> Obsidian: Daughter of Sombra
>  by Randimaxis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> One: Welcome To The Future
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obsidian didn't know where she was being taken.
﻿
Oh, she knew that she'd made a mistake.  As soon as she felt the binds of magic falling off from her body, she decided to greet the pony who - she thought - had just set her free.  In her stupidity and hastiness, she did it while still half-blind after a prolonged magical exile into the frozen wastelands - and thus, doomed herself.

"Greetings, my most honourable father," she said obediently, unaware of the fact that her parent was not actually present. The young princess realized her mistake only when she blinked a few times to clear her vision - and saw guards around her, and a white, elder unicorn with a blue yet graying mane, elegant armor and a small diadem on his head in front of her.

She did not receive any answers - nor asked for them. It would be pointless; armed guards from unknown nations aren't exactly 'welcoming' to princesses if they are in no mood to talk.  Considering the fact that she couldn't see her father anywhere, she had very bad feelings about this.  A thought about resisting appeared in her mind for a while - would it be the best possible option to stand, fight and hopefully die with dignity and glory?

Yet... Obsidian hesitated, not out of any sort of cowardace, but by the realization that only as a living pony could she find out what was going on, or where her father was.

For a few moments, the elder unicorn was asking all the questions.  She did not respond with words, simply shaking or nodding her head to indicate a 'yes' or 'no'.  They knew she was aware of 'Slave Lord Sombra'... but not to what extent.  They also realized she was just a mere teenager, just a few steps from reaching adulthood... and it seemed to ease the tension, as if they were expecting her to attack them at any moment.
﻿
They took her... somewhere.  Teleportation, coupled with a ride in a chariot, left her disoriented.  Yet eventually, she was brought into a strange palace of interesting and shockingly alien (at least to her) architecture - and that was where she and the guards escorting her stopped in the hall, as if waiting for something... or someone.

Obsidian was starting to feel a rather unfamiliar feeling - hope.  They weren't torturing her. They weren't even brutal.  True, they were insulting her father, calling him a 'tyrant', but as long as her body and mind were intact, she was able to fight. For him. For herself.
﻿
Her appearance was anything but plain. As a princess of the Slave Lord's empire, she had been treated rather harshly by her father; he was always claiming that 'crown princesses need to learn the hardships of life to rule properly', hence her mane and coat weren't as well-cared for as most would expect.  Originally, she'd been born with stark white fur and a red mane, but the Dark Magic lessons given to her by her father started to leave a mark on her - it turned her fur gray, and there were black patches in her mane.  Even her horn was slightly curved - not as much as her father's, but enough to be... noticeable.

When the door opened, the unicorn stallion that appeared there didn't look like royalty - he looked like a paper-pusher.

He had a tan coat that was well-enough kept and trimmed, trimmed hooves, a pair of spectacles that sat primly on his muzzle and the posture of a military stallion.  He wore a white collared shirt with a belt that held small pouches, and had a notepad hanging from a silver chain around his neck, with a pencil in his chest pocket.

His mane, however, was something to see; it was floofy, curly, large, and hot pink.  BRIGHT hot pink.  He gave her a passing look, then spoke to the guards with a voice that held a somewhat authoritarian nature, yet sounded as if he were tired of having to deal with situations such as this.

"She doesn't look that dangerous; let's see what we can do from here.  Shall we go to the Rarity Suite?"

The guards saluted, then began to escort both her and her 'guest' along the hallway.  He looked over at her again, and then adjusted his glasses as he refocused on where he was going.

This stallion was starting to remind Obsidian of a few particular slaves from the castle, namely the ones that were overseeing the finances, production and so on - but far more healthy-looking than the ones her father had used.  His mane was especially strange - back in the Empire, King Sombra would probably have ordered him to be shaved bald, just to avoid any reason to look at this eyesore. 

However... he'd insulted her.  'Doesn't look dangerous'?  Did he know whom he was talking to?  If there weren't guards so close by, she would be more than happy to show him how dangerous she was... but, alas, it would be a foolish thing to risk any injury in this situation.  She was still without any proper knowledge about her current status; she just knew that a lot of things were very, very wrong.

"Rarity suite..?" she asked eventually, the very first words she'd spoken in quite a while.  The stallion gave her a sidelong glance.

"She speaks."

Of course she speaks - she wasn't a dumb mule!  Was he trying to insult her even more?

He turned to look at her, addressing her directly.

"Yes, the Rarity Suite - one of the finest suites in the castle.  In fact, I'd dare say one of the most opulent in all of Equestria - after all, Aunt Rarity wouldn't want anyone to think she wasn't worth the very best, hmmm?"

He gave the smallest of smug smiles.

"And I'd rather prefer a comfortable atmosphere while I ask questions - it helps bring forth more honest answers, I've discovered.  And, when it comes to finding things out, you'll discover that I'm very good at it."

He looked directly at her.  "Of course, it all depends on your cooperation - as long as you answer my questions, things will be fine."  His look then darkened, and the small smile vanished as his stare bored into her.

"I wouldn't make things... 'not-fine'.  Understood?"

Was he trying to intentionally anger her to make her cast some of her Dark Magic?  Bah, even if he was, it was completely and utterly futile; she was trained to deal with her emotions by her most honourable father... if HE wouldn't know how to deal with his own anger, the whole world would probably already be under his iron hoof... or simply burned away.

Aunt Rarity - that sounded important.  If her suite was really that good, then maybe she was a local noblemare?  Just who was this stallion, then?  He said something about questions, so she expected some form of torture... but at the moment, nothing really indicated they would do so; apparently, their interrogation techniques were somewhat different from those used by her most honourable father.

"It's all up to you," she replied in a calm, collected voice.

He smiled more broadly at that.  "Good, good - glad to see you're putting me in charge, here."

They finally stopped at a room with an ornate, iron-wrought door.  It was carved and shaped to include swirls, curves, and a LOT of the color purple.  The three blue diamonds that graced the handle looked to be the final nail to give the doorway all the elegance of a gilded coffin.

"In you go - and me as well."

He turned to the guards.  "Two here, two at each end of the hallway, and one outside the window.  Have six unicorns in reserve, in case things... go south.  Otherwise, I'll take it from here."

Was he truly so incompetent as to give orders to the guards right in front of her?  Perhaps it was some form of code, or intentionally misleading... or, he was an idiot.  Obsidian was beginning to suspect the third option was the more likely one.

The guards saluted, then took the positions they were told to.  The tan stallion then reached over and opened the doorway.

"After you," he said with a silky smooth smile.

Whoever this stallion was, however, she just mentally blacklisted him.  She was determined to find a way to deal with his attitude, sooner or later.  Maybe even experiment a bit with some of the more interesting spells she knew, perhaps.  He was just too annoying for his own good; a proper lesson of humility in the face of a true princess would be a blessing for him.

At least he acknowledged that he needed a number unicorns to deal with her, 'just in case'.

And BLEAH, the room was distasteful.  Horrid.  The purple and white motif was an eyesore to her, as was the rather flagrantly decadent four-post bed, the exceedingly scrimshawed and fanciful wooden dressers and bureaus, and the overall appearance of some court fop's nightmare.  It was nearly as much of an eyesore as this stallion's mane was.  

Some nobles seemed to like this kind of decadent luxury, but it was merely a sign of rot in their very souls.  Whoever this Rarity was, she was probably already corrupt - a victim of her own greed for fancy things.  After all, who would need so many carpets?  Tapestries?  This entire room was practically screaming that its owner liked to waste resources.

Obsidian already didn't like this 'Rarity', whomever she was.

She sighed and entered anyway; the sooner they were finished, the better.  Besides, she wanted to gain a bit of knowledge herself.  The stallion followed in after her and, with a knowing look to the guards, he closed the door behind him.

"Alright, I suppose this would be a place to begin... best as I'll get, I'd wager.  Please, have a seat... or not, no skin off my flank."

No skin off... what?  What did he mean?  Was that yet another insult?  Regardless, she took a seat anyway. This stallion had already gotten under her skin, so it didn't change his standing with her too much, regardless of whether or not he could annoy her even more.

He waved vaguely to the furniture as he lifted his notepad with a hoof and examined some writing on one of the pages.  When she risked a glance at the notebook, she could swear it just looked like so much gibberish scrawled on the page.

"My name is Lemon Custard, and I am here today because you are a problem we have to handle, somehow.  As the leaders of Equestria and the Crystal Empire have stated, you are NOT to simply be 'dealt with', as that isn't how we handle things here."

He looked at the paper again, and smirked.  "We're not very keen on torture here, unlike some ponies."

Ok, so she wasn't about to be tortured... that sounded quite good, and it meant that her captors were probably weak in their mercy.  Alternatively, they perhaps simply wanted to keep her as a hostage, out of fear of her father, and wanted to mask it as mercy - she had to be careful to not underestimate them.

Returning his gaze to her, he lifted an eyebrow.

"Before we begin, I'm required by my position to ask you if there's anything you'd need, or perhaps anything you'd wish to say before I start?"

He looked at her with a poker face; there was no telling what he was thinking at the moment.

"One thing: exactly how many days have passed since my most honourable father fought with Celestia and Luna?" 

She had asked the very first thing that came to her mind - after all, she was curious how much time passed since King Sombra decided to hide her, to avoid any... interruptions while he was dealing with the incoming invaders.

Lemon gave her a solid, weighty and serious look as he answered.

"We discovered you within Sombra's vaults, locked away tightly and undisturbed during your time there.  The battle with your father took quite some time, but eventually our Princesses emerged victorious... but your father would have none of it, and selfishly cursed the entire Crystal Empire into a limbo-like dimension..."

He closed his eyes and gave the softest of sighs.

"A curse that lasted for a thousand years."

When he looked at her now there was no mockery or judgmental stare... there was only a weary sort of empathy.  "You have been asleep for quite a long time, madam."

A.... thousand years?  It was impossible... it was a lie... there was no possible way she had been displaced for so long!  She showed no outward sign of distress at this, but inwardly she was having a difficult time merely accepting what this obviously foolish stallion was trying to tell her... but, if he was right...

That was quite a big number to bear; if it was only a year or two, maybe even ten years, Obsidian would be very concerned about it, but a thousand years? She had problems with the mere comprehension of this fact, let alone facing it properly.  She blinked quickly a few times as she was processing this new information.

A thousand years... locked in the vault, while the world was changing around her... a thousand years...

Her father was wise. That was probably a part of his plan and she simply didn't understand its meaning, but...

A THOUSAND YEARS!

Why?  How?  Where was her most honourable father right now?  Why didn't HE find her first if he still had enough power to curse an entire country?

She had many questions - but at the moment was too dumbstruck to ask any of them.

The stallion looked at her for a moment.

"Speechless, I see.  Not surprising; were I to encounter such a development, I'm sure I wouldn't know what to say about it, either."

Of course she was speechless - she'd just learned that ten whole centuries had passed during her sleep!  He turned a few pages in his notebook, then Lemon cleared his throat and spoke in a formal manner.

"My beginning question to you would be for you to state your name and occupation.  Though we may have it on Royal record, I still have to ask this question first.  Protocol, don't you know?"

So many things to learn about, so much knowledge to catch up on... Obsidian didn't lose any friends or acquaintances during her hiatus from reality... mostly because she didn't have any... but she was also terrified that so many things she knew were probably obsolete, and yet excited to learn about new discoveries.

She was just damn good at hiding it.

"Princess Obsidian, under the Honourable Lord King Sombra, and heir to the Crystal Empire.  Currently not occupying any country." 

Occupation... it was a strange question, wasn't it?  She fully understood the meaning of protocol, though - after all, procedures were important; they were made to make life more ordered, and Obsidian really, really liked order.

"Excellent, good, wonderful.  I'm sure Princess Cadence will just love to hear that."  He took up his pencil and jotted down what looked to be notes... yet it only looked like more scribble.  Finishing, he set down the writing utensil and looked at her again.

His eyes were a sharp teal color; they almost shined, they were so bright.  Totally in opposition to his (mostly) neat and serious appearance.  That mane, though...

"Second question: What are your immediate intentions?  Do you plan to follow in your father's hoofsteps, or are you more interested in something more... modern?"

Intentions?  As in, what she wanted to do right now?  Well, the most obvious answer would be 'wait for my father'... but she had no idea how much time that would take.  In the meantime... she had to do something.  As in, choose it herself.  Without any input from her father, teachers and so on.

Now THAT was something completely new.

Normally tomorrow would be fencing lessons, and after that either etiquette or history.  After that, meditation...

"It's every child's duty to follow their parent's hoofsteps.  I... do not know any modern alternatives," she replied after a moment.  Well, perhaps she did, but it wasn't clear yet as to which ones were viable, and which were not.

Lemon frowned distinctly at her words.

"I... wouldn't recommend that course of action.  Your father was certainly present here a number of years back; when the empire reappeared, he did as well.  The Crystal Heart - not to mention the Element Bearers and Master Spike - valiantly fought against him."

He now gave her a direct look.  "And won."

He made another scribble-note, then looked to her again.

"As for what's available... that's understandable.  We'll be more than happy to do what we can to integrate you into society as smoothly as possible."

His eyes narrowed a bit.  "So long as you behave yourself, of course."

His glare vanished as he went on.  "What skills or assets do you possess?  After all, we can hardly be expected to assist you in rejoining Equestria without knowing where you'll likely fit best, now can we, Obsidian?"

"Princess Obsidian," she corrected him.  As long as he was referring to her as 'you' it was all fine... but her name was to be used only with her title.  It was important to her.  "I was learning fencing, magic, etiquette and several liberal arts.  Custom education for an heir apparent, as far as I know."

Hmm... Crystal Heart, Element Bearers, Spike (whoever that was) - it had taken a lot to take down her father, then?  She had no doubts that his so-called 'defeat' was only short-lived; she merely had to wait until his grand return, and then Equestria will shatter before his might! 

But wait... that meant that HER Crystal Empire was under foreign rule?  Now, that was annoying... and effectively changed her title to 'Princess In Exile', as well.  Humph.

"What happened with my father after this... fight you've mentioned," she asked him eventually.  She peeked at her own cutie mark - a Crystal Heart, surrounded by a Dark Magic aura. 

"Princess," he spoke up, "is a title for those who are royalty... and, according to my records, you no longer are.  So, I hope you'll understand if I don't attach the... 'title'... to your name.  Obsidian."

He didn't seem as if he was amused; he looked as though he were trying to deal with an unruly child, instead of a lovely young princess like herself.

"Your father's fate... hmmmm..."

He pondered for a moment, then said simply, "He was defeated - by the very Crystal Heart you bear on your flank."

After a moment, he added, genuinely, "My sympathies.  He may have been a monster, but losing a parent is no fun."

He then straightened, wrote more notes, then looked back at her again.

"Fencing... not much market, as there hasn't been much call for it since Equestria came to peace.  Etiquette, we have too many teachers for.  Liberal arts... you may have to elaborate, there.  But there's always a use for magic... unless..."

He sighed.  "I assume your father must have bestowed some Dark Magic unto you, else your coat wouldn't look as... shaded... as it is.  Which, of course, Dark Magic is illegal in Equestria.  Consider yourself informed."

He made a number of notes now, and took up two pages doing so.

"Obsidian, DO you want to reintegrate into Equestrian society?  I mean, it's your decision to make... and it's an important one.  You do want to be social, don't you?"

More and more annoying news. As far as Obsidian was concerned she didn't learn anything positive since she woke up. What's worse, she was slowly getting hungry - after all, her last meal was... well, more than thousand years ago.  She could handle it for now, but the growing void in her stomach was irritating her almost as much as this stallion.

"Legal children of royalty are royalty as well, so as long as my honourable father didn't disinherit me, I am royalty.  It's not as if it is a job one can quit," she replied with an utter deadpan look plastered on her muzzle.  It didn't seem as though she was concerned about the news of her parent's (supposed) demise. 

"Liberal arts are septem artes liberales.  Grammar, logics, math, history, geometry, astronomy and the arts... and it doesn't sound as if I have any possible alternatives to reintegration, am I correct?"

She most certainly wasn't used to be asked what she wanted to do.  As far as she was concerned, most of her life consisted of what others were choosing for her - mainly her father, of course.

"Legally, Sombra was seen as a tyrant," Lemon said, "and his royalty status was revoked by court decision, along with Chrysalis and a number of others.  YOU have no kingdom, no subjects, and no palace.  As far as Equestria is concerned, you're just a pampered citizen of a long-gone era.  And I don't have time for foppishness, nor supposed entitlements of dispossessed regality."

He gave her a long look.  "Obsidian."

He was a dead pony.  Ooooh, so much a dead pony!  Not only he was insulting her in many ways, especially not paying the proper respect to her royal status, but he also dared to call her 'pampered'!  She only knew this damnable word from the dictionary; it had no basis in the sort of life she had led.  For the first time since she came here, she showed her irritation, squinting her eyes at the rude stallion.

He cleared his throat again, and after a few more jotted notes, he returned his gaze to her.

"And there are alternatives, of course... I hear 'exile' is fairly popular this season, as is 'statuing' you up, or even just an 'apartment' in Tartarus could be arranged..."

He sighed, shut his eyes, and spoke earnestly.

"You are the child of a mad former monarch, and as such, we have to observe you to be CERTAIN you aren't about to do as your daddy did - a likely reason you were assigned to an Equestrian location rather than falling under the purview of the Crystal Empire.  Therefore, if you do work with us until we're sure you're safe, we can likely talk about other alternatives such as living in other countries, or in solitude if you like..."

"But we can't just let you go, no.  Behave, and we'll talk.  Misbehave, and well..." he shook his head, "we have ways of handling that, as well."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then scribbled another note and looked up.

"Is there possibly a profession you have experience with, or am I to assume you never worked a job before?"

She continued to glare at Lemon as she replied.  "I was supposed to take up some royal duties after reaching adulthood, but nothing like that before this date.  So... no."

He sighed, nodded, jotted another note.

"Of course, you have no job experience.  It would have been FAR too easy if you had, and I keep getting the distinct feeling this assignment is going to be anything but easy."

"Alright, then - we will have to find you a place to live, a job, and possibly enroll you in an appropriate school.  For now, you are allowed to use the Rarity Suite as your bedroom, but I wouldn't get too attached to it; once we find a place for you, we can work with what comes after that."

Wonderful.  Her revenge was going to take a while, apparently, but she had to get to it quick, before they put some sort of burden not fit for a princess on her.  It was bad enough that they were going to put her in this dreadful, terrible room.

"For now, you'll sleep here.  The Map Room, Royal Library and Princess Twilight's personal chambers are all restricted areas, so I'll thank you to stay out of them - they will be labelled as such.  Food can be found either in the dining hall or the kitchen, should you have the ability to cook your own food."

"This suite has a bathroom with a walk-in tub; I'd advise you utilize that as soon as we're done here.  Once I leave, you'll be set up with a liaison to escort you."  He stared at her.  "Don't.  Ditch.  Them.  You don't want to know what sort of thing happens to those who break our trust."

He sat back.  "Do you prefer a mare or a stallion as a liaison?"

"I have no preferences in this matter," she replied truthfully before she realized she heard something very, very interesting. 

She focused properly on the stallion in front of her. "Wait.  Of all places in this castle, I'm restricted from the library?"   She had an almost pleading quality to her voice.... almost.  For her, anyway, it was practically like begging.

He absently nodded.  "Yes, from the library as well - Princess Twilight has a number of magic books ensconced within, and with no clue as to your true intentions, I'm afraid we simply can't risk you learning new tricks.  Prove our trust in you is warranted, and that will change, most likely."

He glanced up at her.  "Seeing a re-occurring theme, here?"

He made a few more notes, stood up and looked her over once more.

"I'll attempt to arrange for some clothing for you - we're not barbarians, after all.  And I'll send a liaison I can trust to keep an eye on you, as well as answer questions you may have, direct you to places you need to go, blah blah blah."

He stood there, looking at her for a moment more with a very steady, serious gaze.

"Any further questions for me, or are you as eager for me to depart as I am?"

She needed to get to the books... any books!  Her knowledge was one thousand years obsolete, and she simply couldn't walk around not knowing anything!  As far as she was concerned, without her father she could just sit in the library as much as she wanted to.  Wouldn't that be a perfect life?  But alas - as a princess, she had her duties - so luxuries like that were outside of her reach. 

Wait... Princess Twilight? Maybe it was Celestia's or Luna's descendant...

"Questions later," she replied shortly.  Now, where was this bathroom..?

Lemon nodded to himself.  "Very well - until we speak again, Obsidian... behave yourself, and these occasions will be few and far between."  With that, he left.

GAH!  The bathroom was just as frou-frou as the bedroom!  Lacy toilet covers, a silver and gold inlay sink basin, and the bathtub itself was carved with more needless scrimshaw.  There was a massive mirror over a marble and oak vanity table, and there were a few bits of makeup within the drawers.  

Too bad they weren't her color.
> Two: Meanie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Who wastes so many resources on a bathroom? 

Whoever created this room had to be insane.  She was missing her Crystal Empire, where nopony would make something as terribly, wastefully opulent as this place was!  Slaves were too poor and too busy to think about it, and her honourable father was too intelligent to waste his precious time. 

Still, she was only interested in bathing - it was almost a luxury, but she was feeling dirty after walking around so much today.  And of any sort of make-up... who cared?  She'd never had any sort of female role model, and it's not like her father would have taught her how to use it.  The bath, at least, was wonderful - the water warm, the tub roomy, and even if the decor wasn't exactly to her liking, it still muffled noise enough to make it a quiet bath as well.

Though the soak was most certainly exquisite, it was only about five minutes in before she heard a knock at the suite door.  The knock was rapid and staccato, like a woodpecker trying to get at a grub.  Worse?  It didn't stop; after about a minute, it was obvious that it wasn't going to stop until there was some sort of response from within.

Worse than that, it was slowly growing louder...

She had wasted FAR too much time here; it should have been a quick bath - get in, clean herself up, get out.  She practically jumped out of the tub, drying herself with one of the frilly towels hanging nearby.

"I'm on my way! Wait a moment!" she shouted, hopeful that it would be enough.  Who was that?  If it was her liaison, then they would already know that she was in here!  As quickly as possible, not even bothering to make anything decent out of her soaking wet mane, Obsidian trotted to the doors to open them.

When she opened them, standing there was an incredibly muscular orange mare, flanked by what had to be the most handsome stallion Obsidian had ever laid eyes on before.

The stallion had a sky blue coat, and large green eyes that shined like emeralds.  His mane was short, neat and plain, and his horn was average sized, but seemed to have an extra-sharp point.  He had muscle, but compact and wiry instead of bulky.

The bulky muscle was on the mare.  Standing nearly two heads taller than the unicorn, she looked more like a bodybuilder than anything - and her coat and hooves bore the telltale signs of being a hard-working sort.  Her amber eyes were about the only visibly soft thing about her.

The unicorn stallion's hoof was the one lifted to the door, still knocking in midair for a moment before he realized what he was doing and put his hoof down, sheepishly.

"Miss Obsidian, ma'am..?"  The strong earth pony mare's drawl was thick, making it sound like she spoke slowly.  "We were told to see to you and yer needs.  So we're here ta do that.  I'm Butter Churn, and this here's-"

"Cupcake Sprinkles!  Nice ta meetcha!"  The unicorn smiled broadly, revealing what appeared to be candy bits stuck between his teeth - just enough to give them a bit of color, but not enough to look disgustingly unkempt.

Churn gave a short chuckle.  "Don't mind him - he's always onna sugar rush, but he's also just as sweet."

Cupcake rolled his eyes with a grin.  "And don't mind her - she's slow but steady, and is as reliable as the day is long!"

They both stood there, waiting for her response.

Wonderful - now they had a numerical advantage! Well, to be fair, they'd had it before as well, especially with the large number of unicorns guarding her, but this time two ponies were talking to her at once.  And talking a lot. 

She was already missing her wonderful Crystal Empire; such a quiet & calm place, where nopony was talking without her father's approval... 

It was strange to think that for her those times were literally hours ago, not a thousand years.

So... these two were servants?  They surely didn't look like liaison officers... or maybe they did?  After all, she had never really seen one before.  However, they were talking about her needs, so they had to be servants... right?

"Are you... liaisons?" she asked eventually, a bit discouraged by their intrusive explosion of speech.

The two of them exchanged a look, then grinned.

"Well, that's YOUR choice, ma'am.  If'n ya want me ta stay fer it, I can.  I was sent to make sure you got what you need," Churn drawled.

"Or you could pick me, and I'd be happy as a pig in mud to talk all about the kingdom, the Mane Six, Ponyville, the various castles... whatever you'd like!  I LOOOOOOOVE to talk!"

Churn rolled her eyes and nodded, but with a smile.

"We're here fer you ta pick from... though I'm purdy sure if you pick one, th' other'll be around, once inna while."

"Yeah!  We're SFOMs!" Cupcake said with enthusiasm.

Churn gave a chuckle.  "He means Siblings From Other Mothers; we're kinda close pals, me an' him."

"Yeah!  But there's always room for more friends!  Like you, for example!  I can hardly wait to see what sort of stuff you come up with as presents for Hearthswarming!"

"Cup," Churn said, "we don't even know if'n she likes us yet - hold yer horses."

One way or another she was going to suffer, Obsidian realized.  The mare was speaking less (but still far too much for her tastes), but she was barely able to understand that thick accent.  On the other hoof, the weird stallion seemed to be very enthusiastic to talk about the world outside, but at the same time he was SO ANNOYING!  She was going to have a headache if he was here for much longer.

But... she had to choose.  If she had to have a servant - no, not a servant, a liaison - then at least both of them looked somewhat qualified.  The first one could provide her with her needs, the second one with information, and considering that she didn't have any access to the library here...

Obviously she didn't like them, but she could at least put one of them to good use.

"My choice, correct?  Then you, methinks," she nodded at Cupcake, with a grim realization that she is going to loathe herself for it... but she needed this knowledge.

The stallion's smile threatened to split his skull in half.  "AWESOME!  I just KNEW you were gonna pick me!  I had this feeling, see?  Like, my right front hoof was itchy, so that meant you had me in mind the entire time!  Crazy-cool, am I right?"

Churn gave a soft chuckle.  "Hope you ain't a fan o' silence, ma'am."

She then turned to Cupcake.  "Alright, Cup - now, don't be drivin' Miss Obsidian nuts with yer river o' words, okay?  She may wanna hear about the world around her an' stuff, but I'm purdy sure she ain't gonna wanna hear it all today, y'understand?"

Cupcake giggled like a schoolfilly.  "Yeah, yeah, yeahyeahyeah!  I know!  I mean, I'll try not to overdo it..." he grinned at Obsidian, "but I got a LOOOOOT to say!"

Obsidian already regretted her choice.

Churn rolled her eyes with a smile, then faced the young nob-... the young EX-noble.

"Ma'am, even though yer choosin' Cup, that don't mean I ain't gonna do nothin' for ya at'all - I'm just not gonna be around as much as Cup will.  He's excitable, but a good pony - y'ain't got nothin' ta worry about with him."

"Oh, stoooooop it!  We'll be just fine, Churn!  You have GOT to lighten up a bit more around company!  After all, if you'd have been a bit more cordial and stuff, YOU would be the one leading her around and telling her stuff she should know!"

The large earth pony lifted an eyebrow at Obsidian.  "Anythin' I can try ta find for ya?  I'm purdy good at findin' stuff, so it might not be as much of a fail as you'd think.  I can work on that while you an' Cup tour the castle... which I'm mighty sure Cup will want."

Alas, she just happened to be a big 'fan' of silence, but she was also a 'fan' of knowledge; in this particular case, it was impossible to get both at the same time, it seemed... so it was the most obvious choice.  But this stallion was really, really loud and obnoxious. She wasn't sure what exactly Butter meant by 'good pony' - quite probably her own meaning for this term was a bit different than Obsidian's.  If a pony was serving well, he was good pony - and that was all. 

A quick flash of suffering passed over Obsidian's muzzle.

"At the moment I only want - and need - books.  My knowledge may be a bit... er... obsolete, and I feel as though I need to correct this problem," she asked patiently of the earth pony mare.  

Churn pondered for a moment.  "Well... I got a few books, I reckon - I can try ta bring 'em by later on today, if'n ya like?"

Just... how old were these two?  They were acting more like children than adults - at least children that had never met noble King Sombra, of course.

"Yeah, sure, okay... just leave them on the doorstep - I'm pretty sure we're gonna be busy today!  Right?"  Cupcake slipped her a wink and a smile; he apparently had plans to be as talkative as possible.

Oh.  Joy.

"Welp... guess I best get back to the farm - you behave yerself now, ya hear me, Cupcake?"

He nodded vigorously, then gave the large mare a quick hug.  "Later on, Cornpone."

She smiled and hugged back.  "You bet yer fur."  She turned to Obsidian and gave a polite nod.  "Ma'am."

With that, the muscular-looking mare stepped quietly out of the room, closing the door behind her.  However, this seemed to be some sort of cue, and Cupcake suddenly leapt into the air and tossed up a hoofful of confetti.

"Yay, new friend is NEW!  Awesome!  So!"

He sat on the edge of the bed, bouncing a bit as he did.  His cutie mark, now that she could see it, was a cupcake, loaded with so many sprinkles there were a few loose ones at the base of the yummy-looking pastry.

"Whatcha wanna know about, Siddy!?  Can I call you Siddy?  I bet I can't, so I shouldn't, but it still sounds SO nifty!  Ha ha HA, listen to me go on!  Okay, so... you say you need information, and I'd be MORE than happy to give you information!  So... whatwhatwhat you wanna knooooowwwww!!!!!"

His enthusiasm threatened to make Obsidian's headache into a migrane.

Perhaps killing him wouldn't be an entirely bad idea.  Everypony might possibly forgive her, or maybe even celebrate it... no, Lemon Custard didn't seem like a pony that could let it slip.  Nope.  She probably wouldn't be allowed to even scratch him.  Too bad; maybe it could help encourage him enough to get him into a more useful state of mind.

"Do you have to behave that way?"  It was obvious that pure, unrestrained enthusiasm was exceedingly rare among Sombra's slaves, and she was beginning to understand why her father preferred to terrorize his servants into obedience.

Cupcake gave her a curious look.  "Wh-what do you mean?  I mean, what way am I behaving?  Is it a way that you find fun and silly, to where you might be wanting to help me throw a 'Welcome Obsidian' party?  OH!  That would be fun!  We could set up decorations, paper lanterns, streamers, balloons..."

He was looking at her as he spoke... which meant, as he listed off the things he suggested for a party, he watched the disapproval and discomfort slowly become more and more evident.  His list petered out, and he lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

"... you... aren't asking because you like the way I'm behaving... are you?"

He looked apprehensive, and perhaps a bit mollified by Obsidian's question.

"You are speaking more words in a single minute than I was normally hearing within a single day," Obsidian responded dryly.  It seemed that her disapproving stare worked and she was, more or less, satisfied.  Hopefully it would make him abandon his threat of a 'Welcome Obsidian party', whatever he may have been planning for that. 

She didn't even want to know what streamers or balloons were.

Cupcake looked... hurt, at first.  But he blinked a bit, then gave a smile.  One that was a bit... smaller... than the last one, but a smile nonetheless.  "Okaaaaaaay, so... I have to... what, speak slowly?  Oh!  Okay, I can do tha- I mean..."

He cleared his throat.  "I... can... do... that... miss... Ob... sid... eee... an."  

Obsidian's list of ponies to kill was growing rapidly.  In the case of this particular stallion, however, killing him would be probably a mercy.  His impaired and addled brain would probably welcome this release from the prison of his body.

It was truly an achievement considering that, up to this single annoying day, her list of ponies to kill was nonexistent.

"Speak less - not slowly.  And not as loudly, either.  Were you trying to shout me into confusion before?"  She was really getting angry... and with Dark Magic illegal, that could possibly be fairly problematic soon enough.

Cupcake looked confused.  "Speak... less?  But not slowly?  And not loud?"  He scratched his mane a bit, then shrugged and sat back on the bed, taking a more relaxed pose and taking a deep breath.

"Okay.  What, then?"

There was a look in his eye... one that said there may possibly be some sort of mischief a-hoof.

Did he finally understand what she was gently and kindly asking for?  Obsidian could barely believe it, but maybe something finally managed to drill its' way into his thick skull.  She even started to calm down, not realizing that there was a puckish look on his muzzle; her social skills weren't quite good enough to notice such a thing.  Truth be told, she didn't really have any social skills to speak of; one has to be social to develop those skills, after all.

"Good.  Much better.  Now, whom is the owner of this castle?"  

"A princess," he said... and nothing else.  But he smiled.

Good enough, she supposed.  "Which princess?"

"The one who lives here."  Still grinning.

Never mind, he was still an idiot.  Obsidian just wasn't sure if he was mocking her, or stupid enough to get into this sort of tautology.

"What is her name?"  Maybe she just had to be more precise...

His smile grew.  "The one she was given."  Now there was a slight light in his eyes; he'd just found a new game.

Obsidian's right eye twitched.  Cupcake gave her a look for a moment, then spoke up.

"Y'know... if you're really, reeeeeally trying to fit into the world around you, it probably isn't such a good idea to be so pushy about what others say to you.  I mean, if you're gonna learn about someone, then it isn't a good idea to, like, stifle them."

He gave a stretch.  "I mean, I didn't just blurt out, 'why are you so angry' at you, did I?  That's called 'tact', and it's a pretty useful thing to have.  Like, if you'd have just said, 'can you please slow down?', then I would be FAR more likely to cooperate."

He leaned up and put his muzzle right in front of hers.  "Or, be not-so-nice, and get a runaround like you got just now.  I'm a good pone... but I don't think I have to stand for being disrespected, and I won't."

He stood up.  "Now, we wanna start over, with me not-so-rapid-fire, and you not so grumpy?"

Maybe that option of exile into Tartarus or turning into a statue wasn't so bad.  This world was filled with crazy ponies, doing crazy things, and without any respect for their betters!  She had only just learned that her whole world is gone as well as her father (temporarily, of course), and she already had enough of everything.

What's worse, she was getting angry, and that was most certainly a very bad thing; her most honourable father had punished her more than once for not controlling her emotions... and yet here she was, doing it again.

Obsidian sighed deeply, closed her eyes and counted to ten.  Didn't help too terribly much, but it was better than nothing at all.

"Grumpy?  I'm as calm as possible, all things considered!"  She was really doing her best to say it as calmly as she could, but this stallion had struck a nerve inside her.

The stallion shook his head and sighed.  "Okay.  Keep telling yourself that.  But my right ear itches, and that means that you're pretty peeved right now.  Plus, the eye twitch gave it away."

He spread his forehooves wide.  "Why are you so angry?  I mean, you're getting all worked up because I talk a lot?  Siddy, if you think I'M bad, you'll never make it out there," he pointed out the window, "because there are so many chatty pones in Ponyville alone who'd gab your ears off... 'specially my mom.  She's the bestest, but..."

He glanced around conspiratorially before whispering to her.  "... where do you think I got it from?"

Well, at least he started telling something useful.  Ponyville...  and avoid his mother like the plague.  Maybe it wasn't too much, but it was still more informative than literally anything he told her before.

"But yeah," he sat back down, gesturing to her, "you obviously have some sort of issues going on in your noggin.  Stuff that's bugging you, hardcore."  He gave her a gentle, careful smile.  "Care to talk about it?"

"Let's start with the most obvious:  My father is, apparently, dead, my home is not my home anymore, and I've slept through the last thousand years.  Oh, and I was informed that I'm not considered royalty anymore, as well..."  

Maybe her voice was a bit more bitter than before, but she didn't exactly care right now.

Cupcake sat back a bit, eyes widening.  "WHOA... that's some harsh juju, right there.  No wonder you're all Funk Punk and stuff - that... well that sounds like it's absolutely NO fun at all."

His green eyes were almost electric, they were so bright as he looked at her with sympathy - not pity, but actual empathy.

But just what was this 'funk punk'?  This stallion was speaking strange and alien in more ways than one - did language change that much?  But it seemed that he, at last, understood that his behavior was annoying her.

"Okay, so you're dealing with a LOOOOOT right now.  So, I guess the best way to start getting you back to being yourself would be for me to ask the questions for a bitty-bit, and we can try to at least help you get through what's happened."

Before, he looked like a giddy idiot, with his smile and his constant talking and moving around... but now, he was calm and collected, and though he still spoke a good bit, his voice was softer, more conversational than the blaring party pony he'd been mere moments ago.

"Right, so," he began, "would it be okay if I asked you what your father was like?"

"He was the wisest and the strongest pony I've ever known."  She spoke proudly.  "Stern, just and powerful.  His lessons were valuable beyond gold and diamonds..."  If he was asking for questions, there was no point in silence; she turned her head a bit to the side, observing him carefully. "Exactly how old are you?"

"Me?"  He made a show of counting, making little symbols in the air as he tried to figure it out.  "... carry the two... I'd saaaaaaaaaaay... nineteen summers.  Yeah, that's about right, because that's how many birthday parties I've had.  Easy to keep track THAT way, especially when Mom makes them so special!"

Birthday parties?  Obsidian was somewhat familiar with this idea, but as far as she was concerned it was a complete and utter waste of time.  A perfect entertainment for lesser ponies, though; it's not like they were able to make any other joy in their miserable lives, except for the enjoyment of service, that is.

Still... this stallion was three years older than her, but was behaving far, far less maturely.  She wasn't sure what to think about that - was it a norm here?  

Now, she wasn't sure if he had some hidden goal in his question... or maybe he was just talking.  It would be quite easy to just write him off as an irritating idiot, but that pony that brought her there wouldn't possibly choose somepony stupid to take care of her, right?

He pondered her earlier words for a moment before he spoke again.  "I'd always heard about how Sombra was a mean, vicious stallion with a heart of stone and a tendency to enslave ponies.  That... doesn't exactly appeal to me much.  But YOUR description does!  I like YOUR Sombra better than THEIR Sombra."

"Oh, but of course he was vicious, with a heart of stone and of course he was enslaving ponies. I'm not sure about 'mean' part, especially as you were quite mean just a moment before..."

"Whaaaaaaaaa..?"  Cupcake's eyes went wide, and he looked positively shocked.

"I wasn't MEAN!  How was I MEAN?  I was never MEAN!  Okay, so I talk a bunch and I'm energetic and stuff - and I get that you don't like that, yeah..."

Suddenly, he leveled a stare at her.  A hard one.

"... but you aren't the boss of me.  Or anyone else.  And if you want to make friends and live here in Equestria, I'd really thank you if you took that STICK out of your BUTT and started acting like someone who was raised royally, instead of a whiny, angst-ridden debutante who would just be another tyrant, given half a chance!"

He glared.  "If you reeeeeeally want mean, I'm no stranger to it - but I don't like being mean.  So, if I'm going to have ANY chance to help you, then you need to stop with the I'm-better-than-you-all attitude and act like you were raised with some sort of manners, instead of just rattling on about 'oh, woe is me' and all but demanding I act different, just for little ol' YOU."

He gave a huff.  "I'm supposed to HELP you... not babysit a spoiled brat.  Understood?"

Well, THIS was certainly a change in attitude!

"Now..." he smoothed back his mane (which popped right back up) and gave a long, drawn-out sigh while extending a hoof; it almost seemed like a personal meditation pose.

"... let's go back to the part before all the hullabaloo, okie dokie lokie?  I'd rather be fun than angry, after all."

Now that was a lot of words.  Once again Obsidian had to remind herself that she was dealing with a simpleton, that couldn't realize a value of a brief speech and was wasting far too much air...

And that he was offending her.  Maybe she should try to get down to his level. 

"Ah, I understand... so you are treating me in a similar fashion as you would like to be treated if you woke up surrounded by armed ponies in a strange, alien world and then find out that your father is dead?"

Wait, maybe this sarcasm would be too much for him to comprehend.  Of all ponies, maybe he would enjoy getting such treatment in a similar situation?  From what she could tell, it was quite possible that he would dance on her grave and walk around telling jokes about her cold, dead body, had he the chance...

She was actually getting rather angry - too many things in too short of a time.  Not good.

"So yes, woe is me.  Maybe you would enjoy losing everything and finding out that the world outside... it... well, I don't know, banned birthday parties or set up a daily limit for spoken words... but I do NOT consider myself to be in any sort of a comfortable situation - and DO excuse me if I'm not too keen to enjoy your antics, you... you..."

Brain-dead, useless, conceited simpleton...






"... meanie!"


Really?   REALLY!?  If that was the best she could come up with in her rage, then she just embarrassed herself. 

However, she was trying to calm down - shouting profanities at this scatterbrain wouldn't help her current situation.  Her entire body was shaking ever so slightly; most honourable King Sombra would be furious to see her behaving in such a manner!

At the word 'meanie', Cupcake's expression dropped like a slippery plate.

"M... M-m-m... M-m-meanie?"  He sounded incredulous, like he'd just been slapped in the muzzle by his own mother. 
"I'm n-not... I mean... i-i-it..."

Tears forming in his eyes, Cupcake jumped up and hit the door running, taking off down the hallway at a breakneck pace, heading away from Obsidian as fast as he could.

Huh, well that was unexpected.  

Truth be told, it was the last reaction she would expect from an adult (barely, though) stallion.  Were all future ponies that spoiled and pampered?  And worse, she still didn't know anything.  What a shame.  The pony had been talking too much, but actually saying too little - at least she knew how to deal with this... obstacle... for future reference.

Unfortunately, it meant she had to wait for the other one to get any more basic info... and that assuming she wouldn't behave in a similar manner.  After all, if she could get so angry that this simpleton ran away crying... well, that wouldn't be pleasant.  So, for now, she decided to simply wait; she couldn't sneak away without her liaison, that's what the pony with the ridiculous mane had told her.  A shame.

But NOW what?

The answer to that question came in the form of a voice making its' way down the hall, towards the Rarity Suite.  A mare, the voice low and almost sultry, was speaking to someone, though there was no return talking to tell.

"... with me just standin' there, can you believe it?  I mean, if you're gonna to insult someone, you should at least have the common courtesy to wait 'til they leave the room!  Just because they don't understand doesn't mean they can just say whatever they want!"

"Mmm-hmmm."  There was another voice - a stallion, from the sound of it.

"I mean, there IS such a thing as tact, y'know - something a LOT of ponies would do well to keep in mind; the way they act sometimes... you'd think they were raised in a friggin' BARN!  Don't they have any shame?  Decency?  Sense of friggin' decorum?"

"Eh."

"What... do you think I'm overdoing it a bit?  After all, they were talking about me, and ANY publicity is good publicity, right?  I mean, my name is being spread around, but... do I want it to be lumped in with the words of those three?"

"Mmm-mmm."

"Exactly!  They're just jealous, I guess - I mean, not everypony can look this good, can they?"

"Uh-uh."

The conversation drew closer and closer.

She heard those voices, loud and clear.  Only then she realized that she should've closed the doors after Cupcake's tearful escape.  Now, she just had to wait for those two ponies to walk away.
> Three: Liaisons 'R' Us
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The voices and hoofsteps stopped outside her doorway.

"The Rarity Suite's open?  When did THAT happen?  Usually, they only open it for foreign dignitaries and VIPs... and it's never just left sitting open like this!  Ooooh, maybe there's a burglar!  Oh, I really hope so!  You got my flank, Mica?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Great!  Awesome!  Now, brace yourself - I'm going IN!"

The mare came flying through the doorway to land almost dead-center in the middle of the floor, her hooves raised in a martial-arts style defensive position.

"Nobody move!  Thunderclap Dash is HERE!"

The pegasus mare was undeniably athletic - she had muscles to spare, and stood almost a head taller than Butter Churn had been.  She had a deep blue coat with a bright yellow mane and tail, both of which became rainbow-colored right before they reached their roots.  She also looked dressed to the nines, so to speak, and was wearing fashionable workout clothing.  Her cutie mark was what appeared to be a sports thermos with a tri-colored lightning bolt on the label.

The stallion simply stepped inside and gave Obsidian a deadpan look.  He had a grey coat, with a light brown short-cropped mane and braided tail.  He looked utterly dull, especially with Thunderclap standing right next to him.  However, he was handsome in a bookish manner, and he certainly didn't waste words, either.  His cutie mark was what looked like a pickaxe with a golden handle.

"Mica Chip, what the heck are you doing?"

"Observing."  The first actual word he'd spoken yet.  He merely leveled a look at her as Thunderclap stood down.  The massive mare seemed to relax a bit and sat on one of the opulent cushioned benches, looking at Obsidian with a bit of wonder and a touch of wariness.

