful in doing such. They have taken surprising losses, and are quite angry with those developments; as a result, they are foregoing their typical hoarding so that Equestria will, in turn, help rid their homelands of harnesses as well. This, I have sworn to uphold - and they trust me implicitly."

Clap chuckled. "Yeah... now, let me add to that about Cloudsdale! The pegasi are behind ya 120%, Sids - and that means the Wonderbolts too. They've been moving the city around so Amber can't lock down on it... unfortunately, those harnesses now got some sort of flying devices on 'em, and the Weather Factory is out of commission for the near future and stuff."

She grinned wickedly. "Which means we've got access to their entire stockplie of lightning rods for the fight! I figure we could put some of 'em with the dragons, and maybe attach a few to your awesome warship out there!"

Obsidian winced at the mention of the lightning rods; she'd kind of had a rather nasty personal experience with those.

"Er... y-yes, good. Amber had mentioned that she was going to assault Cloudsdale anyhow, so I'm happy to hear that they're taking counter-measures already. I hope she'll actually be foolish enough to try to carry out the attack, giving us a chance to crush her current batch of Umbral Harnesses - and with no factory or technological geniuses backing her, she should have quite a lot of headache ahead of her for rebuilding her fighting capabilities."

"If Licorice is back, does it mean we have access to the Pies' airship once more?" she asked.

Mica nodded. "We do... though we may have to sneak it away from him, as he's sort of made it into his own personal party-boat. But that shouldn't be too difficult; we'd just need to find some pretty mares to distract him with. But, if we need it, it is here, yes."

Cupcake then spoke up with a grin. "On top of all that, Siddy brought her brothers and sisters - the good ones - here with us, so they should be able to add to the solution here. Quartz has the glyphy-thingies, and he's gonna need a space to work in, along with material to work with - then, he can make wards against mind-control for everyone!"

"Not only that," Mica mused, "but with them having actual combat training, I'm sure they could possibly help out with training the townsponies how to fight. From what we've seen, the harnesses are just about magic-proof, but they're vulnerable to physical attacks - if one or two of your siblings feel up for it, maybe they could help with the training?"

Distract him, eh? For crying out loud, they were in a state of war; if the airship was needed for the fight, as far as Obsidian saw it, there was no need to do anything besides walking in, taking the ship and glaring figurative daggers at anypony who would dare protest - especially Licorice himself.

"I'm sure that Amethyst and Tourmaline wouldn't mind engaging in some training. Perhaps even Aqua too, though he's a berserker... an old one maybe, but it might still be risky to place him with any of our rookies."

Mica nodded, then put on his proverbial thinking cap as he sat back to ponder what else could be done. However, it was Cupcake who then leaned forward and, with a smile, looked at the others gathered here. "So... how're you all doing?"

Clap chuckled. "Holdin' up, Cupper - I miss my Mom, but I'm sure we'll find her and the others soon enough. I mean, I'm pretty sure Amber wouldn't-"

But that's where she stopped. Nobody said it, but the fate of Princess Cadence hung in the air like a heavy stormcloud, ready to burst.

"We SHALL find them, Thunderclap," Wart assured her, "and we will be victorious over Queen Amber and her loathsome creations. And Equestria shall rise from these ashes to become even stronger than before. Mark my words."

Clap gave a smirk at that. "Heh... thanks, Warty."

Gypsy, who had been quiet for much of this time, now looked about at the others, his eyes coming to rest on Obsidian. "I-i-is it too m-much of th-this one to a-a-ask if the group hug th-that was offered earlier is s-s-still available?"

"Group hugs are always available, Gypsy," Obsidian assured him with a smile.

That was all they needed to hear; within moments, all six of the friends were gathered around each other and hugging tightly. And again, somewhere inside Obsidian, she felt that pull and tingle of some sort of force, rising within her very soul. Every time she'd had contact with all of them at once like this, it had made the same sensation evidence within her.

It felt good. Better than Dark Magic, better than praise, better than even Cupcake's loving attentions... it was a sensation that felt as though it was warming her entire being from the state of cold she'd known for most of her life.

Quite bluntly, good simply felt good - the ultimate evidence that the universe itself was rigged from the start in Harmony's favour. Nothing that Obsidian had ever experienced during her history in those ancient days was even comparable to this... not to mention the firepower it brought. Too bad she never figured out how to repeat that trick she used beating Sombra, or where she purified an entire Umbral wave with a single spell...

"Alright, I feel that we've managed to steel our resolve properly... now," Obsidian nodded, "let's go save Equestria again, shall we?"

All of them agreeing, they left the room to go do what was required of them... but they each seemed to have a bit more of a spark in their eyes for the experience.

Gypsy sniffed the air, the frantically headed off in the direction of his little sister. Clap and Wart went towards the airship, which Obsidian's siblings were departing. Mica headed for the front counter, and went back underground with a single tilt of a cookie jar.

Cupcake turned and planted a firm kiss upon her cheek. "I've got to say, Siddy - you've come a long way, and I'm glad I had the chance to be a part it!"

"Excuse me," a blue mare with an adolescent green colt moved up to greet them, "Miss Obsidian? Hi - we've been waiting for you since we arrived. Glad to see you're still up and about, miss."