"Unicorn... definitely don't look like some crook... and no burglary tools.  Hmmp.  Well, there goes my 'incredible capture', I guess..."  The mare seemed crestfallen at the realization there wasn't about to be any fighting.

The stallion rolled his eyes, then looked at Obsidian.  "Hey.  You lost?"

Ah, finally a pony that wasn't flapping his tongue around!  It was somewhat annoying that these two barged in without asking, but this mare sounded as if she was a guardian - if Lemon Custard hadn't told everypony in this place about her, then it wasn't surprising that some ponies could act with such a suspicious nature.

"No.  Lemon Custard told me to use this room as bedroom for now and my last guest... ah, forgot to close the doors as he left."

The mare gave a chuckle as Lemon's name was mentioned.  "So Custard has a new project, eh?  HA!"  She gave a short bark of a laugh.  "He's suspicious of EVERYPONY, don't worry - not at all like his brother, Cupcake.  Lemon'll give you the creeps for a bit, but s'long as you're okay, then you've got nothin' to worry about!"

Now wait a second... brother?  Cupcake?  The egocentric idiot was Lemon's brother?  Now it sounded somewhat bad; Obsidian doubted that their family was similar to hers, so if the moron decided to complain, then Lemon probably wouldn't laugh it off and order him to get a spine.

She looked at the newcomers.  Hmmmm... for guards, they didn't seem to be armed.  "So... who might you be?" she asked as she tried to solve this issue in a more diplomatic manner.

The stallion nodded his head and addressed Obsidian.  "Mica.  Clap already introduced herself, so... yeah."

Thunderclap flexed some of her muscles, then struck a pose.  "Hey, a rock hard body like this needs no introduction!"  She flexed a bit more, murmuring 'awwww, yeah' as she stared into the mirror across from the bed.

Mica came closer, looking her over... especially her horn.  "And who're you, all set up in the Rarity Suite?"

"Princess Obsidian. I was arrested... or kidnapped; I'm still somewhat confused about my current situation."  Nope, surely they were not guards.  Of course, this pegasus mare seemed to be big and strong enough to handle any burglar she encountered... but did she have the right to do so?  

"Do you work here, or perhaps this is where you live?" she tried to guess.

"Princess?"  Thunderclap said in shock.  "Wait a minute - nopony said there'd be any Princesses visiting today!  WOW!  Totes awes!"

The muscular mare sat down on the extravagant couch, looking out-of-place among the finery with her rough-looking nature.  "Mom didn't tell me there'd be Princesses!"

Mica rolled his eyes.  "Probably because you'd act all starstruck, Clap."

He then turned to face her again.  "Princess?  Of what kindgom?"

Hmmm, they didn't answer her question.  How rude.

"I'm a daughter of the honourable King Sombra, of the Crystal Empire.  The only heir... as far as I'm aware," she admitted with some hesitation.  For most of time Obsidian was stuck in her rooms in the palace, so she could only hope that she didn't have any siblings in a similar situation.  Her father wasn't exactly a 'family pony', but if he had her, then he could possibly have had more children as well... 

"However, I was told that a lot changed since my most honourable father decided to hide me underground... a thousand years ago."

Both of them stood there for a moment, silent and unblinking.  Then...

"Weeeeeelllllllll, this has been interesting, good meeting you and all, let's not keep you busy, come on Mica, we gotta go now..."

The strong-looking mare was making her way toward the door, making sure not to break eye contact with Obsidian as she made her way towards leaving.

"No."

Thunderclap froze.  "Uh, Mica?  You DID hear what she said, right?"

Mica looked at his friend.  "I heard her.  No."

Thunderclap gave a look as though she were trying to stop herself from yelling at him about what a dunce he was being... but Mica just turned back to face Obsidian again.  "I'd rather stay.  She seems okay."

"SHE'S SOM-..."  she glanced around furtively as she lowered her voice to a whisper.  "... she's Sombra's daughter, Mica!"

"... and?"

Thunderclap sputtered a bit at that, but Mica pressed on.

"Has she done anything bad since we got here?"

"Mmmmmmmm... n-no, not really, BUT-"

"... conjured any Dark Magic?"

"N-not really, BUT MICA-"

"Threatened your life?"

Thunderclap sighed and threw up her hooves.  "Fine, FINE!  Point MADE!  All RIGHT!"  She made her way back into the room and returned to the couch... though she was now a bit more... alert.  Prepared.  Apprehensive.

Mica, however, simply went on as if Obsidian had said she was a baker or a dentist.  "To answer your question, we have family that comes here.  Thunderclap's mother and my auntie show up here; we're not guards."

Well, well, well... so it seemed that ponies were still afraid of her father?  It seemed that even if he was really 'defeated', he was still considered dangerous.  It was quite a soothing realization for Obsidian, as she was starting to fear that nopony would treat her with any respect in this accursed place.

"This castle seems to be quite... lively.  Quite a few ponies showing up and so on; is this normal?"

After all, her father's palace was a little bit less popular and nopony really wanted to visit it. Granted, some ponies were forced to do so, but none of them were ever happy about it.

"Yes, it is."  Mica answered.

"Yeah," Thunderclap continued, "lots of pones make the rounds here, especially when Princess Twilight's about - plus, like, GREAT hangout, too!  Lots of room here... not like at the Friendship Academy."  She rolled her eyes.

"Still," Mica said, "lots of active ponies here.  Especially in the library."

And yet she was forbidden to go to the library.  Of all ponies, she wasn't allowed to check out the books of the local ruler!  What a terrible shame.

... Wait, what?  What in Tartarus did the mare say?

"... what's a... Friendship Academy?"  Obsidian didn't have too much experience with schools and academies, but it sounded somewhat suspicious...

Well, at least those two already told her more than the moron before, despite saying less than one-tenth of the words he used.

Thunderclap sighed and began speaking as if she were repeating something by rote... and was utterly tired of hearing it.

"...groan ... Equestria's Friendship Academy is a place of learning and discovery... about how friendships are formed, as well as a standard curricular of advanced learning for those who have graduated from regular elementary school... we have fun learning, as we learn to have fuuuuuuuuuun..."

The last word was apparently meant to be said enthusiastically, but Thunderclap seemed anything but excited about it. 
"Basically, it's more classes - yawnfest."  To illustrate, she gave a large, loud yawn and stretch.

Mica simply shook his head.  "Clap doesn't like school; I do.  It's pretty much what she said.  Ponies learning more about both education and friendship."

That sounded completely, utterly ridiculous and absurd; did future ponies really make an academy dedicated to basically teaching young minds how to waste time?  Why would anypony be learning about friendship?

Was that something that only the commoners were learning?

Thunderclap then gave a small smile, "Heyyyyy... wait.  You sayin' you're interested in going?"

Mica, with a curious look on his muzzle, raised an eyebrow at Obsidian.  "Are you?"

"I... don't know.  I don't know of any other alternatives yet, or even if it would be possible.  As far as I am aware at the moment, I'm not even supposed to leave this very room without my liaison - so for the time being, any enrollment to a school would be somewhat... difficult."

"Oh, if you're a lost princess with nowhere else to go, with the family history YOU got, I'm pretty sure they're gonna MAKE you go there!"  Thunderclap shrugged.

Mica sighed, then nodded.  "Yeah.  Probably.  But it's not so bad."

Another groan and eyeroll combo from the muscular mare.  "Says YOU, Egghead."

Mica didn't flinch.  "That's right, Musclebrain."

Thunderclap looked a bit angry at first... but her stare dissolved into laughter as she clapped Mica on the back.  "Yeah, yeah, yeah... so maybe it won't be that bad, sure - but if you're anything like me," she smiled smugly, "then you don't really need it."

Mica slowly, sadly shook his head.  "Better to be smart; easier to keep up with in old age."

Thunderclap just gave him a skeptical look, then tousled his mane.  "You're a RIOT, Mica!"

Unflinching, he said, "I know; I get it from my Mom."  He turned back to Obsidian.  "A liaison?  Maybe we would count?"

"Hey, yeah," the mare chimed in as it dawned on her, "WE could be your lee-... liayz-... lee-... your guards!"

They would make her go to the 'Friendship Academy'?  Granted, the thought of attending a real academy sounded good - but friendship sounded wholly ridiculous.  However, with the utter lack of any other ideas about her options, it was as good as any other goal in her life.  She couldn't just waste her time waiting for the inevitable return of her most honourable father, could she?

"I'm not sure if Lemon Custard would approve of it.  Besides, I'm waiting for Butter Churn, as I've asked her for some books from the library."  Eh, why these ponies forbid her from going there?  They could just forbid her from taking books about magic and so on - it would work just as well.

"Butter Churn!"  Thunderclap smiled broadly.  "If she said she was comin' back, then she is - that one is as honest as her mom, but stronger!"

"Well," Mica pondered, "we could wait with you, if you want."

"Or we could just cut out the middle-mare and take you to the library ourselves!"  Clap's grin doubled in size.  "Wouldn't be a problem; we could just say we were acting as a leeay-... uh, guards... and if there's any trouble, I'd be happy to take the blame!"

Mica lifted an eyebrow.  Clap actively ignored him.

"Besides, it's gotta be BOOOORRRRRR-ing, sitting here with nothing to do; you look like you need some adventure!"

Mica shrugged.  "I guess we could - if you want.  Maybe we'd meet Churn on the way."  Clap laughed and gave Mica another swat on the back; he seemed unfazed, as if she did this a lot.

So everypony knew each other here, hmm?  Perhaps there weren't too many servants... or it was just a coincidence. 
Oh, and everypony was FAR too enthusiastic for her tastes.  It seemed as if it would be quite easy to manipulate them into doing things for her... but, on the other hoof, it was also somewhat irritating... but hopefully nopony would be as bad as Cupcake.

"I'm not allowed into the library," she said.  That should explain everything - nopony would insist on taking her to the place that was forbidden to her, right?  And... boring?  Boredom was a sign of weak minds; it was becoming more and more obvious that Clap wasn't exactly the brightest pony around, but she shouldn't practically brag about it!

"Allowed, shmallowed!  You'd be under MY watch, and no one would have a thing to worry about!"

"... plus, Lemon isn't really in charge here - he just thinks he is," Mica added with a nod.  "He has some authority... but I'm pretty sure Aunt Twilight wouldn't approve of just shutting you into a room like this."

"See?  There!  We'd be poor friends if we just let you waste away here for nothing!  I say we forget Custard and take Siddy here to the Egghead Emporium!"

"Don't call her 'Siddy'; she's a princess, remember?"

"And?"  Clap tilted her head a bit.  "Friends give each other nicknames, right?  So, if we're gonna be her first friends, then we gotta do stuff like that!  Mom says nicknames are a sign of friendship!"

"... or a lack of couth," Mica muttered, sotto voce, to Obsidian.

"So, whatcha say?  Are we headed to the library now?  I mean, I don't care for it, but that hardly means anyone else doesn't.  Wait..."  Clap stepped closer and examined Obsidian from mane to hooves.






"... you're not The Princess of Eggheads, are you?"


Mica facehoofed, sighed, then remarked, "Probably not."  Then, facing Obsidian again, "So.  We going?"

So Lemon wasn't as important as he was trying to appear to be, eh?  It was an important lesson; Obsidian had witnessed it once or twice - servants trying to use the little power they've got from her most honourable father to improve their lives or boss around other servants. 

That never lasted too long...

And who was this 'Siddy'?  What's a 'nickname'?  Who was 'aunt Twilight'?  Surely, they weren't talking about the local princess, right?

"... no, I'm the princess of the Crystal Empire.  In this case I think I can... risk..." she said this word with a great dose of hesitation, "... going to the Academy.  Not to the library, as it was explicitly forbidden.  Also... is this 'Aunt Twilight' you are talking about the local princess?  And who is Siddy?"

Being Sombra's daughter she didn't know too much about the existence of nicknames. And she certainly would never think that anypony would try to give one to her.

Clap and Mica both stared at her for a moment.  Then, slowly, Mica turned to his companion and spoke softly.

"That's... somewhat sad."

"You don't know what a nickname is?  What, did you live under a rock your whole-"

"No - she was Sombra's daughter," Mica cut Clap off before she said something else stupid.  The words, once there, hung in the air for a moment, nopony saying a word.

"Nicknames," Mica cut the silence, "are a form of familiarization between friends; it's something friends call each other, rather than using their full name, over and over again."

"Yeah, like me - Mica calls me Clap, because we're friends and I kinda like it.  And it's sometimes - but not always - something to do with the proper name, so... instead of Obsidian, I figure you could go by Siddy!  Pretty cool, right?"

Mica sighed, then turned to face the princess.  "And yes, Aunt Twilight is the Princess of Friendship here in Equestria.  She governs along with her council-"

"Which my mom's a part of!"  Clap interrupted.

Mica just nodded, his muzzle remaining expressionless as always.  "Right.  Each one holds a title of 'Element Bearer', but the only one who ascended to alicornhood was Aunt Twilight."

"Or Twily, as Shining Armor calls her!"  Clap added with a grin.

Oh... so 'Clap' was not just a shortened version of 'Thunderclap', it was an entire nickname?

"Siddy sounds like 'seedy',"  she noticed.  It wasn't a protest, or taking offense or anything like that - she just noticed it and wanted to bring it to their attention. 

Ascended to alicornhood... Shining Armor... who was that pony? 

"... does it mean you are royalty too?  Is this Shining Armor princess Twilight's husband?"  She tried to guess. 

Everything - literally everything - would be far, far easier if she could just lock herself in the library for a few hours, but noooooo... they had to forbid it, so she had to ask about everything.  Her distinct lack of knowledge was humiliating...

Clap burst into peals of loud, hearty laughter.  "NO!  EWW!  Shiny is Twily's brother!"

"She didn't know that," Mica tried to explain, but Clap was so amused at the thought that she continued to laugh aloud.

Obsidian shot Clap a glare; not knowing something was bad enough - being laughed at by anypony from a lower class than her was even worse (of course it meant that the only pony who could laugh at her was her most honourable father). 

With a roll of his eyes, Mica went on, "Technically, I suppose Rainbow Dash and the other council members would be more considered..." he eyeballed Obsidian for a moment, "... barons, so to speak.  If that analogy works for you.  So, no - she's not a princess.  And my aunt Pinkie is on the council, but my mother - Maud - is not.  She is Pinkie's sister, however, so that makes us cousins."

Clap paused from her gigglefest to think over what else 'Siddy' had said.  When she realized the comment about the nickname, she spoke up.

"Sounds like 'seedy'?  No, not Seedy - that's rude!  I said Siddy!"

Sighing, Mica returned to his conversation.  "So, no - not royalty.  In fact, there is a princess at the Academy; her name is-"

"Awwwwww, not Hurry Fart!"  Clap groaned and made a show of rolling her eyes exaggeratedly.

Mica made a small, almost chuckle-like sound before saying, "... yes.  Princess Flurry Heart."  He slid his gaze sideways toward Obsidian.  "Of the Crystal Empire."

Internal politics of the Equestrian Nation probably weren't too complicated, but the mere fact that Obsidian wasn't allowed to just calmly read about it was annoying.  She would pretty much prefer to just, well, read all about this council, princesses, their family trees and so on - and only then have a small-talk with these ponies, being on an equal footing.  Right now, she was only making a fool of herself!

"... I assume 'Hurry Fart' is another nickname. It doesn't sound too friendly, however."  Princess... with all princesses around did it mean she was a ruler of the Crystal Empire? Or perhaps she was a daughter of the new queen?

"Oh, Celestia," Clap groaned, "you have no idea how much of a brat she is!  Always dressed to the nines-"

"Like top-of-the-line gym clothing?"  Mica cut in, pointedly staring at Clap's highly fashionable sportswear.

"... and how she's always trying to be the center of attention and stuff!"  Clap continued.

"Sounds familiar," Mica added, looking at the boisterous and loud Thunderclap.

"... and she just seems to think she's got the whole of Equestria under her hoof!"  Clap ended with a huff.  "I mean, yeah, her mom's in charge, whoop-de-doo, but really, she's SO... STUCK... UP!"

"Technically," Mica said, "she does stand to rule the Crystal Empire when she's old enough.  But that's hardly all of Equestria.  And no, she isn't all that spolied - you two just don't like each other."

Clap bristled a bit, then breathed a sigh and relaxed visibly, as if trying not to show how it got to her.  "Well, we can agree to disagree, Chippie."

"And yes," Mica turned to Obsidian again, "sometimes nicknames can be purposefully hurtful - like, for instance, 'Chippie'," he glanced at Clap, only to have her smile and tousle his mane a bit.

"Yeah, sure, okay... but I mean Siddy as a GOOD thing, Siddy!"

She might not have been bright, but Thunderclap seemed truly sincere; she meant no harm to Obsidian - she was merely familiarizing herself.

So some ponies didn't like this 'princess' and she seemed to be... rather decadent?  It was terrible that such a lowly creature was under the impression that she would rule anything!  Luckily, Obsidian wasn't planning to just leave it that way.

Crystal ponies will be glad to learn that their true rulers have returned.

"... I will keep it all in mind.  And, perhaps, we could at least leave a note for Churn, if we are going to this whole Academy."

Mica nodded.  "I can leave a note."

"Yeah, hey!" Clap smiled enthusiastically, "Why not show Siddy the Academy!  I mean, it's not that far from here, and since classes are over for the day, it'd just be us and whoever's still doing club-type-stuff!  C'mon, you two!  Let's DASH!"

Mica shook his head bemusedly, then took a sheet of paper and a pen from his small satchel and began to write.  Meanwhile, Clap trotted out the door, then came back and said, "Come oooooooonnnnnnn, Mica!  Churn doesn't need a whole BOOK!"

Mica finished, then set the letter down on the bed where it could be seen easily, and turned to the door.  He then made a sweeping motion with a hoof.  "After you, princess - ladies first."

"Race ya!"  And, with that, Clap was off like a shot, flying exceedingly fast towards the front hall, presumably to beat them outside.  Mica simply looked after her, then turned to face Obsidian.

"Now that my loud companion is elsewhere, maybe we can talk."  He now gave the tiniest of grins; it had the effect of making his whole muzzle light up, as it was the first time she'd seen him with any facial expression whatsoever.

"Is there anything else you want to know about, or would you prefer companionable silence for the trip - because I'm certain there will not be much of it left when we finally catch up to Thunderclap."
> Four: Additions & Sweet Treats
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

So the easiest way to get rid of Thunderclap was proposing a race and then ignoring it?  Good to know.  With that thought she left the suite.  

"I want to know about... everything.  But I suppose that's a bit too much for a short discussion, I'm afraid.  However, could you remind me how old are you two...?"  She wasn't sure if they told her in first place, though.  Had they?  She was still reeling a bit from Cupcake's display earlier, so she wasn't exactly certain if she'd asked at all.

Mica nodded, his smile slipping back into his neutral expression.

"Thunderclap is fifteen summers, going on five," he shook his head, "and I am just recently of seventeen summers, myself.  For all her bravado and brashness, I do hope you don't see Clap too unkindly; she's loud and somewhat arrogant, but I promise you, if you're ever in trouble, she will most likely be the first one to stand up for you."

He sighed again.  "Her first impressions may be... less than stellar... but she has heart where it counts."  He then cocked his head a bit.  "So, since we're relaying information... may I ask how many summers you've seen?"  He gave a slight shrug.  "Apart from the 'frozen-in-time' moments, that is?"

After meeting Cupcake, Obsidian wasn't going to dislike Clap... too much.  It wasn't her fault she was born a simpleton, even if her mother was a member of lesser nobility.  She didn't say that aloud, though.

"Sixteen... at least as far as I am aware of," she admitted with some hesitation.

Mica nodded.  "I guessed you were about the same age as we were.  I'm glad to hear it - there's always room for more friends around here.  If you're actually interested in friendship; with your particular background, I wouldn't be surprised if you said you didn't have any interest in it at all."

He nodded.  "I would be disappointed if you didn't want me as your friend... but I would respect your decision."

Friends, friendship, friendly... unfortunately for Mica, Obsidian had heard this particular word today more times than during her entire life before.  What was the meaning of that?  The purpose?  How could anypony be interested in friendship?  Probably, these commoners had their mysterious, lowly reasons, but as a princess Obsidian had to see the world in more... precise ways.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't even know what's so alluring in this 'friendship' you are talking about.  And truly, even if I could understand it, the current circumstances would be probably inadequate for discussing it". 

It wasn't 'no'.  It wasn't 'yes'.  At best, it was a 'maybe'.

Mica lifted an eyebrow.  "I suppose the most succinct answer I can give you is that friendship is its' own reward.  Clap and I have been friends for quite some time, and though she may be... challenging to deal with at times, she's still worth knowing."

He didn't look as though he was trying to instruct or belittle her words; he seemed to be making an earnest attempt to give Obsidian an idea of what the subject was about.

"Friends... tend to be concerned for your welfare, and can ally with you against trouble.  They can help you solve problems.  Plus, honestly?  It does feel good not to be alone.  And I should know - I was... highly studious, shall we say?  And I spent my time pouring myself into learning, barely coming out of my room or the library."

Mica now gave a tiny smirk.  "Thunderclap changed that for me.  She discovered me by accident, then seemed to be determined to annoy me constantly until I came outside to join her in playing games.  For fun."

"At first, it was slow going, and I really didn't want to make time for this... foolishness either.  But she was persistent, and eventually I decided to humour her one time, just to get her to leave me alone."

Lost in thought, a full smile spread across his features - and he seemed to enjoy it.

"The problem was... I had fun.  I actually ended up being quite entertained by not only the games we played, but by Clap's shenanigans also.  She made me laugh - out loud - and I discovered I had more enjoyment when I was around her than when I went back to my studies."

"I began looking forward to her visits, and soon I found myself going to visit her.  We became good friends, and I truly have her to thank for helping to bring me out of my proverbial shell."

He sighed, the smile melting away as he looked at Obsidian again.

"But I had to come to that conclusion myself - and not everypony, or anyONE, will have the same feelings and experiences as I did.  As I said, I'd understand if you wanted nothing to do with the concept of friends..."

He looked to the distance.  "But I will say you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't try it at all, Obsidian.  Just food for thought."

It left Obsidian a bit distressed, though not for any 'friendship' or 'fun' reasons.  "What for thought? I don't have any food..."

Mica reached back into his satchel and brought out a shiny red apple.  Holding it out to her, he simply sighed.  "You'll figure it out for yourself, I'm certain.  Just keep an open mind."

And so, he had food.  It made everything even less understandable than before!

"No, I don't need any food.  You just said... nevermind."  She looked forward, to see how far they were from the main hall. "Let's advance; I think your friend may be already at the academy, considering her speed."

The academy itself was... opulent.  It looked as though it would be the college of royalty alone... yet there were so many others here.  And not just ponies, either!

Griffons, hippogriffs, changelings, yaks... even dragons!... were all here, milling about, or headed to classes, or even just chatting in groups.  There were beings everywhere!

What were these creatures?  Some of them looked familiar - but most of them didn't.  Were they even discovered by ponies during her sleep?  Or perhaps she just never got her education up to where she would learn about them?  She wondered if her illustrious father had this knowledge.

Was it possible to gather so many creatures in a single building?  None of them were wearing slave collars!  While it was obvious that this world of future was different, she still had trouble understanding how much different it was.  It was making her a tiny bit anxious - and, though she didn't realize it, she was trying subconsciously to walk closer to Mica.  It also took some effort on her side to walk upright. 

She had never seen so many creatures so closely.

At the front doors, there stood Thunderclap... along with two others.  One was a tall, lanky-looking and dog-like biped, and the other was a rather short unicorn mare who appeared to have a scowl on her muzzle.  When Obsidian approached, Clap rolled her eyes and groaned.  "You two didn't even try, did you!?  I mean, I know I'm GOOD... but it's no fun when you give up before I can win!"

Mica gave Clap a glance.  "But this way, you're still the best, yes?"

"Doesn't mean much when you're the only one competing," Clap grumbled.

The scowling mare's eyes flicked between Mica and Obsidian before she spoke.  "Is this who you were talking about, Thunderclap?"

The large pegasus nodded.  "Yeah, that's Siddy - she's all royal and stuff, so be nice."

"Royalty?"  The mare gave Clap a skeptical look, but turned to face Obsidian.  "How?  What's your lineage?"

The little mare could have passed for a filly... save for those eyes, which were intent and mature.  She had a grey-colored coat, and a stark white mane and tail that was trim and short.  Her cutie mark was a pair of longswords crossed behind a tower shield; fitting, as she looked as though she might be somewhat combative.

The dog, a male, simply gave a sheepish, shy wave.  Was this bipedal creature next to her sentient? Just what was it?  Obsidian was starting to regret leaving her room... oh, and how wonderful; it seemed that Clap was already spreading rumors about her.

"I'm the daughter of the illustrious and honourable King Sombra.  And who are you...?", she focused her eyes on this unknown little unicorn.  She didn't seem half as 'friendly' as Mica or Clap were.

The unicorn's eyes widened... then narrowed quickly.  "Sombra!?  You'd-"

"Before you EVEN get started, Wart," Clap interrupted, "we already went through all that, me and Mica.  She's NOT evil, she's new to here and confused, and she's coming to Friendship School too.  So don't even start with the speeches or talk about 'if you don't behave' stuff - she probably already got all that from Custard, honestly."

The unicorn seemed to ponder this for a moment, then simply said, "Fine... but I'm watching you."  Her eyes, a vibrant green, said that this pony meant what she said.

Mica nodded.  "She knows that, and I'm sure she appreciates you saying it," he said with a roll of his own eyes and a reassuring glance at Obsidian.

The dog-being lifted his paw... but seemed to crumple at the last second and shuffle a bit more behind Thunderclap.

"Gypsy," the large pegasus turned and spoke, "there's no need to be scared or stuff like that - it's just SIDDY, for cryin' out loud - she's not here to enslave everyone or some junk like that.  She's here to learn how to be a friend!"

The dog (Gypsy, was it?) stepped out a bit from behind the towering mare.

"... th-this one will w-w-wait to be addressed, p-p-please.  H-he wishes not to i-i-intrude."  He looked nervous, but repeated the little wave again.

The little unicorn didn't reply to her question - which was rude, and Obsidian didn't like when others were rude to her... at least, as long as they didn't have the authority to behave that way, like her father did.  At least it seemed that this... uh, strange creature was both sentient and well-behaved.  The princess wasn't used to the others behaving like that in her presence, but it was easier that way. 

And, hmm, enslave everyone?  She never even thought about that... perhaps she should?

"Watch me as much as you'd like, I am quite used to it.  However, you didn't respond to my question," Obsidian said to the unicorn mare in a somewhat bored voice.  

The unicorn closed her eyes and took a deep breath, seemingly to calm herself, before she spoke again... this time, with a calmer tone.  Those eyes, though, were piercing.

"Stalwart Stance.  I'm in training for the Royal Guard, so it's best that I know of royalty as they show up.  And, though your... heritage... has some dark history behind it... a princess is a princess."  Surprisingly, Stalwart then bowed to Obsidian.  "Understand that it's my duty to stay vigilant... but that..." she sighed, "... hardly excuses being rude.  I'll try to keep it in mind.  Princess."

Clap laughed, "Don't worry about Wart, Siddy - she's just all gung-ho for being a royal guardspony.  Honestly, she's not gonna hurt ya."

Stalwart balked.  "CLAP!  I... I w-would never-"

"Yeah, yeah... we know.  'I would never harm any hair upon a royal head, except for those who stand against my country'.  We get it.'"  Clap sighed.

Obsidian glanced at the creature next to Thunderclap.  "Do you want to say something... uh... Gypsy?".

As 'Wart' was now shooting angry looks at Thunderclap, Gypsy took a single step towards Obsidian and nervously smiled.

"Th-this one is... Gypsy Rover.  He w-wishes to greet y-y-you, and h-he would b-be quite interested i-i-in asking ab-b-bout your l-lineage, as he i-is currently tr-tr-trying to m-master pony h-history."

"Gypsy," Clap groaned, "I don't want to have to sit through a history lecture!  I wanna show Siddy around the school!  Y'know, since she'll be here and stuff, she might as well see what she's in for!"

"You two can always talk later, if Obsidian doesn't mind, of course," Mica spoke up, nodding to Gypsy who returned the gesture.

"A-as you s-say, Mica."

Ah, so finally she's met two pon... er, creatures that were able to behave in a proper way in her presence.  It was nice to feel acknowledged - especially after she was treated in such a less-than-royal way by Lemon and his brother.  Two insolent, rude fools...

"Wonderful.  I am pleased to meet you both," she said, honestly relieved.  Being in presence of four familiar creatures was easing her anxiety a bit... though standing there was still wrecking her nerves, with so many others walking around her.  "I can reply to any questions you have, Gypsy... but later.  Especially as I have a thousand years of pony history to catch up on."

Gypsy's eyes lit up like little stars.  "Oh!  This one w-would be very happy to sp-p-peak about Pony History!  I-if she wishes, th-this one w-w-would be m-more than honored to assist her in learning about what has taken place s-since the days of Sombra!"  Gypsy's tail was wagging madly behind him; was that how they showed excitement?

"Y'know," Clap started, "you don't always stutter - like, when it comes to boring ol' history, you barely do it at all."

Gypsy blushed a bit.  "Th-this one... knows this, C-c-clap."

Almost everything that Obsidian had seen in this odd world of the future was strange, distressing or outright utterly alien and confusing - but learning?  That was something she knew and liked, quite a lot.  Of course, up to this moment in her life she was used to learning either with her most honourable father or with teachers chosen by him, but Gypsy's offer was good enough.

Even if listening to him was a bit painful.

Obsidian has never explored so much - but it seemed that it was only a beginning.  

Mica looked to them all.  "Well, now that we've arrived, we should show you around."

"Yeah!"  Clap grinned.  "Classes might be kinda boring, but this place is at least 20% cooler than the grimy ol' schoolhouse!  C'mon!"

With that, Clap, Mica, Wart and Gypsy all looked to Obsidian.  The small unicorn mare stepped forward and opened the doors, gesturing inside while the rest waited for Obsidian to go first.

She followed the rest of her, uh... pack?  Acquaintances?  Entourage?

The grand hall was... well, grand.

This place was certainly befitting of a princess; it seemed no expense was spared in its' making, and each and every hallway, classroom and section was tastefully opulent and beautiful.

The classes were... interesting, to say the least.  Certainly, there were maths and writings and history... but there were also classes on things like 'teamwork' and 'introductions' and 'listening' - which seemed quite unlike an average school.

Though, granted, this was no average school.

All the while, the others surrounding her interacted with each other in ways Obsidian hadn't experienced before:  Thunderclap lightly teased, Mica made observant remarks, Wart seemed to be all business and Gypsy stuttered his way through explaining things.

And all of them interacted with her from time to time; they weren't trying to overwhelm her, but each gave her a portion of their attention during the rather eclectic tour.

At the lunchroom, Gypsy sniffed the air and licked his lips.

"Th-this one smells something d-d-delicious... could his n-nose be r-right?  Does he sm-sm-smell..." he sniffed deeply, closing his eyes to savor the scent... then, they popped W-I-D-E open.

"... cupcakes!"

He took off like a shot, towards the cafeteria.  The others looked after him, then Clap looked to Obsidian.

"Siddy, you hungry?  They always have good stuff in here - it might be one of the baking clubs, doing some extra credit work... and I loooooove eating me some mistakes!"  Clap trotted off after Gypsy, and Mica and Wart turned to her.

"Are we following?  Or would you rather not?"  Mica asked.

It wasn't the kind of school Obsidian was used to - after all, during her education she was the only young pony around as she didn't know about any other foals in the castle and young slaves were, obviously, not learning with her - but it was... vaguely familiar.  Some of the classes more than the others - 'math' and 'history' were, obviously, known to her.  'Listening', though?  Why would anypony want to learn that?

However, in a way, her most honourable father had taught her to listen.  Oh yes, he taught her well...

... and what was this smell? ... wait, what?  WHAT did the dog just say?

Though Obsidian was a little bit hungry, she immediately lost her appetite as soon as Gypsy spoke his word and immediately ran away from them.

"... I, uh...", Obsidian stuttered, not sure what she should do.  This future world was surely strange, and each time when she thought she understands it, something confusing was happening.  "... I can't say I liked Cupcake, but I don't think that baking and eating him was an acceptable idea."

Were these ponies cannibals?

The two stared at her for a moment.

"Obsidian," Mica said slowly, "cupcakes are a baked sweet treat."

Oh.

Wart cleared her throat and spoke up, "They're a bit sweet for my tastes, but as royalty, you might find them delectable."  She shrugged.  "After all, Princess Celestia loves her cake, and cupcakes are no exception."

"They're called cupcakes because they're usually contained in little paper cups - be sure not to eat those," Mica warned.

Oh. It was now starting to make more sense.  And now she knew why Cupcake was named like that... though it didn't change the fact that her cheeks were burning right now.

"Oh.  Oooh.  Erm... well, I can try that, I suppose," she coughed a bit to clear her throat.  "And... Princess Celestia?  She is still alive?  Wouldn't that make her..."

... more than a thousand years old?  Perhaps she slept most of it as well.... Obsidian had already heard ponies swearing with her name, but it was still a bit surprising to hear about Celestia in present tense.

"Well over a thousand years old, yes," Mica finished for her.  "She retired from her position as ruler of Equestria about ten years previously.  Lives in Silver Shores, now."

Retired?  Royals can retire?  Alicorns can retire?  It just couldn't click in Obsidian's mind - one is usually royalty until death.  Perhaps it was different for creatures that can, well, live far longer than an average pony?  At least she learned where she lives now - it would come in handy, if she would ever want to avenge her fallen father or something like that.

Beating an old, retired alicorn wouldn't be too glorious, but, eh... a victory is a victory, right?

The three of them began making their way to the kitchen, where the sounds of talking could be heard.  She could pick out Clap's laughter, and even an embarrassed giggle that might've been Gypsy.  Wart led the way into the kitchen, with Mica gesturing to Obsidian to enter before him.

The kitchen itself was quite large; big enough to be a classroom on its' own!

There were multiple ovens and grills, and what looked to be a walk-in pantry (where someone was currently digging through ingredients), and a massive rack of hanging pots, pans, and other baking paraphernalia hung within reach of the stove areas.

At one of the ovens, Clap and Gypsy were standing there; the diamond dog's entire muzzle was smeared with what looked like colored sauce and crumbs, while the large pegasus laughed at his dishevelment.  They were eating what looked like fat mushrooms with colors on top that didn't look like natur-

Then, the scent hit her nostrils.

It was the first time in Obsidian's life when she had ever walked into a kitchen.  Obviously, back in the crystal palace, she wasn't allowed near it - or, to be more precise, she was told it was beneath her.  That it was a place for slaves, and she shouldn't waste her precious time near it.  As such, she was completely unprepared for the mix of scents, heat and noise.

However, it also reminded her that she is a bit hungry - but she tried to stay cool.  "So... those are the cupcakes you were talking about, I assume?"  She moved closer.

Clap turned to the group.  "Siddy!  You have GOT to try these!  They're incredible!"

She strolled over to the three of them and held out a cupcake with lime green... stuff... swirled on top of it.

"Here," she offered, smiling, "I usually love the green ones, but you can have it - it'd be cool to share a favorite cupcake!"

Wart looked to Gypsy.  "Clean yourself up!  That's no way to appear in front of royalty!"

Gypsy blushed, then extended his tongue - a very dark purple color - and swished it around his muzzle madly, licking clean even the slightest hint of his food.  Clap laughed, Wart sighed disdainfully, and Mica just shook his head.

"C'mon - it won't bite!"  Clap waggled the cupcake in front of her.

It probably won't bite - though Gypsy looked as if a whole pack of these things had attacked him.  Obsidian carefully took the offered green cupcake with her magic, checking it out.  So... a baked treat. 

She took a bite.

... 

It was overwhelmingly, utterly, completely sweet. Frankly, it was the first time in her entire life when she had something so sweet in her mouth.  It was almost as if she poured sugar onto her tongue.  She swallowed.  Maybe the second bite would be easier... it took her a while, but she eventually finished it, leaving only a paper cup.

"... interesting, that's for sure."  Especially this green stuff.  Frankly, it was so sweet that she was feeling a bit sick right now.

"Are you kidding!?"  Clap looked incredulous.  "Cupcakes are, like, only the best thing ever!!!  I mean, really, you just can't go wrong with them!  They can be made to fit any occasion!  They can be super-sweet, not-so-sweet or even slightly sweet, and they'd still be absolutely awesome!"

"Thunderclap!"  Wart spoke up.  "You can't talk to royalty that way!  That's almost insulting!"

Clap looked at Stalwart.  "And?  I mean, it's Siddy; what, I can't be all friendly-like to her?  I figure she should try some of the others, after maybe a sip of punch!"

She motioned to a pitcher, half-filled with blue water.  Exceedingly blue water.

"Blueberry punch?"  Mica asked, and Clap nodded.  Mica shrugged and got one of the plastic cups from the countertop, pouring some of the blue water into it, then offered it to Obsidian.

"Here - in case the cupcake was too much."

Obsidian was starting to like Stalwart - the little unicorn mare was very respectful, and it was making Sombra's daughter feel better.  She gracefully took the offered cup and took a sip.

Strange... the blue water didn't taste like water.  If anything, it was very sweet too - but not as much as the cupcakes had been.  Still, she was thirsty after eating it, so she quickly dried the cup.

"Is there anything... less sweet, perchance?  I won't be able to stomach anything else so very... cupcakey, methinks," she muttered, feeling a little bit strange.  Hopefully she didn't overdose on pure sugar...

"Well, I guess that'd be up to the baker..." Clap pointed a hoof towards the pantry, where somepony was backing out.

"... okay, that should do the trick!"

She knew that voice...

The stallion turned as he spoke.  "Now I should have enough ingredients to..."

He stopped short as he saw Obsidian... it was Cupcake Sprinkles!
> Five: Knowing One's Place
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stallion's muzzle went from happy to sorrowful, and his ears drooped low as soon as he saw her.  "... you..."  The others seemed completely surprised by his reaction.  

Clap, however, wasn't known for being subtle.  "Wait... you know her already!?"

"I..."  Cupcake looked close to tears again already.

"Cupcake," Mica asked, "what is this?"

"I... I..." he took a deep breath.

"I was supposed to be a liaison to her, but we had an argument, and I got mad then so did she, and I said bad things to her, and she called me a MEANIE and I wasn't trying to be a meanie, I just thought she was being rude first, but I think I messed up, so I came here to bake, because baking calms me down, but now she's here too, and I don't wanna be mean anymore, but I don't know if she'll ever forgive me, and I-"

"BREATHE, Cup!"  Clap interjected.  "Jeez!"

"Wait - you yelled at a PRINCESS!?"  Wart sounded equally shocked and agitated.

"Yeah, but... I didn't mean to!  I was so excited to meet someone new, but then I got all mad, and then I... I..." Cupcake's bottom lip wobbled.

"Obsidian," Mica asked calmly, "is this true?"

Obsidian's eyes narrowed at the sound of his voice.  It wasn't a sound she found good; it was loud and obnoxious - just like Cupcake Sprinkles.  And obviously he was talking way, wayyyyy too much, as usual.   "Yes.  He was behaving in a deliberately insulting manner, taking advantage of my temporal adjustments, even when I calmly asked him to stop!"  She practically hissed the words; right now, Cupcake was the last pony she would ever want to see. 

Perhaps baking and eating him wasn't that bad of an idea... or more like just the baking part.

"Cupcake!  You can't BE like that around royals!  I can't believe that you, of all ponies, behaved in such a manner!  What were you thinking!?"  Wart seemed almost as angry as Obsidian was, her green eyes almost seeming to flash with rage.

"Stalwart," Mica tried to calmly interject, "hold on.  Maybe we just need to calm down and go over things again.  Sometimes better judgment is seen in retrospect."

Clap looked back and forth between them.  "So, that's a yes to you two knowing each other, right?"

Gypsy facepawed.

"Look, I... I'm really, really sorry, okay?  My mom says I keep letting my brain get ahead of my heart, and I just thought you were insulting me back there - and I lost my head and said a lot of stupid things.  I just... I didn't mean... I... I..."

Clap looked at them both, then shrugged.  "Okay, you didn't mean it.  You apologized."  She looked at Obsidian.  "Siddy, this is a good moment to learn something about friendship, here.  Cup screwed up, yeah - but he apologized, and he obviously didn't mean... whatever he said to you.  This is where you accept the apology and try to just move on as if it never happened."

"That," Mica spoke up, "would be up to Obsidian to decide if she forgives him or not."  He turned to her.  "For what it's worth, Cupcake is my actual cousin, and I've known him for much of my life.  He means well, but can be... grandiose... when he makes a mistake.  Still, it's up to you whether or not you accept the apology."

"Inexcusable!"  Wart said, eyes firmly locked on the sad visage of Cupcake.  "You'd best bow and beg for a royal acceptance from her!"

"Wart," Mica said, "shush."

The unicorn glared at Mica Chip... but said nothing more.

Cupcake was annoying, but he truly looked remorseful for the way he'd acted.  However, there was always the idea that she truly didn't need to forgive anypony at all... but there was this whole 'friendship' thing she was going to be put through, whether she liked it or not.

Holding a grudge was a new idea for Obsidian - but accepting apologies was completely different for her as well.  Until her recent awakening, she either didn't have to care about insults or wasn't in a position to hold a grudge - it all depended on if she was accidentally offended by a slave (in which case said slave was usually quickly removed from the castle, never to be seen again) or by her father (in which case she had to obediently and humbly accept it as a lesson from a mind much brighter and better than her own).

... still, he was, unfortunately, her liaison.

"Next time try to be more calm when you meet a pony that just woke up after a thousand years of sleep and learned that her entire known family is dead", she couldn't stop herself from making a rather painful jab right into his feelings. "... but apologies accepted."

It was quiet for all of a single heartbeat.  Then...

"Okay, then!  Apology accepted, and all you gotta do is be calm and stuff!"  Clap smiled broadly, then made her way over to Obsidian and gave her a meaty pat on the back.  "See, Siddy?  It wasn't all that hard at all, was it?  I think you'll do just fine here at the academy!"

She gave Thunderclap a nasty glare as she patted her back; what in Tartarus was that?  Why did she touch her?

Mica looked as though he was pondering the situation... but he nodded to her and looked at Cupcake.  "You understand, right?"

Cupcake nodded rapidly, though his expression was still repentant.

Wart, however, shot Cupcake a look of irritation.  "You... and I... will speak... later."  

The stallion nodded, sighed, then looked back at Obsidian once more.  "I was... I really was being a meanie, I guess.  I really am sorry."

"Point made, Cup - enough of that."  Clap simply went on as though there'd been no problem here.  "You gonna bake anything else?"

Cupcake looked longingly at the oven... then at Obsidian, then at the floor.  "I... sh-should probably go."  He began to make his way towards the pantry again, but turned back to give Obsidian a look of shame over his flank.  "I'll... meet you at your room tomorrow, okay?"

With that, he entered the walk-in pantry and began returning ingredients to their places on the shelves.

Gypsy's ears drooped s he saw Cupcake putting the ingredients back.  "This one i-i-is... going t-to miss the t-t-tasty treats.  Perh-haps an-n-n-nother time."

"Royalty is held to a high standard; it was very generous of you to forgive him."  Wart said to her.  "It does me proud to see a royal treating others so well..."  Her eyes narrowed at Cupcake.  "Even if they don't deserve it," she muttered.

Mica sighed, then looked up at the princess.  "It does bode well that you did that; you may have a promising future here, after all."

It was more logical to 'forgive' him than not - after all, she (mistakenly) chose him as her liaison.  There was no point in antagonizing him, even if she truly couldn't stand his blathering.  Hopefully from this point on, he would behave more rationally - and if anything happens, it should be possible to sic Stalwart on him.  She would be a good vassal.  But didn't change the fact that Obsidian's mood had soured somewhat.

"... I still would like to look for something less sweet; my last true meal was over a thousand years ago," she said as she attempted to change the topic.  Yes, she said she accepted the idiot stallion's apologies - but it didn't mean she was going to like it, or want to talk about it more.

"Ummmm... I could... make you something... if you want?" came from the pantry.  "I mean, I'm a pretty good cook... a-and I could make you a really good meal, fit for a queen, even.  And... it would help me make things up to you."

Mica looked toward the pantry, pondering.  "He is a good cook."

"How about we wait out in the lunchroom," Clap offered, "and you do what you do, okay?"

There was a renewed shuffling from the pantry.  "Y-yeah... okay, I can do that.  Yeah!"  As he spoke, it sounded as though he was slowly regaining his previous chipper attitude.  Wonderful.  At least he'd be in here while they were out there.  Making their way out, Clap and Gypsy made themselves at home by taking a seat.  Mica simply leaned against a wall, casually.  Wart, ever helpful, pulled out a chair for Obsidian.

Yes, waiting in the lunchroom was a better idea; the further she was from this stallion, especially when he was in a good mood, the better.

"So, hey," Clap began hesitantly, "was... was all that... I mean, I don't think you're lying or anything, but..." she leaned in a bit. 
"Was all that true?  Being missing for a thousand years?  That... sounds like it sucks."

"Thunderclap," Wart began.

"No, really - I mean, I guess I'm just curious, but... what was it like for you?  Y'know, all that long ago?"

Mica looked to the pegasus.  "She might not want to talk about it, Clap."

"And maybe she does," the mare countered.  "Uhm... do you?"

"Yes, it was true.  And no, I don't really want to talk about it right now."  She rubbed her temples - this day was far more... exciting than she was used to.  And she met more named ponies than during her entire lifetime; until now, most of creatures in the Crystal Palace were far beneath her - more like tools than living beings.  "Maybe later.  Perhaps.  Or not."

Accepting apologies didn't make her very happy, apparently.

Thunderclap looked a bit put out, but she heaved a sigh and simply sat back in her chair, rear hooves on the table as she put her forelegs behind her head.  "Okay - so Wart, I'll bet you're all sorts of happy that you've got another royal to play with, eh?"

Stalwart gave Clap a narrow stare.  "I don't play, Thunderclap - being a royal guardpony is serious business.  They have to be seen after and meticulously protected from any and all threats they might encounter.  Not to mention..."

As Wart continued, Clap began to silently mimic her words, mocking her as she spoke at length about the duties guards had to be certain of when they took up the 'mantle of responsibility' for taking care of royalty.  Honestly, though it worked in Obsidian's favor, Wart did seem to go on and on about it.  Gypsy, meanwhile, sat cautiously at the end of the table.  He reached a paw into the pocket of his hooded sweater, removing several small slips of paper from it.  He then started to carefully fold them in strange ways, all the while concentrating on what he was doing.

Mica simply sat there, looking at everyone else with a pondering look on his muzzle.

Wart's discussion (and Clap's mocking) quickly turned into a kind of background noise - as soon as the unicorn's words stopped carrying any interesting or useful information, Obsidian lost interest in listening to her.  However, the only non-pony creature was apparently doing something far more interesting.  She leaned forward with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"What is that you're doing?"  Perhaps it was a cultural thing?

Gypsy looked up at Obsidian shyly.  "Er... th-this one does this t-t-to stave off the b-b-boredom."

His paws twisted around the little folded piece of paper, and then he reached out gingerly and placed it in front of her.  It looked like... a swan.  Gypsy had folded and creased the paper slip until it resembled a swan, complete with beak and wings.  He gave a small smile.  "He c-can do o-oth-others too.  W-would she l-l-like to s-see?"

An art... made of paper?  Interesting... her magic wrapped around the sculpture of a bird placed in front of her and levitated it closer, so she could check it out more thoroughly.  It seemed that this creature's paws were more agile than she thought.   "Yes, I'd like to - it's quite interesting.  Does this type of art have a name?"

Gypsy smiled, his mouth filled with sharp teeth, but the kindness in it staving off the fear-inducing points.  Of course, considering Obsidian's father's own teeth, she had no reason to be scared of Gypsy's smile.  If anything, she wondered from time to time why her own teeth were not as sharp as King Sombra's.

"It d-d-does.  This i-is called 'origami', which is an ancient form of art that was passed down through g-generations of creatures from distant eastern shores.  It was first taught to the diamond dogs roughly two hundred years ago, and is a major form of entertainment f-for us."

As he spoke, he worked his paws over the other pieces of folded paper, producing a tiger, a manticore, a dragon, and finally an alicorn - complete with wings, mane and tail.  "This one's chosen great-father taught him to make the folds just s-so," he said as he began to fold another piece in his curious way.  "And this one is p-pleased the princess likes th-them."

Origami, hm?  And it was invented by creatures from... distant eastern shores?  Obsidian wondered what he could be talking about; it seemed that Equestria discovered even more lands than she thought initially. 

Fascinating.

"... diamond dogs?  Is that what your species is called?"  That was a promising start.  She really would love to lock herself in library and just catch up with everything that was invented or discovered during her time asleep.

"Y-yes," he replied, "we are named such due to our love of g-g-gemstones... most prominently, diamonds.  We d-do love our sh-shiny rocks, yes.  B-but since the first of our kind began appearing in Equestria, we have been mostly stand-offish with p-ponies, but that h-has recently changed in favor of being all-inclusive to this school."

Perhaps these diamond dogs would be useful allies... or rather vassals... for her most honourable father?  As far as she could tell, it seemed that their 'love for shiny rocks' would have attracted them to the Crystal Empire. 

He gave a short chuckle.  "Before such, most diamond dogs k-kept themselves apart from ponies... mostly due to their attitudes.  P-ponies, not dogs."  As he spoke, he folded two more slips of paper to go with the one he was currently holding, then folded them out to reveal a palm tree, a pineapple and a griffon - which he perched perfectly in the palm tree.

"But, this one is s-so glad the p-p-p-ponies invited everybeing t-to attend this school.  Th-this one has made these f-f-friends, and is l-looking f-f-f-forward to making m-more.  Hopefully, a p-princess am-mong them?"  He smiled sheepishly at her.

... and then he started about 'friends'.  The more Obsidian heard about it, the more it sounded like an STD - and everypony around her was interested in getting her sick as well.  It didn't sound very useful - at the moment, she saw it more like some kind of strange union between creatures to indulge themselves.  No hierarchy, no real goal, only 'fun'.

Why would anypony need something like that?

"We'll see when I understand more of what this term means," she said as a diplomatic parry.

"Oh," was all he said.  He went back to his folding, though he no longer seemed to feel like chatting about it, as he became quiet once again.  These creatures were really crazy about this whole 'friendship' thing, eh?  It seemed as though it was addictive - like a drug - and they didn't like not receiving it.  She really should avoid it, to keep a clear mind...

It wasn't long before there was a... tantalizing aroma that began to drift from the kitchen; the tang of spice, the savory scent of mouth-watering proportions that filled the room.  Then, with a slight spring to his step, Cupcake brought out a bowl filled with... chopped vegetables?  But they smelled exquisite...

"Appetizer course - sizzling broccoli and cheese, a local favorite!"

"You can say THAT again!" Clap practically ate the bowlful with her eyes alone.  "Got any more?"

Cupcake grinned.  "Sure - but she gets the first helping.  Lemme get back in there - I still have more to do!"

Cup returned to the kitchen, followed by a slightly drooling Thunderclap.  Mica leaned forward.  "Go ahead - tell us what you think."

It was hard to keep her mind separated, as for the moment her stomach overtook any higher functions of her brain.  She had never smelled anything like that - but it seemed that it was going to be at least fairly good.  What's more, it also seemed that she was going to get it first, without having to fight for her own helping.

Obsidian didn't waste a second, and there was no reason to encourage her - she quickly helped herself with this 'broccoli' thing.  She took a single bite.  

...

For a moment she was purely dumbfounded, almost forgetting that she was supposed to be keeping her cool; that taste... as far as she was concerned, this dish was as rich in flavor as her father was rich in power!

"I've... never eaten... anything that good before," she whispered, overwhelmed by the incredible experience. 
Mica simply nodded, as if he'd expected the reaction... but Wart looked curious.

"But... royalty usually has the best of the best at their table.  Cupcake, for all his faults, is a good cook, but... I'm sure you've had plenty of rich, wonderful foodstuffs before, have you not?"

She should have rich and wonderful foodstuffs like this?  Why had nopony told her before?  Her life would have been far more pleasant, had she known this sort of delicacy!

Mica looked over.  "New tastes are new tastes, Stalwart - maybe she's simply never had this sort of cooking before."

Wart seemed mollified at that.  "Well... it's a good thing to see you enjoy it, princess."

Within another few moments, Cupcake returned with second bowl, this one a touch bigger.  In it was what appeared to be some sort of... soup?... but a soup with a simply delectable aroma to it.  And he brought even more food?

"Stir-fry, with water chestnuts, bamboo chunks and snow peas!  Carefully stewed in soy sauce, lovingly sprinkled with a bit of paprika, a squirt of lemon, and just the teensyest dash of pepper!  Enjoy!"  He turned and practically skipped his way back to the kitchen, pleased that his food was so well-received.  Perhaps he could have some uses, after all... as long as she could keep a gag on him.

"No, not really," she spoke in answer to Stalwart's question, "my father always told me that 'luxuries' are like a poison to the mind, and none who were both a royal and a warlock should have a weak mind.  In this case, it meant that my food was mostly..." she tried to conjure a word that could describe it properly, "... edible.  Well, after a day or two of fasting it tasted well enough.  Anyway, I'm not used to sweets... or this amount of food... or to anything that could have such a pleasant taste."

In this case, should she eat it at all?  When she was going there to sate her hunger, Obsidian had no idea that she would find a veritable banquet fit for a true royal instead of a humble meal for a princess-in-training.  Her most honourable father would probably disapprove.

The lot of them simply stared at her for a bit; no one spoke a word.  Then Chip spoke up.  "I'll bet your father was practically swimming in luxury... so, what would that say about him?"

The others turned to look at Mica... and were shocked to see an actual expression on his muzzle... smouldering anger. 
"I don't like the way it sounds like you were treated.  Not... at... all."

Thunderclap's eyes went wide.  "Whoa... that's something you don't see everyday.  Mica, y-you okay, there?"

"Tell me," he continued, "did he treat you like a daughter... or-"

Wart interrupted.  "And what business is it of yours how she was treated?  Royalty usually has a plan for whatever is to come, and perhaps he simply was preparing her for the worst possible outcome?"

"You think Celestia OR Luna would've treated her like that?" he retorted.

Wart visibly flinched, but stood her ground.  "You didn't make the rules - he did."

"Wait," Clap bristled, "are you siding with Sombra?"

"I side with ROYALTY, Thunderclap, and I'm surprised you forgot that."  Wart leveled a stern gaze at the pegasus.  "It's not our call to judge-"

"He was a tyrant, you blockhead!"  Clap practically shouted.

"Tyrants, however distasteful, are STILL royalty, numbskull."

Now the two were glaring daggers at each other.  Mica still looked upset, but now his own muzzle evened out and he looked to Obsidian.

"I apologize... I just do not like the idea that anypony was treated such a way, especially by their own parent."  He cocked his head slightly.  "Do you believe he did the right thing?"  The group as a whole looked to her for her answer.

Obviously commoners born in the modern age just couldn't understand the idea behind her upbringing.  With the overwhelming amount of personal freedoms they had and the inane focus on unnecessary pleasures like 'friendship', they were just unaware of their true destiny.  They were tools... just like everypony around, herself included.  Good tools at least were aware of that and kept striving to improve themselves.

"My most honourable father was shaping me in a way he considered fitting, and I'm not in a position to place any doubt upon his wisdom," she replied calmly, though she glared a bit at Mica... and at Wart, for even if she had defended King Sombra, she still called his supposed tyranny 'distasteful'.

Wart gave Clap a smug look.  "You see?  She approves."

Thunderclap shot an annoyed look back at Stalwart.  "Brainwashing isn't approval; it's forced enjoyment of being treated like dirt."  She looked at Obsidian.  "Siddy, don't tell me you actually enjoy being treated like dirt?"

"How dare you!"  Wart cried, looking ready to fight at the drop of a hoof.

Their quarrel was becoming annoying - why would commoners ever be allowed to argue about monarchy?  Especially in a way that would be demeaning to a monarch and everything he stood for?  Wart, at least, had a lot of potential to become a very passionate, useful vassal - but as far as Obsidian was concerned, Thunderclap and Mica both had already more than overstepped the boundaries of her patience.

"This isn't doing any good..." Mica observed.  "We can discuss this without-"

"Oh yeah?  I'll dare, alright!  I'll dare ta knock your block off, Wart!"

The two of them went muzzle to muzzle, each one growling fiercely as they sized each other up.  And it was quite likely they would've fought right then and there, if a voice from the back spoke up.

"B-but she had a p-p-parent."

Heads turned to look at Gypsy, who was now on the other side of the room, away from the aggressive emotions and ponies.  "Though you m-may not agree with what was d-d-done, this one n-notes that she still had a parent... and she gi-gives that parent resp-p-pect."  His gaze slid across all those within the room as he made his point.

"Obsidian knew what it w-was like to want to imp-p-press a p-p-parent, to love a p-parent, to be tended to b-b-by a parent.  Perhaps her treatment was f-fair, perhaps not - but it is clear t-t-to this one that she still loves her f-father.  And to t-t-tear him down in f-front of her is... it is c-c-c-cruel and thoughtless."

Gypsy gave a soft sigh.  "This one w-w-wishes he knew his t-true p-parents."

An awkward silence filled the gap, and even Wart & Clap looked somewhat ashamed of themselves.  Gypsy set down the current paper-folding he'd been working on (which looked like the castle at Canterlot) and sighed softly before looking up at the princess.  "Tell us... how d-d-did you see your f-father, princess?  Was he m-m-mean, nice, or something in bet-t-tween?"

"Although you may consider my most honourable father tyrannical, your conclusions are flawed.  Mean? Nice?  Enjoyment?  Love?  Those are but empty words, merely masquerading self-indulgences, a perspective that there could possibly be something more important than duty. And... there... is... NOT!"  She raised her voice as she spoke, anger flaring to the surface of her carefully controlled manner.  "I may not enjoy my upbringing, but it means nothing in the face of the world!  I was being prepared for my duty, and being taught to be useful!"

Obsidian cleared her throat and got up; she was full anyway, and she shouldn't eat too much. 

Silence.

Thunderclap looked as though she'd been slapped.  Mica's eyebrows raised... then lowered as his muzzle took on that totally neutral look.  Gypsy tucked his tail between his legs and couldn't look up from the floor.

"My most honourable father was aware of the nature of this world and was treating every creature accordingly, and I have only respect for him for that... whether you do or not.  Stalwart, I wish to go back to my current accomodations; will you accompany me?"

While it might have sounded like a question, Obsidian would be quite surprised if the unicorn mare refused.  But Stalwart Stance seemed to be the only one who was completely unsurprised.  "Of course, princess - as you wish."

Cupcake entered from the kitchen again, this time with a trayfull of edible things... but he looked around and quickly ascertained something was amiss.  "Uhm... I didn't mess up again, did I?"

"No," Mica said quietly, glowering at Obsidian as he stood up abruptly, "but we might have.  Come on, Clap."

"... y-yeah..." the pegasus said with little conviction as she followed her friend out through a different doorway.  Gypsy, unsure as to what to do, simply sat down at the end of the table again and began folding once more, a sorrowful look on his muzzle.

"Th-this o-o-one... on-n-n-nly w-w-want-t-t-ed t-to... t-t-t-t... t-t-t..."

He shut his mouth and focused on his origami, an embarrassed blush crawling across his cheeks.

Good - if they felt shame and personal pain, then maybe they would behave better the next time they'd meet.  For now, Obsidian was fed up with their attempts to befriend her and with their short quarrel over if her most honourable father was 'tyrannical' or even a bad parent.  As if kings could afford as much lackadasial nonsense as commoners could, when it came to preparing their offspring for their future roles.  This world was crazed, but Obsidian had to resist its influence.  

Wart went to the door and held it open for Obsidian.  "Right this way, princess."  

At least Stalwart was a promising start.  Obsidian, without another sentiment to these commoners, made her way out.

"They tend talk a lot, don't they?" she said aloud, though not truly caring if unicorn mare would respond or not.  At the moment she only cared if Butter Churn had gotten her the books she had asked for.  It seemed that she would have to catch up a lot and...

Damn, she was walking without her liaison again.  It was a violation of the rules set upon her and she was already feeling ashamed for that.  It didn't matter that these rules were made by her enemies - she was already behaving like an anarchist!

Stalwart said nothing for a moment... then, softly:  "They're only upset because they believe you were treated unfairly, princess; they meant no harm - even the birdbrain."

She kept her eyes forward, and continued to escort Obsidian until she reached the Rarity Suite once again.  Outside the room, carefully stacked, was a small pile of tomes, each one titled with something about history.

Books... they were just waiting there for her, all fully available.  And so many of them!

Under her most honourable father's care, Obsidian was never allowed to just go into library or his rooms, pick up a book and read it.  No, everything was carefully planned by the king; at best, she could ask for something supplementary - and only hope that he would provide it.  But, right now, there was no one to order her to read a specific thing. She was, at least in this matter, completely FREE.

Wart made her way to the door and opened it for Obsidian.  "Would the princess care for anything further, or shall I leave?" 
Her muzzle was inscrutable; there was no way to tell if she'd been upset or not by the outburst, but she was determined to continue to act the part of a royal guard until she was dismissed.

... ah, Wart said something.

"Their views on the world, parenthood and personal values don't seem too compatible with my own... I don't need anything else, and if you want to leave, I won't stop you."

Wart stood there for a moment.  "As I believe I have nothing more to offer you, princess, I will leave you alone... as you apparently desire to be."  With that, she stepped out of the door and into the hallway, gently closing it behind her; Obsidian could hear her measured hoofsteps as she walked away.

Now... Obsidian now had a number of books to read through... and at her own leisure, no less!  And without interruption, either; she'd managed to ditch her annoying liaison and the far-too-chatty others that had been taking up her attention.

Now, she was as alone as she had been in her old room... this one simply looked nicer... or perhaps 'nicer' wasn't the best term.  The more appropriate would be... more flatulent, if such a term could be used to describe rooms.   Ah, but at least it was providing the perfect conditions to learn!  It would be nice to have something to write with, to make notes, but at the moment she would just be glad to read, read and read, until she could read no further.

Truly, books were great tools.  Valuable, patient... quiet...
> Six: Twilight Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours passed.

By the time she had finished reading the fifth history book, she now had at least a fair and passing knowledge of how history had unfurled since the days she knew.  Pony wars, pony peace talks, pony civilization, pony events... so much had occurred since she was last a part of this world, and it was mind-boggling just how much had happened.

Not surprisingly, there were many tomes that spoke of the importance of Harmony and Friendship, and how the two had helped to shape the Equestria of today.  The Six Virtues, the Elements of Harmony, had been quite powerful in their own rights - but what they had accomplished in merely a decade or so was... impressive.

There had even been mention of her most honourable father's return... and his subsequent and unimaginable defeat, at the unlikely hands of a dragon who sealed his fate with the same crystal heart she bore on her flank.  And nothing further, as if his appearance was merely a footnote, and unworthy of an entire tome!  She was a bit... disappointed... by that.  However, if he had returned once, he could surely do so again, yes?

The latest book added an interesting fact to what knowledge there was of these Elements; since the revelation of Grogar's false appearance and the Fall of The Villainous Trio, the Elements hadn't been seen in years... and the former bearers didn't speak one way or another about them.  Were the Elements of Harmony no longer under the control of their previous bearers?  From what she read, it certainly seemed that way.

All in all, it was an impressive history, to say the least. So many monsters attacking Equestria - and so many successful defenses.  It seemed that, somehow, this borderline anarchistic state was able to survive and thrive... and even spread its corrupted values.

How it was possible?  According to Obsidian's knowledge, at least changelings should have been able to defeat these ponies.  Of course, it seemed that Equestria had plenty of luck - just like with the story of her father's... uh... temporary defeat.  The Crystal Heart caught in the last possible second by a thrown alicorn?  It was almost like cheating!  Her father had been brilliant, and was always prepared for anything - except for such acts of madness...

Truly, it looked like Equestria was quite often on a brink of a total defeat - and their victories were connected with these Elements of Harmony.  That was a promising start - now she knew what she'd have to study more thoroughly.  And since she knew the offspring of at least some of these 'Bearers'...

Obsidian's lips curved upward a bit, imitating a cheerful smile.  Perhaps they would be more useful tools than she thought?

Suddenly and without knocking, the door opened and two royal guardponies stepped inside... followed by a tall, very purple alicorn whose mane flowed regally behind her.  The look on her muzzle was one of seriousness, and she stopped a fair distance from Obsidian, seemingly out of respect for personal space.  The alicorn was most certainly the most royal being she'd seen since her awakening, and with just her presence nearby, Obsidian could feel the power of this being within.

"Greetings," she began, "I felt that it would be proper of me to speak with you at some point, seeing as you're a guest in my home.  Princess... Obsidian, is it?" 

Truth to be told, Obsidian didn't expect any more guests today - and she expected even less that they could not knock. And even, even, EVEN less that it would be the ruler of the entire realm herself!

Truly, this day was full of surprises.

She gave a slow, regal bow.  "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle.  And I am here to witness for myself, the daughter of Sombra.  At least, that's what I was told - and from the look of your horn, I'd say they were correct."

She glanced about a bit.  "Are your accommodations appropriate?"

To say the least, Obsidian was shocked - but she maintained enough clarity of mind to carefully put down a book she was currently reading, quickly get up and bow respectfully.  Maybe it wasn't her father... but it was royalty.  Very powerful royalty, at that.  It was only obvious that she, an untrained heir apparent, had to treat her with a certain level of respect.

Even if she was the enemy.

"Yes, your majesty; I am Princess Obsidian.  I feel honored that you would consider me worthy of your attentions," she replied quickly.  So much power... it was hard to believe that she couldn't feel that she had been approaching her room.  "And, t-truth be told..." she glanced quickly sideways. Her father had always valued direct honesty - even when he had to punish her for whatever foolish things she had spouted. 

"... I'd say it's a bit too big and too luxurious, your majesty."

The alicorn took in Obsidian's greeting, nodding in return.  However, when she spoke about her ostentatious surroundings... the princess gave a small, almost shy chuckle.

"That doesn't surprise me, actually - Rarity has always been fashionable, but not everyone is into fashion as much as she is.  If it's too much in here, I'd be happy to let my guards know you require a room that's more... down-to-earth, so to speak."

She turned to her royal guards.  "Vista, please make sure to let the quartermaster know that our guest will be moving to another room, more suited to her tastes.  Grim, the door please."

The mare saluted smartly, and the stallion trotted over to the door and opened it, holding it at the ready for them both.

She then returned her gaze to Obsidian.  "If you have nothing here to gather, I would be happy to escort you to more fitting quarters, if you like?  I won't have my guests saying I was a poor hostess."  She smiled, warmth apparent in her eyes as she looked on Obsidian without either fear nor judgment.

Oh, so asking for better quarters went smoothly... well, that was good.  It also seemed that Princess Twilight wasn't interested in getting rid of her - at least not enough to execute her on spot.  "The only things I have here are these books, your majesty," she admitted, levitating them with her.  Maybe a room that would look more similar to her old one would calm her down a bit...

Twilight looked over the books.  "Ah, I see... books from my library, no less."

Before Obsidian could speak, the alicorn gave another soft laugh.  "Though you were told not to go to the library, I just can't find it in my heart to be angry about anypony wishing to learn; we had requested that more in respect for how you would take it, as we were afraid you wouldn't have handled it well if you took on more information than you were ready for.  However, you seem to be just fine - I'll have the library ban rescinded, and you should be able to go there whenever you like."

They left the room and began making their way down the extravagant hallway, flanked on either side by the royal guards.  Twilight even moved regally; she seemed as though she were the epitome of alicorn royalty.

"Now, I would like to ask about something that came to my attention, as of a few minutes ago.  Apparently, you had managed to make your way over to the School of Friendship - without your liaison, no less - and seen it for yourself.  Tell me: what did you think of it?"

Obsidian's heart froze for a moment - a very, very long moment.  Did this princess believe that she actually went into the library herself?  And... a-and yes, she ALSO went into the school without her liaison!  Perhaps she could blame Clap and Mica for that...? 

But no, it was her decision, her fault, her blame!  SHE WAS COMPLETELY GUILTY!

To say that Obsidian became very nervous and uncomfortable would be an understatement; after all, she was taught well by her father about the painful price of disobedience.  Modern Equestrians had probably invented new ways since her slumber to punish those daring to break the law!

"It... it looks like a respectable place of knowledge," she answered hesitantly, "as at least a few subjects taught there seem to be similar to ones I had back home."  She swallowed loudly.  "And yes, your majesty, I ignored my liaison.  I'm aware of my crime and ready to receive my fair and just punishment.  However, I didn't go into your library, I swear!  I merely asked somepony to get these books - I wasn't forbidden to do that, a-at least as far as I was informed!"

Hopefully, her punsihment wouldn't be too harsh; the world around her was quite interesting, and she couldn't learn more about it as soon as she'd wanted if she received too severe of a beating.

Twilight gave a raised eyebrow.  "Ready for punishment, you say?  Hmmmm..."

The alicorn actually looked as though she were considering it; oh, what would it be?  Chains?  Holding up buckets for hours on end?  The whip?  Starvation?  Or maybe just an old-fashioned beating?

However, the alicorn gave a slight smirk.  "Yes, your punishment for breaking my rules.  It will have to be considered carefully - I'll have an answer for you before I leave your presence.  But for now," she stopped and gestured to another door, "let's get a look at this room, and see what you think of it."

Oh, so she was cruel enough to keep her in a state of doubt and fear?  That was a good tactic to deal with unruly subjects, as her father had taught her - especially as their own fear was able to fuel Dark Magic, basically forcing them to 'fund' their own punishments.  However, considering that Dark Magic was apparently illegal, Princess Twilight couldn't do it... could she?  Or perhaps, as in a despotic monarchy, she was above the law and thus able to disregard this ban?

Pushing open the door, the first thing Obsidian noticed was a complete lack of frills; the whole room looked utilitarian and simple.  The only thing that seemed off about it was the apple symbol that seemed to make appearances throughout the room, though it was still nowhere near as garish as the Rarity Suite.

There was a simple four-post bed with a wooden frame, with matching dresser and end tables, and simple tan curtains that hid the view - as well they should.  There was also a small desk with a chair, towards the corner.  Otherwise, the apple motif was about the only other thing present.

"This is the Applejack Suite; is this more to your liking?"

At least the room seemed to be far, far better. It was still very big (at least in Obsidian's opinion), but it wasn't as over-the-top  as the last one. Also, desk would be useful.  "Yes, your majesty", she replied shortly.

"Very well, then... welcome to your new quarters.  I hope this will be sufficient until you can afford your own place, of course.  But I won't have you homeless; you'll be expected to work off your debt while you stay here... but I promise, it won't be anything you can't handle."

She seemed so royal, yet... her kindness... was it merely a trait of Equestrians?

"I also received word that you were seen in the company of others - very particular others that I happen to know of.  Since you seem to be meeting others already, I would like to hear your thoughts on them."

Was... w-was that an order?  Debt... oh, to think that an heir apparent such as herself could be suddenly so deep in someone's debt! O tempora, o mores!

"By your command, your majesty.  I consider Lemon Custard rather unpleasant and I felt as if he was behaving in deliberately antagonistic manner.  I didn't spend too much time with Butter Churn, but she seems to be a solid and useful pony.  However, I have some small problems with her... manner of speech.  Nothing too hard, however, as we didn't have any problems with talking to each other, it was just surprising a bit.  Cupcake Sprinkles..."

She hesitated for a moment.

"... is very strange, I don't think I understand him too much.  I thought a talkative liaison would be useful, but right now I think that we are pretty much opposites when it comes to... well, everything.  Mica is very calm and collected.  Thunderclap is pretty much the exact polar opposite of him, and it surprises me that those two get along so well.  Stalwart was the most useful of all ponies here.  Also, finally, Gypsy is probably the most interesting creature I've met - especially considering that I've never even heard about diamond dogs before, or about this origami thing he likes to do."

Hopefully it would do.  "... I can write a more proper reply in a form of written treatise, if you so desire."

Though Princess Twilight seemed to earnestly consider Obsidian's offer, she eventually waved it away.  "That won't be necessary; I was just curious as to how you saw them.  I know my subjects well, as royalty should, and I'm interested in what you might have had to say about them."

She began to pace a bit.  "Lemon Custard is antagonistic, yes... but he also gets the job done, and his abrasiveness has made those under his scrutiny reveal more about themselves than they would have otherwise.  Yourself included.  Still, I also find his attitude less than pleasant.  So you're not alone, there."

"Butter Churn is fairly simple - though she's far from dumb.  She tends to be of the 'slow and steady' variety.  Cupcake is... well, he takes a lot after his mother - unlike his brother Custard - and he's easily excitable.  He does have his moods, though - but if you like, I'll have a talk with him about it."

"Mica and Thunderclap do make a strange pair, but that's what makes their friendship so unique - and they seem to like it that way.  She's brash and headstrong, and he's aloof and steady... they balance each other out, I suppose."

"Stalwart Stance is a very serious pony - she wants so much to be a royal guard.  You've seen her size, though - unless she gets any bigger, I don't know that she'll be able to wear the armor, much less do the necessary duties expected of the guard.  I'm still hoping she'll get taller... but each year, it seems like the only thing that grows is her desire to be a royal guardpony."

"Gypsy... Gypsy Rover?  Yes, he's one of our few diamond dog students at the School of Friendship; we're hoping that his experience here will prove to his community that the school is a good thing, and that they may send more to enroll next year.  And yes, the origami he does is rather neat - he made an airship for me when we first met."

She turned to look at the dark princess.  "I'm glad to see that you're finding friends, Obsidian - those are far more important than you know, especially in this day and age.  Here's to hoping you make even more.  In fact..." she gave a small, mischievous grin, "I think that would make an appropriate punishment for you.  Princess Obsidian," she said regally, "I charge you, as an act of penance, to..."

Smiling kindly now, she leaned in closely.  "... make more friends."

Friends?  No, they were just ponies (and a diamond dog) who happened to be nearby; they weren't her friends!  She still didn't even know what it truly meant!  Obsidian already wanted to correct that mistake in Princess Twilight's reasoning, but stopped as soon as she declared her punishment.

... oh. 

"T... that's all, your majesty?  I am used to more... direct punishments..."  Perhaps there was something more?  "And no, your majesty, I don't think that Cupcake needs any more talks about his moods right now, but I humbly thank you for this offer."

So there were more diamond dogs around... except that Obsidian didn't really learn of anything else... except the current status of Stalwart Stance.  Perhaps if she wasn't going to be big enough to become a royal guardian, she could make a useful assassin?  Her size and magic could create a very dangerous murderer on the monarchy's leash...

Twilight gave her a solemn look.  "With how we found you, and what it says about you in Sombra's personal records, I was worried as to what sort of pony you were... but if you're hanging out with the likes of Mica, Thunderclap and Gypsy?  Well, I suppose that speaks well of you.  And certainly gives me hope that you'll find your place here, as well."

She took on a wistful, distant smile.  "Once upon a time, I was under the impression that I didn't even need friends... but Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville, and that's where I met my most favorite ponies of all.  More than that, though - through our friendship, rocky as it may have been to start with, I discovered my own purpose... and they discovered theirs as well.  And if it hadn't been for us supporting each other, well..." she shrugged, "we wouldn't be having this conversation right now - most likely, you'd still be in suspended animation."

She stepped lightly toward the window, gazing out as she spoke more.

"I hope the experience you have here is one that you will enjoy - or grow to enjoy - over time.  And I also hope that the friends you make will be at least as wonderful as my own are."

She looked at her knowingly.  "But angry outbursts won't do much good towards that, you know.  Still, they didn't have any right to push the way they did; my sincerest apologies.  I hope they didn't deter you from having their friendship?"

Wait... his personal records?  Did they find some writings of her most honourable father?  While Obsidian was indignant at the fact that they basically stole the written personal thoughts of King Sombra, she was at least a bit curious what her parent wrote about her.  She had been doing her best to satisfy all of his demands - was it enough for him?  Or perhaps there was something about... her mother?  Maybe it wasn't the most important issue in the world, but she was, for obvious reasons, interested in it.

But, alas, there were more pressing matters ahoof - the fate of her father, of course, and her punishment.  Considering that apparently 'friendship was magic' maybe she could try to understand it a bit more, too.

"Um, an angry outburst?  Your majesty, I merely corrected a few mistakes they made.  I assure you that this last discussion we had didn't change my attitude towards them, I swear it."  It would be hard to change it, though - after all, she was treating them quite coldly at the moment, all according to King Sombra's lessons, of course.

"Well, it may not have changed your attitude much... but I'd be worried that it may have changed their attitudes towards you.  Maybe it's a good thing we found you; it seems like the School of Friendship could do you some good in that measure."

She nodded to the guards, who then made their way towards the door.

"Princess Obsidian, I look forward to seeing how you fit into this new world around you; if you should have any issues or questions, my door is always open... and if you cannot find my door, ask anyone here - they know where to find me.  For now, however, I have to depart; dignitaries from Yakyakistan are coming tonight, and I have to make certain everything is ready for their arrival."

She took a few steps towards Obsidian, a look in her eyes that said she was trying not to pity the dark princess... but why she wore that look, Obsidian couldn't tell.

"And don't worry - I'll send Cupcake to meet you here... tomorrow; read, rest, and prepare yourself for the morning.  Good night, princess."

With that, she gave a slight bow and left the room, the guard closing the door behind them swiftly and quietly.

Yakyakistan?  It sounded as if... the yaks had made a civilization for themselves?  Well, they did have a thousand years for that, but it was surprising nonetheless.  Just another reminder that this world was a bit different from one she knew.

She bowed humbly as the alicorn princess was leaving and... well, she was free to do anything she wanted again. 

And, of course, she wanted to read. A lot. 

So the local ruler wasn't half as scary as her most honourable father, even though she was probably as powerful as he was.  As far as Obsidian was concerned, she had nothing to worry about - it seemed that a transgression worth any painful punishment back home would be almost unnoticeable here.

Thus Obsidian sat down in front of the desk to read comfortably - she didn't want to face the world unprepared, so she had to learn, learn, LEA...

...

Zzzzz....
> Seven: Take Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


[-]


"Your place is HERE." 

The jingle of chains ground against her ears like sandpaper. 

"Your POWER is the KEY." 

She could swear she heard the crack of a whip. 

"You WILL obey me." 

The stomp of an angry hoof echoed in her head. 

"MY will be done!" 

Pain... a seemingly endless flow of pain... 

"You WILL be properly prepared for the future..." 

Bright red eyes with green energy pouring from them, wisps of purple mist issuing from them, in the darkness, staring at HER. 

"MY FUTURE!" 

Were those teeth, tearing at her flank? 

"Because YOU have NONE." 

One long, roaring, terrifying scream of conquest, triumph, POWER...


[o]


There was a slight, meek knock at the door to the Applejack Suite; was it morning already?

Ah, for a moment she felt almost as if she were back home.  The constant mental assault, sounds of chains, overwhelming dark magic and the voice of her most honourable father all around her... 

There was no doubt that she would be proud of being a child of such a powerful king as he was - or that she wouldn't do anything she could to fullfill his dark will.  To think otherwise would be foolish, and fools weren't known to live very long in her Father's Crystal Palace.  She had to live to ensure she didn't let him down.  In his presence, she felt... she was... nothing but a dust mote... 

... knocking?

It seemed that she fell asleep at the desk - apparently she was more tired than she initially thought, and unfortunately it seemed that sleeping in a chair wasn't too effective.  Still, she stood up.  "I hear you..." she said with sleep thick in her voice as she trotted over to the door.

Outside stood Cupcake... but he looked as though he was about two seconds from crying.  "Um... h-hiya." 

He fidgeted for a moment, looking like he was half-expecting her to just start yelling at him.  "I, um... made... uh, breakfast.  I-if you're hungry, that is.  I mean, if you're NOT hungry, we can skip it, it's okay to skip it, we don't have to do anything you don't want to... but I figured, since you seemed to like my cooking yesterday... well, I thought maybe you'd like more of it today, before everything gets started?" 

Even when he was feeling miserable, he apparently still had to speak as much as possible, it seemed.  Obsidian barely managed to stifle a yawn.  She was used to sleeping in rather uncomfortable conditions, but the hard wooden chair was even worse... and using a book as a pillow didn't help either.  

"Good morning.  Why, yes, I am hungry; how very considerate of you.  I need a moment to refresh myself, though, as I just woke up."  It seemed as if she didn't even notice his current state... at least until she rubbed her eyes, to wake herself a bit more.  Then she saw his expression, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Is everything fine?  You seem to be behaving strangely.  You aren't sick, I hope?"  

It was a very important question, in her opinion.  After all, a sick pony could potentailly infect her... and there was no telling what sorts of maladies and viruses might exist in this era.

Cupcake looked at her for a moment, seeming shocked.  He then looked outside the door again, then back at her.  "This... is the Applejack Suite, right?  A-and you... you're Princess Obsidian, right?  You..." he gave her a skeptical look, "... Markannus, is that you???  Are you messing with me again?" He looked the dark princess over.  "If it is you, Markannus... you're doing an amazing job!  You even got the frazzled mane right!" 

What was going on?  And who was this 'Markannus' he mentioned?

If Cupcake had any doubts about her, they vanished after the glare that Obsidian pinned him with.  It was a very glare-y glare.  It helped that she was still tired and, thus, she didn't have to work too hard to look unfriendly and irritated.  

"What did you say about my mane?"

His eyes grew wide, and he took enough steps back to bump the bed.  "OH!  That... th-that's m-more like what I was expecting..."  He ran a hoof nervously through his mane, and looked at her with a mix of embarrassment and apprehension.

"Well, I mean... your mane always looks so... um, f-frazzled.  Like you don't brush it out at all.  I mean, yeah, you've only been awake for, like, a single day... but still, I mean..." he gestured to the mirror at the back of the room, "look at it!  Honestly, you should take better care of your mane... you are a princess, right?  It's just... I've never seen a royal mane so unkempt and... a-and... uhm, fr-frazzled." He looked down a bit.  "I'm not meaning to make fun or anything; I'm just surprised, is all.  I swear, I'm not being a m-meanie."

Brushing?  Hm, it sounded like a waste of time; she was fine with her looks - it was easy to keep and it didn't disturb her lessons.  

"One day, perhaps, I'll get the same shadowy mane as my most honourable father has and... oh, right, I forgot.  Dark magic is illegal, so that won't happen anytime soon," she growled quietly.  Maybe it would be a good idea to at least wash it before going out... 

"And I know you aren't being a meanie.  However, you failed to reply to my question - you aren't sick, are you?".

"No... N-NO!  I just, well..." he sighed, "after yesterday, I wasn't expecting... um..." 

His voice got tiny and quiet.  "... I wasn't expecting you to be so... um, nice."  He blushed and looked down at the floor.  "It made me think my changeling friend was playing a prank on me.  But no, no..." he gulped as he looked up, "you're you." 

The sheepish grin he put on was sincere.

She was behaving... nicely?  It seemed that she had to be more careful - otherwise they were going to think that she was becoming fri-

...endly, ah, but there was that punishment given to her by princess Twilight, which meant that she probably HAD to behave that way, right?  Obsidian briefly wondered how much truth was actually in the words 'friendship is magic' and how many friends she'd have to get before noticing a difference with her own magic.  Perhaps her father would be impressed with Obsidian - Empress of Friendship!  What could go wrong? 

"Changeling... friend?"  It shouldn't surprise her, considering how diverse this place was, but it did anyway.  However... it was an opportunity to learn a bit more, perhaps.  "I've never heard of one before; I might like to meet him later.  However, right now... I need a moment.  Excuse me," she apologized before leaving to the bathroom; she probably shouldn't just walk out without at least refreshing herself a bit.

Cupcake nodded (exceedingly glad he wasn't about to be destroyed), and stepped out into the hall. "When you're ready, I'll be waiting out here - we'll head to breakfast as soon as you're ready.  After that..."  He gave a groan.  "After that, I'm supposed to take you to Lemon.  For your work assignment.  Sorry."  The door shut, and she was alone again.

Oh no.  Not Lemon.  He was, from her experience, NOT a friendly pony.  And she didn't want to do some piddling, pointless work!  What happened with 'you don't have to do anything you don't want to'?  Maybe she should threaten him once again or something... Princess Twilight didn't forbid her threatening others, right?  

After moping a few minutes in the bathroom while she cleaned herself up, she came out looking a bit better than before.  "... fine.  I'm ready.  Any ideas what your brother may have prepared for me?"

Cupcake nodded approvingly at her changes... yet he still eyeballed her mane, even if only for a moment, before he began to lead her down the hallway. "Knowing him?  Lemon's probably got some mundane little thing to keep you busy - I doubt Princess Twily would make you do anything too hard.  But Lemon does like to push his authority around; likely, he'll try to make you nervous about it before he gives you the assignment." 

He made a grumpy face.  "Lemon, by the by, is a bit of a meanie - just in case you hadn't noticed.  But I'm sure you did, 'cause you're pretty smart.  And he's a jerky-jerk-face." 

Cupcake led her around the corner, and already the smells of his cooking were floating on the breeze.  Whatever it was, it smelled like pure ambrosia - mouth-watering and delectable. "I made you some honey-basted biscuits, lemongrass toast with blueberry jam, and some strips of hay bacon - and a tall, cool glass of OJ to wash it down!  I hope you'll like it!" 

They reached the dining hall, where the spread he'd spoken of was all set out, ready to eat.  Aside from the two of them, there was no one else in the big, roomy hall.

The blowhard stallion trying to make Obsidian nervous right now probably wouldn't work out very well for him, or would possibly end quite badly - especially as Obsidian learned that Lemon didn't have as much authority as he wanted others to believe he would have and not even his princess or his own brother seem to think too highly of him.  If anything, dealing with him could be, potentially, relaxing for Obsidian... ah, right - no dark magic; such a shame. 

"You just spoke so very many words that I don't quite understand..." she admitted as she sat down to her breakfast. Lemongrass?  Bacon?  Jam?  Everything was so new here... but, as her taste buds told her while she ate, utterly delicious.  Frankly, if this was setting a precedent, she would gain a bit of weight... which honestly wouldn't hurt, as she was a bit skinny.  She did attempt to eat slowly and with diginity, though; as good as it was, it didn't excuse her from her manners.

Cupcake was all smiles as he saw her enjoying the meal he'd prepared.  "Y'know, it always makes me smile, smile, smile when I see others enjoying my cooking!   I'm glad you like it so much!  I'd be happy to make you lunch and dinner, as well, if you're interested?"  He seemed so happy, just watching her devour his hard work... and it had to be hard work, because there was so much flavor!  And plenty of food, too!

Well, having a personal chef was one of the advantages of being a princess, so she was coming to understand... it would only help her feel more like the proper royalty she should feel like.

"I am indeed interested," she said briefly. "and will the rest of group attend as well?" 

Now that was an interesting thought - Princess Twilight told her to 'make more friends', but it was under the assumption that the ponies (and one diamond dog) she met were already friendly with her.  However, she first had to be sure about that.

Cupcake lifted an eyebrow.  "Uhhhh... they're all in school, right now.  I don't think they'll be able to, at the moment.  Plus, ummm..." he looked awkward, "... I don't know what it'll be like, after yesterday.  I mean, yeah, they were being kinda rude, but..." 

He sighed.  "You may have hurt some feelings."

Hurt feelings?  How could feelings be hurt?  She just told them that her father was the greatest king in the world and they were all wrong!  Ugh, these modern ponies (and the one diamond dog)... 

Maybe it would be a better idea to give up on them and find other friends?  Princess Twilight didn't set any sort of deadline, but Obsidian was afraid that she had to hurry - she just had to deal with this annoying thing and get back to the books, just as He liked from her... she assumed.  She just had to decide what would be faster - finding new friends or fixing these 'hurt feelings'... 

"Oh," she said, chewing on some of the toast with a dollop of jam.  "Can you help me with it, then? I'm not sure how to deal with... hurt feelings."

He blinked for a moment, an incredulous look on his face before he said, in almost a whisper, "... haven't you ever had a friend?  I mean, I just thought you had friends long ago, but they weren't, uh... a-around anymore.  But... honestly, you've never had a friend before?" 

His grin suddenly sparked to life. "Well, hey - the School of Friendship would be perfect for you, then!  That's where they TEACH all that stuff, and you even get the chance to use it!  But, hmmmm," he pondered, "dealing with hurt feelings... okay!" 

He reached over, turned a chair around backwards and sat down in it, facing her. "Now, you remember what it felt like when they said all that stuff, right?  That angry, angsty, no-goody-feeling?  Well, they feel that, too - they're complete folks, too.  So the key is to have what's called empathy; put yourself in their horseshoes, and try to imagine what it must've been like to get yelled at like that."  He grinned.  "That's the first step - because once you understand, you can apologize sincerely.  All it takes is thinking like they did, or at least trying to understand what it was like for them.  Try it!"