Well, nothing improved one's mood as much as some good old-fashioned friendship! Now that they were practically soaked in goody-goody goodness, Obsidian was glad to see that they seemed a bit more enthusiastic and optimistic about the whole situation. In fact, she was having fewer doubts about the entire situation, herself; would Equestria suffer more? Of course. Would that suffering be brought to an end - a happy one? Also obviously.

Even without a Tree of Harmony... there was a seed of hope.

"Oh, my apologies - I had a number of things to do, b-but I didn't forget about you, I swear." A random, unrecognized mare and her colt - and who could these two be? "Yes, please - I'm available for a moment; what did you possibly wish to discuss with me?"

The colt looked at her and smirked. "Biology," he said, simply.

Obsidian looked at the colt, then sighed with relief. "We were quite worried about your injuries, you know... you could have sent word you were going to recover."

He grinned and nodded. "I was kinda battered about, yes... but worse was the fact that those harness-things found our hive. I'd barely had a chance to heal when those things came slamming at our door... we had to evacuate, but we left a parting gift of a collapsed ceiling."

The blue mare smiled sweetly at Cupcake. "And hello to you too, Mister Cupcake."

Cup grinned at her like he would anyone else. "Hiya, Queen Ve-"

"SHHHHHHHHH!!!" Both colt and mare shushed him at the same time, which sounded a lot like a dual steam valve letting pressure off simultaneously.

"The general thought is that we are deceased," the Markannus-colt went on, "and we plan to use that to our advantage; the fewer know about our status, the fewer chances you-know-who will find out."

"Yes," the blue mare chimed in, "and she seems like the type to hold a grudge. So, please - keep this tidbit to yourself." She then grinned at Obsidian. "Just know that, when it all goes down, my people will have your back."

So now the changelings were going to support them too? Yessssss!

"Amber has a few scant collaborators that aren't mind-controlled; that could be used to infiltrate her ranks, I think," she informed the incognito queen. "And Quartz hads access to some potent anti-mind controlling glyphs."

Well, they now had... how many races on their side? Quite a few. Not to mention the technological might of Patty and Opal, too. It was actually starting to look like this war was balancing out more, and they just might be able to win this thing. Perhaps not today or tomorrow... but sooner or later, Amber would find out what happened when you pissed off an entire nation of typically sweet and loving creatures.

The blue mare gave a light sigh. "Good to know that Quartz's talent isn't going to waste... oh, and if it isn't too much to ask, do you possibly know of someplace that has a good bit of room to allow a hive of misplaced changelings to live?"

The colt sighed as well. "Yes... the Everfree Forest isn't exactly the friendliest of places to live, even if we have spooked all the local timberwolves into hiding."

Cup's ears drooped. "You... don't have a home? At all?"

They both shook their heads slowly.

"Well, umm... I already sort of... offered our house to my siblings... a-and Sugarcube Corner is sort of full... but maybe Twilight's Palace would have the room you'd require, right? Cup, what do you think?"

At first, she'd wanted to ask about the Carousel Boutique... but she doubted Miss Rarity would appreciate that - even if she was the Bearer of the Element of Generosity.

Cup quirked an eyebrow. "Well... I don't know that they'd be able to stay there, once this is over with... OOH! But what about some tunnels in Ghastly Gorge? I mean, if Washburn's going back to HIS place at Sweet Apple Acres, and all your brothers and sisters are here... why can't they just stay there?"

"Ghastly Gorge?" the hidden queen pondered, "Well, I have to admit it sounds appealing - especially with all those rumours about ghosts wandering the gorge; it would keep most others away from my subjects..."

Markannus-colt smiled. "That actually sounds like a terrific idea - would we be allowed to do so, Obsidian?"

Well, obviously the castle was only meant to be a temporary place to stay... but Ghastly Gorge, however...

"Well... I expect that we'll have to ask Washburn if he minds, but I'm pretty sure that if he's returning to the farm, he shouldn't mind so much; I'd say it's probably the best option currently available."

The queen and her loyal guard both bowed low to Obsidian and Cupcake.

"Thank you ever so much for your help - we changelings will owe you quite a debt of gratitude for this. A debt we plan to repay in spades against that awful Amber bitch. And, er... by the way? May I ask where your charming brother Quartz is hiding at?"

Mark-coltus looked to his queen/mother. "Are we asking for some of those glyphs, perhaps?"

She gave a sinful smile. "Well... that too, I suppose."

Before an answer could be had, there came more words - the pitch and timbre being of words which were practically thrown in Obsidian's face.

"About time we found you! Foolish hornheads everywhere I turn, and not a ONE of them could tell me where you were skulking around at!"

Gavin. Lovely.

"Well? You gonna say anything intelligent, or am I just-"

"Uncle Gavin, stow it! She's been through a heckuva lot, an' it don't take a genius ta see she's kinda up to her neck innit!"

And Gunther, as well... wait, Uncle?

"Yeah, yeah, yeah - poor excuses, if you ask me... so? You go mute as well as stupid, 'Obstinance'?"

Don't forget to ask Washburn to... to... ARRRGH! She was already forgetting, because without even giving her a single, solitary moment to breathe, another creature was humbly asking for an audience.

Well, not really humbly... or asking.

"It's 'Obsidian'", she said forcing herself to be calm. "And as I'm sure you can tell, I'm as mute as you think I am stupid. What's the griffon nation offering us to help bring an end to this war?"

Gavin eyeballed her. "I know your name - and if you ask me, it's nothing but trouble!"

"Yo!" Gunther stepped closer to Gavin, and went beak to beak with the elderly griffon. "I think I recall sayin' ya oughtta go easy on her... y'know, b'fore I knock yer block off, y'old buzzard!"

Gavin stared back with his milky eyes, undaunted. "Oh, so now she's too soft to stand up and do her own defense, is that it? You decide you're going to be the voice of the Equestrian Idiot Nation, then?"

Gunther turned to Obsidian and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout dat - gimme a mo' here, 'kay?"

He then turned back to face Gavin, and his expression was once again one of anger. "You dumb featherbrain! If you actually had a single amount of brainpower in the twisted bone you call a skull, you'd see that she's been workin' her flank off!"

Gavin glanced at Obsidian. "Nope - it's still there... and getting fatter every time I see her!"

"Psssssst..."

Marcoltus nudged Obsidian gently, then whispered softly to her as the two griffons kept arguing. "If I were you, I'd get right in his face, and give back as good as you're getting - otherwise, he'll never respect you."

He then grinned knowingly. "I learned that as Gearbox Gyroscope."

Actually, talking back to the aged griffon would be a lot easier without witnesses... and hiding a body would be far less stressful...

"I'm thinking of how to do so without accidentally declaring a war," she replied shortly.

Markannus sighed. "Griffons don't like being arbitrarily nice, as a general rule... show him you have some backbone, and he'll likely find you to be worth his time; show him up a bit, and he might actually consider you a friend. I mean, you see how he deals with his nephew, right?"

"... and you've got the worst flying abilities in the whole town!" Gavin finished his rant at Gunther, then wheeled around to look at Obsidian.

"Now, you wanna know what 'The Griffon Nation' has to offer? Well, maybe I want to know first if you're even worth my time! So how about it, 'Obs-idiot?' You got any reason whatsoever for me to even try talking to the Griffon Counsel about your sorry hide?"

Cupcake, meanwhile, was beginning to grind his teeth together, glaring at the old griffon...

For her entire life, Obsidian had been taught to be respectful to her elders; it didn't help that most of them had already borne a higher rank than she did - hardly surprising, as she was apparently originally meant to be a replacement body for an Umbral-possessed king, then she'd ended up as an Equestrian prisoner... sorta.

She sighed deeply, trying to calm down a bit for what was bound to be a headache of a conversation, she was sure.

"For the last time, GAV... my name is 'Obsidian'; I'm not sure if you can't remember it properly because of your dementia, or if you can't hear it correctly because of your advanced deafness... however, you should at least learn to spell it correctly, rather than ridicule yourself like that."

She came closer and put a hoof on his shoulder. "And you want to hear my reasons? Very well - consider the idea that, without working together, you griffons will become either a slave species, or will be slaughtered to extinction. You, of course, will hardly have much choice in this matter, as you're far too old to be a slave... I'd say, at best, you'll be turned into fodder for the Umbrals. Is THAT a good enough reason, Gav? Clue me in, here."

Gavin, Gunther and Cupcake all stared at her with wide eyes and surprised expressions. Markannus just grinned and took his leave.

"... I'll give YOU fodder, ya crazy hornhead!" Gavin yelled as he suddenly got his resolve back. "You wanna see a slave species? Go look at your own siblings, dummy! The lot of you, no good for anything but causing trouble!"

He then gave the slightest hint of a smile.

"But you say it's either that or extinction? HA! Fine - you're so convinced we're not up to par with you dumb ponies? We'll show you who's ready for what! You want griffons in the air for your little war? YOU'VE GOT 'EM! Just be ready to hang your head in shame as we beat you to the punch on smacking that crass crackpot around!"

Cupcake, unseen by Gavin, looked at Obsidian... and slowly began to smile as he figured out what was going on here. Gunther was already grinning, and made a motion with his claw for her to keep going, hidden from Gavin's view.

"Now, you think you have the guts to DARE yell at me like I'm some sort of unruly child? I'll have you know that I could outfight you ANY day of the week, young whelp! It'd be like fighting a crippled parasprite - with a boxful of fireworks! You say your 'Equestrian War' is worth our time?"

"Oh, I'm only yelling because I want to be absolutely sure that your ancient ears can catch every single word." She gave him the sweetest of smiles, completely divorced from the look in her eyes.

"And you? Outfighting us? How so? By falling to the ground and whining shrilly about your advanced age? Oh, perhaps by begging all of the younger griffons to fight for you?" She shook her head sadly. "Now I'm wondering whether you're worthy of even joining the 'Equestrian War', as you call it. Back in the good old days - when I was young and your great-great-grandparents weren't even eggs - griffons were terrifying opponents, warriors that were known throughout the entire world for their military prowess. Sic transit gloria mundi, eh?"

Gavin's eyes, milky and elderly, seemed to sparkle a bit.

"Oh-HO! Is that so, you sullen little upstart! Well, frustra operam frustrai, if you ask me! Such a big, proud opinion of yourself, for what? Sleeping for a millennia counts as bravery to you, these days? I have more fighting experience in my gnarled left wing than you have in your whole family tree!"