... but of course she didn't have a friend she could 'empathize' with.  Where would she get one?  

"Cupcake, when you are wondering how many friends I had in my life, remember my castle; the subjects there were either slaves that I couldn't befriend, or my most honourable father that... well, I do not believe anypony could call 'friendly'" she finished in a whisper, as if using the words 'father' and 'friendly' in the same sentence was a terrible curse, or at least a vulgar term. 

So... empathy.  Hmm.  So they felt right about what they said, even though they were wrong?  Silly ponies... and of course she didn't have to imagine what it was like to get yelled at - King Sombra wasn't exactly the most quiet teacher or parent in the universe. 

"... so we need to steal their horseshoes, so that I may put myself in them.  It doesn't sound very hygienic, honestly."

Cupcake gave a giggle.  "No, no... not literally!  It's like, put your perspective in their place; think what it felt like for them to be told that what they thought didn't matter... remember, they felt like they had the right idea.  Have you ever felt what it was like to have your feelings, your opinion just shoved aside?  Like, like..." 

His muzzle suddenly took on a stern glare, but not at her.  "I'll bet Lemon treated YOU like that, didn't he?  Like your opinion didn't matter?  You remember what that felt like?  Well, that might be the way they feel, too." Come to think of it, there had been the whole 'princess' thing, where he'd not only refused to call her by her title, but he'd also told her she was no longer a princess at all, no matter how much she'd tried to say otherwise. 

"Yeah," he pointed a hoof at her expression, "THAT is what I mean!  I'll bet he was a real butt!  I mean, I dunno what he said, but... he's always been like that, so I'll bet he made you mad too, right?" He then gave her a look of understanding.  "Now... imagine that they felt the way you did when you effectively told them their opinion didn't matter."

There was a difference, though - her opinion mattered and she was right, while Lemon was stupid and wrong.  And stupid. 
She obviously didn't say it aloud, though - it would be a shame if Cupcake would realize that she really didn't get this whole 'empathy' thing. 

"My most honourable father has been doing things like that to me constantly, so I think I have some insight here," she said.  "I think I'm starting to understand, however... So who felt the most hurt?  We can make a list, and go with whomever was the most upset first..."

She didn't feel she had to apologize, though - and didn't like this idea.  However, it was for the greater good... maybe she'd be able to reach a compromise - or, at the very least, a compromise with herself.

Cupcake shrugged.  "I... don't think it works that way, princess; the only one who really knows how it hurt them... is them.  But, for what it's worth, we can try to find them and give a simple apology for upsetting them; we'll see where it goes from there.  Hey, after all, maybe all it'll take is saying sorry, right?" 

He then paused as he thought back on what she'd said. "Um, princess?  I'm not gonna assume that your father was... whatever he was... but I do know that the things I've heard you say about how you were treated... well, I don't know what the plan was, but... well..." He sighed, then shook his head.  "... never mind; I don't want to upset you again; I like Nice Obsidian!  So, after breakfast, maybe we can see if we can work Lemon over a bit."  He grinned like a colt stealing from the cookie jar.  "When we finally see him, just follow my lead, mmkay?"

"Mmkay" - whatever that meant. She stood up. "I'm quite full already; I'm not used to eating that much.  However, Cupcake, mind you - I've been nice Obsidian since I woke up... but if your brother pushes me too much, you will have the honor of seeing a very not nice Obsidian for the first time in your life," she assured him. 

Of course even 'not nice Obsidian' wasn't going to be too threatening.  After all, dark magic was illegal here.  "So... I think it would be the best for us all if he didn't behave in the same manner as he did yesterday."

Cupcake sighed and went to put a hoof on her shoulder... then thought better of it, and simply lowered his hoof.  "I can't speak for him, so I can't promise any change in his attitude... but, if you work with me, you'll get to see what can be done to outsmart him." 

He grinned... the mischievous one. 

He led her out of the dining hall (after cleaning up), and down through several hallways until he came to a row of offices.  Following the line, he stopped outside one and, with a conspiratorial wink, knocked loudly and quickly. "Lemooooooooon!  We're HEEEEEEE-eeeeeeeere!" 

From inside, there was a hefty sigh, then, "Yes, come in." 

Cupcake opened the door for Obsidian, then bounded in with more energy than he'd projected yesterday. "My faaaaaaaavorite brother!  Didja see, I'm a liaison now!  Didja?  Didja, hunh?  Didja?" 

"CUP!"  He growled loudly.  "For Twilight's sake, how much candy have you had today?" 

"Just my usual regimen!"  His smile was bright enough to light a cavern. 

"Good grief," Lemon groaned... then he saw Obsidian, and he gave a small smile.  "So, Obsidian," he sat back in his chair and regarded her, "I take it you're ready for your assignment today, hmmmm?"

At least it seemed that Cupcake was finally learning how to treat her - as putting his hoof on her would be probably a big mistake.  It was especially nice as she kept envisioning his ability to be an overly annoying, loud weapon of mass eardrum destruction - but pointed at Obsidian's enemy. 

And hopefully Lemon wouldn't be too annoying, as right now even Obsidian was scared of Cupcake's abilities. 

"Yes, I am," she walked into the proverbial lion's den, wondering about Cupcake's words.  No, not the ones about outsmarting him or anything - rather about Lemon being his 'favorite brother'.  Did... did it mean there were more than those two?

"Oh, she sure is!" Cupcake blurted.  "She even managed to make some friends and see the school and read some books-" 

"What!?"  Lemon sat bolt upright.  "I specifically said-" 

"Didn't you get Princess Twilight's orders?  She told Siddy she had access to the library now!  If the orders aren't on your desk, you can ask her yoursel-"

"A nice try," Lemon began with a haughty grin, "but you'll never get me to buy tha-"

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes locked on a rather full {INBOX} tray.  He reached forward and took a paper from the top with a flick of his hoof, read it thoroughly... then, with a dark scowl, he gave a single grunt, and shoved the paper into a drawer, turning back to face them both. 

"Fine."  Lemon grumped, his muzzle carved in angry stone.  "I don't see why she would allow such a thing, but... well, orders are orders.  Though I still don't think it's a very good idea to give her access to potentially dangerous information!" 

"But brother," Cupcake said, sounding wounded, "if she's working here in the castle, then it only makes sense that she get the chance to use the library!  I mean, there's the one at the School, but she didn't seem to like that one very much..." 

That brought a wicked little grin to Lemon's muzzle.  "You... didn't like Princess Twilight's School of Friendship?  Oh... oh that is perfect.  Because, you see, your assignment is there, Obsidian!" 

Cup placed his hooves on the sides of his muzzle in mock horror.  "Lemon!  NOOOOO!   That's no way to treat a newcomer!  I mean, it's not like she's a meanie or anything-" 

"Oh yes," he grinned like the cat who ate the canary, "I'm certain the School of Friendship is EXACTLY where I want you to report to!  When you get there, you're to go directly to the headmare's office - they'll keep you busy, I'm sure!" 

"Lemon, pleeeeeeeeease don't send her there!  She really didn't like it, and-" 

"My mind," Lemon said slowly for emphasis, "is made up, Cup.  That means she's school-bound... and you are too, o brother of mine."

Cupcake's entire face fell, his body language crumpling like a piece of used tissue paper, and he looked pathetic as he looked at his brother.  "But... but Lemmyyyyy..." 

"NEVER CALL ME THAT!  NOT IN PUBLIC!"

Lemon looked like any satisfaction he might have gotten from bullying Obsidian was effectively stymied by Cup's antics. "Now, get out of my sight!  Both of you!  And you'd better be at that school, Obsidian!  I don't want to hear you've skipped out on this!" 

Cupcake hung his head as they walked out of the office... but as soon as the door was closed, he smiled broadly at Obsidian. "Ta-daaaa!  Now, onto the school to find the others!"  And he began skipping down the hallway, grinning like an idiot. But perhaps not as much of an idiot as he appeared to be?

Oh, so that was that.  Obsidian really regretted right now that she couldn't feel other ponies emotions - at least except fear, of course...  but, alas, dark magic was illegal, so even that was out of her reach. 

Too bad - she was curious if Cupcake was really playing with Lemon that well, or if he was just going along with his brother's nudges and suggestions.  Well, at least she didn't seem to get any real, physical work... and Friendship School was close to the place she was currently occupying.  It was a welcome bonus. 

"I admire your cruelty, Mr. Lemon," she said before she left the office.  So now... headmare.  And friends. 

Oh Father, where art thou?  Why couldn't you just come back and take over this entire place?
> Eight: School Daze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two of them made their way to the school, Cupcake skipping along - practically bouncing - as they reached the campus. 
He held the door for her as they entered, and he began whistling a whimsical tune as they made their way through the halls and towards the main offices. 

Inside the large office, there was a secretary's desk, a stack of filing cabinets, a typewriter, and two individuals chatting with each other.  The mare behind the desk had a dark green coat with a violet mane and tail.  She seemed bored... but was still constantly typing, not even looking at what she was writing; she changed papers without ever breaking eye contact with her guest. 

Who was a griffon.

The griffon had tan and orange feathers, and there was a big white circle of feathers around his right eye.  He wore a school uniform, but looked like he was almost too old to be in school anymore.  He spoke with a confident tilt to his attitude. "... so's then, I sized him up an' said, 'look here - this ain't YOUR lunch, but if you don't back off, it'll be your fashion statement, as yer gonna be wearing it, bucko!" 

"Sure," the mare said with a bored inflection, "then what?" 

"Well, he thought he was big an' bad, so I just-"  The griffon now noticed the two newcomers. "Oh, hey Cupcake... who's dis?" 

"Princess Obsidian!  Here on orders!  With me!" 

The griffon smiled and rolled his eyes.  "Lucky her."

Frankly, she really wanted to try to find a map to this whole place - sooner or later, she would have to walk around without any help from liaisons.  Cupcake could easily walk her into a trap and she wouldn't even take notice before she would be surrounded by earth ponies with swords... or something even worse and more modern! 

Though, of course, Cupcake didn't look like a pony that would try something like that, luckily.  This office where he had brought her, however... a mare and a griffon.  Was she the headmare?  And this half-bird seemed to be a bit too old for school... 

"Good morning.  Is... is this the headmare's office?"  She could only guess where Cupcake brought her; as far as she was concerned, he could just want to come with her here only to greet his... ugh... friends or something like that.  It didn't help that he didn't introduce those two to her.

The griffon smiled, revealing a long scar beneath his beak. "Name's Gunther - Gunther Gadfly.  Nice ta meetcha."  He thumbed over his shoulder at the typist.  "That's Bold Verdana; she's the secretary here." 

Bold, still not looking at her work, nodded to Obsidian and Cupcake.  "Hiya." 

"If yer lookin' for the headmare," Gunther said, "she's in her office." 

"Awww, I know that!" Cupcake said.  "The princess here has to report to her to find out what we're doing today!" 

"Yeah, well - best'a luck with that, Cup.  I'm sure it'll be a riot, whatever it is." 

There was a buzz from the secretary's desk, then she said, just as disinterested as she'd been before, "I've buzzed you in; go ahead." 

"Okie dokie lokie!  Thanks a heap, Boldie!" 

"Mmm-hmm." 

Cup motioned her to follow him as he went into the office.  Gunther gave Obsidian a grin and a wink.  "Don't mind Cup too much, ma'am - he's hyper, but he can be a heckuva loyal friend, once you get ta know 'im."

Another strange accent... not too strange, though - as long as she was able to understand the basics of what he was saying, it was fine.  She could only wonder how much griffon civilization changed since the good, old times that, to her, were only the day before yesterday. 

"Well, it's a bit hard not to notice that," she replied to griffon's advice with a calm voice.  Cupcake was 'hyper'?  Oh, who would think that?  After all, he was only speaking more words in a minute than she ever did in a day... and he wasn't even walking, but practically bouncing.  Yup.  Hyper.  

Without any further questions or small-talk, she followed her (apparent) friend into the office.

The office was nice, but not ostentatious; it was professional enough... though the sight of a box kite hanging from the ceiling did lend it a slightly whimsical feel. When she came in, Obsidian found Cupcake talking rapidly to a pink mare with a purple mane, with what looked like some aqua in it to match the slightly creeping grey.  

The mare looked past Cup and grinned at Obsidian. "I'll guess you're the one Cupcake here is talking about," she said, "hi there - my name's Starlight Glimmer; welcome to the School of Friendship.  I'm the headmare here, and I'm happy to welcome you." She stood up, and it was obvious she was still somewhat spry, even though the marks of age were beginning to show.  

"Of course, Princess Twilight already filled me in on what the situation would be... but, I have to admit, I didn't think I was going to see you here so soon." Cupcake grinned, but looked around innocently.  Starlight looked skeptical, yet didn't say anything more about it.  

"So, if Cupcake's right, you're here to do a little odd-jobbing?  Don't worry - it's not like I'm going to ask you to wrangle Shock Bees or anything; just a few light tasks, and you'll be free to go." 

"See?"  Cup beamed.  "Easy-peasy-Lemon-got-squeezied!" 

"Lemon?  As in your oldest brother, Lemon Squee-... I mean, Custard?"  Starlight sighed.  "He never did get very high marks in Friendship... and I take it he's still a bit of a bitter pill to deal with?"

Now there was a hard question that began to flit about in her head - should Obsidian bow or not?  She wasn't a princess... however, she also wasn't a mere slave.  Back in the Crystal Empire everything was far, far easier.  Headmare wasn't a royalty, but she had authority over her, so obviously she should pay her respect - but how much?  

She bowed eventually - just a bit. 

"Good morning, miss headmare.  Yes, Lemon assigned me to do some jobs here.  Yes, he is behaving like a pony that got too much authority and is trying to get even more."  Starlight Glimmer... wasn't there something about her in the history books?  Obsidian tried to focus on it; too bad that she fell asleep in the middle of one...

"He's always been like that," Starlight sighed, "even though his mother did everything she could to help him find friends, he just... never saw any merit in it, I guess.  I just can't help but feel like I failed him, somehow..." 

"Oh no, Headmare!  He's just a stick in the mud!  He's my brother, though - so I still love him like one... I just don't like him very much!" 

Starlight shook her head, then addressed Obsidian.  "So, I have a delivery for the guidance councilor, a notice for one of our teachers, and reorganizing the first two shelves of the non-fiction section in the library... after that, I'll be happy to sign you off for the day." She leaned in closely, "Unless you're interested in attending?  If so, we can start the paperwork when you're done?"

Well, if one would add Lemon to Cupcake and then divide by two, a result would be two completely normal, average ponies.  It seemed, however, that little Cupcake took most of 'friendly' traits completely for himself.  

The assignments didn't sound too hard, though.  Obviously, she would need to rely on Cupcake's help, since to properly find any councilor or teacher she would need to know who they were first.  Or know where to look for them.  Or... 

Ahem, anyway, she needed Cupcake.  And it seemed that her freedom of choice was even bigger than she initially thought, as they were asking her if she wants to attend?  Obsidian assumed it would be forced upon her, sooner or later! 

"I..." she hesitated for a moment. "... I'm not sure, headmare.  Since yesterday, my life changed a bit, and I'm still adjusting.  Thus, I'm not even sure if I know enough about anything around me to make a conscientious decision about that."

"Trust me," Starlight said with a knowing smirk, "I understand being hesitant to embrace friendship... but okay, just let me know if you make the choice." 

Cupcake smiled at Starlight.  "Headmare, since I'm officially excused from class for now, it would be okay for me to accompany the princess around the place?" 

Starlight chuckled, "I expect she'd need you to get around... or a map, which I most certainly have."  Reaching into a desk drawer, she brought out a printout of the school's basic floor plan - pocket-sized.  "Here... in case Cup gets, eh... 'distracted' away from you." 

Cup held a hoof over his heart in mock horror.  "Headmare Glimmer!  I would never-" 

Starlight, nonplussed, simply held up a peppermint candy in its' wrapper.  Instantly, Cup cut off his sentence and chased it as she lightly tossed it out the door.  She then turned to Obsidian once more. "Really, though - Cup's a good friend.  Just not a calm or reserved one.  Okay," she smiled, "my secretary, Bold, has the deliveries for you, and Cupcake knows where the head librarian is.  You should be all set for today.  OH!  And if there's anything you need, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask!"

It was a bit disconcerting to see a unicorn able to control other pony without dark magic or a mind-control helmet. However, it was apparently an easy trick - and as soon as Obsidian herself would get some candies, she could turn Cupcake into her obedient slave as well! 

And everypony was encouraging her to ask in case of trouble or issues... that could prove to be useful as well. 

"It's less about being hesitant to embrace friendship, miss headmare, and more about still trying to figure out what exactly I'm doing in a foreign country, thousand years into the future, with no one familiar and with every single life expectation thrown out of the window!" 

She couldn't help herself but correct Starlight, surprising herself with a hint or two of bitterness in her voice.  Friendship... as if it was the only important thing in the modern Equestria. "I'll do my best to finish everything in as timely a manner as possible.  Good day, miss headmare."  She turned away to leave the office.

The headmare's voice came to her from behind. "I... may be more able to relate than most; I had my life expectations shattered, no friends, and a lot of bitterness."

The look on her muzzle was actually genuine, and she seemed concerned... but wasn't going to force it. "If you feel like it's overwhelming you, you're always welcome in my office.  I may not be in your exact shoes, but I've been close enough.  Trust me."

Perhaps it would be a good idea to visit this place again, sooner or later.  Obsidian bowed once again, turned away and left. Delivery, notice, shelves... she wondered how big this library could be.  A thousand books?  Two thousand?  Surely no more than that, as the area around them wasn't truly a full-fledged city, but rather an overgrown village; there was no reason to keep so many books nearby.  

Hopefully, Cupcake was done with his candy.  A pocket-sized map could be useful, but Cupcake's main value was the fact that he apparently also already knew everypony around; no map could replace his experience.

Sure enough, he was seated like a squirrel, on top of Bold's desk, munching noisily on the candy disc.  Bold, unperturbed as usual, simply continued on with her typing... though she was leaning back in her chair far enough to avoid his rump, which was practically in her face. 

"Odd job, right?"  She sounded completely bored.  "Fine.  There's the package," she pointed a hoof at a plain-brown wrapped box, about as big as a breadbox, "and the letter's under Cupcake." 

"OH!"  He reached down and pulled it up, holding it out to Obsidian.  "Okay, I guess we're off, then!" The front of the letter said {To Professor Fluttershy, c/o Twilight's School Of Friendship}, and had a stamp of a pony she didn't recognize on it. 

"Don't lose them," Bold said before she refocused on the window, looking out at the sunny day outside, sighing longingly. 

"We won't!  Okay, princess!  Let's go DO THIS THANG!!!" Cup sprang off the desk like a rabbit, and skipped his way out into the hallway.

Fluttershy... oooh, one of the bearers of the elements of Harmony.  Wonderful.  Hopefully she would be an easy target - plotting against Princess Twilight would be hard, but Professor Fluttershy should be able to provide Obsidian with some information... with or without her knowledge. 

The young mare grabbed both letter and package with her magic and rushed after Cupcake.  Errands like these shouldn't take up too much time, and it would be wise to get something to read about Starlight Glimmer, as well.

In his own erratic way, Cupcake led her about the campus a bit before finally getting down to business and bringing her to another block of offices.  This one had a name placard on the door: [THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GUIDANCE COUNCILOR IS IN!] 

Cupcake smiled.  "This is Councilor Trixie - she's lots of fun, and a former stage magician to boot!  Don't mind if she gets loud and obnoxious and stuff; she's still really nifty!" He knocked on the door.  

"Councilor Trixie, ma'am?  Deliveryyyyyyyy!!!!!"   From inside came a single word: "Enter!" 

Cupcake's smile got brighter.  "Heh, watch this!"  

With that, he opened the door. At first, it simply appeared to be an office like Starlight's... though there were a number of promotional posters for 'The Great & Powerful Trixie' pinned to the walls in numerous places.  However, there was nopony here... 


}POOF!{ 


Smoke filled the room, and a proud voice called out, "Behoooolllllld!"  As the smoke cleared, there was a powder blue mare standing on the desk, her forelegs out in a grand gesture, with what appeared to be a cloak on her back, festooned with stars. 

"You have reached the offices of The Gr-r-r-r-reat and POWERful..." She stopped mid-sentence, then put on a small scowl.  "Oh.  It's you, Cupcake - why didn't you say so?  Waste of a perfectly good smoke bomb..." She then noticed Obsidian, and she went stock still for a moment.  

Then: ".... The, uh, Great - I MEAN, Gr-r-r-r-r-reat and POWERFUL Tr-r-r-r-rixie!" 

Cup put on a goofy grin.  "Yeah, she's STILL awesome!" 

"So," the blue mare took her seat, waving away the last of the smoke and giving a slight cough, "what can I do for you?"

Considering that it was Cupcake calling councilor 'loud and obnoxious', Obsidian was expecting a small disaster, a pony that would be so repulsive that she wouldn't be able to force herself to enter her room - and his comment that she was 'lots of fun' didn't exactly ease her mind. 

If anything, for obvious reasons, Sombra's daughter was intrigued by this claim of power and greatness - just who exactly was this mare, and why she was behaving that way?  

Could she be a... challenge? 

Maybe it was the same thing as with Lemon - a case of pony with a little bit of authority and far too high an opinion about themselves.  And what was a 'stage magician'?  

As soon as Obsidian entered the room, however, she saw something very, very familiar - smoke.  A lot of it.  Her first reaction was panicky and not too pleasant; usually smoke like this meant that her most honourable father was nearby, and in a VERY foul mood, if he was able to emit so much of it.  Luckily, the councilor had immediately announced herself, putting her nerves on ease a bit.

Obsidian breathed deeply a few times to calm herself, before she levitated package forward. "Good morning.  The headmare asked us to deliver this to you."

"A package?  I don't recall ordering anything... why did-" 

Trixie's own magic enveloped the box... and as soon as it did, the lid flew clean off, there was a loud }POP!{, and party streamers and confetti shot into the air as a score of filled balloons drifted out, and somewhere, a kazoo blew a single note. 

Tied to the string of a bright pink balloon was a note that read: [HAVE A GREAT & POWERFUL HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!] Along with this, another balloon floated nearby, a small gift box hanging from its string.  

Trixie jumped at first, then gave a half-smirk. "Hunh.  Looks like your mother's still got it, Cup; I hardly expected anypony, apart from my Bestie, would even remember!  I'm flatt-... ooh, what's in the box?" 

She reached over and took hold of the smaller wrapped gift, eyeballed it for a moment, then opened it carefully... and her eyes grew wide when she saw whatever it was. "OH!  Oh, WOW - it's perfect!" 

She used her magic to withdraw a necklace with a pendant that was shaped like a magic wand; the star at its tip gave off a soft, blue glow.  It was fitting, as the glow matched the color of the councilor's coat. With a giggle, she used her magic to fasten it around her neck.  That done, she smiled beatifically at Cupcake and Obsidian. 

"Trixie is most pleased!  Make sure to let your mother know how kind this was of her!   Oh, I can hardly wait to show it to Starlight - in fact, I'll show her right now!" She drew herself up onto the desk again, and smiled broadly.  

"Please, show yourselves out - The Gr-r-r-r-reat and Powerful Tr-r-r-r-rixie is off!" 

There was another large }POOF!{, and the desk was completely empty... though Obsidian caught the last glimpse of a silvery tail slipping out of the doorway behind them. 

Cup beamed from ear to ear as he looked around at all the confetti.  "That's my momma!"

Now just wait a second - while Obsidian was a bit put-off by the loud sounds around her, she quickly got over herself and started to think about this whole situation:  there was literally no possibility that even a few of those balloons would fit into the package!  And there were far, far more than balloons inside.  Was it magical?  Unfortunately she didn't think about scanning it before - it could be interesting, to taste modern magic, even when it was used in a such vulgar way.

"... is your mom a unicorn?"  

Wait, that wasn't right - wasn't he the son of Pinkie Pie?  Mica tried to explain his family tree to him, but without making notes there was no feasible way for her to remember it all. 

"Hold on... as far as I remember, your mother is Pinkie Pie - I believe that, in the books, she was shown as an earth pony? Which makes this whole situation right now..." she sighed with exasperation, "... impossible!"

Cup gave Obsidian a knowing smile.  "As I said... that's my momma." 

He made a flourishing gesture with a hoof.  "She has a magic that's pretty much practiced in defying the laws of... well, everything!  She used to be the Element of Laughter, but she's always been weird and wondrous!  I think she said something about a 'fourth wall' at one time, but I think she broke it.  Still," he continued, "she's always been able to do things that a lot of others say is impossible." 

He grew a proud expression.  "Impossible just means momma hasn't tried yet!  Heck, even ol' Discord says she's one of his favorite pones... after Miss Fluttershy, of course."

Earth ponies with magic... defying the laws of the universe... 

Perhaps Obsidian wasn't learned enough to be able to research it properly, yet she was intrigued nonetheless. It seemed pretty chaotic, though, and was used in a way that Obsidian just couldn't approve - but it didn't change the fact- 

"Discord? That name sounds familiar; are we possibly talking about a very, very... unconventional creature?  At any rate, let us go to Miss Fluttershy already, and you can explain to me the rest during our travel".

"Oh, YEAH!  I keep forgetting you're so new to all this!" Cupcake led the way as they left the office, but fell into step next to Obsidian as they continued down the hall. 

"Discord the draconequus!  He was a problem a looooooooong time ago, and got turned into a pigeon toilet - at least, that's what HE called it - for a thousand years.  He got out, though, and tried to go back to his ways of being a TOTAL meanie... but Miss Fluttershy made friends with him - his first friend - and that's what started him on the road to redemption!" 

"Since then, he's... been kinda troublesome, 'cuz he likes chaos and stuff, but he's no longer trying to turn Equestria into Chaos Central; he's living in his place in the Outer Realms, where he and Miss Fluttershy have tea parties and such." He smiled.  "He used ta foalsit me and my siblings; he's sooooooo much fun, and he's really cool, too!  This one time, he gave us all wings, and we flew all over the place, just like pegasi!  Well," he amended with a sheepish grin, "more like clumsy, blind seagulls actually - we had the wings, we just couldn't control them very well!  I had a blast, though!" 

They reached the end of the hallway, where it almost looked as though the doorway to the last classroom was nothing but a bunch of vines. 

"The doorway's a bunch of vines," Cup explained, "because Miss Fluttershy just loves nature and animals and stuff like that; she says it makes the critters feel more comfy!"

So modern Equestria had a problem with a mad god of chaos - a problem that they brought on themselves.  He sounded pretty tame right now, but it didn't change the fact that he was THE spirit of disorder, brought to heel only with this so-called 'friendship'.  It had to be a powerful force indeed; to hear such casual talk about such a legendary powerful being was a bit unnerving, to say the least.

In Sombra's daughter's humble opinion, the situation was far too delicate to just ignore... but it wasn't her problem.  At least not now, and not too big to handle, perhaps?  Besides, giving wings to foals didn't sound too unreasonable... in fact, it was downright tame, in comparison to what he was before.

"Vines?  Inside?"  She trotted forward to examine them closer.  Honestly speaking, there wasn't much in the way of plantlife in her Crystal Empire... especially under her father's rule.  Especially especially in his palace. 

"Critters?  Cupcake, what exactly does she keep in her class?"

Cupcake laughed.  "Well, come find out!"  With that, he easily pushed the vines aside and entered the classroom.
> Nine: Critters & Bugs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside, there was a LOT of plantlife; ivy covered the walls and ceiling, and there were overgrown planter boxes everywhere.  But, even with all the foliage, everything was trimmed back well enough away from walking spaces, so there was still plenty of room to move.

All sorts of exotic-looking flowers were scattered about the classroom, but there were also animals here!  Along the walls were a number of birds and squirrels, all nested in and cozy, and there were a few raccoons, some small foxes, and several rabbits. Seeing the large, grey-streaked bear sitting calmly at the rear of the class was a bit disconcerting, though. 

A small jungle in the classroom?  It was probably driving the cleaning slav-... er, staff mad, especially if these critters weren't taught to 'do their business' only in specified areas.  Particularly especially the bear - stepping into his waste probably wouldn't be too pleasant, she wagered.  Especially especially if there were things stuck in it... like, for instance, equine bones. 

In the midst of all this was a small gathering of students, mostly ponies but a few other races were present, all paying rapt attention to a single mare at the center of it all.  She had a creamy yellow coat, and a mane of long, flowing hair of a soft pink, the grey in it standing out like slivers of silvery dew. 

Her eyes, however, held the kindest look that Obsidian had ever seen; it was almost alien to the cruelly-abused princess. 

She was currently speaking to them... something about animal care... when she spotted them entering the classroom. 

"Oh!  Class, would you please excuse me for just a moment?" She made her way over, a long tail trailing behind her, flowing like water.  She stepped close, and those beautiful eyes widened as she saw Obsidian.

"Hello, Cupcake... oh!  I see you brought a friend!  One I don't recognize... is she a new student?" 

Cup smiled.  "Oh, I hope she will be!  Professor Fluttershy, meet Princess Obsidian of the Crystal Empire!" 

The kind-eyed mare gave a polite, humble bow.  "A Princess?  Oh, it's an honor to-... wait."  She looked at Cupcake curiously.  "She doesn't look like one of Cadence's children, so who is-" 

"Uhhhhh... no.  She's... not.  She's the one that Princess Twilight found in... i-in Sombra's old dungeon." 

Fluttershy's eyes went wide.  "Oh my!  You poor, poor thing..." The mare's eyes teared up a bit.  "When Twilight told me about finding you down in such a cold, hard place... why, my heart just went right out to you!  I'm so sorry; you must be going through a LOT, adjusting to life in this time period!"

Though Obsidian wasn't exactly an animal expert, she was willing - in this case - to give miss Fluttershy the benefit of the doubt when it came to their relative safety... and aside from that, she just couldn't force herself to dislike her.  There was something so... non-threatening in her.  

No, that didn't quite sound right... maybe 'counter-threatening' would be a better term?  

That was surprising - considering the fact that she was one of the much-lauded Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, she probably had a lot adventure in her life; to see a pony so gentle after those possible experiences was something to think about.  And it spoke much of Fluttershy, as did her manners; she found the pegasus mare to be quite polite and respectful. 

"Good morning, Professor," she bowed a bit as well, in response, "yes, I have to admit that everything is... er... rather different from the conditions I had back home." 

She peeked a bit at Cupcake, the number one of those Very Different Things she'd met here. 

"Headmare Starlight ordered us to deliver a message," she added quickly, levitating a scroll to the pegasus mare.  After all, she was in a middle of class - Obsidian felt that she really shouldn't interrupt it.

"Oh!  Thank you so very much." Fluttershy took the scroll in hoof and placed it gingerly into her mane, just behind her ear.  "I'll have a look at it first thing, as soon as class is over; I appreciate you taking the time to do this for me." 

Cupcake was, meanwhile, waving at members of the class, who quite apparently knew him personally.  Four ponies (including one lovestruck-looking mare), two griffons and a... dragon?  

There was a dragon in this classroom, and she hadn't noticed?  A fire-breathing, gem-chewing, greedy lizard among ponies?  Well, this school was surely SOMETHING - but she wasn't exactly sure what yet.  To be fair, the dragon itself wasn't exactly looming in size; he was just a bit bigger than a regular pony... so maybe he wasn't a threat at all?  

At least, he was nothing near what her tutors had taught her about - maybe they'd been excluding information, or perhaps it was merely outdated?

"Well, I do hope you manage to find something in this era that will bring you happiness, Princess Obsidian; with all you've been through, and what Sombra had planned for you... well, I'm just glad we found you!" 

Carefully and gently, she reached out and gave the timidest of embraces to the dark princess; there was barely contact, and no squeeze to even consider... but the genuine care and affection was still most certainly there - and she did so without hesitation. 

The contact was the least-intrusive touch she'd ever felt in her life... and the most loving one. 

"I-if you'll excuse me, I still have a class to teach... but you're always welcome to stop by and visit me, if you'd like that.  And I do hope to see you in class, should you choose to attend.  I would be so very happy to see you there!" 

With that, she gave another respectful, gentle bow and returned to her podium, giving a sweet little wave before she returned to her lesson.  Cupcake waved back, and most of the animals returned it. The animals were so calm around Fluttershy... she also seemed to have a magic, all her own.  

Fascinating...  

Wait.  Waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit...  what was that about what her most honourable father had planned for her?  

Princess Twilight had already mentioned that they had found his writings... but did Professor Fluttershy possibly know something more?  And... why in Tartarus did she touch her?  If it had been an attempt to strangle her, it certainly didn't work - but she truly didn't look like the type that would enjoy choking the life out of ponies, so most likely it was something else.  Something friendly.  

Then she noticed that animals were waving to them. 

It was too much - she simply bowed and quickly left the classroom, flustered, confused and kinda excited about everything that happened here.  Cupcake followed her out, a look of concern writ large on his muzzle. 

"Ummmm... you... don't look okay.  Princess, what's wrong?  Are you okay?  I mean, yeah, sometimes Miss Fluttershy's kindness is a bit overwhelming at times, but..." He continued to look at her with concern.  "If you wanna talk about it, I'm right here - I might be able to answer it, if it's a question that's bugging you?"

She didn't even look at him; she was still mulling over everything that had happened to her.  Maybe Professor Fluttershy would tell her more about her most honourable father's plans... she certainly seemed to know something or other that Obsidian didn't.

"I'm used to many things, Cupcake. Professor Fluttershy is a complete opposite of all of them!  Every single one. 
Just cultural shock, honestly; thou need not concern yourself about that," she intoned as she shook her head. 

Those waving animals... it was not natural.  It was so sweet that her teeth almost started to hurt.

Cup still wore a look of concern... but, with a small sigh of resignation, he nodded. "Princess, I... get the impression... that you haven't had very many nice things in your life.  And honestly?  I think that's a crying shame." 

Almost as if the words conjured them, slight tears formed in the corner of his eyes. 

"Not allowed good food, not taught how to care properly for your mane, never having had a friend... and kindness seems so foreign to you... oh, it actually kinda hurts me that you weren't treated like you were loved." 

He held up a hoof, "No, I'm not being a meanie by saying that, I just... it's not fair.  It's just not fair that you were treated so harshly that you don't even know how to handle meeting the Element of Kindness." 

Cupcake wore a look that was a mixture of sorrow, pain and concern.  The first two emotions, she was well aware of, but... the concern for her - not pity, but actual concern - was so obvious... but why? 

"I wish I could help you understand friendship faster, but... but it's kinda something you gotta discover for yourself.  I mean, forcing friendships is just... well, it's not being a real friend; it's just controlling someone." He sighed.  "And history shows that that never ends well."

She literally told him just now that he doesn't need to be concerned, and yet he got concerned!  These modern ponies just didn't know when to stop.  Eww, it even seemed that he was crying!  Disgusting! 

"Life is not fair, Cupcake. I understood and accepted my role and everything that was connected with it. Everything... er..." 

Pausing, she looked to the sides, to be sure that nopony else was there to overhear them. "Um... you have... pardon my language... tears in your eyes.  Tell me, are those considered, in this world... indecent?"  

She still remembered what happened last time when she dared to cry; her father had personally made it a certainty that she wouldn't ever dare to do so again in his presence.  

Of course, she'd like to argue that controlling others is great, but this time she knew better - considering that her last 'outburst' (though she didn't consider it as one) left her without any 'friends', she didn't want to start a quarrel... especially in front of professor Fluttershy's classroom.

Cupcake wiped at his eyes, but tears still lingered. "Princess... no." 

He sighed heavily.  "Whatever was going on a thousand years ago, it's no longer relevant.  Plus, the kind of treatment you were getting wouldn't have just been considered harsh... it would be called cruel and terrible."

"And I know life isn't fair - but that's why we do so much to make it as good as possible now!  There's no call for starving anyone, or beating them, or punishing them for every tiny infraction!"  Though it was obvious he felt passionately about the subject, he was following Obsidian's example and keeping his voice low.  

"You were treated so mean... but, you don't have to suffer that stuff anymore; Sombra is gone, and he can't do anything to you anymore.  He does NOT own you - you're free to be yourself now!  No more harsh treatment, no more painful lessons, no more torture... and there's a lot of folks here that would probably be glad to be friends with you, help you learn about this world, maybe even help you get by in it!" 

Again, he went to put a hoof on her shoulder... then thought better of it, and put the hoof back down. 

"I really, reeeeeeally want to see you happy, y'know?  My momma always said that spreading happiness to others is a gift: joy and good cheer help others feel better, so they actually end up having a better quality of life for it." 

"I... I wish I had the words to help you see what I mean, but..." his face fell, "I gotta have patience, and keep on trying.  You're smart - I'm 101% certain that you'll figure it out, and it'll stop being so frustrating for you.  I just hope you do so sooner than later." 

Especially with this stallion as her liaison - even his breakfast was royally-good, which meant that Obsidian was at risk of turning into a gluttonous, fat pig... 

He was about to go on, when Obsidian heard a familiar voice: 

"... yeah, and then I managed to finish my laps around the track before anyone else; that's why I'm a top-notch flyer, just like my awesome mom!" 

That was the voice of Thunderclap Dash, bragging to what looked sort-of like a changeling... but the carapace was all colorful and such.  Cupcake was so busy talking about feelings that he didn't even notice.

It seemed that Cupcake was, more or less, understanding her situation - though he was still looking at it from different, strange angles that were twisting her entire life into a series of cruelty, pain and tortures for no reason. Hopefully he'd sooner or later realize that her most honourable father was just doing everything he could to shape her into a proper tool.

Was there a better fate than to be used properly and fit into the world? 

In a way, he was right; her father no longer owned her - at least not until his glorious return. It meant that she had to take care of herself, recall his lessons, and behave as a royal would... though she wasn't sure how long she would manage to avoid all the self-indulgent happiness and other joyful things that could corrupt her. 

"Cupcake. Thunderclap is coming this direction, with... er..." she hesitated for a moment. "... I have no idea what it is. Let's intercept them."

He looked up, surprised but quickly recovering. "Oh?  OH!  Okay, yeah - now would be the time to try your hoof at apologies!  I mean, she'll have to apologize too, but it's not impossible.  Plus, as Professor Fluttershy always says: Apologizing first opens the way for others to do so, too!" 

Clap and her... friend, one would assume... were almost right on top of them before they were noticed.  

Thunderclap stopped short, and the accompanying entity stopped with her. "Huh?  Oh, hiya Sid-..." 

She abruptly stopped, then a look of neutrality settled onto her features.  She didn't look... angry... as much as she seemed... cautious?  Wary?  Whatever the expression was, it didn't look right on the mare's muzzle. 

"... Obsidian."  She glanced next to her.  "Cupcake."  She looked like she wanted to be friendly... but it seemed like she was reserving herself, in case Obsidian didn't want to be friendly with her.

Apologizing first... so, that was like a war strategy? 

She just had to start a pre-emptive attack, then. Hmmmm... perhaps the key of understanding 'friendship' was comparing it with an armed conflict?  Of course she had a long way before she could call herself a Supreme General of Friendship - at the moment, she failed to even notice that Thunderclap seemed so hesitant. 

"Good morning, Thunderclap. I'd been planning to find you later, so I'm glad we found each other.  I truly hope I didn't hurt your feelings yesterday, and I'm s-..." she coughed - nothing serious; she just had a dry throat!  Really!  It's not like she literally choked on apologies or anything! 

"... I'm sorry for upsetting you". It was probably the most dry apology in the universe, but at least she tried.

The change in Thunderclap's attitude was almost instantaneous. 

"Whaaaaat, that thing yesterday?  Ah, that was nothin', Siddy - friends argue all the time, y'know?  Don't worry about it; we're cool!  And hey, I'm sorry too - I mean, I don't know what-all you had to go through, where you're from... I didn't mean to pree... prez, uh... pree... um..." 

"... presume?"  Offered the weird beetle-thing next to her. 

"Bless you," Clap said.  Cupcake giggled behind a hoof. 

"But yeah, it's all good - no harm, no foul, right?" Regardless of her words, Obsidian got the distinct impression that Clap was very relieved that 'Siddy' was still wanting to be friends.  The bug-thing, whoever it was, simply stood back and allowed conversation to happen. 

"So, you enroll in Friendship School already?" Clap asked curiously.  "If so, you pick up fast; Fluttershy herself says 'apologizing first opens a road'... or something like that.  Anyhoo, what're you doin' here, Siddy?"

That one was easy, it seemed. Nothing too complicated. If Mica and Gypsy will accept her apologies that quickly as well then, apparently, Cupcake was just making too much fuss about this whole situation yesterday. 

"We've been told to run a few errands in the school by Lemon. I didn't enroll, but I consider it very likely in the close future. I will also have to meet Mica and Gypsy later, of course. Maybe Butter Churn as well", after all she needed all friends she could get, right?  She trotted forward and went to put a hoof on Clap's shoulder... then, as if she thought better of it, she put the hoof back down. 

Cupcake had done it twice already, it was surely something friendly?

"Now, could you perhaps introduce us?", she peeked a bit at the colorful, walking... something near Thunderclap. It looked like a... uhhhh... maybe a bug?  Or a very, very weird pony.  A very weird bug-pony?

Clap's lip curled in disgust.  "Uck... Lemon!  Cup, why in the wide, wide world of Equestria do you have him as a brother?  How could he come from your mom?" 

Cupcake shrugged.  "I ask myself that all the time... and I never answer.  Hmm." 

"Still... uck.  Anyhoo, you feel like... me, um... t-tagging..." she watched Obsidian raise & lower her hoof.  "... what was that?  Were you trying to do this?" Clap reached out and gave Obsidian a firm pat on her shoulder; it didn't hurt, but it sort of made her take a step back; Thunderclap Dash was a rather muscular pony, after all.  

Was that what Cup had been doing?  Avoiding touching her? 

"Cute.  But hey, y'gotta learn somehow, right?" 

When she mentioned Gypsy and Mica, Clap's ears drooped a bit. "Uhhhhh... yyyeeeeaaaahhhhh... Gypsy was kinda, just... I dunno... he kinda felt bad, like he'd messed up or something.  Mica..." she sighed, "... he might need some time.  He kinda took it personally when you said... uh, that stuff you said."  Great. 

"Oh, but yeah - this here is-" 

"Markannus," the bug pony said, "a Reformation Changeling.  Charmed."  He gave a little bow, then straightened up with a smile.  "I hope Cup here hasn't been talking your ears off." 

Cupcake pointed at Obsidian's head.  "Nope - they're still there!"

Yesterday she had truly regretted that she still had ears on her head; today... well, she had at least gotten used to it somewhat, and of course Cupcake was a bit more humble. 

Right now, however, Obsidian was more concerned and shocked by a sudden pat on her shoulder, and realization that maybe Cupcake tried to do the same with her.  She had risen one hoof and started to rub the patted place, not sure what to do with this sudden physical contact. 

Apparently it was her lesson for today - never try to parrot Cupcake's actions. Especially without asking him what they mean; it was just a bad idea that led to unsolicited contact. 

"Cupcake, I'll have to talk with you about patting others later, apparently... just to be sure that I understand everything I can about it."  

Cupcake's mouth opened and closed for a moment, confused at what she meant... then, like watching a little light turn on inside his cranium, understanding dawned on his muzzle. 

"Oh, uhhh... I didn't do it 'cuz you... umm, you seem like you don't... really wanna be touched.  I wanted to, 'cuz it's supposed to be for comfort - unlike some ponies who don't know their own strength, who make it hard and awkward." 

Clap looked confused.  "Whaaaaaaat?  I just-" 

"It's okay; I'll explain it all later, Princess." 

At least she learned what happened with the rest of the group... and who Thunderclap's companion was.  "A changeling... hunh.  Your species looked different in the books I've read..." 

Of course it was thousand years ago, so apparently something had happened to them that altered their physiology. In her opinion, something obviously quite terrible and cruel. 

"I am Princess Obsidian - would you like to be my friend?"  

Another friend - it would be a good start.  Unfortunately, Princess Twilight didn't tell her how many friends she had to make... better safe than sorry, right?  Besides, more friends meant she was excelling in her task; the alicorn would be duly impressed by the sheer size of the roster she would gather!

After her observation on changelings, Markannus nodded.  "There are two types of changelings, and both have different appearances:  those who feel that taking love to survive is their birthright, or 'Forthright Changelings', hold the classic look the stories all give... and those who feel it better to share love between creatures, or 'Reformation Changelings', have more color to them, like I do.  The kind you're familiar with is probably the former kind, like most others." 

At her asking if Markannus wanted to be her friend, both Cupcake and Thunderclap's muzzles lit up with smiles. 

"THAT'S the ticket, Siddy!" 

"Yeah, that's wonderful!" 

Markannus, confused, looked at them both before giving Obsidian a half-grin.  "Sure... but those two seem to think it's some sort of momentous occasion or something.  Weird.  Anyway, nice to meet you, princess; you might like meeting our king, someday."

Good.  Another friend made, and apparently one as interesting as Gypsy.  

'Reformed' changelings with their own king... maybe she'd be able to find something in the history books about it?  And, of course, both Cup and Clap seemed to be overjoyed at the gesture.

But why?  They reacted as if it was something strange, yet they were, literally, in a school of friendship.  Surely it was something normal they should be used to by now? 

"They both tend to surprise me with their reactions, and yes, meeting a king sounds very interesting." 

Now, what sort of things should friends be doing?  Did it count already as being done?  Maybe she should be making a list - and each of her friends would have to sign it, stating that that, yes, they are definitely her friends, officially.  

"I still have one thing to do, in the school's library, and then I have to go to meet with Gypsy and Mica.  Are you possibly interested in going with us?"

Clap smiled broadly.  "Yeah, I would!  I mean, it's not like I'm really missing anything from mom's class, so I'd be happy to join you two!" 

"As for me," Markannus said, "I'm afraid I'm only out of class to check on my brother; he's been shedding his carapace, and always has trouble-" 

"-coming out of his shell!"  Cupcake finished with him, laughing.

Amused, he continued.  "So I'll have to take a pass on that for right now; another time, perhaps?" 

Shedding his carapace?  Obsidian, for a moment, was curious about that - how did it look?  What did they do with it afterwards?  There were so many things she felt she could learn from this creature... but alas, she already had her duties and there were other things that she wanted to understand today.

Cupcake waved a hoof at the changeling.  "Sure, no problem - I'm sure Obsidian wouldn't mind, would you?" 

Clap laughed.  "Of course she doesn't mind!  Siddy here is poised to make more friends than anyone else in the history of this school!" 

"That," Cup intoned, "would be up to her.  I mean, I hope she does, but it's her call; no way am I making decisions for her - how will she learn, otherwise?"

She also had to be careful around Thunderclap - this 'more friends than anyone' sounded like a threat.  She already had far more 'friends' than she felt comfortable with, and still wasn't sure what exactly this whole 'friendship' deal was. 

"I'm looking forward to our next meeting, then," she replied calmly.  Diamond dogs were already a curiosity to her - these 'Reformed Changelings' could prove just as interesting.

Markannus smiled.  "As do I - farewell."  He glanced at Thunderclap.  "And behave yourself." 

"Whaaaaaaat???  I'm always behaved... even when I'm not!" 

The changeling shook his head bemusedly, then made his way down the hall.  Clap fell in behind Obsidian and Cupcake; smooth as if she'd been there the whole time. "So, we're headed to where to see who?" 

"Library, to visit some non-fiction books!"  Cup seemed to almost gleam with that statement.  Clap, however, stuck her tongue out in disgust. 

"Ick.  Sorting duty.  Sucks to be you..." she sighed, "... aaaaand ME, by proxy, so we might as well maintain our partnership here.  Can I just sit back and... I dunno... read something?" 

"If you're sorting,"  Cup perked up, "I could pitch in & help it go by faster!"

Hm, so Cupcake was offering her help... good.  It looked like she wouldn't have to work too hard - not that sorting was truly all that hard, though.  After all, placing things in their proper order was a monarch's duty - so she had to do it as well.  

If anything, it should be entertaining... for a bit, anyway.

And maybe, MAYBE... there would be some information about Headmare Starlight among the stacks - Obsidian was certain that she'd already noticed her name in one of the history books, but she had read too much in too short of a time and didn't retain as much as she'd wished. 

"Library... I can hardly wait to see it with my own two eyes," she sighed. 

Oh right, there was one more thing:  "I also assume that you two are already my friends.  I am correct, yes?"  

After all, Obsidian never asked those two officially; she just wanted to be certain.

Clap gave a bark of a laugh.  "Well, sure we-" 

"Acquaintances, actually!"  Cup interrupted.  "We're still getting to know each other, so we're technically acquaintances, or 'friend potentials', so to speak... once we really get to know each other, we'll graduate to friends..." 

His eyes got big, wide and teary.  "But the thought that you're concerned enough to ask us if we're friends?  Oh, that's exactly the kind of things friends do!" 

Clap scratched her head, looking confused.  "They do?  I've never asked Mica if HE was my friend before; he was just... y'know, there." 

Cupcake laughed.  "Silly filly!  You two have spent so much time together, you're practically siblings!  Of COURSE he's your friend!  Once you reach a certain point, you won't even need to ask - it'll be obvious!" 

He glanced back at Obsidian.  "Might wanna make a note of that, princess!" 

It was only about a minute before they rounded a corner and beheld the large double-doors of the school's massive library.  There were shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books, everywhere and almost as far as Obsidian could see!  There were a few ponies milling about, but for the most part, they were pretty much by themselves.  

After a moment of staring at the handy map next to the checkout desk, Cupcake proclaimed the non-fiction section to be 'over this way', and led them towards the back of the book-canyons around them. 

Reaching the location, the three of them found two ponies already there...
> Ten: A Bookish Sort
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where IS that stupid tome!" came a cultured, regal voice with just a hint of distress. 

"If the card catalogue says it's here, it has to be here.  Calm down, okay?" 

"I swear, if you tell me to 'calm down' one more time..." 

Two stallions, their muzzles buried in piles of non-fiction books that were currently not at all on the massive shelf where they belonged; if she had to organize all of these, she'd be busy 'til midnight! 

One stallion was impeccably dressed, in a suit of a deep pine green with golden trim and a simply divine overcoat of what looked like ermine.  Definitely a fashion plate.  Otherwise, he appeared to be lean and wiry, made more for speed than muscle. 

The second one had a velvety-black coat, and was chiseled and firm.  Honestly, he looked as sturdy and proud as her father once had... except this stallion was not her father.  He wore a simple barding, but one made to fit a workhorse... which, if his powerful frame were any indicator, he was. 

Thunderclap instantly blanched.  "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh- how does my mane look!  Cup!  Do I look okay?  I don't wanna be caught looking frumpy by... by..." 

Cupcake rolled his eyes.  "Eloquence hasn't even seen us yet, Clap - calm down!"

Cup had called them 'aquaintances'... was this a betrayal?  At the moment of triumph?  Did it meant that, to gain "more" friends, she would have to get even more than she initially thought - to make up for Cupcake and Thunderclap being only 'acquaintances'? 

Truly, she was going to remember that treachery and one day... one day... perhaps she will understand what Cupcake was talking about enough to decide whether or not it was worth punishment. 

Oh, wait - he wasn't her slave, so she wasn't in any position to punish him. 

And besides, she could always ask about it later to get a far better explanation from him.  After all, making friends was HER punishment for her crime of walking around without liasion, and she didn't feel like she could properly explain to Princess Twilight why she had ignored it. 

However, Obsidian's mood quickly got better as soon as she saw the library.  She had never seen so many books in a single place before - which was not exactly surprising, as she'd never seen much of a world before - but it was enough to stun her for a moment. 

Of course, she wasn't very talkative anyway, so Cup and Clap would hardly notice much change. 

"Shouldn't we first report ourselves to the library's supervisor?" she asked as Cup was leading them inside, to the non-fiction section... however, it seemed that there was now a new problem:

Other ponies. 

Of course, it was normal; they were surrounded by so many creatures... but these two got a strong reaction out of Clap - and out of Obsidian, as at the first sight of the sturdy black-coated stallion, she stepped back for a moment before she got ahold of herself. 

"... what's happening with Thunderclap, Cupcake?  Who are these ponies?", she asked, slightly nervous.

Cupcake smiled broadly. "The one wearing the fancy-schmancy outfit is Eloquence-" 

"The most together and hip fashionisto in all of Equestria!"  Clap practically sang, her eyes looking rather soft and UN-Clap-like. 

Cupcake chuckled.  "And he happens to be the child of another Element Bearer, Rarity!   He certainly gets a lot from his mother, but he's also his own pone, so to speak.  The other one..." 

Cupcake grinned even wider.  "That's Licorice Twist.  He's a ladies' stallion, all suave and stuff - that's his trademark.  The fillies all swoon over him, and he's always schmoozing somewhere around.  He's just like that.  A liiiiiiittle on the dull side of the knife, but he's not dumb by a long shot." 

Cupcake then walked over and tapped the black stallion on his flank. The stallion lifted his head from the pile... which revealed a rather attractive male muzzle.  That muzzle looked curious until those dark violet eyes locked on Cupcake; the look was replaced with a small, collected smile. 

"Brother... what are you doing here?" 

"Brother?  Which one?  Is it Lemon, because HE would know what I'm looking for..." 

The other stallion lifted his head, and-GWWAH!! 

"Oh, it's Cupcake.  Salutations." 

The primly dressed stallion was as ugly as sin!  His eyes were mismatched and off-centered, his teeth crooked, his lip split and his nostrils were two different sizes!  He was hideous!

And she was certain she wasn't related to Licorice - a good thing; for a moment she was really worried about... well, about something not really specific, but it was enough to stop her heartbeat for a moment. Luckily her, uh, aquaintances quickly explained everything. 

Obsidian liked explanations. Getting into new situations without any prior knowledge was scary, annoying, stressful or outright infuriating, after all.  However they didn't explain what was happening to Thunderclap. It was strange. Nopony used any sort of spell on her, right? However, she hadn't known her for too long, so maybe it wasn't as strange as she thought it was...

And, oh, wonderful, another brother of Cupcake's!  How big was his family?  His mother probably deserved a medal for birthing new slaves taxpayers and friendship-bringers... and hopefully the other pony didn't have any brothers and sisters. It wasn't right, to spread around genes that could result in something like THAT. 

Despite that she followed Cupcake, hoping for him to introduce her.  She was supposed to be meeting new ponies... but there were too many of them, and she still didn't know how to exactly welcome one!  Until now she was either welcomed by them (just like with her first meeting with Cupcake and Churn) or introduced by her companions. 

Hopefully she would never have to go through this process alone...

Cup smiled.  "Licky?  Elo?  This is Princess Obsidian, of the Crystal Empire!"  He made a grand, sweeping gesture as he did his utmost best to give as grand an introduction as he could. 

"Princess?" The ugly stallion pondered, "Crystal Empire, you say?  She doesn't look like one of Cadence's children - too dark - but she certainly has the regal posture of one... and those cheekbones, oh darling!  You would be simply smashing in something crimson or royal purple - maybe even orange could work, though it would have to be for a Fall ensemble..." 

As Eloquence spoke, Clap simply stared at him with dreamy-eyed awe.  What Thunderclap Dash saw in such a stallion, there was no telling. 

Meanwhile, Licorice gave Obsidian a short, neat bow.  "A pleasure."  His eyes lingered a moment on her, but he managed to pull them away to look at his brother once again.  Strangely, side-by-side, she could now see a family resemblance between them - but she'd have never guessed unless she'd seen them both together.

"My dear, have you ever considered the world of 'Modeling'?  With your looks, I'd dare say you would be all the rave this season!  Perhaps brush a few kinks out of the mane and tail, a good coat-scrubbing, maybe even a horn polish..." he chuckled, "Oh, yes - you'd be quite the heartthrob, I assure you.  Lick?"  He looked to the dark stallion, "you may have some competition here, with the 'dark and broody' look.  And I believe she would pull it off better than you do." 

Licorice simply gave a half-hearted shrug.  "Whatever - I never said I claimed a monopoly on brooding, Elo." 

Eloquence gave Licorice a flat stare.  "You know, when I'm actually trying to get a rise out of you, it would work so much better if, y'know, you actually got offended." 

A shrug from the handsome stallion.  "So you're trying to offend me?" 

Elo rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yes and no, darling - yes because it gets the blood flowing, and no because you are my friend.  I just sometimes wish my friends were easier to rile up." 

Licorice simply shrugged again.

... oh damn, they were talking. A lot. Again. 

That was a serious downside of being introduced to new ponies by Cupcake and the other 'acquaintances' of hers - each time it happened, they already knew each other and were talking, laughing and carrying on.  For a moment, Obsidian felt like an intruder... or like an invader - which, in her eyes, was a far more favorable term. 

"I'm not Princess Cadence's child; I am an heir of her predecessor, the most honourable and illustrious King Sombra," she explained calmly, trying to get first things first.  It would be a shame if somepony would think she belonged to the usurper's dynasty. 

"And... thank you?"  

At least she thought that this comment about cheekbones was a compliment.  What did he want from her?   Well, her father DID like crimson...

It was hard to believe, at least for the moment, that the handsome stallion could be related to Cupcake - and to Lemon!  She wouldn't complain as much if his brother would talk as much as he did...  also, black licorice was one of her favourite rare sweets. Not that she'd tasted too many of them in her life... 

Frankly, her father hadn't given her much of a choice. 

"I'm not even sure what modeling is, I'm afraid.. which by extension means that I have no idea what you want to do with my coat and horn... or why." 

Future ponies were strange. And what did 'heartthrob' mean? Was that an idiom?

"Darling.  Pookie.  Sweetheart.  Are... a-a-are you serious?" 

"Uh, Elo?" Cupcake began, worry writ large on his muzzle,  "She isn't-" 

"Modeling," he began with a grand flourish, "is what all the properly beautiful mares and stallions do, of course!  To wear the latest and greatest fashions, to have your photo taken & printed in fashionable magazines, to be seen all over the world!  My dearest, Modeling... is...life!" He struck a dramatic pose, and held it firmly... until Cupcake gave a short giggle, then Elo straightened himself and smoothed his mane back.  

He may have looked ugly, but Elo seemed like he had enough personality to make up for his physical shortcomings... in spades. 

"What I want, simply put, is for you to consider taking up Modeling - after all, I have access to some pristine fashions, and I am quite the shutterbug; it would be an honor for such an exquisite creature as yourself to allow humble little me to take your photos and share them with all of Equestria!  Why, I daresay with a face like yours?  You could conquer Equestria by looks alone!" 

Eloquence pulled out a notepad and began jotting notes with the pen held aloft by his horn, but Licorice stepped a bit closer. 

"King Sombra?  So... you're from... another time?" Licorice's voice was silken and deep, it was like chocolate for her ears.

Ok, so modeling was wearing fashions. Now she only had to learn what 'fashions' were... and fashionable magazines... aaaaand photos. Maybe not now, perhaps - it would be probably be a more wise decision to ask about it from somepony who wasn't so much into it.  

... but conquering Equestria? Yes, that something she could appreciate!

She made a mental note to talk to Eloquence later, she could always avenge her father's defeat by placing herself on an Equestrian throne. Maybe modeling was some kind of warfare? 

She nodded to Licorice. "Yes.  My last memory before waking up here was apparently from the day when my most honourable father was planning a battle against the Equestrian princesses," she explained to him.

Licorice looked intrigued. "So that would mean... you've been suspended for a little over a thousand years?"  He considered that for a moment. "Wow.  I'll bet there's so much that's new to you, it all seems so much to take in.  And I'm sure being placed with my crazy brother hasn't helped much, has it?" 

He regarded her solemnly for a bit. "I'm sorry you're having to go through so much change at once; I'm surprised you're even able to be out & about, with so much new around you." 

"Darling," Elo spoke without looking up from his pad, "the princess looks to me to be as soft and squishy as a diamond; she's made of firmer stuff than anyone's giving her credit for, I'm certain." 

Cupcake nudged Clap.  "You're drooling." 

Clap jumped as if she'd been bitten, then quickly wiped her lip and straightened her stance... though her eyes were still locked firmly on the horrific visage of the suave fashionisto. 

Licorice cocked his head a bit.  "And you're here now, trying to do what?  I mean, broad goals... not book-fixing."

Ugh.  Hearing this line yet again about 'a thousand years' hurt.  She knew it was a long, long time, but hearing it aloud hurt her each and every single time she heard it.  Even Lemon had dropped his mockeries for a second, after she heard it for the first time and reacted as if she had been struck with a mace. 

"Yes, that long," she sighed, "Cupcake is as different as possible from anything from my old life, so being placed with him is, in a way, oddly balancing; no matter what happens, I can be sure that I won't be any more shocked than during my first meeting with him."  The way he'd behaved during their first meeting was still a sore point for her, but she managed to deal with it, for the most part.

Really, what was wrong with Thunderclap?  She wasn't sick, was she?  

"Now?  Well... I shall survive and learn, one would assume.  I woke up yesterday only to find out that everything I knew is gone, so I'm not really in a proper mindframe to have any other goals as of yet.  I believe I'll need more information about the modern world first."  Of course, it was quite possible that 'conquer Equestria with modeling' had a firm chance of becoming a means to an end.

Licorice nodded.  "I see.  Well, a school would be the right place to look for that sort of stuff - the library?  Doubly so." 

"OH!"  Elo suddenly jumped and turned back to another stack of books.  "I almost forgot I was looking for... something..."  With the ugly muzzle hidden away again, Elo searched through pile after pile. 

"As for Cupcake," Licorice continued, "I would have to say you're the first being to ever put 'Cupcake' and 'balancing' in the same sentence."  He gave a rich chuckle, then turned back to face his brother.  

"I see Thunderclap still has a crush on Eloquence..." 

Crush?  Did Thunderclap... want to... crush Eloquence?  No, it couldn't be that; Obsidian doubted she would react that way if she simply wanted to hurt him.  Modern ponies were strange, and it surely didn't help that she was a princess and they were... well, from the lower classes.  Maybe not too low, as they were related to local nobility, but lower than her, still.

"DO NOT!"  She looked ready to fight the black stallion, but he just raised a hoof and grinned.  Elo, judging by the fact he didn't seem to react to his name being used, was probably too involved in looking to notice.

"Okay, my bad, you're right -" he was grinning, "you're just standing there drooling because your I.Q. is that low, then?" 

"HEY!" 

"Kidding, geez."  He looked to Obsidian.  "So... you need to learn more to make better goals?  Maybe I could help out there?"

"I don't think so, that's something I need to figure out myself, at least partially.  Oh, right!  Would you like to become my friend?"  She practically beamed as she realized that she could get one step closer to the meeting the terms of her punishment.

Licorice raised an eyebrow, his muzzle turning stoic.  "Why would you wanna be friends with a stallion like me?" 

From the pile behind them came a groan.  "Oh, sweet Luna's plot," Eloquence grumbled, "here it comes..." 

The look on the dark stallion's muzzle got heavy and brooding.  "You wouldn't want to be friends with someone so lost and alone as me..."  He put on an extra layer of brood, looking stern and pouty.  "I don't know that you'll actually get any enjoyment out of-" 

"For crying out loud, Lick, just say yes!" Eloquence sounded as if he, himself, would squash the two of them together if they didn't find a compromise. 

Licorice stopped abruptly, then gave the smallest of blushes as he said, "Uh, yes.  S-sure."   

Cupcake grinned.  "He takes a minute to pick up on stuff... but that's my little brother!" 

Little?  Cupcake was barely half his size!  How could he have been the older sibling?  And how many Pie heirs were there?!?

Wonderful - another friend!  Princess Twilight should be most satisfied with this development!  

"I'm not looking for enjoyment, I'm looking for friendship," she explained calmly.  Besides, if she would want 'enjoyment' she would either just sit in her room and read (according to her own definition of the word) or just rely on Cupcake (according to more modern definitions). 

"I'm certain we shall do many friendly things... as soon as I can figure out what is friendly and what is not."  She peeked at Eloquence and his piles.  "Please, ah... Eloquence?.. what book are you seeking?"

"Academia In Fashion; A Treatsie By Rarity; it's one of my mother's best sellers, right after 'For Spike' and 'How To Tame A Diamond Dog'.  The fershlugginer thing should be right... in... here... SOMEwhere..." 

Actually, from where she was standing, she could see the book in question; it was on a shelf that wasn't in order, gathering dust.  Not far above Eloquence's styled and braided tail. 

Licorice gave Obsidian a look.  "You really don't know much about friendship at all, do you?  Maybe you should; I'm sure it'll help you in the future, and I'd be... available to help you learn.  And I promise I won't make fun of you for not knowing." 

"No promises here, darling,"  Elo quipped, "if I see something bad, I'll say what comes to mind." 

"He will," Cupcake agreed.  "He does so quite frequently."

Yes... she already noticed that he was talking quite a lot.  And apparently trying to annoy Licorice, at least a bit.  Well, in her case she could always just... no.  No Dark Magics allowed.  Damnation!  "I can take a critique... as long as it's reasonable," she assured both of them.  

Reasonable being somewhere between her father and Cupcake; something like Lemon Custard's idea of such would be right out.

"Here, I have found what you seek."  

Without a second thought, she levitated the book in question from the shelf, towards the Eloquence.  Her horn flashed with unhealthy looking dark light (even though it should be, in theory, impossible).  While she wasn't used to using her dark magic for such a simple task as moving a book, she still had little other experience with anything but what she had.

"What was that thing about diamond dogs?  I've met only the one, and I wasn't even aware of their existence before - I would gladly enjoy learning more of them."

Four sets of eyes watched the book levitate over to Eloquence, and the unicorn stallion in question took it... but he wore a somewhat shocked look on his muzzle.  They all did. 

"Siddy... is... i-is that your magic?  Why does it look so... so..." 

"Dark Magic, darling," Eloquence said, almost reverently.  "always looks like that.  Chic and hip, maybe, but... Dark Magic itself is forbidden.  But that wasn't exactly 'dark', bringing me a single book?" 

"I thought it looked interesting," Licorice intoned. 

"Of course it did, dearie," Elo said, "there's been no Dark Magic in Equestria for quite some time; I'd daresay that Obsidian here may be the last living bastion of Dark Magic in all of Equestria." 

Cupcake balked, "That can't be-... there's no way-... how could they-..." 

"The last known utilizer of such magics," Elo continued, "was Stygian, before his reformation."  He looked to Obsidian.  "Though he's gone well on his way; no need to look for him, as you won't find him in Equestria.  He travels abroad, teaching an spreading the joys of Harmony.  At least, that's what the general rumours say." 

"Stygian?  You mean The Pony Of Shadows?"  Licorice chimed in. 

"The two were separate creatures, Lick - don't forget that - and Stygian had mercy and compassion; the dark entity that had twisted him did not.  That's why the entity is gone, yet the Stygian remains.  Separating him from that darkness was a challenge, but success was had, so now we have only the one." 

He looked at Obsidian, smiling.  "I'd dare say you're possibly the very last caster of any sort of Dark Magic in the known world."

Dark Magic?  It wasn't any sort of complicated spell or concentrated energy; she didn't even have to power herself up with anger or fear or... 

Wait.  Waaaaaaaiiiiit... surely they didn't mean that even her 'normal' magical aura was too dark for public use?  Would that mean that she couldn't use her magic AT ALL? 

"That is merely the color of my magical aura; you haven't seen much Dark Magic in your life, have you?  Dark magic looks like it's... um, boiling.  Yes, boiling.  Angrily."  

Now she was worried.  Pony of Shadows?  That sounded somewhat familiar; didn't she hear some kind of legends about this creature?  Ones from her own time?   

This world was so very mysterious.  Maybe it was possible that an ancient creature such as this could rise in this modern era - just like her.  And she surely wasn't to be the last?  After all, her father had to be somewhere, waiting for an opportunity to strike. 

"The last caster of the most illegal kind of magic... unfortunately, I don't think THAT helps me very much," she said somewhat dryly.  Her mood soured at the mere idea of getting this kind of reaction - or worse - every time she used her magic.

"It just... looks so angry," Clap said.  She looked a bit put off by the fact, but Licorice and Cupcake seemed to handle it well... and Eloquence seemed to know more about it than the others surrounding her. 

"Obsidian?  It's... i-it's okay, really.  I mean, so, there's a bit of Dark Magic in your aura, so what?"  Cupcake tried to smooth it over.  "I mean, it's not at all like you want to enslave Equestria and take over like your father tried to do, right?" 

"Hey, yeah," Clap began warming to the idea, "Siddy's okay - she's not evil or anything, so even if her magic shows some... uh, stuff... no one'll judge her for it, right?" 

Eloquence sighed loudly, while the other two simply looked on. 

"... right?"  Thunderclap asked them, then turned and repeated the question to Obsidian.  "They'll know you're not evil, right?  Y-you're... not... evil... r-right?" 

Cupcake now got a look of umbrage, and stepped forward to stand next to Obsidian.  "Clap!  NO!  She's not evil, you know that!  Why would you even THINK such a thing!   She might be a bit moody, but everyone is from time to time!  Plus, a thousand years removed from society!  Did you forget that?" 

"Hey, whoa, whoa!"  Clap put up her hooves and sat down.  "I just... I mean, I didn't mean anything bad by asking, I just-" 

"Thunderclap Dash, I..." Cup took a deep breath.  "I know you didn't mean any harm, but you don't just ask others if they're evil like that!  Aside from being rude, it's mean!" 

Clap sighed and huffed, "Okay, geez, got it.  Calm your bridle, Cup." 

Licorice stepped closer; she could almost smell the candy in question as he leaned in to speak softly.  "For the record, I think your darkness is... nifty.  I've never seen anything like it before."

Oh, so another strange discussion about her morals started, whether or not she was evil and so on.  No, she didn't really plan to enslave Equestria - conquer it at the most, but only with MODELING! - and that was something Eloquence offered her himself! Why they weren't discussing if he wasn't some kind of evil wizard or something like that? 

Obsidian scowled, more than a bit annoyed. "Oh yes, I'm so evil that, when we walked into the kitchen for the first time, I thought that we were going to eat Cupcake and was terrified with this idea," she said dryly.  "I may not adhere to the same morals and values as you are in the futu-... in modern times, but I wouldn't call myself 'evil'." 

Of course, she wouldn't call her own father 'evil' either - which meant that her definition of the word was perhaps a bit different from theirs.  The unicorn mare stepped back half a step after Licorice approached and said his opinion.  It made her strangely uncomfortable... and she wasn't quite certain as to why.

Probably some kind of friendship thing or something. 

"Erm... thank you, Licorice?  So now, that we are hopefully finished talking about how terribly evil I am, perhaps we could do... something else?  I still hope to meet up with Gypsy and Mica later, and possibly meet with madam headmare again, as well."

Clap took the hint; she simply sat there, staring a hole in the floor as she tried to think up some way to apologize.  That might take a moment or two.  Cupcake, however, nodded then turned to face the shelf. 

"Well... we are here to do something else - organizing these books, remember?  C'mon - the sooner we get started, the sooner we'll finish!" 

Seeing an opportunity, Thunderclap got up and started gathering books into neat piles.  She still didn't say anything, but she was determined to get something done right.  Though her handling of the books was a little... rough... she was still gathering them quickly and stacking them efficiently. 

Eloquence, his snout buried in the book he'd been given - an improvement to the scenery, to be sure - waved a hoof towards the three of them. "Darlings, so good to see you - Obsidian, dear, you simply must consider my offer of stardom; no rush, but I simply find it hard to wait to see you in some of my more regal works!" 

Licorice looked up towards Elo.  "We'll... catch up later, Cup.  I hope we meet again, Obsidian." 

"Very well, my fine friends.  Excelsior and such, darlings - TTFN!"  With that, he made an exit just as exaggerated as the introduction earlier.  Licorice just waved as they left, looking smooth and silky as he walked out after his unicorn friend.

"So..." Cupcake looked at the piles being formed, "how are we gonna organize this stuff, Siddy?"

She looked at the pile.  Then at Cupcake.  Then at the pile again. 

"I'd say we should ask the librarian about that; I'm sure there is some kind of system of organizing, and it would be a waste of time to try to figure it ourselves or do it in a wrong way and then have to fix it all." 

Otherwise it would be probably the best idea to sort it by authors' last names, and then by books' names, but she really didn't like wasting her time.

Cupcake nodded.  "Then we need the Librarian!  Oh, Libr-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-rian!"  Cupcake yelled out.  "Yoo hoo!  I'll betcha if I keep talking loudly, that you'll-" 

Just like that, there was a unicorn standing behind Cupcake, a solemn look of duty on her muzzle.  She was appropriately bookish, with huge-lensed glasses on her muzzle, and had a look on her face that could have made a Manticore slink away behind the trees in reproach. 

"SHHH." 

"Hey, you're th-" 

"SHHH." 

"Aren't yo-" 

"SHHH." 

"But wha-" 

"SHHH." 

The Librarian now looked over at the other two, and her firm gaze came to rest on Obsidian. "What.  Do.  You.  Want?" 

That was a highly unorthodox method of calling for a librarian.  Very Cupcake-y, but also somewhat dangerous - it really showed that he was raised in a very, very different place than Sombra's Crystal Empire.  If he would try to attract an overseer's attention that way... or, worse, her father... no, she couldn't even finish this thought.  She wasn't squeamish, not by far... but she didn't want to think about Cupcake's possible fate, were it the situation at hoof. 

"Yes, er... we're here because Lemon Custard sent us, and we-" 

"Ah, you must be here for the sorting; he sent a message ahead, so I've been expecting assistance."

Obsidian bowed lightly to the guardian of knowledge, overseer of temple of wisdom. "We just wanted to ask how we should organize the books... and I apologize for my liaison's loud behaviour." 

After all, a good ruler can take the blame and - oh, right.  She didn't rule him.  He didn't tell her his plan for calling out, or even gave her a chance to stop him.  It was a completely different situation from yesterday, when she absolutely couldn't blame Mica and Thunderclap for allowing her to walk around without her liaison - after all, it was her fault. 

This time it wasn't.  She hoped.

It suddenly dawned on her that she'd forgotten to ask Eloquence if he would be her friend too; a greivously wasted opportunity, especially if he was supposedly going to help her with the conquest of Equestria.  Not that she was really planning for it too seriously before, but if the opportunity arose...

The librarian looked at Cupcake with a glare of spite, then turned and gave a neutral muzzle to Obsidian. "Thank you for being polite." 

She glanced over the books, then straightened her huge glasses and spoke sternly. "These books should be organized in alphabetical order, from top to bottom, left to right.  In case of discrepancies with titles, use the Dewey Decimal mark to place them - the numbers will tell you the order." 

She looked at Thunderclap.  "And no racing." 

Clap innocently looked away.  "I don't know what you're talking about." 

Glowering at the pegasus, she turned to face Obsidian again.  "At least YOU seem capable.  Just keep these two out of trouble while you work, and keep the noise down." 

Cup opened his mouth to speak, but the librarian covered it with a hoof. 

"SHHH." 

With that, she then turned and began to make her way back towards the front desk.  "I'll be back to check in twenty minutes." 

When she left, Cupcake looked to the princess with a dour expression.  "I'll bet she hates anything that isn't BOOK-related," he pouted. 

"So?"  Clap said with a smirk.  "Who cares what she thinks!  Let's get busy here - the sooner we're done, the sooner we can leave!""

So... she was tasked with overseeing these two as well.  Eh, too bad that Mica or Gypsy weren't there - the former wouldn't make any troubles and the latter would be useful with paws and height.  However, she had to make do with what she had. 

And... racing?  In the library?  Obsidian glared silently at Thunderclap for a brief moment before she turned to the pile of books and stretched her neck strongly to the left, then to the right.  Properly warmed up, she now began to concentrate.

Fires of growing enthusiasm for this work were heating up in her soul.  She would turn this chaos into order!  Find the rightful place for these books!  That's what TRUE rulers were supposed to do - though normally with ponies, not with books.  Still, it was good enough for her. 

"And we have only to organize these two shelves?  A shame; I almost wish I could do the entire library..."

Her eyes were almost burning with zeal as she envisioned her goal.  Then her horn flashed with her 'boiling' magic, and the books began to levitate off the floor.

Cupcake and Clap simply watched, amazed as they saw the books making their way from the piles and floating in circles around her, allowing her to see the titles correctly and send them on their way to the shelves.  To Obsidian, it may have been a simple task; to her two observers, it was a show of what power could be, were it properly motivated and cultivated. 

"Whoa..." Clap whispered softly. 

"I gotta admit, princess," Cup said with a smile, "you certainly have all the earmarks of Royal Power - especially the POWER part!" 

It didn't take long at all.  In close to ten minutes, the shelves were organized and correct, and Cupcake gave a light but excited clapping when the last book slid into place. 

"Bra-VO!  That was inc-" 

"SHHH." 

Again, there she was - no sound, no clue that she'd been anywhere around... and yet, before Cupcake's volume could get the better of them, she'd just sort of materialized next to him!  Well, maybe not literally, but as fast as she'd shown up, one might as well say it. 

She looked over the shelf accordingly, scrutinized carefully, then gave a short nod to herself.  After that, she made her way over to Obsidian and gave her a disarmingly kind smile. 

"Thank you, sincerely.  As far as I'm concerned, you've done a grand job, here.  I appreciate your efforts." Making a slight sweeping gesture to the library around them, she continued.  "This library is meant to be a major repository of knowledges... and I am overjoyed to meet someone who has as much interest in history as I do.  I am pleased to meet you - you may refer to me as Miss Tome." 

She looked to the shelf again, admiring the work.  "And you're welcome in this hallowed hall whenever you wish, should it fancy you."

That's it?  It felt as if only a few seconds had passed.  Frankly, she would gladly continue - it was an interesting exercise for her focus, as she had to constantly check all the books, sort them and move them into the proper places... and for her magic, as she was trying to keep up a truly terrifying pace. It was almost as if she was a biological sorting machine, and just found her purpose in life. 

Too bad she already had her cutie mark! 

And it seemed that she'd won a possibly valuable ally; a pony with so much power (after all knowledge IS power!) was going to be useful, quite possilbly. 

"I'd gladly organize a few more shelves, should it be required," she admitted.  So many books... so much organizing... If only she didn't have to make more friends due to her punishment, she could probably try to stay right here.  Perhaps for more than a day. 

"Thank you for your kind words, Miss Tome.  I am Princess Obsidian, and I hope to be a frequent guest here." 

So, now... Mica?  Gypsy?  Or maybe...  

"Before I take my leave I... would like to find something about madam Headmare, Starlight Glimmer.  I'm almost certain I'd read something about her yesterday... but sadly, I can't remember enough details."

"Princess... Obsidian?" 

Miss Tome now looked somewhat surprised, bordering almost on shock. "You... wouldn't happen to be the mare that was discovered in the Crystal Dungeons a few days ago, would you?" 

Cupcake, ever-so-helpful, answered before Obsidian could.  "Yah-huh!  It's her, all right!  Princess Twi said that she was a... uhhh... a 'boney-fried' member of Dark-And-Slavey's entourage-" 

"No.  Not an entourage.  In fact, she's not the only one, either... though she may well be the last one."  

Clap scratched her mane.  "Last what?" 

Miss Tome looked up at Obsidian again, hearing her question.  "Yes.  Yes, we do.  And perhaps more, depending on certain... factors..." 

She pondered for a moment, then abruptly said,  "I would like for you to return later, after school hours, if you're able to.  I have... knowledge of certain things that you may be interested in." 

"What," said Clap, "like, I dunno, princessy books or stuff?"

She was... what?  A member of what?  And what was this drivel about not being the only one, but the last one?  Obsidian didn't expect to hear something like that in this place - how much did this librarian know?  Did she get access to her father's personal records, or perhaps she had a close contact with Princess Twilight? 

And what did she mean by 'not an enourage'?  As far as Obsidian was concerned, that term would be fairly fitting for the gathering of 'friends' she had... or had she mistaken what Miss Tome had meant?

"I shall return, then.  For now, I'd like to request specific reference material regarding the headmare, to learn more about her as soon as possible.  Preferably, before my next meeting with her."

"Yes, I believe I have something..." 

Miss Tome made her way over towards another non-fiction shelf, and motioned for Obsidian to follow.  Reaching the shelf, the mare removed a book titled Friendship Is Magic: The Rise Of Twilight Sparkle. 

"There are mentions and even a treatise on Starlight Glimmer in this book, if that would help.  Otherwise, there are a few other books, but I'm afraid that many of them are dramatizations of the struggles between Starlight and Princess Twilight, not factual." 

She pondered a moment.  "I... may be able to come across some other forms of information, but I'll have to dig to get to them; when you return, I can possibly have what you need." She offered the book to Obsidian.  "Mind the overly-scientific explanations in that one; there are quite a few of them."

Struggles between them?  But how could a mere headmare 'struggle' with an alicorn princess?  Was it some kind of administrational conflict?  Had she requested more pay?  Perhaps a disagreement over a student?

"It should be enough for now.  As I said, I only want to quickly peruse some information about her - it's not truly proper research, just... a catching-up, especially after missing a thousand years," she admitted. Her own lack of knowledge was starting to vex her fiercely.

"Is there anything else I need to loan this book from here?  Fill out a form?  Sign something?"

Miss Tome's muzzle grew serious.  "If you are Princess Obsidian, I daresay I will most certainly remember who you are and what book you have... it would be difficult to forget." 

"Hey now," Clap started, stepping forward with a slight menace to her actions, "you're not tryin' to take a dig at Siddy, are you?  'Cause if you are..." 

Miss Tome gave the pegasus a haunted look.  "Comparitively?  That would be a mercy." With that, she turned and made her way back to the front desk. 

Cupcake looked at Clap, then Obsidian.  "I... I don't like what that sounds like.  Princess, if you're coming back here, then I should probably come with you, right?  I mean, as someone who's trying to do the whole liaison-thing, it'd only be right... right?"

Who was this librarian?  What did this 'if you are' mean?  She knew who she was - it was transparently obvious.  After all, there was only one daughter of the most honourable King Sombra in this entire school!  

"Yes Cupcake, you should accompany me - I truly appreciate that.  This... all of this is..." 

She shook her head.  She had come here only to sort books and find something interesting about the headmare, but instead she got what turned out to be the most mysterious and ominous permission ever to borrow a book. 

"Let's go.  Quickly, please..."  

It was unbelievable - she was actually hurrying to leave the temple of knowledge!  Even despite her all upbringing in the dark castle of King Sombra, she was spooked by a librarian!  Miss Tome was surely the dark heart of many a Nightmare Night celebration.

Thunderclap and Cupcake were about as spooked as she was; they wasted no time in getting out of here. 

"That was freaky-weird!  I mean, I know the librarian's, like, bookish and eggheady and stuff, but... wow, that was... I mean..." 

"Yeah," Cupcake shook himself to knock the shudder of fear loose.  "I've seen Miss Tome a few times, but I think that's about the most I've ever heard from her.  Ever!" 

"Still, I mean, that was waaaaaaay too 'out there' for my tastes.  I mean, is she trying to freak Siddy out, or is that just me?" 

Cupcake frowned.  "I honestly don't know." 

Obsidian was afraid that she wasn't just 'trying to freak her out' - but that it was a genuine attempt to warn her about something. But what it could be?  Did Princess Twilight have any plans for her?  Did they know about her (potential) brothers and sisters?  Or... by darkness... perhaps her father had already returned - and was not satisfied with her! 

After school.  She still didn't know when it was, but Cupcake would surely help her with it - she felt that she could hardly wait for that moment, to dispel any doubt and find out exactly what the creepy librarian meant. 

It was at that point that Obsidian saw a familiar face in the crowds... well, more like off to the side of the crowds, folding little paper boats at a table by himself.  He seemed preoccupied with his task and didn't look to be paying much attention to the interactions around him.

Well.  First things first.  While Obsidian was not a diamond dog specialist and could probably easily mistake one dog for another, there was probably little to no chance to mistake a paper-folding dog with anycreature else. 

Thus, without waiting for Cupcake and Clap (after all, they would surely follow her) she trotted to her origami-making acquaintance.
> Eleven: Gifted & Galled
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she approached the table, Cupcake saw him first. "Hey, Rover!" 

Gypsy gave a slight start, but looked up with a smile on his muzzle... which quickly melted into a very guilty, very ashamed look when he saw Obsidian.  His ears drooped, and he set aside the boat he'd been working on to fidget with his fingers. 

"Yo Gypsy," Clap asked as they approached, "you okay?" 

Looking at the floor and drawing into himself to appear as small as possible, a wispy and whimpering voice spoke up. "Th-th-this o-o-o-one d-did not m-m-m... did n-n-not m-m-m... meant no d-d-d-d..."  

He curled his hands into his lap, his face blushing with both shame and frustration. "... th-th-th-this o-o-one is s-s-s-s-s... s-s-s-s... groan  s-s-s-s-s-s..." 

Cupcake sat next to him at the table.  "Easy, Gypsy... breathe.  Relax."  The poor diamond dog looked absolutely mortified.

It seemed that his stuttering got only worse after yesterday's meeting; luckily, Cupcake was able to help - without him Obsidian wouldn't be able to understand her doggo 'friend' at all. 

Clap reached over and nudged Obsidian softly.  "I think," she whispered, "he blames himself for the other day."

She raised an eyebrow; he was blaming himself?  Of all the creatures around who were involved? 

"Gypsy, out of the lot of us, you have nothing to blame yourself for. If it helps, I'm s-s-so-..." she stuttered, just a bit.  It may have been difficult, but at least this time it didn't look like she was choking on her apologies. 

"... I'm sorry for scaring you yesterday."  Maybe it would be enough - she hoped so, as right now listening him was practically painful.

The diamond dog gave a single, mournful look up at the Dark Princess. "... th-this one... h-he... he was j-j-just-t-t... you w-w-were so... a-angry.  This o-o-one... d-d-does not l-like... c-c-c-c-c-c... c-c-c-confront-t-t-tation." 

"Easy... settle down, it's okay, we're all friends here..." Cupcake soothed.  

Gypsy swallowed a lump in his throat, then gave a soft sigh as the stallion began patting his back.  It was the same gesture Obsidian had seen from him, but this time, he actually touched the doggo.  For what it was worth, Gypsy didn't flinch. 

Clap strolled closer, and smiled at him softly.  "Gypper... you're gonna be okay, okay?  I mean, intense and such yesterday, yeah, but that doesn't mean it'll be that way every day!" 

He wiped a paw across his eyes.  "Obs-s-s-s-sdian... is n-n-not h-h-hating th-this o-o-one?"

Hating?  Hate was such a strong word... did she truly hate any creature around?  While Lemon managed to anger her, she didn't hate him.  Cupcake was very, very annoying at first (honestly he still was somewhat, but at least the mockery and poor attitude were absent), but obviously she didn't hate him either.  

"Of course not.  Of all ponies around, Cupcake is the one who has managed to anger me the most... but, as you can see, we are all just fine now," she replied with a look of blunt honesty. "You? You didn't get even close to his level, and you didn't do a single thing that could even slightly annoy me. You don't have to worry about such as that, and I do hope you are my friend." 

Hopefully this one wouldn't deny it - she needed this confirmed!

"Yeah," Cupcake added, "I said all sorts of stupid stuff, and we're okie dokie lokie now!  Folks get mad - but it's a passing thing; no one stays mad forever." 

"... exc-c-c-cept Sourp-p-p-puss." Gypsy softly spoke.

Both Clap and Cup smiled at that.  

"Yeah - except Sourpuss."  Clap grinned.  "But he doesn't count; WE are the only ones here right now, and we're happy to have you with us, Gypsy!" 

He looked at the three of them for a moment, then back at Obsidian. "Th-this one... w-w-would very m-much like to b-b-be your f-friend... i-i-if you will accept h-h-him."

Who was this Sourpuss?  Was he threatening her main non-book source of history knowledge?  She'd have to try to remember that name, just in case. 

"Yes, I gladly accept you."  BAH, this entire situation was starting to sound like a ceremony of vassalage!  "Is everything fine now?"

Gypsy sniffled, nodded, then reached into his coat and pulled out a small baggie.  His fingers fiddled around inside it for a moment, then he brought out a small, folded piece of paper. "Th-this one... w-w-wanted to d-d-do something n-nice, so... s-so this o-one..."  He took hold ever-so-gently of two edges, and pulled slowly.  

The paper form folded out, with four legs, ears, muzzle, mane, horn... and a cape? 

It took a moment because of a lack of color... but slowly, Obsidian realized that Gypsy Rover had folded for her... a little white Sombra.  Complete with eye smoke, as little curves of paper that stood out from the head.  There was even a little crown! 

"... th-this one w-wants you t-t-t-to have it." 