He spun around and glared at Gunther. "GUNNY! You - me - the Council! NOW!!! There's no way in Tartarus I'm going to put up with such insolence as this stupid mare's incessant insults! We're gonna show HER who's slacking off when it comes to martial superiority!"

He then turned and gave Siddy a slight bow. "YOU, I'll see later, Obsidian... and you'll eat those words for breakfast!" He stormed off, Gunther giving her a broad smile as they both went to find this council, and tell them that Obsidian was worth their time.

Cupcake came up next to her. "Ummm... d-do you need a hug after all that?"

"Bye Gav! Bye Gunther!" Obsidian waved to them as they were leaving.

Well, THAT went well; even if they wouldn't support her, she'd just mocked another creature and felt good about it.

...okay, no, perhaps it didn't go that well, and in fact it was rather disconcerting; she was supposed to be a good mare! What if the old griffon's weak, fragile little mind broke under the might of her witty and genius snark?

She was doing it again; at least this time it wasn't out loud.

"Why, Cuppy? I mean, your hugs are always appreciated, but I see no reason why I would need one at this specific moment."

Cup blinked. "Well, you... y-you just seemed like you were getting... y'know, angry."

Actually... strangely enough, Obsidian could now feel what was a tiny tickle at the back of her horn. A familiar tickle. A Dark tickle.

... but one that felt controlled, subdued and withheld.

"Though I'm still all up for that hug," he grinned.

Is that what Whistlewhite had been talking about, when she told Obsidian she could 'refill her tanks' however she wished? Was that a tickle of returning Dark Magic, brought on by her irritation and reaction to Gavin?

Maybe. Maybe it was, at that. Maybe there WAS more than just Light Magic to be had for her?

Hardly a pleasant thought... OR a pleasant feeling, for that matter; Dark Magic had ruined most of her life, brought by emotions that were a stark contrast to the ideals of Harmony and friendship.

Sadly, a specific murderous bitch happened to have created an Umbral army resistant to Light Magic.

Fun.

"Bring it on, Cup - and don't be too lenient; if you hug me hard enough to make me faint, I'll simply use the opportunity to check to see if Onyx is already back up to par."

Cup chuckled a bit, but gave her a good, firm hug that sent shivers up her spine... particularly as he also took the opportunity to give her ear a light nip.

"Do I have to put you to bed to check on your formerly-stupid sister?" he said with a mischievous grin.

An offer like that from Cupcake was tempting... granted, they were in the midst of preparing for war, but... well...

He gave her a light kiss on the tip of her snout. "Or maybe we just wait until tonight, hmmmm?"

"Er... ah, y-yes, I still need to meet the Hippogriff representative... then get our airship back from Licorice... oh, I should also ask Wash if he would give up his hideout to make a new Hive from.... and probably... do... more stuff I can't remember right now," she sighed.

A short trip to Paradise would be interesting... the one in her dreams.

THE OTHER KIND would come later...

Cup grinned, then turned to head off on his own. "And I need to check on Patty, then go look in on Lemmy - and don't worry about Licky; I'll check on him, and he'll give us whatever we need... including Momma's airship."

He seemed a bit sad for a moment, but he sighed and shook it off for the time being; he missed his mother very much, but he knew he had to be strong for everyone else right now.

However... he did give Obsidian's shapely rump a quick kiss as he passed her, headed in the other direction.

"But I'm STILL gonna want some serious cuddles later - and if I have to, I'll sneak up on ya in my Stealth Suit!"

By Darkness, that suit on him...

But first things first.

She left to look for the most important hippo around... hippoGRIFF, that was. Sugarcube Corner was packed with individuals, so it was difficult to locate any one being. But, as she was searching, she came across something else...

"... an it waz a BAD thingz! Bud diz pup wazna scared, NOH! She sez 'yu noh good', an she RANZ, an she DIGZ, an she make-ed it tu Poneetown... bud noh waz dere, Bruvver! Why noh waz dere?"

"B-because, th-this one was underground... i-i-inside a b-basement."

"Wat iz bazemint?"

"... it is l-like a c-c-cavern in the g-ground, but with p-pr-proper walls and f-floors."

"Ohhhh... an poneez LIVE dere?"

"S-sometimes, yes. But, if B-Biscuit managed to g-g-get away, then wh-what has bec-c-come of the rest?"

A whimper. "Masheenz take demz, and doze what not took waz run'wayz."

Well, it seemed like it was time to witness how siblings usually interacted when raised in more normal circumstances than Siddy herself had been... and maybe it was possible that Gypsy could point her in the right direction for the hippo-lord.

In the stairwell, Gypsy was seated on the topmost step, and little Biscuit was seated on one of his knees, looking up at him with wide eyes. Both of the diamond dogs' ears tilted towards her before they looked up to see Obsidian. And as soon as she was seen, she also saw two tails wagging happily, almost in unison.

"Obsideeun! Bruvver Gypsy tells dat yu iz BEEG powah - an dat yu can uze powah to help us pups, yis?"

Gypsy smiled at Biscuit. "Y-y-yes... she will d-do so as soon as sh-sh-she can. Obsid-d-dian is a g-good friend, and she will n-not allow our f-f-family to suffer."

Biscuit's smile was so bright, Obsidian felt her magic tingle.