It may have taken her a moment to make any sense out of these shapes - but when she did, instantly she felt her throat dry up like a puddle in a heatwave. 

"Wow," Cupcake leaned in close to stare at it, "it's almost uncanny!  Like, it looks just like him!  With, uhm, a lot of pointy angles." 

Clap looked at it for a moment.  "... is it a dog?"  Cupcake snickered, but shook his head. 

Gypsy looked at Obsidian.  "Is.... i-i-is it good?"

It was truly remarkable how it resembled him, this small piece of art - especially considering it was made out of simple paper.  She knew it wasn't him, but the revelation was shocking enough to make her shudder visibly - it was completely unexpected, and felt distinctly out of place. 

"Y... y-y-y-y... yyyyyeeeeessss, it is," she managed to squeeze out of the desert of her throat.  Perhaps it was TOO good... feeling that level of shock and fear over a scrap of folded paper was pathetic!  She should feel ashamed for herself for acting like such a weak creature!  

"What... w-what do you... mean... you want me to have it?"

After all, it was her first friendly gift in... well, EVER.  She wasn't really familiar with the idea, especially in her current state of mind; she could fathom no reason why he would want anything from her - else, why would he be giving her a gift?

The diamond dog blinked at her a moment. "W-w-well... e-each time Obs-s-s-sidian's father was b-brought up, it s-s-s-seemed, with h-how you sp-spoke about h-h-h-him, that you m-missed him.  So, this one f-f-found a pict-t-t... a pict-t-t-t... a painting of h-h-him, an studied it s-so he would g-g-g-get it r-r-right." 

He sighed.  "This o-one was only t-t-t-trying to m-m-make you feel b-better, princ-c-cess.  This o-one does not h-h-have p-parents, b-b-but he would m-m-miss them if he d-d-did."  He now gave a weak smile.  "Th-this one d-didn't want you t-t-to miss him t-t-too much."

Now there was a question: did she really miss him?  She knew he had to be right, and that he would eventually come back.  Knew that she had to do everything she could for him, to live up to what he had to have seen as her potential. 
Missing him, however?  She honestly didn't know...

However, her emotions at the sight of this small paper sculpture were wildly different from the typical ones that a normal pony teenager should have in this sort of situation, that much was evident.

She was left speechless. Gypsy was wrong about her feelings, at least partially, but he surprised her by taking action to influence them.  What was there for him to gain from such a thing?  

"I... um... I-I'd need to take it to my room, I think.  Otherwise, I'll have to carry it with my magic the entire time, and some ponies," she glanced at Clap, "do not seem to care very much for how my magical aura looks."

Thunderclap's muzzle hardened.  "Well, we can't have THAT, can we?" 

With that, she reached back and unlatched her rather sporty saddlebag, then came right over to Obsidian and held it up. "If you got something to carry it in, you'll be fine.  And anyone who'll judge you by the color of your magic... well, they'll have to deal with ME." 

The saddlebag was actually rather well made; it looked as if it was expensive enough to adorn a princess' flank. 

"Clap," Cupcake said, "that's your bag, though." 

Thunderclap shook her head.  "Naaaaah, it's hers - and she can use it to carry whatever she wants, regardless of magical auras and stuff."  Clap grinned at her.  "So?  Put it on, let's see you in it!  C'mon, I wanna see you with a pack, Siddy!"

How very interesting; the words had come from the mare who claimed that any offenders would have to 'deal with ME'... and mere moments ago, that same mare had asked her - to her face - if she was evil.  Right now, Obsidian couldn't care less about Thunderclap's sudden charity or if this saddlebag was good enough for her - she just took it and put on, trying to feel its' weight.  

In fact she did such as if she just assumed it was normal to do such a thing, and that she deserved it.  At least the bags seemed to be practical, not just for show - good.

"See?  Better on you than me, anyway - ya look good, Siddy!"  Clap grinned.

It fit rather well... even with her height, it seemed to be juuuuuust snug enough to stay in place, but not so tight that it caused problems.  It settled against her coat just fine, even still slightly warm from Clap's body heat. 

"Princess..." Cupcake asked hesitantly, "... is something wrong?" 

That got both Clap and Gypsy's attentions.  Cup paid them no mind, however - his eyes were locked on Obsidian's. 

"Hey, hey... what's wrong?  You looked... panicky.  More than after the library.  You wanna tell me... or, uhm... would you rather talk about it later?" 

"Later?" Clap asked, "What, can't we solve problems now?" 

"It w-would be Obsid-d-dian's choice, Thunderc-clap." 

His eyes locked on hers, Cupcake looked as though he was searching her eyes for... something...

"It... the gift... just surprised me a bit, Cupcake.  It's nothing important; I just never expected to see my most honourable parent, even in a form of paper figurine, here and now."  

She was getting used to having company... at least enough to stop constantly thinking about HIM, like she did in the castle. Without HIS presence around, it was far easier to just... well, do anything that she wanted to. 

"Keep in mind that I'm still thrown off-balance by the fact that I'm not at home anymore... nor even in my own time.  I can appear... confused... from time to time, if I so desire."

Cupcake smiled.  "Well, it's okay - you've got friends here, and we care about what happens to you, okay?  I just thought I saw... something not-fun in your stare, like you were afraid of..." 

The stallion's eyes flicked briefly to the paper statuette, then back. "It's okay, princess... we're happy to help out." 

"Yeah, anything that'll make you feel better, an' we'll do it!"  Clap struck a pose of determination, smiling broadly.

"This o-o-one will t-too... bec-c-cause it's what friends d-d-d-do." The three of them there, all smiling at her, all paying attention to her.

"You wanna go somewhere else?  Back to your room, maybe?"  Cup asked meekly, before the pegasus mare's muzzle suddenly lit up.

"Hey, why don't we get some grub?  I'm hankering for a hayburger!  OOH!"  Clap looked at Siddy with excitement.  "You ever had a hayburger before?"

Having her own slav-... serva-... vass-... 'friends'?... surely was useful, especially if they all wanted to be useful on their own. They were even quite enthusiastic about it!  

"There is still Mica left to gather... and, um, 'getting grub' means eating, I assume?   And no, I do not believe I have ever had anything that was named such, Thunderclap."

Clap smiled.  "That's the thing; Mica usually hangs out at McDonkey's after school - and they serve some fantastic hayburgers there!  We could get two apples with one buck!" 

Cupcake nodded, "They do have great milkshakes... and I'll bet you've never had one of those either, have you?" 

Gypsy even gave a small grin.  "Fried p-p-potato sticks are g-g-good to eat with m-mustard." 

"They are at that, Pupper!  So, Siddy - you up for it?"  Clap looked excited enough to resmble a filly on Hearthswarming.

"What are these... apples... and why do they need a buck?" Obsidian asked, just to be sure that she got the idiom right.  It sounded similar to 'one slave finishing two jobs'... 

Cup gave Obsidian a momentary glance.  "You don't know what an ap-... you've really gotta get out more, princess!"

"Aaaaand no.  At my last recollection, there were not many 'milkshakes' in the ancient Empire."  Milk was obvious, but why was it shaken? 

"Well, if it is the best option, then I suppose."  Perhaps she could, on the way there, ask Gypsy about the supposed 'struggles of Headmare Starlight'...

Thunderclap laughed.  "Ask Butter Churn about applebucking; her mom's the champ, and she's pretty awesome at it, too!  Okay, BURGAAAAAAAHZ!" 

With that, the excitable pegasus mare took off like a shot... leaving the others behind again.  Why did this seem like a repeat of yesterday?  Perhaps Thunderclap didn't like walking and talking with them - considering that it was the second time she just flew off, it surely seemed like a possible explanation.

So, she'd have to ask Butter Churn about it - that would be fine.  However, there was a hidden danger in asking experts about something - there was a risk that they wouldn't know when to shut up, and instead of providing only a bit of basic information, they would just go on and on and on...

Cupcake gave a chuckle as he trotted up beside her while they walked.  "To let you know, that saddlebag she just gave you?  She's a bit of a fashion plate, so I promise you it's not cheap... but that's just like Clap; when it comes to her friends needing something, she'll give whatever she can." 

He looked over the bag again, resting on her flank.  "I think it's a Poochi; all the rave this year, from what I hear.  Diamond dog designed and manufactured, and anything from Poochi is usually a LOT of bits!" 

Cup continued on for a moment... but Obsidian saw something he apparently did not: By the back wall, there was a small circle of griffons, all seeming to be laughing and carrying on.  

Something was going on in the middle of their circle, but the observers were packed so close together, she couldn't make out anything... except what looked to be furitive, quick movements.  Every now and then, one of the collected griffons would look around, as if keeping watch for authority figures, before turning back to whatever spectacle they were enjoying. 

Cupcake just rattled on as usual, oblivious of the griffon circle.

Obsidian just gave an empty stare when Cupcake started to talk again.  So these were good Saddlebags, but what was this statement of 'Poochi'? ... it sounded like some kind of slang.  Instead of asking for further explanations, she only stopped to stare in the griffons' direction. 

"Cupcake?  What are they doing?" she asked curiously.

He stopped and looked around.  "Who?  Doing what?" 

When he saw it, his eyebrow cocked and he looked at Obsidian.  "Uhhhhhhh... folk dancing?  Wait," he observed for a moment, "that doesn't look like any of their traditional dances - and trust me, I know them ALL - but why would..." 

Cupcake's eyes suddenly lit up... anxiously.  "Oh, by Celestia's crown, are they fighting???"  

Cupcake looked over at Obsidian.  "You wanna wait here, or are you coming with me - 'cause I'm not gonna let them just fight like that, but... it's not your fight."  He turned to face the circle.  "Technically not my fight either, but the school has a STRICT 'no fighting' policy."

Obsidian stared at him for quite a long moment, wondering why she was surprised at all; this world had banned or changed almost everything she knew, so it was obvious that it would cover any possible fighting as well. 

"It's good you told me that before I had any opportunity to use too much force here... but fighting outside the school is fine, right?"  Eh, these modern ponies; if violence doesn't solve a problem, then it's a sign that not enough violence was used!  "I'll go with you; I'm curious."

Cupcake gave her a slightly embarrassed look.  "Uhm... I'll explain more later - c'mon, let's put a stop to this!" 

He made a fast gallop over towards the circle, where a number of griffons now looked back at the new interlopers.  There was a voice that said, "cheezit!", and all the harried activity within the circle seemed to stop. 

"Hey," Cupcake began, "what kinda deal is this?  What's going on?  What are you doing, there?" 

One of the taller griffons gave them both a distasteful look, then glanced at the other five griffons present.  "You see this?  Just blatantly accused of something awful here - and it's just our first day, too... y'see what kinda stuff ponies do to griffons like us?" 

Cupcake's eyes narrowed a bit.  "If you're not hiding anything... then move." 

The griffon rolled his eyes.  "Scram, dipwad - you're crusin' for a-"  

The griffon stopped, staring at Obsidian.  "Hey... what's up with that horn?  Wow, that thing melting?  'Cause it's all bent and stuff!" 

Cup suddenly seemed to s-t-r-e-t-c-h his legs up to meet the griffon eye-to-eye; it was utterly impossible... but there it was, right in front of her. 

"The next words out of your claptrap had better be, 'sorry, my bad, won't happen again'... because I promise you, as the Thirteenth-Year-In-A-Row Champion Chicken-Plucker..." His muzzle came to rest on the griffon's beak, Cupcake menacingly glowering at his opponent.

"... I'll have you skin-bare in ten seconds flat." 

The griffons all looked to their 'leader' while he seemed to be pondering a few things for a moment.  Nervously.

It was either very bold or very stupid of Cupcake to try to stop those griffons from fighting - Obsidian wasn't sure which one it was, considering her complete and utter lack of experience with modern social norms.  However, they seemed to dislike the fact that they were interrupted - enough to say the equivalent of 'we'd like to be violently beaten and thrown out of this country!' or something to that effect. 

At least that's what she heard when one of them disrespected her horn. 

"It's a side effect of dark magic, griffon; a very interesting kind of magic," she spoke only loud enough for the gathered griffons to hear.  Cupcake was truly surprising her right now - she was sure that it was physically impossible for him to become that tall... and it looked like he was behaving in his very antagonistic, mocking manner again. 

Though this time it wasn't directed at her, so she had no reason to complain.

The griffon looked at her, then back at Cupcake, then back at her again... and she saw a single bead of sweat roll down his face. "Eehhhhh... this ain't worth it.  Forget you two.  C'mon boys; we're finding somewhere else to be." 

At that point, all the griffons took wing, and shot into the sky, headed elsewhere.  Cupcake slowly lowered back to his original size, watching them warily until he heard a groan from in front of him.  He looked down... 

Standing there, bruised and a little bloody, was Stalwart Stance, beaten but visibly refusing to fall over. 

"WART!!!!!"  Cupcake was instantly at her side, looking her over frantically.

Of all the creatures around... 

Obsidian stepped forward as her feeling of satisfaction over threatening the griffons into submission was rapidly evaporating.  Right now, for reasons that weren't exactly familiar to her, she was frustratingly regretting that she didn't strike down one or two of them for daring to lay their claws on Stalwart. 

She quickly started to check unicorn mare's wounds, to figure out how serious they were.  With her magical training, directed by her most honourable father, she knew a bit about healing magic... after all, it would have been a shame if she had to stop her training each time she got wounded.  She had that knowledge, and was willing to use it - regardless if her magical aura would scare a few ponies.  

"Stalwart, were thou attacked?  Should I follow them and beat them into bloody submission?"  Obsidian hoped she would say yes.

"... n... n-no." 

Wart looked up at them both, but the look in her eyes was one of rage, not cowardace. "They... Galen Grout knows that I... that I'm trying to become a... Royal Guard... and he knows... that I am... trying... to maintain a... a spotless school record when it... c-c-comes to discipline... to improve... my chances..." 

Cupcake's eyes watered up as he listened, a comforting hoof on Wart's unbruised shoulder. 

"... so I... didn't fight b-back... wouldn't fight back... a-and it made them..." 

"Shhhhhhhh, Wart; take it easy, it's gonna be okay, now.  Don't blame yourself for their-" 

"I don't." 

Cupcake was a bit surprised by such a quick answer, but he nodded his understanding. 

"... besides... I can use..." she began to try to step forward, catching herself at least twice, "... the training... to... t-to toughen up." Wart started to reach up to fix her wild mane, but gave a grunt and returned her forehoof to the ground. 

"Wart!  You know who they are; aren't you going to report them?  If you don't, I WILL." 

Stalwart's gaze turned and locked on Cupcake instantly.  "N-no!  If a report like that comes in... (grunt)... then it'll go on my record, and... and I will NOT have my record sullied... even slightly... for some... s-some petty sense of revenge." 

She gave a weak chuckle.  "Years from now, I hope they show up to... the throne room to see the princess... and I'll tell them to... t-to go and find somewhere else... to be."  

Even in the obvious pain she was in, she not only remained standing, but was trying to literally 'walk it off'.

So they compunded their cowardace by taking advantage of the fact that Stalwart wouldn't fight, using her ambitions against her.  Obsidian growled quietly with anger, but for now she refrained from comments - she had to focus on healing the intent little mare. 

Her horn flashed with a sinister aura as she magically started to clean up the more prominent wounds first. 

"They most certainly do deserve punishment!  Galen Grout, you said?  I shall remember that name..."  How dare they place abuse on such a proud mare that had acted as her bodyguard!  

"If something hurts more than the rest, please tell me; I can't heal broken bones, if you happen to have any.  You would have to go to a trained medic for that... and what will you do, should they ask you what happened?"

The magic surrounded Wart, and her eyes widened as Obsidian healed her... yet, she looked at her in shock.  "Y-your Majesty!  You... y-you're above healing those... beneath you!  I'm not worthy o-of-" 

"Wart," Cupcake said with a kind, warm smile, "shut up and let Obsidian be a good friend." 

Wart, still unsure if she was worth the effort, simply gave a single nod, then looked back at Obsidian. "I am... honored that y-you would find me... w-w-worth your notice, Your Majesty." 

As the energy enveloped the little mare, the bright red glow coated the surrounding area in a light sheen of crimson.  It also attracted more than a little attention, and a number of creatures began to slowly meander towards them, curious and concerned looks on their muzzles. 

Cupcake stood up and held out his hooves.  "Move along, folks - nothing to see here!" 

"Then what's that?" one earth pony spoke up. 

"Healing." 

"... healing?" 

Cup nodnodded.  "Healing." 

The other stallion looked skeptical.  "Really?" 

Cupcake sighed.  "Yes, really.  Now, if you'd simply move on, we can-" 

"Dark healing?" 

Cupcake froze, then reached behind him and pulled out... what in Tartarus...   

The thing was shaped to look like a cupcake, turned on one side, suspended between what appeared to be two large chocolate-chip cookies as wheels... and one wheel even seemed to have a bite taken out of it.  There was a pull-cord that came from the top of the cupcake, complete with what looked to be a cherry at the end of it.

"PARTY CANNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!"  >BOOM!< 

The thing was a CANNON!?  But... it shot out what looked like... candy?  And ribbons?  And... little pieces of colored paper that went seemingly everywhere.  What was..? 

Whatever it was he was doing, it was attracting more attention than Obsidian's light show, so the heat was off her and Wart, who was healing up nicely.  

Wart looked up at her.  "I am sorry that... I wasn't able to... to greet you this morning.  I'd have been there, but... but I had chores and school.  I give you my... my word, Your Majesty, I'll be right behind you, once my... m-my lessons are through for the day..."

Did these ponies not even know what true dark magic looked like? 

It wasn't THAT hard to miss - especially with all this ill-looking violet light boiling out of her horn, while tiny little dark crystals sprouted up like weeds around their hooves.  Truth be told, real dark healing would probably hurt Stalwart more than help her; she wasn't THAT experienced with it... and apparently, helping her was more of a 'friendly' act, which made it a touch more difficult. 

Was it, though?  Frankly, she thought it was just a matter of saving her own useful assets... but if they were going to think that there was something more behind that, then they were welcome to; there was no reason to correct that mistake on Cupcake's part.  

However, even though Obsidian didn't want to think about it, there was the possibility that she was actually starting to care about this whole situation (and those involved) a bit more than such a cruel, pragmatic approach would typically justify.

Obsidian paused in her healing of Wart - but not because she was done; when Cupcake pulled this out strange device - wherever it came from and however he did it - the dark unicorn sat bolt upright, looking around frantically for the source of the explosion. 

"Wart, I should insist that you make sure you are well, first - and what, by Darkness, was THAT?" 

Pinkie's child had done it to distract other ponies from her healing - but it broke her focus far more than a few babbling bystanders would have been able to. 

It was an explosion, right?  That's when she took stock of the scraps of paper, ribbons and so on - they looked like the same sort she'd seen from the package delivered to Miss Trixie, hadn't they?

"Actually," she said, gathering herself, "you should probably go there anyhow - I don't believe that any of your teachers are as... strict... as my most honourable father, so they probably wouldn't punish you for trying to heal yourself." 

Where was Gypsy?  Didn't he follow them?  Chances are, he would be probably scared of griffons...

Wart looked about at the effects of Obsidian's magic, but not once did she hesitate or seem intimidated; she would make a grand guardpony... if they allowed it.  

"Your Majesty... I will do as you say.  I think," she rolled her shoulder a bit, "I'll be able to make it without a problem; I'll tell them I had a... rough training session." 

She now seemed as though she were much better off, even with the interrupted healing.  Wart looked over at Cupcake, then turned back to face the Dark Princess. 

"That thing he's using... it's called a 'Party Cannon', and every one of Miss Pinkie's children has one... I think.  Cupcake uses his more frequently than his siblings do.  I assure you, Your Majesty, you have naught to worry about." 

Cupcake looked back, saw the magic was no longer visible and as quickly as he'd pulled it out, Cup picked up the cannon and swept it behind him.  When he stood up and came back over to them, there was not a sign of the large thing to be seen. Where was he keeping it!? 

"Wart, you okay now?" 

She smiled at them both.  "I am headed to the medic's office... but otherwise, I believe I'm going to be okay now.  Thank you so very, very kindly, Your Majesty, for your mercy.  I beg you forgive my leaving your presence."   She began to walk back towards the main school building, with only a slight limp instead of the dragging-herself-bodily-across-the-floor shape she'd been in earlier. 

At least Stalwart was doing her best to make Obsidian feel like a proper princess, contrary to the rest of their group.  Too bad that she got away before Obsidian had any opportunity to ask her about being friends - she just had to focus harder on Princess Twilight's order!

Cupcake was beaming at Obsidian.  "You're getting the hang of friendship faster than even I thought possible!  Is she going to be okay?"

"Probably; the wounds weren't too deep and I tried to clean and fix the worst ones.  I am uncertain they would believe in any lies about training - assuming that you don't have any vicious, sentient training dummies lying around - but at least she doesn't look like she had a warm-up with a minotaur.  However, I believe it's our duty to teach these griffons a lesson." 

Obsidian huffed angrily. Bastards...

"May I ask, Cupcake, where... where did your, eh... cannon go?"

Cupcake blinked.  "What cannon?" 

That's when the ground in front of the two of them slowly parted from a pair of claws, and a hole formed.  The claws vanished into the hole, but the head of Gypsy came up to replace them.  He looked right at Cup and Siddy. 

"This one s-s-saw them; th-they stay in Hall E, rooms 524, 525 a-and 526.  Fifth floor wind-d-dows.  Floor is m-mostly unoccupied." 

Cupcake looked at Gypsy, then at Obsidian... and gave a small but wicked grin. 

"I think you're right, princess... but not now.  We'll have to wait a bit to properly exact vengeance for poor Wart.  Now, I don't want to do anything too harsh, but just enough to make certain they'll think twice before doing this again." 

Gypsy gave a small grin.  "This one c-can get you i-i-i-inside, after hours." 

Cupcake leaned down to help the diamond dog out of his hole, which he buried behind him with his rear paws, without even looking.  Apparently, paper wasn't the only thing he could easily manipulate. 

"So," Cup looked at them both, "on to McDonkey's?"
> Twelve: Apology Excepted
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If only I was allowed just a sliver of Dark Magic..." Obsidian muttered under her breath. 

Hopefully, these griffons would be too terrified of the possibilities to think about attacking anyone in her group, ever again!  Maybe she could find a way to shackle them; perhaps they could become useful slaves?  Oh, it would be so easy, so quick to just rip their deepest fears out of their minds and show them how weak and pathetic they are in comparision to a TRUE creature of Dark power! 

"But... you are correct, Cupcake - nothing too harsh or life threatening.  And yes, on to this McDonkey's, whatever it is.  Although, Thunderclap won't like the fact that she missed this situation."

And it seemed that she had apparently sorely underestimated the diamond dog.  She had fully expected that he would cower somewhere, too afraid to even yip, or maybe he would just pretend that he hadn't seen anything.  And yet, he turned out to be a valuable scout, even employing some spy tactics.  Clearly, he was more of an asset than she'd first surmised.

Cup chuckled lightly.  "Yeah, Clap would've probably taken a number of swings at 'em; she's very... uh, 'excitable'.  In fact, it miiiiiiiiight be a good idea not to bring this up to her - she might just haul off and go get them now." 

Gypsy nodded.  "Thunderclap would c-c-certainly be moved t-to action.  She d-does that." 

At length, they reached a building with a large 'D' emblazoned on the sign out front, and a number of creatures inside, seemingly eating... things that she couldn't quite identify. Cupcake opened the door and held it for Obsidian.  "Royalty first, princess!" 

The smells from inside were... interesting.

Perhaps it was it some kind of local inn?  Not likely, as she couldn't smell the pungent reek of alcohol - but on the other hoof, it's not as if she'd ever truly visited any inn before; at best, she'd read about them in history books.  With as much mead as they spoke of, she'd always thought the scent would linger at such an establishment.  

Well, at least she'd be able to eat something.  At the moment, she wasn't too hungry - after all, she did have a good breakfast - but it surely wouldn't hurt to have a light lunch?  And, of course, there was the hope they'd find Mica as well.  With that goal in mind, she stepped inside.

It was a cavalcade of scents that greeted her first, followed by a nasal, "Welcome to McDonkey's!" as she entered, from one of the cashiers behind the tall counter. There was a lot of activity back there, but it was more or less calm on this side.  

There were a few ponies seated with trays, eating... things.  

One looked like a roll with something brown and flat in its' middle, and small open-ended boxes of... yellow sticks?  Were they whittled corn?  Maybe they were the potato sticks Gypsy had mentioned earlier?  Nothing here was shaking, so perhaps she'd misheard that part. 

She didn't see Mica, but she did see Thunderclap sitting at a table with a tray in front of her, piled high with all sorts of (presumably) food items.  She saw them at about the same time, and waved them towards her.

Well, there was plenty of food, a few ponies, and a lot of places to sit.  No alcohol though - at least none visible.  Was this, mayhaps, a restaurant?  

And no Mica... what a shame.  He was the last one to apologize to, then afterwards she only had to visit the headmare one more time today... assuming she would still be working.  

Without waiting for the rest of the group she trotted over to Thunderclap to take a seat. "It seems we are truly unlucky. I had really hoped Mica would be here already, as you said," she mused.

Clap was munching on the yellow sticks, and she smiled at Obsidian when she sat down. "Yeah, if he's not, then he will be.  I know that stallion like the back of my own hoof; he'll be here.  You'll see.  Anyhoo," she reached over, took hold of one of the rolls with the brown stuff in it, and offered it to the princess. "Here - double hayburger with special sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions and tomato on a sesame seed bun!  Give 'er a try, Siddy!" 

Gypsy shyly sat next to her, but Cupcake had gone to the high counter and was looking over a blackboard with a number of titles on it, like "Whoppah" and "McDonkshake" and "McDonkfries".  He seemed to be communicating with the cashier about what was on the menu; the cashier looked utterly and completely bored, unlike the one who had greeted Obsidian.

Well, they could probably wait for him a bit here - it wouldn't hurt, and she'd already done most of the things she had planned for today.  As for the place itself, it seemed that they were making... sandwiches?  She took the roll and examined the offered food closely: bun, vegetables, cheese... and fried, shaped hay.  It also seemed that there was some kind of sauce inside as well, as she could smell it. 

"Jugding by your previous reactions, this is a well known place, I assume?"  She carefully lifted the sandwich up, and took a small testing bite of it... which unfortunately made the tomato slice slip from the other side of it, hitting the wrapper beneath her with a dull plop.  Wonderful.

"Eeyup," Clap went on, "it's a grand place, and the food is cheap and plentiful.  My kinda place!" 

Gypsy was steadily taking one yellow stick at a time and munching them down.  He seemed almost like a machine, stick-mouth-stick-mouth-stick-chew-swallow-stick-mouth... it was almost mesmerizing. 

It seemed that Gypsy was addicted to these sticks - they weren't riddled with addictive poisons, were they? 

"McDonkey's was the brainchild of a donkey couple - they're living RICH now, I guess.  The food's awesome, the shakes are creamy and place here is nice and... uh, 'homey', y'know?"  

Homey?  Obsidian looked around - no slaves begging for mercy, sinister laughter or dark whispers in the air.  Apparently, Thunderclap wasn't talking about her kind of home, it seemed.   But, she had to admit that this place seemed to be quite... charming, in a manner of speaking.

"Here," she held out a cup with a straw and a strange-looking lid, "strawberry shake - I'll bet you'll love it."

"We shall see... and by the way Thunderclap, what does it mean 'have a crush on somepony'?"   She carefully took the cup from the pegasus as she finally got around to asking about the term she'd heard earlier.  Hesitantly, she took a sip...

Hmmm... sweet, but not as sweet as the blue water they'd offered her yesterday.  Plus, it was tasty, too... and cool, but not cold. 

"An interesting drink, I'll admit," she said, expressing her opinion in a very reserved way; she liked it quite a bit actually, but there was her dignity to consider.

Thunderclap looked at her and grinned a bit.  "Oh, crushes?  Where'd you hear about those - wait, never mind, it's just easier to explain it." She sat back, the bench beneath her flank creaking with her weight. 

"Well, a crush is kinda like falling in love, but not quite - more like a kind of... I dunno, a lust?... for someone else.  Like, y'know, when you find a stallion - or mare - that you really like and want to smooch and snuggle." 

Gypsy nodded.  "This one w-wants to snuggle a 'sp-special someone', s-s-someday.  He knows n-no one yet he c-c-cr-crushes for, but this one thinks it w-w-w-will happen for him.  E-eventually." 

"It's like, you want 'em so you can do, y'know, romantic stuff and such," Clap said, taking one of the hayburgers and nearly swallowing it whole. 

Cupcake finally joined them, a tray piled with burgers and a bunch of the yellow sticks jutting from his mouth.  As soon as he sat and put his tray down, he gulped down the mouthful, turned to Obsidian and gestured.  

"Here ya go!  I didn't know what to get for you, so I just got a typical meal for both of us." 

There were two sandwich boxes, two stick boxes, and two cups, complete with straws. Cup leaned over to Obsidian.  "Careful, drinking that - don't get greedy, or you'll get a brain freeze; they're harmless, but very uncomfortable." 

Gypsy paused long enough in his routine to offer one of the small, yellow sticks to Obsidian directly. "... w-want one?"

Well, it was hard to not have heard about 'crushes' after the meeting in the library... but now everything was beginning to make sense.  "Ah, so that meant the strange actions you took due to Eloquence being in the library was a 'crush'," she said almost happily, enjoying the newly acquired knowledge. 

So she didn't want to kill him, she was lusting for him!  Luckily such a thing was absolutely, completely and totally impossible for Obsidian herself to ever know; she had been raised to be above such base desires, and was meant for bigger things than mere supposed pleasantries of the body.  

And besides, romantic stuff wasn't for the monarchy - arranged marriages were the norm, after all.  The good of the empire comes first... doesn't it? 

And it seemed that Cupcake was seriously trying to make her gain more weight - not that it would be such a bad thing, as she was quite thin and drawn.  She took the gathered food from him: another sandwich, another drink and sticks like ones Gypsy was offering.

"No, I have my own, though your offer is noted," she showed Gypsy her own box.  "So basically, from what I saw from you, having a crush doesn't seem very pleasant to me."

Thunderclap's cheeks began to turn bright red. "Nuh... nuh-uh!  Who's got a crush, me?  Nope, no way, no how!"  She crossed her forelegs, and looked somewhat chagrined.  However, Cupcake and Gypsy both gave a good hearty laugh. Apparently, her crush was embarrassing to her. 

"Clap," Cupcake grinned, "it's not like nobody knows.  Heck, at this point, Elo himself might know." 

Clap blanched for a moment.  "Wait - you think he... whaddya mean he already kno-..."  Again, she seemed somewhat annoyed at the prospect. 

"Thunderc-clap," Gypsy whispered in Obsidian's ear, "is a bit m-m-mortified by her c-crush; she seems m-m-mad, but she also knows w-w-we mean no harm." 

Cupcake answered the princess' question.  "Well, that sorta depends... like, if they also like you, then it could be True Love..." Cup sighed and stared wistfully into the distance for a moment, then snapped back to the here and now. 

"Yeeeeuuuuucccckkk!!!!!"  Thunderclap retched, "Lovey-dovey stuff!  Really, should I have to be subjected to this as our meal conversation?" 

Cupcake laughed.  "Don't mind her - she may act sore, but secretly, she's enjoying the attention!" 

"Keep it up, Cup," she bristled (but with a small smile), "and I'll teach you what 'sore' means." Cup stuck his tongue out at her playfully.

So that probably explains the light salivating and her empty stare when she was in the same room with him.  Talking about this 'True Love' was becoming steadily more interesting... but it was still an alien concept to her. 

"Unfortunately for you, Thunderclap, your behaviour intrigued me. I've always expected that, sooner or later, I would have a marriage arranged for me; there simply weren't any appropriate stallions of my own age... or any non-slave stallions around, to be honest.   So this topic is something completely new to me," she explained. 

That sandwich wasn't bad.  Not a miracle of food creation, no... but not bad.

Cupcake looked at her and chuckled.  "Princess... 'arranged marriages' don't really... uhhhh, happen... anymore." 

"Yes, The F-F-Freedom of Love d-decree... this one s-s-studied that." 

Thunderclap rolled her eyes as Cupcake placed a hoof over his heart and recited: "Anypony who shall marry must do so of their own Free Will; magical coercion, hypnotism, and other forms of manipulation, should they be discovered, shall render such unions null and void from the moment of their discovery." 

Gypsy seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked to him.  "It is n-n-not exact, yet c-close enough."

He leaned in close to Obsidian, grinning.  "This means you're off the hook when it comes to someone picking your prince for you." 

"Yes... i-it was about t-two hundred years ago, when that decree was made - and it was in light of what almost happened in the Crystal Empire, when the ch-changeling ruler Chrysalis almost duped her way onto the throne, that m-made it even more important to emphasize the c-clarification of such.  With such a prospect over their heads, it was decided that emphasizing the decree would make certain that such a trick would never win out in the l-long run." 

Thunderclap huffed and looked at Gypsy.  "Yay, history lessons."  She made a big production out of yawning. 

Gypsy just smiled and shook his head.  "Those who d-do not learn f-f-from history are d-doomed to repeat it." 

Clap groaned.  "Just like classes..."

"Hm, but unions such as these aren't really coercion, hypnosis or manipulation; it's just a diplomatic arrangement." Obsidian rubbed her temple with a hoof; why would commoners marry at all, if they weren't treating it as a mutually profitable agreement?  

Probably more propaganda about 'True Love' and so on... complicated stuff. 

"... Anyway, history is quite interesting, especially as for me, it's more akin to hearing about the future.  Now... why won't you merely inform Eloquence that you like him, Thunderclap?"

The muscular pegasus mare paled a bit. "TELL him!?  Siddy, he's, like, incredible... and if you don't wanna be seen as some sort of creepo-stalker-type, then you don't just walk up to someone incredible and tell them you like them!"  Then she gave a start.  "N-n-not that I l-like him o-o-or such!" 

Gypsy chuckled.  "I-is my vocal t-t-tic catching?"  Thunderclap Dash shot Gypsy a heated look, while the diamond dog merely spread his paws and smiled. 

"But diplomacy's already been achieved with every known kingdom on the face of Equus - there's no need for it now.  Actually, it's more like the government has moved beyond 'marriages of coalition'; they're more likely to give each other large sums of gold, jewels or yummy food to negotiate," Cup explained.  "Arranged marriages are a thing of the past." 

"Y-yes.  Only those i-in love are the ones wh-who get m-m-married." 

Thunderclap even gave a small grin.  "Eh, I guess if you care enough about someone, committing to them isn't so bad.  But still," her eyes flashed, "I do NOT-" 

"So princess," Cup interrupted Clap before she could lie again, "did you have a lot of prospects to have your hoof?  I hope you don't get upset, but I'm fairly certain that if you wanted one of them... well, it's probably not gonna to happen now."

And so, marriages stopped being diplomatically beneficial.  A true shame.  And nothing that Thunderclap was saying did anything to change Obsidian's mind - the pegasus mare liked Eloquence, yet was too afraid to tell him... 

What was the point, then?  

"Hmmm... no, not really.  I think that one Equestrian duke was considered, as a means to convince him to ally himself with our nation's might, but it could have been mere rumours. My most honourable father himself never told me anything about any specific plans."  Besides... he could always have a political marriage himself, should he have decided it.

Cupcake looked at her with curiosity.  "Princess... what was royal life like for you?" 

"Yeah," Thunderclap leaned forward a bit, "I wanna hear about you for a while." 

Gypsy also looked interested.  "This one i-is also c-c-curious; c-can you tell us th-th-this history of you?"

... it wasn't surprising that Thunderclap was trying to change the topic, it seemed that it was somewhat embarrassing her. 

"My history... is filled with constant training and lessons.  Dark magic, fighting, focus, meditation, math, history, geography... all of this, and I never once left the palace.  I was eager to satisfy my most honourable father's expectations, and had little time or room for anything more in my life."  

The last time they talked about this, they'd started to argue...

"But..." Cupcake looked a bit glassy-eyed, as if he were close to tears, "where was the Love?  The Affection?  Did he ever play games with you?"  He gasped, then amended, "FUN games?  Fun for YOU?" 

"Did your m-most honourable f-f-father ever brush your m-m-mane or coat for y-you?"  Gypsy looked at her with curiosity. 

"Heck, did he read to you at bedtime?"  Clap intoned.  "My mom did that." 

"My momma used to play with all of us!  She really put a lot of personal time and effort into raising us right!"  Cupcake grew thoughtful.  "I can't imagine why Lemon turned out the way he did - it wasn't his upbringing, I Pinkie Promise you that!" 

Gypsy shifted uncomfortably.  "Those th-things sound... like he w-was preparing you f-f-for something.  I-isn't that a sort of l-l-love?" 

Cupcake shrugged.  "We weren't there; unless the princess tells us, we have no idea." He then turned back to Obsidian.  "Was he nice to you?  Or no?"

She gave them a rather blank stare.  Brushing her mane?  Playing games?  Reading at bedtime? 

"I was only being prepared to become his heir, as both a warlock and a ruler.  I was purposed to study, to gather my might and wisdom for the time I would bring my most honourable father great pride - he wasn't wasting his time over... unnecessary activities."  That should answer all of these questions at once.

Now it was Cupcake's turn to balk. "Whaaaaaaat!?" He stood up, and even looked a bit hurt by her words. 

"Unnecessary? Unnecessary!?  Princess, my momma giving me that love and attention is why I have so much self-confidence now!  It's why I feel secure and happy with my life!  Why, a foal without love is the saddest thing I can imagine!" 

Gypsy seemed to nod at that, but only slightly.  Clap seemed as if she were pondering something. Obsidian could almost smell the wood-burning in the pegasus' skull... 

"Princess, Love is not only the cornerstone of Equestria... it's one of the most powerful forces in the entire universe!  Love can start a nation, or bring it down!  It can move mountains... uh, proverbially!  It can build you up or break you down!  It-" 

"Cup," Thunderclap interrupted, "can the theatrics; I think you communicated that you're upset over this." 

"YES, I AM!"  he looked as if he'd been personally insulted.  "How could someone be that way?  Grooming someone for a future, yet giving them not one iota of Love!?" 

Cupcake was really into this whole 'love' stuff, wasn't he?  He still couldn't understand that Obsidian was confident that everything her father did was necessary... and the only reason why she wasn't as great and powerful as he'd wanted her to be was that her training got cut short quite suddenly.

She could be better.  She should be better.  And there was no place for 'love' in that vision. 

Gypsy leaned in closer to Obsidian.  "Do not be a-a-al-alarmed at Cupcake's ire; moments from n-now, I am certain he will c-calm himself," he whispered. 

"Loving your children... i-it's important!  I have the confidence I have because my momma helped to foster that in me.  She didn't just teach me about love - she showed me what a little love can do for others!  And it's like MAGIC!" 

"Clap." 

The conversation stopped as the new voice spoke up.  The others turned to see Mica Chip there, looking at them all, with his tray on his back. 

"Gypsy.  Cup." 

His eyes found Obsidian, and they held no expression at all for her. 

"... you." 

Thunderclap visibly winced at that.

And now the true reason for their coming here had finally appeared!  Obsidian was very glad that something had happened to stop Cupcake from ranting.  She very eagerly got up; Mica was always very calm and useful, it was good to have him back. 

"I'm glad to see you, Mica.  I was looking for you to apologize for upsetting you yesterday."  This time, she didn't even stutter!

Mica stared at her for a moment, then took a deep breath and spoke softly. 

"Oh... am I suddenly important now?  Because yesterday, I got the distinct impression that our 'self-indulgences' were something you found distasteful... which is quite an insult to me.  And after making such an impression with us by basically saying what we believed in was pointless, I believe it was quite clear that you don't even want friendship, as it would probably take away from your duty to even acknowledge us low-born creatures." 

Everyone just stared at Mica. 

"As I said yesterday, I believe we made a mistake - and that mistake was trying to befriend a child of darkness, who thinks the things we believe in are trivial and worthless."  

He looked over at Thunderclap.  "If you want to join me, fine.  But excuse me," he now gave the slightest of glares to Obsidian.  "I'm going to eat my meal somewhere away from those who would tell me how much my thoughts and beliefs don't matter." 

With that, he simply made his way across the restaurant, out the glass doors, and sat at a bench outside - by himself.

Well, now... that was unexpected.  

Cupcake was fine with her now - even though he should have still had some reasons to be wary of her.  Thunderclap was even more fine with her.  Even Gypsy, the one who'd felt guilty even as he was completely innocent, was now fine with her.  Of all ponies, only Mica wasn't accepting her admittedly half-hearted apologies?  Surprising.  

She turned back to the table to face the others.  "I liked the term 'child of darkness' but, Cup... it didn't work," she said with a puzzled muzzle. 

Hm, if friendship was like warfare... she could storm him, besiege him or abandon the battle altogether.  Did she really need Mica?  Not particularly, to be honest.  She could get information from anywhere and anyone else.

But he was right about her... and it made him leave, while the rest were still here.  Were they possibly more patient?  Or was it that they just didn't realize her truth as well as he did? 

"I was only explaining why my father's actions were justifable..."  

And yet, for reasons she wasn't quite able to understand yet, she was more conflicted and bothered by this turn of events than she typically should have been.

Clap stood up slowly. "Mica... was really mad at what you said yesterday," she sighed, "I mean, really mad.  It took him about five minutes just to stop breathing hard.  I'm... gonna go see if I can't talk to him for ya.  I dunno if it'll work, but... well, don't know if ya don't try, right?" 

She made her way outside and sat opposite of Mica, him looking up and speaking to her as they began to converse. 

Cupcake also gave a heavy sigh.  "Princess, sometimes... how do I put this... sometimes, words aren't enough.  Or a few words aren't enough.  And sometimes, the damage you do with some words is deeper and harder than you'd think." 

"Mica is a very intelligent stallion, and he values knowledge and information.  With his upbringing, he also knows what love is like, and has a very healthy appreciation for it.  And you..." He fidgeted for a moment before looking like he had an idea. 

"Remember how you said you'd felt when I was being... not-so-nice... that first day?  Well, Mica feels a lot like the way you felt when I... um... said those... not nice things.  And did an apology from me help things any?"

Well, Obsidian valued knowledge and information as well, and in theory Mica was calm and intelligent enough to be the most useful pony out of all of them... yet unfortunately, it seemed she made a mistake somewhere. 

"Yes Cupcake, I remember," she sat down again at the table. "But he isn't actually wrong.  In fact, I should be more surprised that the rest of you are remaining with me, than the fact that he isn't.  Except you, Cupcake - you are my liaison; the rest of them, however?  My morals and thoughts have proven to be as alien to you as your own are to me.  At best, I'm trying to understand what's going on with your heads, and usually failing to do so.  Mica just... made the most logical decision." 

She didn't even want to finish her sandwich now.  She'd have to, though - wasting food was expressly forbidden, and it was specifically her portion.  Yesterday... well, hopefully nothing that Cupcake made was wasted.

"Princess... you..." Cup closed his eyes and gave a sigh before opening them again, focusing on her. 

"Okay, I admit - I honestly have no idea about your world... and your world seems... cold.  And our world is warm, in comparison - which, being as you didn't know Love, is as confusing to you, too.  In other words, we need to try to communicate better with each other, especially if we want to get you acclimated to this new world." 

"To do that," Cupcake stood up, a determined light in his eyes, "we'll have to seriously do our utmost best to teach you about the things you never knew - Love, compassion, friendship - while you could help us understand by teaching us about how you know and feel about it." 

Gypsy seemed to agree, as he nodded and his tail gave a slight wag. 

"What do you say, Princess Obsidian - are you willing to learn, as we learn from you?"

She didn't exactly have too much choice in matter, did she?  

Didn't have much to do besides that, as well.  As far as she was concerned, the entire modern world seemed to be based around the overpowering belief in the almighty power of friendship!  She could try to fight this power... and very probably lose before being able to finish saying 'kneel before me', as Equestrians have a long and vaunted history of defeating any foe who dared try anything. 

"I suppose I am willing, yes," she eventually replied with a sigh. 

Of course she was willing to learn... but now she had to pledge a commitment to it.  Feh, too many creatures with too many emotions in far too short a time; it was all so... tiresome.

Cupcake's muzzle lit up.  "Okie dokie lokie!  This'll be... new!  And different!  Unlike anything we've tackled before!  Which also makes it a unique experience too!  Oh, the things we're going to have to go over, the ideas we'll have to discuss, the situations to plan for, the moments..." Cupcake continued to go on, but at more of a self-aimed mumble.  

Gypsy, however, sidled up to her. "This o-one is pleased t-t-to hear this.  He will try not to be p-pu-p-pushy about it, Majesty.  He also wishes t-t-to thank you for g-g-giving this a ch-chance; this one f-f-finds you int-t-teresting, and would enj-joy sharing history w-w-with you." 

"I also find you interesting as well, Gypsy.  I can hardly wait to spend more time discussing history with you."  This was completely genuine - after all, it was the first diamond dog she had ever met, and he was interested in things that were interesting to her. 

Outside, the conversation between Mica and Thunderclap seemed to be getting a bit heated, as Mica's eyebrows dipped a bit, while Clap looked as though she was getting more animated with her speaking.  Before too long, Mica simply got up, dumped his tray in an outside bin - including what appeared to be only a half-eaten hayburger - then walked away.  Clap's ears drooped deeply.  Then, she too got up... but she made her way towards the doors instead of away.  

Before she entered, Obsidian watched the pegasus wipe a tear or two away, and shake herself out of what looked like sadness... which, of course, Obsidian knew well.  Once inside, there was not a single trace of sorrow on her muzzle, and she sat back down with a lackadasial manner, betraying nothing of the emotions she was feeling mere seconds ago. 

"Eh, he's being a jerk - give 'im a few days to calm down, and he'll..." 

Her hesitancy was only a second, but Obsidian caught it anyway. 

"... he'll be fine.  You'll see.  AAAAAANYWAY, so what're we doin' now?  I mean, we've done the school chores, and we ate, so... now what?" 

Cupcake, who seemed only a little put out by Clap's lack of success with Mica, gave a smile and looked to Obsidian.  "Well, is there anything you'd like to see, or perhaps some other curiosity to check out, or maybe just back to your room?"

Alas, it appeared that there would be no reunion with Mica... which wasn't just inconvenient and bothersome, but it made her feel as if she had broken something that she actually might not be able to fix.  And that bothered her...

... but why?
> Thirteen: Counseling Principles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, at least in theory, they should know how to deal with each other, right?  Or perhaps she got it wrong?  

Thunderclap was clearly distressed, even though she was doing her best not to show it.  Curious - why was she acting like that, especially if they weren't taught that crying was a punishable sign of weakness?  She could just, well... be sad. 

"I only wanted to meet with headmare once again, if possible, and that's all.  Er... what time is it?  Perhaps we could do something with Thunderclap before calling it a day?" she offered.

"Whoa... hey, yeah?  You serious?"  Clap had been taken by surprise from Obsidian's offer, and the smile that grew in place of the frown said it had been a good surprise. 

Cupcake stood up with a grin of his own.  "Well, that sounds like a plan!  Okay, so we'll head back to the school and see Miss Glimmer, then I suppose it's up to you, Clappie!" 

The diamond dog gave a large grin at hearing Obsidian speak so kindly, and his tail began wagging again.  He said nothing else, but stuck close and remained attentive, his eyes echoing the smile on his muzzle. 

The four of them made their way out of the restaurant (where Cup showed her where trash went for cleanup), down the street and back to the school just as the bell for final class sounded.  Students were eager to leave, yet still had one more class for the day, whatever it was.

Why did she do it?  Probably because... well, having a sad Thunderclap wasn't working out as well as happy one. 

In this situation, an attempt to fix this issue - especially as Obsidian didn't really have any further plans - was the best possible idea.  Yes, that seemed  to be a good explanation.  And the next time Mica would see them, he'd regret that he missed out on all interesting things that would come of it, and would realize that Obsidian is learning how to treat non-royals properly. 

... and this milkshake really wasn't bad at all.  It was surely much better than the 'punch' beverage... in fact, Obsidian felt almost as full as if she'd had her typical 'lunch' back in the Empire.  Perhaps even moreso!

"Gypsy?  Is your tail reacting to your mood?  And do you possibly know something about the past of miss headmare?  I think I've seen her name in the more recent chapters in history books, but I didn't retain as much as I'd hoped to.  I borrowed a book about her today as well, but haven't had any time to read it, as of yet."  It was her last chance to find something interesting before they met again, after all.

Gypsy looked back at his tail and actually blushed just a bit. "Y-yes, this o-one's happiness is shown in his t-t-t-tail, Majesty.  It is a d-d-diamond d-dog's way - tails and ears c-communic-c-cate as well as words to us.  And Headmare Glimmer?  I know a b-bit, yes... shall I t-t-tell it now?" 

Cupcake gave a chuckle.  "Why not?  En route entertainment!" 

Gypsy pondered a moment, then began to speak. "M-M-Miss Starlight Glimmer was first noticed by the Elements of Harmony when they went to a small village in the mountains and found a whole society which had ch-chosen to rid themselves of their Cutie Marks, in a supposed show of equality.  However, eventually it was revealed that she had, in fact, coerced them into allowing her to r-remove their marks magically and keep them in the village as willing guests." 

"When the Bearers discovered that Starlight had done such a thing - and had hidden her own mark, stating she'd removed it as well - they f-fought her and managed to break her control over the villager's marks, reuniting them with their destinies when her magical hold was b-broken."

Oh, and what was this?  She had commanded her own village?  Where she was forcing ponies to get rid of their marks?  By coercion... and she thought about her reading material... of course!  The Bearers of Harmony!  That's where Obsidian had noticed her - in the chapters about their many past battles.  

She didn't expect, though, that miss Headmare had first appeared to them as an enemy!  And yet, she somehow ended up in this position?  That was truly curious... 

"Later on, she appeared again, a-and this time-" 

"Cupcake Sprinkles... well, how do you do?" 

The voice that had interrupted sounded slick, smooth and slightly snarky, but Cupcake smiled.  However, the same voice that had brought out such a smile in Cup was also apparently a voice that brought fear to Gypsy, and his eyes widened as his mouth snapped shut. 

"Jinx?  Is that you?"  Cupcake asked nobody in particular; he may as well have been speaking to thin air! 

"Indeed, my most emphatic fellow!  In fact, I've been along for the ride since McDonk's, and I have to say, Thunderclap - you should exercise more, with all those hayburgers you've been eating." 

Clap wore a look like she was annoyed.  She let out a gruff sigh.  "Hello, Jinx." 

Gypsy scooted behind Obsidian, and she could feel him shivering behind her. "And this must be the enigmatic Obsidian I've heard so much about, hmmmmm?" 

Where WAS this entity?

Wonderful - before Gypsy could finish his story, something had interrupted them.  Something that either was invisible, hiding itself with magic or... or... well, something else!  Cup was smiling, Gypsy apparently was quite afraid and Thunderclap was merely annoyed... it made for a rather confusing first impression.

"Yes, I am Obsidian... random voice... thing... show yourself, as I don't care much for talking to air," she said dryly, looking around in case this trickster was hiding somewhere and only using magic to project their voice away from them. 

"Well, far be it for me to deny the decree of a royal, I suppose..." 

There was an audible >SNAP!<, and a rush of green smoke suddenly filled the air in front of them, with jets of emerald shooting off to the sides, making it quite a spectacle.  Suddenly, the ball of smoke was parted down the center like a curtain, and out stepped... stepped... 

What in Tartarus was this? 

It was somewhat dragon-shaped and was about as tall as one... but that's where the resemblance stopped cold.  

It had what looked to be the tail of a lion, a bright red bird's wing next to a dusty moth wing, two completely mismatched horns, arms and legs.  It had a wild, flowing mane with pink and black stripes throughout it, and big yellow eyes with green pupils.  All of this was topped off with buck teeth and a pair of floppy bunny ears hanging from it's... head. The look in its' eyes was one of mischief... and perhaps not-so-innocent mischief. 

The... thing... gave a low, sweeping bow, a monkey's forearm tucked in close to its' chest while gesturing with... a lobster's claw? 

"Greetings, princess... please allow me to introduce myself; I'm a girl of wealth and taste..." 

It was... female? 

"Siddy, Jinx, Jinx, Siddy - now scram, willya?" 

Jinx gave a somewhat unsettling grin toward Clap.  "Oh, Thunderclap Dash - always sooooo happy to see me, aren't you?" Obsidian could almost hear the pegasus roll her eyes. 

"And my dear friend Cupcake - I hope you're still up for you-know-what this weekend, hmmmm?  Quite a bit of fun planned out for us, oh yes!" 

"Yeah!  I-" Cup suddenly looked over at Obsidian, and his features fell a bit.  "Awww, wait - no, Jinxy; I got liaison duty, and I gotta be responsible about it, so..." 

Jinx lifted an eyebrow.  "So, princess... you're delaying Cupcake all weekend?  Not even a spare minute?"

Was this one of the so-called creatures of chaos?  Obsidian had only ever read about them... but during her time, the memory of Discord's reign of terror was as fresh as crimson blood on the snow.  She'd had to learn about them - even if there hadn't been much factual information available, due to how mysterious their powers were.  She had to be exceedingly careful about this one. 

At least Cup didn't seem to be scared - which might have been a good sign, perhaps?

"That... depends.  What is so important for this... 'weekend' thing?"

Both Jinx and Cupcake looked at each other and smiled broadly and answered in unison: "OGRES AND OUBLIETTES!" 

Clap facehoofed.

"It's GRAND fun!"  Cupcake began to gush.  "We have characters and dice and sheets and little stand-ups and... hey..." 

"Uh oh..." Clap said, then looked at Obsidian.  "Run, Siddy!" 

"HEEEEEEYYYYYYY!!! Princess, you could join us for a session!" 

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA NELLY!"  Jinx said, holding her claw toward him as if to signal a stop.  "Now hold your relatives for a moment there, Cup - you can't just invite someone new without consulting the game master first!"  She crossed her arms in annoyance... but her little grin said it was possibly all in fun. 

"Oh, COME ON!  This could be a great opportunity for her to interact with others!  She's, like, really new here, so-" 

Jinx held up the claw again, and Cup got quiet... though he was still bouncing in place a little bit.  Jinx looked at Obsidian.  

"Hmmmmmm..." She then moved even closer, pulling out a magnifying glass and scrutinizing Obsidian closely.  

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmm... oh, hello Gypsy..." The diamond dog gave a small, mewling sound as a reply, yet stayed cowering behind Obsidian.  His quivering redoubled, though. 

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..." 

Jinx then stepped back, and her eye was comically large through the lens of the magnifying glass... then she put the glass away, and her eye was STILL larger than the other side!  With a shake, she set herself right and fingered her lip in ponderance.

"Welllllllll... tell you what, Cupster: bring her on the right night, and we'll see what the whole group says, eh?  From there, we'll see what happens - perhaps she'll be allowed, perhaps not.  But still," Jinx grinned, "if that's what it takes to get my best gaming buddy to the game, so be it." 

"NERD CENTRAL," Clap groaned aloud. 

Jinx turned up her nose at Clap... literally; she spun her nostrils upside-down and gave a humph! as she turned away from her... but the umbrage taken was a sham, as the draconequus turned back with a smile. "Awwwww... I can't stay mad at YOU, Clapparino!" 

"... I wish you WOULD..." Thunderclap muttered.

Cupcake looked at Obsidian.  "Well... are you interested?  It's a game where-" 

"AH-ah-ahhh!  Not around the 'straights', Cupola!  Save the surprise for later, hon!"  She then turned and, her wings flapping, lifted into the air and looked at Obsidian, leaning on her own hands in midair. "So... what's new, tall, dark and gruesome?"

Jinx was worse than Cupcake - though it should be obvious, she was able to express herself in many ways that Cupcake lacked. Obsidian was doing her best to stand still, even though she'd gladly turn into a shadow and move away. Their description of this 'game' was somewhat lacking as well. 

However Obsidian hardly cared about any of that - Gypsy's total fear was interesting, but she didn't like the fact that this creature was scaring him. Besides, without permission to use her Dark Magic, all this tasty fear was just wasted.

"You know, Cupcake... I can just stay in my room all day and read during this holiday or gathering or whatever it is.  Or I could simply ask the princess to assign me another liaison for the day..."  She found herself glaring daggers at Jinx.  

Cupcake looked disappointed.  "Awwww... but it's so much fun!  And it'll give you the chance to chat with others, and learn teamwork, and-" 

"Eh!  Tut tut, Cup-Cup.  If she doesn't want in, then it's her decision; far be it for me to try to push our fun on anyone else... or don't you recall that particular lesson we learned?" 

Cup's ears drooped for just a moment.  "Yeah, I remember... butbutbut she could be really GOOD at it!" 

Jinx shrugged.  "Her choice.  Just means more of you for me," and her smile went wide.  Then she turned to Obsidian. 

"A week consists of seven days; the weekend is technically the days at each end of that week, and they tend to be days most folks have off of work.  You might not understand 'days off of work', though... considering where - and when - you're from." 

Clap gave Obsidian a determined look.  "That's it, mare... fight it... don't fall prey to The Geekness..." 

Cupcake looked back and forth between the two, Obsidian and the draconequus, before finally fixing his gaze on Obsidian, a small plea in his eyes. "Are you absolutely sure you don't want to come?"

Days off of work - was that even possible?  What were they doing with this time?  They should be ashamed, wasting it without an important reason!  Or perhaps their work wasn't as important as others, and could therefore go wanting for a while?  And this 'more of you for me' statement?  She apparently didn't want to eat him... at least, as far as she could tell.  Perhaps it was another one of those 'crush' things? 

"Small steps, Cup.  Or, at least, smaller.  I have enough on my mind, and this 'weekend' offer would be a bit much or me to consider, at the moment."

Cupcake gave a long, drawn-out sigh... but nodded and even gave a smile. "You're right, of course... miiiiiiiiight be a bit much after everything else of late.  Maybe some time to adjust isn't a bad idea... but you'll consider it when you get more used to things, maybe?" 

Thunderclap looked at Jinx with not a whit of affection.  "Okay, the question asked, the answer had, now go away." 

Jinx just giggled... which sent new waves of fear from behind and beneath her.  Good grief, Gypsy was now hiding under her to get away from the draconequus!

"Well, it's all for the best, I suppose... after all, it gives me plenty of time to come up with some new ideas specifically for vous, my dear Dark One.  But still," she leaned in close, and Obsidian could smell scorched sugar on her breath, "DO feel free to let me know when you're feeling more... confident, will you?" 

Jinx looked over at Cupcake again and smiled... genuinely, in fact.  "Same bat-time?" 

Cupcake's smile tripled in intensity.  "Same bat-channel!" 

The earth pony and draconequus shared a brohoof, then she reached into some sort of pocket Obsidian couldn't see... which then proceeded to swallow the entire draconequus, the final ball of flesh vanishing with a >SNAP!< 

Cupcake sighed happily.  "I'm so glad she and I are friends; she can do the coolest magic!" 

"Yeah," snarked Clap, "and annoy the heck out of everyone else around you as well!  C'mon - I already have a thing to do in mind, and the sooner we forget that... noodle lizard... the better.  C'mon Siddy - let's find you a Headmare!"

While Gypsy's fear was quite tasty, it was only reminding Obsidian that she wasn't allowed to use Dark magic. 

"Get out from underneath me - it's embarrassing."  She muttered through gritted teeth, getting more and more of a blush on her muzzle from embarrassment.  What in Tartarus was that dog thinking?

Gypsy shot out from under her like a bolt of lightning, his eyes wide, looking everywhere for Jinx, presumably. 

""G-g-g-g-g-g-g... i-i-i-i-is i-i-i-i-i-it-t-t-t g-g-g-g-g-g.... g-g-g-g-g-g-g..." 

Gypsy covered his muzzle with his paws and breathed very raggedly through his fingers, sounding as though he were struggling to get his breathing under control.  Cupcake gave him a sympathetic look and slowly came close, gently beginning to stroke Gypsy's back until his breathing began to slow. 

"Discord," Thunderclap said, "did a real number on the diamond dogs as a whole, when they insulted him a few years back; nasty stuff - you could ask for an explanation from them as to what he did, but they're scared to death of him - and his daughter - and they'll go through the same thing, every time." 

"There, there, Gypsy... it's okay.  No worries, no worries..." Cupcake comforted the shaking dog.  Gypsy simply nodded, then looked through his fingers at Obsidian. 

"Th-th-th-th-th-th... th-th-th-th-th-th-" 

"Yeah, we know, 'this one apologizes'... it's okay," Clap said.  

The diamond dog nodded, then simply sat there and let Cup pat his back and stroke his head. 

Thunderclap Dash looked towards the school, gesturing.  "Well?  We gonna keep going?"  

Gypsy simply nodded, and Cupcake followed suit.  Soon, they were all headed to Twilight Sparkle's school once again.  The walk there wouldn't be much longer, from the look of it.

It took Obsidian a while to shake off such embarrassment - but even then, she was eyeing Gypsy carefully from time to time, just to be sure he wouldn't try any more ideas that could be socially awkward or uncomfortable. 

"If you knew that Gypsy would be that scared, you could have asked to talk with her somewhere else - all this fear felt as if my magic would-" 

Wait.  Waaaaaaiiiiiiit... did she hear that correctly?  "... do you mean... THAT Discord?"

"Eeyup," Clap confirmed, "THAT Discord."

"But... but... he was far older than my father!  And he was defeated, yes?"  It was unnerving; was modern Equestria infested with chaos?  Why was a known tyrant free, even with a spawn of his own?  How did he escape and convince them to not blast him with rainbows or some similar fate?

Thunderclap gave a frustrated groan.  "Yeah, he was... then Celestia decided to try to rehabilly... rehubba... rebabble..." 

"Rehabilitate," Cup added with a grin. 

"Yeah, THAT... THAT for him.  And, wonky as it sounds, it worked.  Sorta." 

"Ol' Discy's okay," Cupcake piped up, "did I mention he used to babysit my siblings and I?  He's sooooooooooooo much fun, and Jinx is, like, the only one who can completely keep up with me - heck, she can even outdo me, sometimes!" 

"And if you're wondering how they did it," Clap said, "it was Miss Fluttershy who got him to change.  You met her - does it make sense?"

By the darkness that dwells in the depths of the deepest oceans!  Discord, on the Equestrian side of the coin, babysitting foals, having a daughter?  Perhaps she could go back to sleep, and wake up in another thousand years - it might be the safest option...

"Yes, it makes perfect sense," Obsidian shuddered slightly when she remembered the mare that was so completely contrary to her father that it was unnerving to her. "yet it doesn't change the fact that I find this entire thing terrifying, even without feeling Gypsy's own fear."

Jinx outdoing Cupcake.  Scary, scary, scaaaary.

Thunderclap gave a slight chuckle.  "Hey, don't be chicken, now... Discord's more of an annoyance than any sort of villain, anymore... and Jinx puts on a show, but she's REAL insecure-" 

"Clap!"  Cupcake looked up sharply at her.  "That's NOT nice!  You don't just start blurting out people's personal stuff!" 

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Okay, MOM - fine." 

Cup continued for her.  "Jinx... has her issues, yeah... but she's really not all that bad, princess.   In fact, she's really nice, once you get to know her..." he looked in Clap's direction, "unlike SOME ponies who keep JUDGING her without KNOWING her." 

"Blah blah blah, whatever.  She's janky, and I don't care for anything janky."  The large pegasus set her firm frown in place, determined to prove how much she disliked the subject matter.

Cupcake pouted a bit, but didn't try to argue; he knew better than to butt heads with her over the subject, it seemed.

Finally, they reached the school just as the last bell went off, and a number of students came out of the front doors like a small river, made up of various critters.  There was still enough room to squeeze inside, but Gypsy seemed hesitant to engage such a large crowd.  He still hadn't spoken since seeing Jinx, but he seemed somewhat calmer now... probably from Cupcake's comforting. 

"Headmare's office, it is," Clap said as she strolled down the hall towards the doorway in question.

Considering that Jinx's mere presence was enough to make Gypsy terribly scared and for Clap and Cup to argue, Obsidian was even more wary of the mishmashed creature.  It certainly didn't help that, as a draconequus, she was quite possibly even more powerful than she was... and that didn't sit too well with the Dark Princess.  Not at all. 

"Truly, I did not care much for how Gypsy was utterly terrified of her," she said quietly when Clap and Cup stopped arguing.  Jinx had popped up and interrupted the diamond dog from talking about the headmare's past - and now it was too close for him to continue, at least without delaying the meeting much further.  

"So how should I deal with it, Cupcake?  Do I simply... ask Bold Verdana if I may visit miss Headmare?"

Cup thought it over for a minute, then nodded.  "Sounds like the right way to do it to me!" 

"Hey," Clap said, "you want us to come with, or is this a thing where we wait out here while you ask her strange questions? 
Either way is fine with me." 

"With us," Cup added.  

"Yeah, what he said."

Obsidian looked at the doors, pondering the situation.  "I do believe I'd like to try to deal with this one myself; I shouldn't rely so much on others... at least, those who are not my most honourable father."  With these words she trotted forward, knocked on the door (to prevent another possible accident) and slipped inside. 

Hopefully, miss Verdana would allow her that visit.

Bold was behind her desk as before, only this time there was nobody else in the office.  She looked up at Obsidian as she entered the room, and she straightened her glasses before she spoke. 

"Miss Obsidian, again - a pleasure.  I take it you finished the assignments given to you, so... how may I help you?"

Hm. Empty. One would think that this office would be always busy. Obsidian bowed slightly to the secretary. "I, uh, would like to talk with miss Headmare - she said before that I could come visit her, and I have a few questions about the school and other such things.  May I enter?"

Bold gave a small grin. "She's speaking with the guidance councilor at the moment... but I'm certain they wouldn't mind your presence.  Just one minute." She reached over and gingerly pressed a button on a small, beige box.  

"Madam Glimmer?" she spoke into it, "Miss Obsidian has returned and wishes an audience with you." 

With the guidance councilor present, it meant they would have superiority in numbers; a bad tactical situation to be stuck in right before a battle!  Luckily they weren't actually going to fight... right?  Still, Obsidian had asked the rest of her group to stay with the hope of a nice, quick muzzle-to-muzzle chat - frankly, this unexpected turn of events was a bit irksome. 

After a moment, the box spoke back!  And in Starlight Glimmer's voice!  "Sure, send her right in!" 

That box was interesting... apparently, modern magic was a wonderful thing, indeed.  If her father's Empire had access to something like that, the slave overseers wouldn't have to waste their time going directly to the slaves to give them orders; they could hear their orders and obey them promptly - all at the same time!

Bold nodded and gestured to the Headmare's office door.  "Go right ahead."

Obsidian sighed deeply at how much her world had changed in so short a time and entered the headmare's office; when she opened the door, happy laughter floated out on the breeze. 

Inside, the Headmare and the Councilor were both giggling over something hopefully unrelated, but as she entered, the two of them turned to greet her with amicable looks on their muzzles.  The councilor adjusted her necklace - the new one from the package, no less - and used a hoof to straighten her silver mane. 

Headmare Glimmer smiled warmly at Obsidian.  "I already heard you got those errands done - I very much appreciate it, you lightening my load, even if it was just a few things - every little bit helps!" 

"Yeah, and hey," the councilor added, "I appreciate that, too.  This means we can get out of here at a more reasonable hour, so we can stop for dinner before we head home.   Thanks!  No really... thanks!" 

Glimmer grinned.  "I... take it you wanted to talk about something else?"

Obsidian wasn't used to older ponies at higher positions smiling at her... or frankly any ponies smiling at her at all, for that matter.  This place was just too different, too alien from the Crystal Empire of ancient times that she'd known. 

She still bowed respectfully to both of them.  "I, er... was thinking about that offer to attend the school, miss headmare.  You hopefully recall how you offered me the chance... uh, earlier?... that we might start paperwork after finishing today's agenda?  Well, I... that is, I decided to inquire as to the, ah... current status of this offer?" 

She was getting nervous.  She was actually getting nervous!  With Cupcake around, she was more or less able to rely on his social charisma... but right now, she couldn't help but think that barging into an official's office with any form of request was wrong; if she'd tried that with her father, it would likely have ended with pain.

Both the Headmare and the councilor's muzzles flashed with smiles. "Well, it's what I offered you, isn't it?  I'm glad to hear you're coming around to the idea, actually.  Yes, the offer still stands.  Trixie," she turned to the other mare, "can you grab me a 17-B form and a 12-Q while you're at it?" 

"The Gr-r-r-r-reat and Powerful Tr-r-r-r-r-rixie is not a secretary!"  She looked a bit pouty, but then looked at Starlight's grinning face and her expression turned into an embarrassed chuckle.  

"But... uh, she thinks they may be in that drawer, by your left?" 

Checking the drawer, Starlight said, "Ah, here we are; thanks, Trix.  Okay!  So, go ahead and fill out what you understand, and when you reach the point you can't figure it out or you've finished, hand it to me and I'll review it, on the spot." 

She pointed to the chair next to the councilor.  "You don't even have to go anywhere else - fill it out right here, if you like."

Obsidian knew that there was no real reason to worry - but still, deeply, she felt that something was wrong.  Actually plenty of things lately were wrong: from the lack of her most honourable father's wisdom and guidance, to the loss of so much time and re-learning of knowledge she once thought to be cold, hard fact, to having to deal with so many words and so many personalities, to the ban on her Dark Magic capabilities, to the fact that for the first time in her life, she found she had the dubious liberty of making her own choices - who wouldn't be stressed out with such a great burden of instant responsibility? 

The unicorn's horn flashed, once again showing its' boiling and angry aura, as she levitated the proffered forms closer to examine them more carefully. 

"As far as I am concerned, I have nothing; my own money, my own place, my own... nothing.  Which is ironic, considering that a week ago, I woud have been considered the second the richest pony in all of the entire Crystal Empire.  Sadly, this fact does not hold up well after an entire millenium, so... will finance become an issue?" she asked while starting to fill in the more obvious parts. 

'Birthday'.  Uh... well.  So.  Obsidian wondered if there was a little box to write an explanation of how long she'd been technically alive.  She then went on to consider what day would have been considered the day of her birth... had she ever even known it; her most honourable Father wasn't into 'birthdays', so he hadn't exactly told her.

The councilor got a little nervous when Obsidian fired up the ol' red aura, but Starlight was unfazed. 

"I can't even imagine what that must be like for you... but I know what it feels like to have nothing at all.  Where've you been staying?  I sort of assumed you were at Twilight's palace, since that's where I was told you came here from." 

"Maybe she's been staying at the hostel, near Sweet Apple Acres?  That place can be fun, but they can sure wear out an entertainer quickly with requests!"  Trixie chuckled.  "Still... usually ponies with nowhere else to go end up there, so it wouldn't surprise me." 

The form wasn't horrible, but it would most certainly require someone to tell her what some of these questions meant!  All the same, the majority of them were easily figured out. There was a single line allotted for a birthday; maybe the actual amount of years need not be on there, right?

"I'm currently staying within the Applejack Suite.  A place to stay was arranged through Princess Sparkle, and I doubt I would be turned out onto the street so swiftly."  Although, come to think of it... there was the matter of her supposed debt. 

O tempora, o mores.

"However, shall I assume that attenting the school means some kind of financial restitution... or am I wrong?"  She was learning a bit how to become a good imperial administrator, so she was somewhat prepared for these forms... but far less than she'd hoped for, unfortunately.

"No," Starlight answered her earlier question, "the school is free to any and all who want to attend, regardless of social standing, race or disability!  Making money off of friendship-" 

"... sounds like that fiasco that Flim and Flam tried to make work!" Trixie finished with a smirk.

"Exactly.  It's wrong to try to profit on the pursuit of friendship, so Princess Twilight offers the school for free to anyone at all.  Because the less others have to spend on their own education, the more likely they'll be able to spend it in other areas they might need to." 

"Er... should I explain that, despite being born more than thousand years ago, I'm technically still sixteen?" she pondered to herself.

"Eh," Trixie said, waving a dismissive hoof, "don't worry about the age stuff so much - put sixteen and be done with it.  I'm sure that, if it's important, it'll come up... right?" 

Glimmer sighed, then put on a smile.  "Well, there's a notes section; if you truly feel the need for it, you can make a notation of it there.  Shouldn't cause an issue with enrollment, I'd think."

But it was important, so there was need for it. Besides, more information was always useful - she might suffer from amnesia, someday; in this situation, she could at least know why things seemed weird to her. So she made a notation anyway - just to be safe. 

"I assume that education here differs from the one I received in the Crystal Empire, especially when it comes to teachers.  Students here are grouped together, correct?"

As a princess, she hadn't exactly had any contact with things like 'classes' before.  "I, uh... is there any chance that I could join a group with anycreature I already know?"

The two mares exchanged looks, then Starlight gestured to Trixie, who turned and gave a smug little half-grin as she spoke. "Lemme guess - you're already making friends, and you wanna know if you can stick with your buddies, right?  That's not a bad idea, especially when you're just learning..." 

"... but there's the possibility," Starlight took over, "that if you stay with the same group all the time, you'll never make new friends after those.  So we'll have to try to balance things out, but that shouldn't be too difficult." 

The two of them regarded her for a moment, then Trixie spoke up. "Well, if you want to get placed correctly, then you mind telling us who your other friends are?"

By Darkness, just how many friends did they want her to have?  She already had quite a few, and still didn't even know what exactly it meant!  It felt like a form of trade capital, really - as if she would find out that she had to pay some enormous debts... 

"Cupcake, Thunderclap, Gypsy, Stalwart... and mayhaps Butter Churn and Licorice Twist, but I barely spent any time with those two."  In fact, she almost didn't know Cupcake's brother, but there was something in him that made Obsidian sure he'd be a fine choice...

As she spoke the list of names, the two of them listened raptly.  When she was done, they looked at each other, then sat back and started thinking. 

"Cupcake Sprinkles... that makes sense.  He's a lot like his mother, Pinkie Pie, so he's always trying to be a friend to everyone he meets." 

"Except," Trixie added, "when his mood swings show up.  He's kinda creepy, how he can go from joyful to sour in a flash." 

"Also, like his mother, if you recall."  Trixie waved the response away with a hoof. 

"Now, Thunderclap Dash?  You might be able to help us out, here," Starlight leaned forward, "she's just barely getting by in her classes, but not because she doesn't understand - she's smarter than other people think-" 

"She just doesn't really care," Trixie finished.  "That, and her attitude can be pushy and abrasive at times, like she's got a chip on her shoulder." 

"... or a big ego, like a certain somepony I know?"  Starlight teased, looking pointedly at the blue mare.  Trixie stuck her tongue out at her, then they both laughed. 

"So try to help her get more interested in her classes... if that's possible, of course.  Don't force it if you're not comfortable trying."

"Gypsy Rover," Trixie said, "is one of the cases we're trying to set as an example to other diamond dogs.  There's only five in the entire school, because they don't know if they trust the world at large yet.  Plus, in his case, he's an orphan, and his guardians are very suspicious of ponies in general." 

Oh, so Gypsy was an orphan... that made some sense.  Obsidian hadn't been sure whether his talk of not having parents had been some diamond dog social decision - as in, they didn't nominate birth-givers as 'parents' - or perhaps they had wildly different ways to reproduce, or that he just existed... like her.  At least it meant she didn't have to ask him for clarification on that subject.

"However," Starlight countered with a grin, "he's also gifted in historical studies, and his academic grades are among the best in the entire school!  Plus, he's very sweet, and he has a genuine interest in learning about friendship..."

The headmare paused, then looked at Obsidian as if she was trying to recall something particular. 

"Wait... did you say... Stalwart Stance?"  Starlight's jaw hung open for a moment.  "Stalwart doesn't make friends easily; if you managed that..." 

"Starlight," Trixie said with a bored drawl, "she's royalty, remember?" 

The Headmare's eyes lit up with understanding.  "Ohhhhhhhhhhh... that's right.  Well, that makes more sense, then.  Still, if she wants a loyal friend, she could do worse." 

Trixie looked at Obsidian seriously.  "You realize she's waaaaay to short to qualify for the Equestrian Royal Guard, right?  We've even told her that, but she refuses to believe it.  She thinks she'll have a chance simply because she wants it bad enough." 

"Well... maybe she will.  You never know, Trixie," Starlight shrugged before she went on.  "Butter Churn?  Well, she's not bad friend material at all, and has her mother's honest streak-" 

"Yeah, to a bigger fault than Applejack ever did," Trixie chuckled. "Careful what you tell that one; she won't lie for you, not one bit." 

"Trixie," Starlight said with slightly forced calm, "not lying is a good thing." 

"Really?"  Trixie turned around in her chair to look at her friend with a wicked grin.  "So, who was that stallion I saw you with last Saturday, hmmmmmmmm?" 

Starlight's eyes bulged for a moment.  "Ah-heh-heh-heh... ummm... sooooooooooooooooooooooooo... Licorice Twist, did I hear you correctly?" 

"Licorice?"  Trixie looked at Obsidian closely for a moment, then a slow smile spread across her muzzle.  "Oh... ohhhhhhhhh, I see.  That makes sense, too.  Maybe you can get him to let go of that little black stormcloud he seems to carry over his head when he's trying to impress the fillies?" 

"Licorice," Starlight interjected, "is a good student, and I'm sure his habits will rub off on Obsidian, Trix." 

The blue mare's smile widened.  "I don't think it's his habits she'll want to be rubbing with..." 

Starlight looked back and forth between them for a moment, then gasped and blushed a bit.  "Trixie Lulamoon!  Behave yourself!" 

Trixie only laughed.  "There's nothing wrong with having a little crush; she'll be fine..."  She leaned forward with a smirk.  "Especially if they share some classes together."

It was interesting that she was able to learn more about the rest of her group; not everything was new, as she obviously already noticed Cupcake's admirable intimidation tactics - his meeting with the griffons being the best example, and Princess Twilight had already told her about Stalwart's size situation. 

However, Thunderclap being smarter than she looked?  That was new. 

However, Guidance Councilor Trixie was trying to tease a mare that only recently discovered that it was possible to engage in an heir-producing relationship without it being arranged by her father - Obsidian was completely oblivious to the prod and stared blankly at miss Trixie. 

"... Crush?  I... do not believe that is the case."

The two mares looked at each other and smiled knowing smiles. "Let's just say that we'll see what happens, okay?  Well," Starlight went through a drawer and pulled out some folders, then floated them over to Trixie and plopped them into the guidance councilor's lap. 

"Wha-" Trixie began, eyes widening in surprise. 

"She's wanting to have her friends with her during this experience, Trixie - with this list, it would probably be best if she had, say, one or two friends per class; this way, it won't disrupt the other's schedules too much.  As that's the case, then she needs somepony to help figure out which classes to take, and who to have with her in each one.  Or, to put it bluntly, she's asking for guidance... councilor."  She giggled. 

Trixie glared daggers at Headmare Starlight, then gave a heavy sigh and picked up the paperwork with her magic.  "Great.  Thanks.  SO what I wanted to do..." 

Starlight smiled kindly, then turned back to Obsidian once more.  "The paperwork should be complete by tomorrow, just in time for you to attend.  First Bell is at 8 in the morning; make sure to be in class by then, and you should be fine.  Your friends should be able to help you with where to go." 

Trixie sighed, then looked back at Obsidian with much less of a sour face than before.  "Show up at my office when you get here tomorrow morning, and I'll give you your schedule; when the semester changes, we'll discuss what you want to take, but for simplicity's sake, I'll... I'll assign the right classes for you, don't worry." 

Starlight nodded. "Trixie's been at this for a good while - she won't let you down." 

"A vote of confidence is nice," she grumbled as she went out the door with her paperwork, "but The Great and Powerful Trixie would rather have help going through all these papers!"  Her magic closed the door behind her. 

Starlight turned back to face the princess.  "Anything else?  Don't be afraid to ask questions."

So, she just had to come early tomorrow to get her schedule of activities, and then she would just have to attend classes. 
Everything seemed to be fine, and the school's guidance was at work for her benefit.  After all, her father had told her many times that she was too inexperienced and ignorant to know what was best for her.  School wasn't exactly the best equivalent of her father's brand of education... but it seemed to be the only option left. 

"I...  ah, also thought..." she hesitated a bit, "... that perhaps, with all this debt thing, doing chores from Lemon and so on... is there possibly any more *ahem* permament work I could be doing... perhaps in the library?  Miss Tome seemed to be duly satisfied with my work, so I thought that, maybe..."

Ugh, to think that a princess would be worried about work and money... like a peasant!

Starlight lifted an eyebrow.  "Really?  Wow, you sound like Twilight..." 

She stood up and came around her desk, coming muzzle-to-muzzle with Obsidian... or nearly so, as the princess was a bit taller than the headmare. 

"I think I can take a look into something more permanent... and less Lemon-filled, so to speak."  She gave a slight chuckle.  "Personally?  I also think he's a bit of a jerk... but really, he's got some good points, too." 

She began to pace the office as she spoke. "He was the youngest entrant into the Equestrian Intelligence and Espionage Information Offices, and he was the one who organized the resistance to The Great Parasprite Flood.  He worked hard to get through those things, and he wouldn't have done so if he didn't care at least a little bit." 

She smiled.  "Not saying you have to make him a friend, mind you - just making a point that there's something worthwhile about everyone, and you just have to learn how to keep your eyes open for it.  And that is part of what this school is for."

Why did she sound so much like Twilight?  Well, they were both princesses, but of different kinds... so to speak.  And frankly, she didn't care about Lemon; keeping him away would be just a nice bonus. 

Come on - even his own brothers didn't seem to like him. 

"I just think it's a rather nice library, and it wouldn't hurt to try to get a more stable and secure position, would it? 
Especially as back home, I wasn't even able to visit our library without escort - and my father's expressed permission."  The fact that her most esteemed father usually was her escort wasn't important.

Starlight gave a thoughtful look for a moment, then nodded to herself. "I can look into it, sure - Tome certainly doesn't seem to need help, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want help.  I'll put in an inquiry, and I can get back to you whenever she gets back to me." 

Starlight stood up and made her way over to a filing cabinet, shuffling through papers. "I know there's a lot going on for you right now, but you have to keep an open mind about how things will go in this day and age; you'll be experiencing a LOT of changes, and not all of them will be fun.  But whatever happens, I hope you know you can talk to me, or Trixie, or just about anypony on staff here." 

She pulled a paper from the cabinet with her magic, then floated it over to Obsidian.  "Here's a map of the school, for tomorrow.  Wouldn't want you to get lost getting to classes on your first day, right?"

Frankly, though her encounter with Miss Tome had been a bit strange, working in the library could give Obsidian a good reason to stay near her - she surely knew a lot, could become quite a font of knowledge... and, of course, Obsidian needed a job.  One that would have her surrounded by books sounded like the kind of job she wouldn't mind at all.

"Thank you, miss headmare," Obsidian said; with both a map and a promise of inquiry, it seemed that everything was going to be OK.  "And I've already found quite a lot of changes. Mind-breaking ones. I think I'm doing fairly well, all things considered." 

She had her falling out with Mica, mayhaps, but that was all.  Everything else she'd tried had come to very acceptable conclusions.  She'd even managed to get her own small entourage, with the loyal Stalwart and the knowledgeable Gypsy as probably the most useful of her assets. 

Obsidian was curious to ask miss headmare about her rather, er... 'villainous' past, but Thunderclap was waiting for her  to go do the promised activities, and Obsidian still felt she didn't know enough to ask any proper questions - courtesy of Jinx, who'd scared Gypsy in the middle of an info dump. 

"I do believe that's all for now, miss headmare; I'll do my best to avoid any problems as a student."

Starlight smiled.  "Glad to hear it - the fewer issues, the better, I say.  If you're sure there's nothing else, then at least I hope things get easier for you.  Trust me," she gave a half-smile, "I know what it's like to be a proverbial 'fish out of water', but you're doing great so far.  Keep it up, and you'll be a part of things here in no time." 

She then moved back around her desk, plopping into her chair with a heavy sigh.  "Now, if you'll excuse me - I have a lunchroom budget to balance.  One I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

Balancing a budget didn't sound that bad - if anything, it was one of the more calming, relaxing things her father had been instructing her on; her lack of mistakes had meant it was more likely that punishment would be minimal, if at all.

"Then I bid you a goodbye, miss headmare."  Obsidian bowed once again and began to make her way out of the room, feeling a small sense of relief.  Maybe it hadn't been her father... but meeting ponies in a position of power was still more stressful than she'd thought it would be. 

Even if they were clearly doing their best to help her.
> Fourteen: Thunderstruck
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight waved to her as she left, and in the office outside, Bold Verdana was still seated at her desk. 

"Your friends," she said without looking away from her monitor, "are waiting in the hallway; they seem eager for your return." 

Ah, her friends were being impatient... well, she couldn't exactly blame them - standing in the hallway and waiting for her surely wasn't the most interesting thing in the world.  She'd had to deal with her fair share of punishment before she learned that being impatient did NOT please her most honourable father.

But as she opened the door and went to leave, someone else walked right into her, coming in.  Obsidian's head collided with the other's, who fell against the door frame. 

"OH!" came from the other victim, the voice being pitched enough to identify as a mare.  "I am SO sorry!  I-I-I thought... I mean, I... I'm so sorry!" The mare was about the same age as she was, a unicorn as well, and was rather well-groomed and stylish, but in a subdued manner.  

She looked mortified at having such a social faux-pas, taking a moment to check on Obsidian before she straightened her mane. "Are you alright?"

The mare was physically similar to Obsidian in a number of ways; long legs, sleek figure, and an ash grey coat with a long, luxurious black mane which faded into red tips, with colors to match in her short, neat tail.  She had deep, sensual blue eyes, and held herself with poise.

Her voice... there was something about it that Obsidian noticed.  It wasn't exactly a familiar voice, but something about the voice was bugging her; she couldn't seem to pin it down.

And then suddenly she stopped thinking about it, as for the first time in this new, modern Equestria she was feeling real, physical pain.  She stumbled backwards, slightly stunned, and rubbed her temple with a hoof. 

"OW.  I, uh..." she shook her head - which was a mistake, as it made her pain worse. 

"... unless doors suddenly open with alarming frequency, then I'm sure it's not too difficult to notice somepony walking out," she growled, annoyed, "but yes, I'm used to worse things - who are you?"

Maybe she had heard her talking in passing before?  She had frankly no idea where she might have heard the voice from - maybe it was similar voice to of one of her friends?

Her smile was clear and wide.  "I'm Looking Glass - I'm sorry our foreheads met before we did." She wore a simple barding, with a single saddlebag on her right side, and a silver bracelet on each forehoof.  Though she wasn't dressed and styled like a princess, she certainly looked and unconsciously acted like one. 

"A-again, I'm terribly sorry - I normally watch where I'm going; I'm just afraid I had more on my mind than I thought..." 

THAT was it!  She was speaking with the slightest hint of a Crystal Empire accent - like she herself had!

Well, maybe she was sorry... but this time, Obsidian didn't have any reasons to have to accept these apologies. 
Without Mica, and with Cupcake and Clap saying that they were only 'acquaintances', she actually had less 'friends' than she thought she had yesterday! 

"You're... from the Crystal Empire too?" Obsidian asked.  The mare's accent was only a small hint, but it was familiar in such an alien world. And thanks to her father's magic, there hadn't been much time to adjust.  After all, most ponies in the Empire were in a somewhat similar situation to Obsidian's... weren't they?  Displaced in time, and having to adjust to modern ways?

This one, however, seemed to be young enough to be born after her father's demise. "Eh... nevermind - I won't keep you occupied, if you're too busy." Looking Glass just had to take a small, tiny step to the side to let Obsidian leave the room. Talking in a doorway felt strange, anyhow.

Glass gave a surprised smile.  "Oh!  I thought your voice sounded familiar!  Yes I am, as a matter of fact," she nodded, "and it's grand to meet a fellow Crystallian!" She fully entered the room, but kept focused on Obsidian.  

"There aren't many of us here at the school, so we tend to stay together when we... hey!  I actually have a few friends that would love to meet you, when you have time." She reached into her saddlebag with her magic (a lovely rose color), and brought out a pencil and a small piece of yellow paper.  Jotting a note on it hastily, she floated it over to Obsidian.  "Here - we meet there every Friday, after school; you'd be welcome to join us, if you like!"

Ah, more friends... and from the Crystal Empire, no less!  Frankly, Obsidian wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not, as she'd already rejected one proposition of a social meeting anyway - even though in this case, she'd done it mostly because of Jinx and the strange, mysterious game they wanted to play. 

"I'll consider it.  Can I take my liaison if he isn't from the Empire?" she asked, just to be sure.

The mare's muzzle fell a bit. "Well... do you have to?  I mean, we've kept it reserved for Crystal Imperials for so long... it would be a bit... awkward..." 