"Th-this one will look int-t-to where his f-family may have b-been taken; once he d-di-dis-dis-discovers their location, he will a-a-ask you t-to join him to rescue th-them. He w-will have that s-s-support, yes?"

"Yis?" Biscuit echoed.

Ah, brother with younger sister, none of them trying to kill each other or trying to pretend that they weren't mass murderers... no threats of mind control... no eyesore suit designs. How idyllic.

"But of course, I plan to help your family, Biscuit - that's my job after all, isn't it? And you're my friend, Gypsy - so that's a double yes," she smiled to both the dogs. "Now, have you possibly seen a representative of hippogriff nation around here somewhere?"

"You sp-speak of C-C-Captain Hirsuite, y-yes? Th-this one last saw him a-a-at..."

Gypsy didn't get much further, as Biscuit leapt from his lap and wrapped her forepaws around Obsidian's neck, giggling madly. "YIS! Diz pup knowz yu waz gonna help! She knowz it!"

Gypsy gave a light chuckle, then reached over and plucked her from the unicorn's neck. "Yes, yes... it is q-qu-q-qu-quite good, and they both th-thank you, friend. But, as y-you had asked, Captain H-Hirsuite should m-most likely be outside, as h-he seemed the type t-t-to be alert a-and ready."

Gypsy then leaned in closely. "He r-r-reminds this one of Stalwart; b-be prepared."

Leaned in closely like this was the perfect opportunity for Biscuit to lean out from her brother's arms and give Siddy's cheek a lick. "Thankies, Obsideeun!"

Obsidian giggled at the lick, leaned in herself and kissed Biscuit's forehead gently. "Now, you take care of your brother, okay? He needs to have plenty of energy for our adventures. I'll prepare other important things in the meantime."

What a cute pup, really; even if Obsidian didn't want to save the diamond dogs, she simply couldn't say 'no' to her.

But first things first; hopefully this time, she'd avoid the nonsense she'd had to suffer with Gavin. She trotted to the exit from Sugarcuber Corner, looking for this 'Captain Hirsuite'.

Gypsy's accompanying smile as she kissed the pup's forehead was just as bright as Biscuit's was. They both gave a wave as she set outside to find this hippogriff.

It didn't take long.

Though much of the immediate area was filled with individuals all talking and carousing (as well as several large dragons, acting as walls as they sat), there was only one hippogriff in immediate sight.

He was tall, had a deep purple coat with wings that seemed to almost glow in the light of day. His mane and crest were a crimson color, and his eyes a vivid green. He wore a look of no-nonsense on his muzzle, and he strode proudly along the walkways... but he seemed to be interested only in scouting the area; he didn't even notice his regal gait.

Some foals ran by, laughing as they were chased by a yak who was smiling ear to ear. The hippogriff turned his head to watch them go... and gave a small smirk at the sight.

He looked capable. He looked powerful. He looked dreamy...

Now that was strange. Had any other male around made her feel like that before? Midnight didn't look too bad, and without the unnerving fact that Licorice kept reminding her of father, she might have considered him good-looking too. But this guy? Perhaps it was his stance?

Until today she hadn't ever seen any hippogriff before - perhaps all of them looked like that?

She trotted straight to him. "Captain Hirsuite, I presume...?"

The hippogriff halted in his stride and looked her over with a skeptical eye. "Aye, that is my name and title," he said with a rich baritone, "and whom are thee, and why do I have thy attentions?"

"I am Obsidian, sir," she held out her hoof. Now, that was a deep voice. "As far as I'm concerned, we should discuss a few details about the possible cooperation between our resistance and the Hippogriff nation."

He looked at it for a moment, before cautiously reaching out and taking it. "Ah... then YOU are the Obsidian that The Interloper speaks such of, eh? I dare say, though his manners are atrocious, his description was rather fairly accurate - if, perhaps, a bit flattering."

He stepped back from her a bit and nodded perfunctorily. "Yes, an alliance seems to be what is necessary to absolve ourselves of this crazed and foul individual who DARES to refer to herself by the liar's title of 'Queen Amber'."

His eyes narrowed tightly. "Would that I had the griffpower, I daresay her headquarters would be stormed and besieged by now - alas, we are not as numerous as 'twould be needed to overpower her infernal contraptions!"

He looked to the sunset in the distance. "Should I discover any connection to that heinous philistine, I shall slash through to the heart of such, and tear said organ out with my-..."

He stopped, then looked to Obsidian and shook himself from it.

"Do forgive my fury, Obsidian - my Queen, along with several other important members of our governing body, have all been spirited away with the Yellow Gaze of Control; I hold great contempt for anything of a similar nature."

He cleared his throat. "And so, you wish to discuss details of an allegiance, yes? Very well - inform me of what you would wish of the Hippogriffs."

"A bit flattering?" Obsidian deadpanned, unable to help herself. "And I'd prefer if you wouldn't slash any of the others connected to Amber, as all of her siblings are standing against her - myself included. She murdered our father and tried to kill us as well, so I assure you we hold very little love for her." Better to speak about this outright than to risk the chance he might discover such later... and take serious offense.

"Most importantly, we'll give you access to our knowledge of glyphs that make it possible to defend oneself from her mind control - and stop it COLD. If you find any prisoners under Amber's control, you will simply need to put the glyph on them - it could be on a cap or on a scarf - and they will be free. Beyond that, we are preparing to assault her position near the Crystal Empire, so any military help would be appreciated, especially airships. The path to the Empire is long and local conditions are rather harsh, so I'd hoped that we could use an airship for quick transport and for possible mobile command centers."

Hirsuite seemed to swell up a bit as she spoke of being a relation to Amber, yet he said nothing as she continued. Once she finished laying out the plans, he cleared his throat.

"You come forward with the information of your relation to her - as such, I respect your honesty, and shall take what you say at face value. But know that I shall be observant for lies among you and your other siblings - and should I discover any, I shall immediately assume lies in retrospect, and you and your family shall be my FIRST targets."

He narrowed his eyes. "Only returning your honesty, there. Should you all prove worthy, then there shall be no issues."

He then settled into a more conversational tone. "As for airships, we have a few remaining, yes - The Bitch Queen made certain to cripple our fleet, yet even her forces could not take them all out. We have a total of eighteen left in our armada..."

He sighed, "... which once stood at one-hundred and five..."

He refocused. "... but these are fully equipped and ready to go. We currently are using twelve of them to patrol the skies of Mount Arris, yet those in reserve can be sequestered for use by your resistance fighters. As it is, we have had word of a rather effective warship within your own ranks, and some of our engineers would be quite grateful to see it for themselves."

He began to walk slowly, making certain to keep a pace Obsidian could keep up with easily. "My people require our Queen's safe return, as well as our esteemed councilors. Otherwise, we have no need for other gains that may be acquired, save for sharing technological advancements that may assist both of our peoples."

He then lifted an eyebrow, and frowned a bit. "And as for The Interloper and his praises, he went on for quite some time about your beauty and charm; they are, indeed, evident within you - his description, though quite praiseworthy and generous, was not incorrect, I notice."

She didn't pay much attention to the idle threats, and the mere acknowledgment that she looked fine helped her with her discontent after hearing this 'flattering' mention. It was always nice to be complimented by a such fine specimen as Licorice.

"Did Amber destroy those airships or take them for herself instead?" she asked. Knowledge of whether or not they would have to face almost a hundred airships was kind of important, wasn't it?

"And of course, we will do our best to share our technology - especially the upgrades of our airship. At the moment, it's faster than the enemy's flying forces, and has enough firepower to deal with smaller groups of harnesses. I expect that, after the next upgrades and acquiring additional units, we'll be able to get an upper hoof in this war at last."

Hirsuite frowned. "The airships were destroyed outright; those loathsome machines have their own flight capabilities, and were apparently charged with sabotage of our forces. Not a single one of our crafts were unaccounted for - trust in me when I say they were all checked thoroughly."

He continued walking along the streets of Ponyville as he spoke.

"We still hold a naval advantage, yet we believe that her forces are amassed near the Crystal Empire - and as far as I am aware, there are no inlets nor waterways that would allow us to provide aquatic reinforcements... yet we are in the process of crafting some of our seaworthy crafts into makeshift airships, at least for the interim. This process will take some time, yet they should be producing the first modified ships in a few days from today."

He looked at her earnestly. "Obsidian, I was always under the belief that alicorns ruled Equestria proper, yet from what I hear from multiple sources, you are the one whom many believe to be in charge here. Without wanting to sound rude nor insolent, might I ask what credentials you may have to warrant their claims?"

Well, makeshift airships were better than no airships at all... especially if Patty and Opal would be allowed to take a peek at them. The more ships they have before their invasion of the Crystal Empire, the better. While in theory, they could try attack with only airborne forces - pegasi, griffon and so on - Obsidian doubted that they would be in fighting shape after flying so far on their own strength.

No - airships were the only answer she could see.

But they weren't an answer to his current question... in fact, she herself was a bit surprised that a tired teen was apparently forged unknowingly into the de-facto and de-iure leader of the resistance.

"Well, there are no alicorns nearby and due to their absence, it's my duty as a princess of the Crystal Empire, a hero who saved Equestria twice already and as the local librarian to take care of this situation. It also helps that my friends, my family and I are all very actively participating in the organization of the resistance."

He blinked at her, then cocked his head at an angle that bespoke of his curiosity.

"A princess of the Crystal Empire would most certainly fit the bill - at least, one who is not possessed by a malignant and disgusting spirit... as well as a tried-and-true hero, as I have also heard the claims..."

He then gave the smallest hint of a grin. "But I would daresay your claim of being a 'local librarian' is a bit much for my standards; of the three, THAT job has the potential to be far more important than the rest, as one would not only have to act as custodian for all of the contained knowledge of the ages, but would also be responsible for seeing to the proper passing of said information onto the coming generation."

He now stood up tall and proud. "After all - I have much respect for books, as they retain the knowledge of the ages, and knowledge is power, after all. To be certain, the entire trifecta of Princess, hero AND librarian would make you quite a desirable leader... not to mention one who would most certainly be a desirable mate as well."

Was... was he flirting with her?

"All the same," he continued with far more gravitas, "to know that NONE of Equestria's ruling class are standing forward in this time of crisis? That is exceedingly disheartening, and leads me to believe that perhaps the Age of Alicorns is at an end. Not something that brings forth confidence in me, but potentially something that could signify a new beginning for the realms. One that it may indeed need."

Well, if he was flirting with her, then he really didn't have any moral ground to complain about Licorice's behaviour, all things considered. Quite the contrary, as Licorice at least was more or less in the same age category of his victims.

"I appreciate the good intentions," she nodded quickly, "but is it really an end to anything? I have to notice that your own queen has disappeared as well. We stand against a powerful enemy with horrible powers, but it isn't a reason to discard a well-known political system. I sincerely doubt that, after this, we'll find any more crazy villains able to possess alicorns."

Hirsuite gave a grim expression. "One would hope, but I am not one to sit idly by and just ignore the fact that none of the so-called powerhouses of Equestria are showing up to defend their peoples... in the case of Twilight Sparkle, she has supposedly been taken along with her friends, so that is understandable, if regrettable..."

He then turned to face her. "Yet, where are Celestia and Luna? Where is Midnight Star? THREE extremely powerful beings, yet not a sign of their concern anywhere to be seen - and that sticks in my proverbial craw, Obsidian. Why are they not present? Why are their people suffering without a word from these supposed 'pillars of strength'?"

He gave a huff of a sigh. "I will stand behind ONLY those who prove worthy of my allegiance... and those who act as fops or tyrants are my MORTAL enemies. If you can explain why they are not present, I shall listen... but I wonder, can you explain it?"

"Luna's forces are currently defending another settlement... admittedly, I don't know where Princess Celestia or Prince Midnight are... but in the first case, I suspect she is with her sister. We are planning to relieve the siege of Silver Shores as soon as possible, to free up her Thestral army."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Silver Shores, you say? THAT is information I can use, Obsidian."

He now looked a bit more attentive. "As they border the ocean, I am quite capable of ordering our naval forces to converge on Silver Shores, and assist with any possible battle that may be taking place there; this will help bring the finality necessary to bring the alicorns to the forefront, I shall assume, and so it will be a priority for Hippogriff forces."

He then gave a light bow. "Very well, then - you have informed me of your plight, and I shall respond accordingly. I shall summon the remaining airships to Ponyville for the duration, and direct our naval forces unto Silver Shores for assistance in the battles there. If Luna does have her Thestral Armada at the ready, then we shall endeavor to join the forces here as soon as the battle is won."

He gave Obsidian a look. "You are indeed more than one would assume, even with the reputation that proceeds you. Were I not married already, I would find you to be quite an intriguing and desirable mare - however, my wife holds my heart, and I am always loyal, no matter the odds."

He then gave a bit of a grumble. "However, I would suggest that you steer your heart clear of The Interloper, as his mind - along with other parts of him - seems to sport a tendency to wander. And should he continue to allow things to 'wander' over my daughters, he will discover what happens when wanders are brought to a sharp end."

Obsidian didn't even blink. "I'm glad to hear she holds your heart, captain... as my fiancé holds mine. And rest assured that I'd prefer it if my soon-to-be brother-in-law would finally settle down with a single mare and stop interloping as well."

Now, the hippogriff DID let out a smile, and it brightened his features admirably.

"I am pleased to see we are both loyal to our hearts... and that you recognize the infidelity in The Interloper. Rest assured, if he so dares as to put one of my daughters with foal... he WILL be settling. PERIOD."

The two of them made their way back towards Sugarcube Corner, where there was a bit of commotion going on. As she drew close, she could hear the voice of Thunderclap Dash speaking with a decent amount of volume.

"... and they've got a lot of captives there! Now, if any of you think you can handle it, I'm gonna need a buncha volunteers to help me handle this, okay? If you can't FIGHT, don't step up - we need you HERE, to help the others. But if you've got a good, strong buncha muscles, I'd love the helping hoof! Or... claw, or paw... whatever ya got!"

What was this, now? It seemed that during her short discussion, somepony had returned with more information. Obsidian trotted with enthusiasm to Sugarcube Corner, to find out what Clap was talking about.

When they arrived, Thunderclap Dash was hovering in midair, addressing a number of others who were amassed around her. "C'mon - someone's gotta be brave enough! I mean, I'm not just gonna let them stay like that - and you shouldn't either! I just need a few of ya, so I'm not going in alone; if we can figure out where the line's going, we can maybe FREE a buncha folks! There's no tel- SIDDY!"

She swooped over and landed next to Obsidian deftly. "Sids, we found a line of carts bein' pulled by Amber-heads, an' I'm trying to get a bunch together to go see if we can help 'em out! Quartzy's makin' those glyph-things, and I figure we could use 'em to get these folks back, and put a monkeywrench in the works while we're at it!"

Captain Hirsuite lifted an eyebrow. "You discovered somewhere that slaves are being used? Where? If you could speak of such, then what direction are they in? I could send word, and amass my-"

Clap rolled her eyes and shook her head. "We don't have time for that! That line used to be two lines, but now it's just one... and if we don't HURRY, we'll lose that line too!"

It sounded as if Clap had found where the Cincineighti cart line was coming from... and she was determined to set them free. Obsidian could still remember how these slaves had looked: Mind controlled. Exhausted. Used as tools by a mad mare...

"I'll prepare the airship; we'll bring them back. But please, tell the captain here where they are, so that even if regular units might be too slow to save them, they could still secure the area afterwards."

Clap made a quick spiral of celebration in the air. "YES! Siddy to the rescue! I just KNEW I could count on you! Okay, so - the trail I saw was headed right into the Everfree Forest, towards this little canyon or something like that. Looked like some kinda cave from where I was."

The hippogriff slowly widened his stare. "A cavern... in the Everfree... By The Pearl, you don't mean The Cave Of Harmony, do you!?"

Clap blinked. "I dunno... do I?"

The Captain turned to Obsidian. "If that is indeed where they are coming from, then time is of the ESSENCE! They must not harm the Tree Of Harmony, else all could already be lost!"

"Ummmm, captain..?" Obsidian absolutely hated to break his heart, but she turned her head to show him the stark white twig behind her ear. "It's... already gone. This twig is all that was left... oh, and a seed. Which I hope to plant soon," she informed him, trying to use her calm as a counterpoint to his aggrivation.

He stared at it for a long moment... and Obsidian could see the hope drain out of his entire being as understanding settled in. "It... it's already gone? Then... she has won."

Others around them who heard Obsidian's words also began to surrender to their sadness; some ponies began to cry, a yak hung it's head, two kirin held each other as their tears came, and a general feeling of giving up began to fill the circle.

In fact, as she watched, color began to drain from those around them.

Only Clap seemed unaffected. "Sids, that's WHY we gotta go do this! I'm not gonna let Amber-Pamber get the better of me! But we gotta HURRY!"

"Too late..." Hirsuite said as his own color began to dull and fade, "... it's too late..."

As word of Obsidian's revelation began to spread, it was like watching a ripple of pure misery work its' way outward from where she stood... and it was draining the life from those collected there.

Obsidian sighed. "Everypony calm down, everything will be fine. Clap, find Stalwart and tell Cupcake to prepare the airship, okay? Get Quartz too - we'll need his glyphs."

Considering that ponies around her seemed as if something was outright drained from them, she had to plant this seed now. Would THIS count as 'the bleakest moment'? To be fair, everything seemed to have been going rather smoothly, until this sudden explosion of sadness...

That was when it happened.

The front door to Sugarcube Corner burst open, and standing there was Cupcake Sprinkles. He was wearing a serious look on his muzzle that stretched from ear to ear, and he stepped out into the street as he looked around... and then...

If you think it's near the end
and you haven't got a friend
and the misery you're feeling's closing in...

He stepped over towards the dimming crowd, and placed a hoof underneath a crying unicorn's chin to lift her gaze to eye level.

Well I'm gladly here to say
We're NOT beaten yet, today
And this loss you're feeling's gonna be a WIIIIIIIIIIN...

He spun around, and when he stopped, Cupcake was done up in a bright white suit with a matching straw hat and cane.

They don't know friendshiiiiiip, they don't know love
They don't know wonder at the twinkly stars above
It doesn't matter if we're in a dire cir-cum-stance
'Cause our enemy aaaaaaiiiin't got a CHANCE!

He began to do a snappy little two-step as he started to make his way through the crowd, his voice loud enough to carry across the entire block.

You gotta get up off your knees
Shake the ache of this disease
And don't give in to the shadows in your heaaaaarrrt!

We gotta prove we're sterner stuff
And her best ain't good enough
Because she's always been outnumbered from the staaaaaarrrrt!

Amazingly, one or two of the washed-out ponies looked up and smiled as Cup sang... and as she watched, the color began to slowly return to them as they joined the chorus.

They don't know friendshiiiiiip, they don't know hope
They don't know how to be alive and never mope
It doesn't matter if we're in a dire cir-cum-stance
'Cause our enemy aaaaaaiiiin't got a CHANCE!

The tune began to waft through the audience, and Obsidian watched as others began to join in. Just when things were looking down, everything was saved by her Cupcake with his powers of laughter and joy. And his nice singing voice.

Obsidian only smiled and stood up, making her way towards the airship. With Cuppy keeping the homefront situation in hoof, she had some slaves to rescue...

Author's Note:

Amethyst, Daughter of Sombra

Eeyup. It ain't dead. }:)

Sorry this took so long to put out, but I've gotten involved with ANOTHER story here on FimFic as well, and I kiiiiiiiinda got sucked into it hard enough for the updates to have fallen behind. But I plan to FINISH this story, y'all... Siddy & company deserve a proper ending.

So, forces on the gather, Siddy Six reunited, help enlisted from a FEW sources and at least the outline of a battle plan. Eeyup, Siddy's got things coming to a head, and the forces of good might have a shot at this, after all. Here's hoping, right?

Cupcake's number written by ME... at roughly 4 in the morning. With little sleep. And no coffee. I never thought of myself as a songwriter, so I hope it's not too cheesy. (Of course, considering who his father is, 'too cheesy' might be just right.)

Comments

[Truthseeker]

A NEW CHAPTER! Woo-hoo!

[Truthseeker]

Biscuit's eyes grew even wider, but not with fear. "Bruvver Gypsy iz heroh?"

This quote made my diabetes flare up, so sweet.

Overall GREAT chapter! Cannot wait for more!

[Reclusive]

but I've gotten involved with ANOTHER story here on FimFic as well

eh? What is it?

[Randimaxis]

11589683

Rekindled Embers - one heckuva tale, and GRAND reading!