She sighed, then her smile returned. "But, if you have no choice, then I suppose we'll accept them if it comes down to that.  It's not like we'd turn YOU away, and if he absolutely HAS to be with you, then I see little choice in the matter." 

"I'll have to ask Princess Twilight Sparkle if he MUST be with me all the time, so perhaps I won't have to..." Obsidian admitted.  That mare was pretty cheerful for a pony that, seemingly, had a lot on her mind... and who had just run into her head first.  It was making her feel rather awkward, to be honest. 

She grinned.  "With you, that'll make five of us here!  Oh, WOW!  What an opportunity!  I have GOT to tell the others I met you today!  They'll be so pleased!"

"Very well; as I said, I'll consider it.  Farewell, Looking Glass."  Obsidian nodded primly, looking to get back to her entourage.

The other mare nodded and made her way toward the headmare's office, smiling as she waved.  "Thanks - we'd love to have you!  Sorry about the bump!"

Between Cupcake's practiced and frequent introductions to others and the light throb in her head from the collision, Obsidian hadn't even had the thought of introducing herself.

In the hallway, Obsidian found Cupcake standing on a chair and singing at the top of his lungs, while Thunderclap watched with passing interest, and Gypsy was sitting and behaving politely, watching more passers-by than the earth pony with a volume problem. 

"... fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshiiiiHEY!  There you are!  I was just passing some time, singing for the others!" 

Clap gave a smarmy chuckle.  "One of his mother's tunes - he doesn't have her voice, but he's got the spirit for it, I guess." 

"EEEEEEEEE-YUP!"  He beamed brilliantly.

Obsidian had never felt so lucky that she'd left Cupcake for a moment.  Still, hearing Cupcake sing was a strange experience, watching him doing it in a middle of a corridor felt even worse. 

"So, what'd she say?"  Thunderclap leaned forward and looked curious.

"Classes start at eight, but before that I need to visit the guidance councilor to receive specific information as to what classes I should be attending.  I also received a map... well, another one."  She showed it to them, then hid it away in the saddlebag she'd gotten from Thunderclap. "I also asked if there were any jobs I could do in the library.  However, there were no definite prospects yet."

Cupcake jumped down off the seat and dashed right up to Obsidian... then stood there, eyes wide and practically running in place for a moment, mere inches from her, before finally reaching next to him and grabbing Gypsy up in a huge hug that seemed to squeeze the air out of the diamond dog instantly as his eyes bugged out. 

"Woof!" 

"YOU ENROLLED, YAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!  I'm so happy I wanna hug ya, but you don't wanna be hugged, so I'll just hug a puppy until I'm over it already, but oh wow, you'll be in school with us, I KNEW you'd want to, squeeeeee..." 

"... C-C-Cup..." 

"We'll have to sit together at lunch, and we'll hang out between classes, and join the same clubs - OOH!  We could make our OWN club!" 

"... c-can't..." 

"There'll be crystal collecting, and we can learn to write backwards, and we can make TONS of cookies, and there'll be folks who talk about us all the time, saying how there goes the coolest club in the entire school!" 

"... br-br-breeeeeathe..." 

"We're gonna have SO MUCH FUN!!!!!" 

"Cup," Clap smirked, "Gypsy's turning blue." 

"Hunh?  OH!  Sorry about that, buddy!"  He let go of the excited death-squeeze his forelegs had around the diamond dog.  When Cupcake released Gypsy, the canine took in a huge inhale of oxygen. 

"*GASP* Ohhhh... this o-one... loves... the a-a-air..."  

He hit the ground and just stayed put for a moment, breathing with great relish as Cupcake giggled with glee.

"Still - ISN'T IT EXCITING!?!?"  The blue unicorn stallion looked ready to explode on his own.

Cupcake seemed to be as dangerous to his allies as he was to his enemies!  At least he was wise enough to notice that Obsidian pretty much didn't want hugs - especially in such a bonecrushing manner.  

She even nearly turned back to tell the headmare that she'd changed her mind; watching a supremely enthusiastic Cupcake was a truly terrifying experience... aaaaaaaaaand it was sort of her fault that he'd just tried to accidentally murder Gypsy right in front of her. 

"I don't even know what this 'club' thing is that you speak of; all I know is that miss headmare and miss guidance councilor will try to set me up to have classes with one or two of you... or Butter Churn, Licorice or Stalwart."

Thunderclap grinned.  "Welp, sounds like you've got things taken care of here; school enrolled, head honchos spoken to, and now we just gotta see to it you're ready for school... which brings me to what I wanna do!" 

She stood up, stretched, then smiled just slightly.  "We're going... shopping." 

Cupcake lifted an eyebrow.  "Again?  Didn't you go just a couple of days ago?" 

Clap laughed and waved a hoof at Cupcake.  "Eh, there's always time to shop - plus, I think Siddy should have a couple of nice outfits to wear tomorrow.  And ya know what?"  

She looked at the princess, grinning. "... I'll even buy 'em myself!"

Shopping?  That was, in a way, a new concept for her - until now, she'd been used to 'trade' as something happening between states, as a part of an economy.  Obviously, lowly subjects were able to do it as well - but as a royal, Obsidian was fully expecting that these kinds of things would be done by her servants, sooner or later. 

Outfits, though?  Well, to be completely and utterly fair, she always wanted to have a cape like her most honourable father. 
Also, Obsidian had been certain that Thunderclap would've liked to do something more... athletic. 

"Well, I don't believe it would work any other way, as I, uh..." Obsidian shrugged, "don't have any capital of my own, actually." 

She rubbed her temple; a princess with debt... The Princess of Debts... damnable Equestrians!  Hadn't her father owned anything that could be passed to her as an inheritance?  Even if she didn't really think he was dead, he was a king! Maybe he was deposed, but there should have been... something!

Thunderclap laughed.  "A broke princess?  NOW, I've heard everything!  It's okay - I gotcha!  You've got nothing to worry about there." 

Obsidian shot Thunderclap a very nasty glare.  So she was doing her best to cheer her up - even if the chosen activity was of her choosing - and now she was mocking her?  What an annoying creature... in fact, compounded with the two times when she touched Obsidian without permission, she was already moving towards the top of the list of annoying friends and acquaintances - possibly threatening to surpass Cupcake, who at least had proved his worth. 

Meanwhile, Thunderclap had only... given her a fancy saddlebag.  And had paid for her earlier meal.  And had offered to buy her clothes.  

Yes, well... maybe it was quite generous of her, but Obsidian still didn't like that she was laughing at her shoddy financial situation.  It wasn't her fault, after all!

"Th-th-this one could... c-c-could use some m-more p-p-paper..." 

"Oh, this should be FUN!"  The unicorn started to skip along again, when a voice cut through the air.

"Cupcake Sprinkles!" 

Cup froze, then smiled broadly.  "Sister, is that you?" 

He turned to face two mares that stood side by side; one had an almost electric blue coat and a deep violet mane, styled into a mohawk that gave her a punkish appearance, with a black vinyl jacket to match, the other had a tan coat with a few dark brown dappled spots, a black bowler hat, a little bowtie and a massively curly red mane. 

The blue mare strolled right up to Cupcake, getting muzzle-to-muzzle with him as she spoke.  

"Cup, did you forget about the stupid birthday party you told Mom you'd help out with?  She's almost got everything ready, but she's gonna need your help to get it moved, you dink." 

"Nice to see you too, sis!"  Cupcake seemed unfazed by her attitude.

The other mare simply waved politely and sat down, watching the proceedings with interest. 

"Princess Obsidian," Cupcake started, "I'd like to introduce my darling sisters: this is Blue Raspberry..." 

"Yeah, yeah... princess or not, I don't really care," the blue mare grumbled. 

"... and this is Peppermint Patty!" The tan mare simply smiled bashfully and waved at everyone else. 

Cupcake turned to face Obsidian. "Blue's a snarky, impatient rascal, and Pepper's the quiet genius of the family!" 

"Rascal... sure, okay - are you comin' or not, dork?" 

Cupcake looked back and forth between Obsidian and his sisters.  "Uhmmmm... oh, good grief... uh, princess?  I'm supposed to be your liaison, but I did make a promise to my mom.  Is... there any chance you'd be okay with Clap while I go do this?  Or would you rather I not go?" 

Blue rolled her eyes. "C'mon, hurry up.  Make a decision, crown-butt."

By Darkness, how many siblings did Cupcake Sprinkles have?   And why were they so very different from one another?  Maybe there were so many that no one would notice if a particular blue mare went missing?  For some reason, Obsidian immediately disliked her. 

"If you'll go, then I'll put all the blame on you if Princess Twilight Sparkle questions me about it," she warned him, "or I can just lock myself in my room - this way, you'll be able to keep your promise, and I won't have to walk around without a liaison.  But we would have to delay shopping... unless there's there any chance we'd be able to do it later?" 

Obviously, she had no idea how long shops stayed open, or how long it would take for Cup to deal with all this 'birthday party' stuff.  The last alternative would be Obsidian going with Cup, but she didn't really want to meet his mother. She really didn't think it would be a good idea.

Blue glared at Obsidian for a moment.  "I don't think I like you very much, prissy pants." 

Cupcake, however, just rolled his eyes with a smile.  "Blue Raspberry doesn't like someone... oh, call the papers and stop the presses!" 

That statement was rewarded with a chilly glare from the blue sister, and a silent giggle from the bowtied one.  Cupcake sighed, then looked at them both. 

"Blue, let Momma know I'm doing something special; direct orders from Princess Twilight and all... aaaaaaaand that I'm sorry I couldn't ma-" 

"Yeah, yeah, ditching her to go make out with your marefriends, I got it, buzz off then, stupid.  Stop wastin' my time, which I already HAD to waste to come and find YOU, dork..." 

Thunderclap gave a slight grin.  "Say, Blue... anyone ever tell you you've got a porcupine stuck to your head?" 

"Anyone ever tell YOU," Blue replied, "that your mom's getting old and slow in her senior years?" 

Thunderclap bristled.  "Glad to see you're still just as spiteful as ever, jerkmuzzle." 

Blue grinned wickedly.  "I learned from the best, snail-brain.  C'mon, Patty - since Cup's bailing, we'll have to be the ones to pick up his slack.  I'll make sure mom knows you don't care about that promise, and that you didn't want anything more to do with her stupid parties!" 

When she turned to leave, Patty looked back and winked at Cup... who winked back.  

Once they left, he let another smile fly. "Blue might try to start something, but Patty'll let her know the truth; I'll be fine."  He paused for all of a single breath.  "I think." 

"Anything to get away from that dipstick... how in the world could she be related to you, Cupper?" 

He shrugged.  "You can't pick family; you just gotta endure 'em."

"You know, a bit of dark magic and she would behave properly until her very last breath," Obsidian said with a grim glare at Blue as she departed.

Cup gave a giggle.  "You miiiiiiiiiight wanna think about that, first - she's pretty tough.  I mean, REALLY tough.  She's a meanie who can take all sorts of fighting.  She usually starts it, honestly.  Mom tried for years to straighten her out, but it just made her rebel even more.  Finally, mom just decided she'd grow up on her own." 

"C-c-c-could she be a s-s-s-senior c-citizen... n-now, please?" 

Cup chuckled. "Don't let Blue rattle you, princess; it's what she does for fun.  If she sees she can get under your coat, she'll do it every time." 

"Yeah," Clap growled, "sorry about her.  She's kinda... my... fault." 

"Thunderclap used to be a big bully, and Blue followed her around a lot.  One day, she just decides to be a jerk... and here we are. But no, please," Cup said, "no hoopajoo magic for sister Blue."

"Well... it would be illegal, anyway.  And even if I didn't care about that, I'd have to be brain damaged to try it in a place where your princess could send me straight into Tartarus in ten seconds!  And... AND..." 

Obsidian stopped - she was very angry, of course... but it didn't change the fact that she was still thinking.  Granted, she was mostly thinking of how she could punish Blue, but it was somewhat connected.  Sort of.

"Princess Twilight told me that her doors were always open; we can check to see if she's there, and possbily ask her to do something with this liaison-thing.  Then hopefully, you will be able to go help your mother, we will go shopping and I won't have to be punished for ditching my liaison again."

"I appreciate it," Cup began, "but that'd take too long; I was already behind, and to do all that would make it waaaaaaaaaaaaay later than that!  It's okay, I... Momma'll understand.  I know she will.  After all, it's about being a good friend, right?  Mom would never get upset over making friends!" 

"And don't let Blue get to you," Clap added, "because it's not worth it.  She's mean and nasty, but only because she wants to be; don't allow her to make you mean and nasty, too.  Then, she wins." 

Gypsy stepped up next to Obsidian and held out a small paper pony.  "You c-c-can use this t-t-t-t-to help; p-p-pr-pretend it's her."  He offered the folded paper to her.  He'd even colored it blue, to help with the effect.

It was a fair bet that Cupcake knew his mother well enough.  Obsidian wasn't too happy that her attempt to deal with all their problems at once wasn't carried out, but there was always a chance that Princess Twilight would visit her again, sooner or later. 

She also knew that Twilight wasn't supposed to act in place of her father, but she was still surprised that she found herself angry enough to propose bothering a higher authority figure with her pathetic issues!

"I'm fine, and we can go.  Gypsy, I won't vent my frustration at a paper pon-... wait."  She blinked.  "How... h-how did you do that so quickly?"  He didn't have his own brand of diamond dog magic, did he?

Gypsy blushed slightly.  "This o-one is d-d-deft." 

He then held up his paws, and she could see a number of colored markers just inside his hoodie's floppy sleeves.  "... and prep-p-pared." 

Apparently, it seemed that Gypsy wasn't just doing it because it was relaxing - he was a true artist.  An interesting skill, even though not terribly useful - at least not in a grand scheme of things - but low-borns weren't too concerned about their usefulness to the state.  Without slavery and dark magic, there weren't too many options to force them to take a more useful course.

Not that she truly wanted to enslave Gypsy... but perhaps enslaving all the rest of the town would surely soothe Obsidian's nerves?

Thunderclap turned and led the way, as the four friends journeyed out of the school and towards town proper.  There were a number of houses and other ponies along the way, but many of them had their own lives that they were involved in, so nobody gave the lot of them much notice.  

They eventually came to a double row of shops, all along the main street on either side... and there were a number of different articles of clothing on display.  From conservative overalls to fancy-schmancy petticoats and practically everything in between! 

"We can start wherever you wanna - there's shops here for just about any kind of clothing you'd want; tell me what you like, and I'll take you where they've got it!"  Clap enthused.

Just how many creatures were there?  How could they stay sane in such a crowded place?  It was madness!  

Obsidian was doing her best to stay as close to her group as possible; one could even say she was clinging to them - but it was only a natural reaction of a mare that was stunned with her first contact with a full-blown and active city like this. 
All the information about trade, local economy and so on seemed far more organized when she was reading about them. 

"... maybe some decent plate armor and a cape..." she muttered, remembering the preferred clothing of the only pony that had any kind of worthwhile clothes in the Empire - her most honourable father, of course.  Why would anypony need any clothing that wasn't already armored?  The climate was quite pleasant, and most of ponies were wearing nothing anyway!

These Future/Modern Ponies were a strange breed.

Thunderclap laughed as if she'd just told a grand joke.  "You kiddin'?  Plate armor is for wartime, not strolling around town!  And capes?  So last century," she joked, her eyes taking in the surrounding shops and tallying what might be available (and reasonable) for a recently unearthed princess.  Cupcake and Gypsy seemed more drawn to the store window displays than the shops themselves.  

There was one for Fall fashions, including scarves, jackets and caps, and another one with summer fashions like swimsuits and large, floppy hats... no winter displays yet, but it wouldn't be long; the summer was nearing its' end, and the seasons would be changing soon. 

"I say we start with a decent coat; weather'll be getting chillier soon, and I'm sure you don't wanna be shivering all winter long.  Whaddya say?" Clap had her eye on a shop by the name of "Beauteous Concessions", display windows filled with sleek, fashionable outfits.

With Obsidian's mental attempts to fit friendship into warfare terms, it wouldn't have been too out of character for her to wear armor from time to time - especially during future attempts to make up with Mica - and capes?  Being so last century, they were still more modern than she was. 

"I'll go with whatever you say, Thunderclap; in these matters, I am less than a novice," she admitted somewhat shyly.  Regardless of her upbringing, she was still somewhat subdued by the surroundings and her complete and utter lack of experience with this situation.

Clap grinned.  "It's fine - I got enough experience for BOTH of us!  C'mon!" 

Obsidian was led into the Beauteous Concessions store, and was instantly surrounded by fabrics beautiful and bold, sweet and subdued, precious and powerful.  Even with her time in royal court, Obsidian had never seen so many rare and valuable fabrics in a single place - in her time, such things were rare indeed to come across... 

Here, they were all on display, all part of fully-formed outfits, all merely a reach of a hoof away. 

Clap took a few minutes and got a glance around the shop; it didn't take long before she'd returned to Obsidian with three outfits, all made from rich and tasteful materials. 

One was a traveller's outfit, consisting of a blouse, leggings and a well-tailored coat, all a deep, royal violet color. The second was a bit more colorful, with greens and blues featured throughout the dress and overcoat that accompanied it. The third one was a red and black outfit that was made to fit tightly, with a large red overcoat that looked to be the pinnacle of fashion. 

"Any of these appeal, or is my fashion sense off?" Clap asked.

Clap's experience was the only thing between Obsidian and being naked all the time... or being an utter and complete eyesore.  Hopefully, she knew as much about clothing as she claimed to.  

And as soon as she returned with three sets of clothes, young princess immediately noticed the one that looked the most familiar... even if this familiarity was very sparse. 

"Um... this one, perhaps?" she pointed at the third outfit, her ears laying flat; for a pony that had survived Sombra's tutoring, she seemed to feel rather nervous in a simple clothing store.

Clap looked at her for a moment, then turned and poked Cupcake's flank.  As he turned, she spoke to him directly while looking at Obsidian.  "Cupster, you and Gypper go look at hoodies - Siddy an' I have to try on stuff." 

Cupcake nodded absent-mindedly; he'd gotten his own eyes locked on something he saw as desirable, delicious and delectable... the ice cream stand on the far side of the shopping center.  He made his way in that direction, Gypsy right behind him. 

This done, Clap took up the outfits and led Obsidian back to the changing rooms... but when she got there, she entered one of the stalls and reached out, pulling the dark princess in with her!  

Inside, there was more room than initially surmised, the two of them in here without needing to bump into each other; a good thing, as Thunderclap Dash was no small filly. 

"Okay, Siddy... you look like you're all nerves and shivers; what gives?  I mean, we're out here shopping, and you look like you're waiting for ghosts to start popping outta the woodwork!  Why are you so spooked, girl?"

So many things to learn... though she'd prefer to simply read about them in a book or two, or something like that.  Getting empirical experience first hoof was... strange. 

To be fair, shouldn't her liaison stick with her?  Of course, as Headmare Starlight proved earlier, it seemed that it was rather easy to lure him away as soon as he noticed something sweet and tasty.  

However, it also seemed that Thunderclap wasn't too thrilled to see Obsidian's current mental state.  The Dark Princess shivered for a moment, looking around in dazed confusion before addressing the pegasus softly, as if she was afraid to be overheard.

"I... I apologize for my behaviour, Thunderclap.  I, uh... believe that I may just be a bit... nervous, as I've never stepped hoof outside of the Crystal Palace before and there are so many creatures here and... I-I'm not sure, everything is just so new to me... I apologize profusely."

Thunderclap looked at her for a moment, then gave a nod.  "Okay, first off, y'don't need to apologize - you didn't do anything wrong, so don't offer up an apology unless you know you did something wrong." 

"Secondly," she began to pace a bit, "nervousness is something I can try to help with.  Look, shopping for clothes is supposed to be fun... and a large part of that is how outfits make you feel.  I mean, c'mon - the blue/green one I brought?  I mostly brought it to show off different styles; those colors clash so hard with your appearance, there's no way I'd have let you buy that one." 

"But it's also a measure of personal taste... a measure that girls like us should be proud of!  Heck, when you put on an outfit, you're supposed to look at yourself in the mirror and picture yourself in a moment of real pride - like winning a race or something - and picture what everyone would be thinking or saying about you in that outfit." 

"It's all about having the right attitude towards clothes.  Anyone can just wear some old clothes and be perfectly comfy with that... but mares like you and I?  We should be admired for who we are!  And nothing says, 'I am big, bold and beautiful' like a sweet new outfit and some swagger to go with it!" 

She paused.  "Swagger means attitude, by the by.  The knowing smirk, the fabulous walk, the effortless style... all stuff we need to help you practice, Siddy!  I swear, it's as easy as simply imagining yourself as being..." she chuckled, "... as already being a queen." 

She grinned.  "Here - put on this AWESOME red and black one, then check yourself out in the mirror... tell me what you see."

Why did it seem as though modern ponies had found a way to make even the simple act of buying clothes FAR more complicated than it needed to be?  She couldn't possibly have imagined that shopping itself could be considered entertainment, let alone trying on said clothes.  

Attitude, posturing in a mirror, clashing with appearances... Obsidian was so green in these matters, she may as well have been a potted plant!  But she had been the one to offer Thunderclap an opportunity to share something she enjoyed; nopony had forced her to. 

What's worse, as they were apparently friends, Obsidian had to remember to act friendly - and even though she still didn't exactly know what that truly meant, she had to try.  Act according to the role; become the friend.  

Obsidian nodded and took the clothing. It took a bit longer than she'd expected, as she'd usually had simpler garments to wear... but eventually, she triumphed over the outfit.  Then, she turned to the mirror. 

Well, perhaps not exactly what she was used to wearing, nor how she'd picture herself as a queen, but... it didn't look bad, honestly.  The colours were fitting for her coat and mane, that was certain... and the overcoat almost felt like a cape.  She turned a bit to the side to see more. 

She pictured herself in a moment of great pride... her father standing tall, saying 'you have done well, my daughter'; that's what she wanted to hear, yet at the same time her mind wouldn't allow the complete mental image to fully coalesce.

"Is it possibly connected to this whole 'modeling' thing which Eloquence was talking about?"  Something clicked in her head - all the blocks fell into the right places as she connected his words before, and all she knew about his mother, and the fact that modern ponies seemed to enjoy clothes SO MUCH. 

But how in Tartarus would she be able to conquer Equestria with it?

"Picture it," Clap held out a hoof, "you come strolling out of the palace, looking like a proper monarch, your subjects all bowing before you as you pass, their eyes unable to meet yours, because they know YOU are special!" 

She smiled broadly as she affected a bit of an accented voice: "Ho!  The queen approaches!  Hearken to prostrate yourselves, in awe to the power and the glory that is..." 

She turned Obsidian to face the mirror again.  "... Queen Obsidian, the Dark Princess!" 

Clap then put her hooves over her mouth and made a sound similar to ponies cheering.  "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!  Our grand and regal queen!  Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!  Our powerful leader!  HUZZAH!" 

She leaned in.  "Imagine it - nothing but rows of bowed heads, all in reverence to their ruler supreme!  HOLD that feeling!  Keep it in your head!  When you feel nervous in public again, just imagine being part of a royal parade, with YOU as it's most important pony!" 

Clap's smile was genuine.  "Sometimes self-confidence is just pretending you have it all, even when you don't.  Instead of fear, show them pride!  Pride in who you are, what you do, and how you look... and right now, Siddy?" She motioned towards the mirror.  "You look mahvelous!"

"See... THAT is what Elo meant by 'conquering Equestria with fashion'!  If you look even half as good in high fashion as you do now, then Equestria itself will celebrate you, and you'll have the admiration of soooooooooo many folks!  They'll LOVE ya, I just know it!"

Maybe Thunderclap was trying to help Obsidian... but in the unicorn mare's mind, everything she could imagine inevitably included a vision of her most honourable father.  Power, glory, status - everything that he had... and yet, she did not.  

But at least she looked nice.

"I think I understand..." she answered simply, still checking herself out in the mirror.  "It won't be easy to follow your advice - at least, without dark magic - but I'll remember it.  Do you think Gypsy and Cupcake would approve this outfit?"

Clap chuckled.  "Gypsy probably would; he's got an eye for artsy-type things, and would probably be the one to most likely enjoy the little details in the trimmings and stuff... but Cupcake?" 

She gave a sharp laugh.  "That stallion wouldn't notice a good outfit if it walked up and bit him on the flank - he's no fashion horse, not like me!" 

Clap looked Obsidian over.  "Wow... you really do have a good look for fashion, y'know?  Sleek, elegant, and even exotic... I think you'd be an absolute hit as a model, personally.  You even-..." 

She made a big show of looking around, ensuring nobody was listening in. "... you even outdo ME - but don't tell anyone I said that!"

Well, seeing as how Obsidian's interest in modeling had fallen sharply when she realized that it wasn't connected to warfare, being a 'hit' didn't really hold any military advantage.  A conqueror's appearance wasn't that important, after all... 

"I shall not utter a word of it," Obsidian promised.  Who would she tell anyway... and why?  "so... what happens now?"

Clap grinned.  "Now... we check the racks, and find more outfits that say 'hey, I belong on a beautiful pony like Siddy', then you try 'em on, and if they look as awesome as they make you feel, then those are the ones we buy!" 

She slipped out of the curtain, motioning for Obsidian to follow her.  "So much fashion, so little time to try it all on!" 

For the next two hours, Thunderclap Dash took Obsidian from store to store, encouraging her to try on different things, to pose in front of the mirror to see them properly, and even made an effort to try to teach Siddy how to walk in a saucy manner, one hoof in front of the other. 

Clap wasn't exactly any sort of petite little mare, but she did have some style and class to her that wasn't immediately obvious... but over time, Obsidian could see that Clap, for all her faults, was actually rather astute when it came to clothing... and confidence. To demonstrate, she even found a bright yellow sweatsuit and put it on herself; it looked awful on the rack, but on the pegasus mare, it actually looked acceptable... even interesting.  

All from what she wore and her attitude when she wore it - in a way, it was fascinating. 

With all this, Clap continuously did her best to try to bolster Obsidian's mood and courage - she even led her to a beauty boutique, where she began talking to the mares behind the desk about 'a spa day'.

"Okay, Siddy?"  Clap asked.  "I can arrange us a couple of spa relaxation packages, but only if you're okay with the idea of somepony else touching you.  Like, your back and stuff.  I regularly get rub-downs each week, and let me tell you, they do wonders for your state of mind.  Trust me, it's totally worthwhile, and I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't know it was completely safe." 

She gave her a questioning look.  "So... spa day?  Believe me, it's woooooooorth iiiiiiiiiiiiiit..."

By Darkness, these ponies were really able to turn even the most boring and unimportant events into a chore on its own!  Before today, Obsidian couldn't even have imagined spending so much time on shopping for clothes - but here she was, spending these very long hours with Thunderclap - and without her liaison; Princess Twilight would surely run out of patience one day, and order her execution!  

Luckily, Obsidian was taught very well by her father to deal with things like boredom or impatience, so she was able to deal with Thunderclap without being off-putting... but as soon as she started to talk about 'being touched', the unicorn felt her nervousness returning once more. 

It was her body, and she didn't want anypony to get closer than she wanted them to get; touching was completely out of the question - completely.  To her experience, it had never ended well and she would have to be out of her mind to just allow anypony to do so - thus, she very vigorously shook her head.

Clap's muzzle fell, as she seemed eager to share the experience... but it didn't stay down for long. "Well... eh, okay, besides, maybe it's just not for you... no big deal, s'okay - we still have a number of shops, and-... wait.  Waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit..." 

A grin slowly marched across Clap's muzzle until it stretched all the way across her features.  "Say... I'll bet you like jewelry, right?  What if we, oh I dunno, went over to the jewelry store over there; I think I see someone we know there, anyhoof!" 

There was, indeed, a gem and jeweler shop across the street... and Gypsy was there, his muzzle pressed against the window as he took in the sight of a rather large diamond on display.  His eyes were round and wide, staring at it as though it were a full meal, and he was a starving manticore. 

"You wanna check and see if they have anything there worth a princess' time?  I'll bet Gyp could tell you a few things about gems..."

How did Clap get an idea that Obsidian might like jewelry?  She never paid any attention to it - she wasn't even wearing it!  Why would anypony think that she was interested in such pointless baubles? 

"I never was interested in jewels - more in crystals, though only as a part of my magical studies.  What reason would I have to like such a thing?"  

When Obsidian had offered to spend time with her as a way to improve her mood after The Mica Affair, she really didn't think that their interests would be so wildly different.

Clap lifted an eyebrow.  "I... I'd have thought that you'd maybe, I dunno... like a tiara or something?  A sort-of crown?  I mean, you're the one who was going on about ruling, and conquering, and... and..." Clap sighed, then looked at Obsidian with concern. 

"I'm... messing this up, aren't I?  I mean, here I thought we could, y'know, enjoy shopping or spa treatments, or..."  She looked down the street at all the shops there, and something in her eyes said she might have felt... inadequate. 

"Well, pshaw, don't worry about it, then.  It's no big deal, right?  I mean, I'm sure the others'll find stuff you'll like, and I can just learn from their examples.  Yeah, that's..." 

She gave another, quick sigh.  "Yeah, okay, so... since this is apparently SO not your scene, how about we just meet up with the boys and... well... do... something else, okay?   No big deal, y'know?" 

The look in Clap's eyes said it may possibly be a big deal, but the pegasus wasn't about to force her idea of a good time on anyone. 

"So, yeah," she said, headed for the door, "let's go see what the boys are up to, 'kay?"

Obsidian felt she'd messed up again.  She didn't know how exactly, how much she'd messed up or how she could have prevented it - in fact, why did she even care about her feelings at all?  It was the first time she was choosing to spend her 'free' time with another pony, of their own free will and so on... she shouldn't really mind if the pegasus was upset, should she?

She very, very reluctantly stepped forward, sighed lightly and carefully patted Thunderclap on the shoulder.

"I... I apologize, I sincerely hoped it would... um, lift your spirits.  If you truly wish to, we can go to this jewerly shop - it's really not an issue."  This whole 'friendly' thing was so difficult to keep in mind, and it didn't help that Clap was apparently expecting her to enjoy things she didn't even know were considered as entertainment!

Clap looked at her for a moment, then began to study the floor intently. "Siddy... I just wanted us to have fun.  But it's kinda obvious you're not having fun.  Not like I do.  And, well... I don't wanna make you do stuff you find boring.  I hate boring stuff, and I really hate being the one who's doing boring stuff." 

She looked at Obsidian.  "You're, like, from an entirely different era, y'know?  Here I am, trying to get you involved in shopping, when you've probably never even seen such luxuries like these clothes..."  She gave a humorless laugh.  "I guess... with all this gallivanting around, acting silly over clothes, talking up confidence... heck, I probably come across as the dumb one, I'll bet.  Heh, it'd be fitting." 

"I... I'm just trying what I know.  I'm... sorry it's not what you like.  You don't have to do this because of me; if you want, we can just go do... I dunno, something else.  I just..." 

Her gaze returned to the floor.  "I just wanted to help you feel welcome.  I know I'm not as social as Cup, or as balanced as Mica, or even as in control of myself as Princess Twilight... but I was hoping you and me could, well... bond and stuff..." 

She huffed a sigh.  "Yeah, okay, it's fine, it's good.  What would you rather be doing right now?  I'll make it happen, I promise."

Oh no, no, no - that would not d-... wait, why was Obsidian even caring at all?  It was just another pony, one of a lesser status at that, and she didn't even seem offended or anything - merely sad.  As long as she wasn't going to stop serving Obsidian's purposes, nothing else mattered!  She was just supposed to be a tool - and it didn't matter if tools were happy or sad, as long as they fulfilled their purpose! 

And yet... Obsidian felt uneasy, listening to Thunderclap and seeing the pain of failure on her muzzle.  Not quite understanding why, she cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Thunderclap, everything I've experienced since I woke up yesterday surrounded by guards has been rather overwhelming; I'm not used to the idea of 'free time' or 'free will' at all.  I'm still getting used to everything around me.  However, I will assure you that you have done your part to help me feel welcome."  

She tried, in her own way, to convince Thunderclap that everything was fine.  "Please... Clap... there is no need to feel bad about this."

Clap looked up at Obsidian. "You... yeah.  I guess it IS a lot to take in, in such a short time.  You haven't really had much time for... well, anything, I suppose.  Maybe I'm just... trying too hard.  Or something." 

The small smile she put on seemed less like her usual grin, but it was genuine; she wasn't trying to 'act tough'. "Well, maybe... maybe it'd be better if we tried this again after you get more acclimated to this world.  Maybe you would like... some of this stuff... if you had time to absorb everything that's been going on with you." 

"So hey," she said, "we can do this stuff another time.  I mean, we already hit a number of shops, and you've got a good start at a wardrobe with all we bought... nothing wrong with simply saying we'll hold off 'til another time, right?"  She shrugged.  

"Besides, I'm... kinda at a loss, here.  I shop and I race... and I get the feeling you don't race, either.  So..." she shrugged again, as if to emphasize her point.

Ok, it seemed as though she'd made things better - or at least Obsidian didn't feel as if the pegasus was still disappointed 
with her expectations... as much, anyhow.  She felt as if she was becoming an expert at it - she was disappointing her father quite often, after all.  And now, yet another pony was aware that she felt confused and disoriented in modern Equestria  - wonderful. 

"A-actually, to be honest," Obsidian started cautiously, "I thought initially that we would be doing something more physically active; I didn't have any idea you liked things like this... and to be fair, I think that I could most certainly benefit from the physical training."

"Yeah?  You'd actually be up for something physical instead?  I..." she gestured to Obsidian. "... well, you don't look like an active sort, but I guess it'd be something we could do next time, right?  I mean, I'd be all sorts of stoked to help you get in shape... well, in better shape.  Honestly, you have the kind of bod the stallions like..." 

She gave a slight chuckle.  "I mean, they like mine too... but you're the more 'shapely' of us two, and I'm the one with more muscles.  Still hot for some stallions, yeah, but you've got natural looks, girl.  So, if we work on getting you even more toned and in shape..." 

As she spoke, Obsidian observed four members of the Royal Guard making their way down the street, looking in shops and around at the crowd. 

"Now, are you saying you wouldn't mind some help getting physical, or are you wanting to join me on my morning jogs?"

Ooooh, guards - interesting.  Were they looking for someone?  Hopefully it wasn't a sign of something dangerous here... 

"Morning jogs?  That sounds like a routine... and I DO like routines... very well; I am interested."  Obsidian seemed to be almost cheerful.  Well, cheerful in her own stoic, I-Was-Raised-By-An-Evil-Warlock kinda way.  

Then her expression dropped.  "I feel I should inquire to Princess Twilight about this whole 'liaison' thing.  So that you know, Cupcake is supposed to be with me all the time... and I'm not sure if he'd be interested in getting up early to jog with us."

"Maybe..." Clap pondered aloud, "we could talk to Princess Twilight, and have the whole liaison-thing shuffled over to me for the duration of my morning exercises?  This way, we could go jogging and work out, and Cup could sleep in and stuff.  It sounds like a plan to me!" 

The guards now made their way down towards the area where she and Clap were at.  One of the guard ponies saw Gypsy, and went over to him to speak to him directly.  Though she couldn't hear words, the expression on Gypsy's muzzle said that whatever the guard asked him about, it made him nervous. He fidgeted with his sleeves for a moment, then Cupcake came out of the same shop and started speaking to the guards himself. 

"Okay, so we could possibly start this as soon as tomorrow morning.  I mean, I'd just have to work you into my morning routine... with you staying at Twilight's castle, that actually puts you right in the path I take!  Stopping by for you wouldn't take any time at all!"  Clap continued on.

One of the guards, idly looking about, spotted Obsidian and his eyes went wide.  He then turned and poked his superior, who was still talking to Cupcake.  The other guard turned, looked right at Obsidian, then nodded and spoke back.
The four guards were now headed right towards Obsidian and Thunderclap. 

"... or maybe a turn on the obstacle course would help work some kinks out, y'know?" Clap seemed oblivious to the presence of the guards.

"Obstacle course?" Obsidian asked, "I'd have to see it first, I think - I've never done anything quite like that... not without access to my magic, you understand.  But yes, I think that having this duty shuffled to you would be a perfect idea.  After all, Princess Twilight wants me to have many friends, so hopefully she won't object that I would want to spend time with you." 

While Obsidian noticed the guards, she didn't care about them too much; she hadn't done anything wrong, so she had nothing to worry about... right? 

"So, how early should I wake up?  Remember, I still have to visit Miss Trixie in the morning, as she has my schedule prepared."

"Oh, I'm up at five in the morning!  I get started at about six, so it should be fine - school doesn't start until eight, and my route takes me directly to school for the first bell.  We shouldn't run into much trouble." 

So there was plenty of time, and she wouldn't even have to wake up any earlier than she was used to.  Besides, if it turned out to be too bothersome or Thunderclap too obnoxious, she could always just quit.  It wasn't like the exercises that were practically forced on her by her father - she had the freedom to leave, and at the worst she would risk disappointing Thunderclap.  Which wouldn't be nice, but it was nothing compared to the consequences she was used to from her most honourable father.

She smiled.  "Heh - who'da thought we could bond over exercise?  I mean, we-" 

"Excuse me, ma'am - Miss Obsidian, your presence is requested by Lemon Custard for questioning purposes.  You are to accompany us immediately to speak to him." 

Clap looked back and forth for a moment, then simply looked at Obsidian. "Any idea what this is about, Siddy?"

Strange...

"Not really, Thunderclap... but, as I am required elsewhere, I suppose I shall see you in the morning."  

The unicorn mare nodded to the pegasus, then turned to the guards, ready to go.  Why would Lemon want to meet with her?  She had been behaving so perfectly today that it was almost scary.

The guards made their way around her until she was surrounded.  "Now, we shall dep-" 

"Hold up," Clap said, "we're coming with her."  From behind the guards came, "You betcha!" and a softer, "Y-y-y-yes." 

Turning, the royal guards saw both Cupcake and Gypsy standing directly in their way. "This situation does not call for-" one guard began, but another leaned in and interrupted. 

"Sir?  We weren't told to bring her alone... just to bring her." 

The guard pondered a moment, then looked at Cupcake for a moment before simply saying, "alright; let's go, Miss Obsidian." 

"Princess Obsidian," Cupcake reminded them. 

From the marketplace, the guards escorted Obsidian (and, by proxy, her three friends) back to the school's campus... to the main building... and eventually, they led her directly to the library once again.  Waiting outside the door was Lemon Custard... who was speaking with Princess Twilight at length.  

It was actually quite kind of her friends to accompany her, even though they really didn't need to.  After all, there was nothing she'd done wrong... well, overwhelmingly wrong; she did upset Mica so much that he didn't want to talk with her anymore.   Considering that Princess Twilight was a ruler of friendship, was there a possibility that annoying her friends would be a punishable crime? 

Probably not... though seeing Princess Twilight in the company of Lemon Custard did make her question that thought.

When he saw the arrival of the dark princess, Lemon gave the smallest of sighs before making his way over to where they were. "Well... a surprise to have to deal with this, Obsidian; here I thought you were trying to behave yourself, yet I find this, and it bothers me to no end." 

He glanced at Cupcake, who gave him a questioning look, but all he returned was an eerily grim glare.  

"Brother, you really should have gone to help mother with that party - if you had, you wouldn't have to be witness to this."  As much as the words he spoke sounded formal, almost apologetic... the impression was easily had that he was in full-on professional mode.

Princess Twilight looked at Obsidian, and her gaze was steady and inquisitive... yet she said nothing.  Yet.

"You should already know what you've done," Lemon said, "because the evidence is overwhelming.  All the same, is there anything you'd like to own up to, before we reveal the truth to your friends?"

The Mica Affair wasn't important enough to get attention from both Lemon and the ruler of the land... was it?  Or perhaps it was about ditching her liaison during her shopping trip... Princess Twilight didn't seem to be quite as calm and welcoming as yesterday, that was for sure. 

"I... Princess, I apologize for ditching my liaison again.  It wasn't intentional; we just spent a few hours shopping and I didn't pay too much attention, though we were still in the same area and he knew where I was.  I should know better by now, and should have asked him to join us... even in the changing room, if you so command it!"

She said the very first thing she thought, and she even managed to say it without stuttering.  Even though situation was starting to make her more than a little bit nervous.

Lemon's eyes flashed as she mentioned escaping her liaison. "So... left him behind, did we?  Which is, if I recall, against the rules?"  

His stare was almost predatory. "Follow me, Obsidian, and we'll discuss things..." 

He began to walk... and, as she was led, her friends and the princess followed her along. 

"The point of having said liaison with you was to ensure we could monitor you at all times, to make certain that some of the more... unsavory elements of your family's history didn't rear their ugly heads.  However, they most certainly did." 

He turned at the door to the library, walking through the lobby and headed for the back offices. 

"Your father's particular form of magic is unique, is it not?  One of those things that could possibly be duplicated, but never exactly so?  The sort of thing that's usually reserved for those within his own family line, if not directly from himself, correct?" 

Clap looked at Cupcake, who simply shrugged. 

"Th-th-there are st-t-tories of those who could d-d-d-do exactly that - but they all d-d-d-d-died out roughly a c-c-cen-c-century ago, so that would mean it is highly unl-l-l-l-likely.  This o-one wonders why you s-s-s-say these things?"  Gypsy was more vocal in his approach. 

"Because," Lemon said, his voice a rumbling growl, "of this." 

He opened the door to Miss Tome's office, and there she was... completely and utterly contained inside a mass of dark black crystals, held fast.  Her eyes were open and wide, and she was in a position that said she'd tried to run when things happened. 

But Miss Tome was completely covered in crystals... and frozen in place. 

Dark Crystal magic.

Lemon now sounded justified.  "And, let's see, only a single instance of anyone with connections to dark magic... hmmmmm, I wonder who it could POSSIBLY be?" 

"OOOOOH!  Is it Derpy?"  Cupcake guessed. 

Lemon looked stunned.  "What?" 

"... n-never mind," Cup said.
> Fifteen: Shards Of Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obsidian froze in place when Lemon opened doors to the office.  Just... this was... she didn't... how?  

Of course her father's magic was unique - after all, he was the greatest pony that had ever lived and everything he did was unique...  but her father had disappeared with the Empire a thousand years ago; what exactly was this magic?  Who were those ponies Gypsy had mentioned?  Why did she feel as though she were being left completely left in the dark? 

This whole place fairly reeked of dark magic, and it had happened right after Miss Tome wanted her to come back to speak of her heritage.  It was obviously connected - somepony didn't want her to talk, but WHOM?  Only a few ponies were around when she checked out Obsidian's work - though, of course, it should be possible to eavesdrop. 

"I am curious as well, Mister Lemon; it's a very powerful spell, cast with great precision.  If you think I would be capable of such a feat, then I'm flattered... but I am sorry to have to dissapoint you - it wasn't me."  She carefully stepped inside the room, feeling goose bumps across her back. 

"And if you don't believe me, then ask my friends - I spent this entire day with them.  Even when Cupcake wasn't with me, I was still present with Thunderclap.  Since we left the library, I was only in public places, like... er... the donkey food shop, and Miss Headmare's office." 

But if she wasn't responsible for this... then who was?  It wasn't exactly her father's magic, yet it was cast by somepony skillful and powerful enough to form the crystals properly.

Lemon's eyes froze in their contemplation as Obsidian gave her alibis.  He seemed a bit disappointed, but his muzzle set into a more serious look by the time she finished talking. 

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmm... this seems very convenient, especially at the admission that you got away from Cupcake.  But..." he contemplated for a moment, then turned to look at Obsidian. "You were accompanied all day long, eh?  Well, that means you may not have done this... but I'll bet bits to biscuits you may have some inside knowledge... maybe you even know the name of who might have done this.  After all, there aren't many Dark Magic practicioners left in Equestria anymore..." 

"Lemmy," Cupcake started, "she's innocent; she has about as much of a clue as you do.   Besides, if you want her help, it might be best if you, y'know, 'acted civil to her' and stuff, brother." 

"And she's been shopping with me for the last few hours, and she HAS been with us all day... so you'd better start rethinking things, Lemon - because this princess is totally innocent, got it!?"  Clap bristled, looking ready to start a fight, if need be.

Lemon looked concerned, yet began to contemplate what was being said. 

"Obsidian," he finally said at length, "you're quite possibly the one pony in this entire kingdom who knows about Dark Magic from first-hoof experience; if you're truly innocent, then I'll need to know if you'll be willing to assist in finding out who did this, and if it's possible to reverse the effects."

It seemed that having friends around didn't just 'feel nice' - it was useful too.  Without Cupcake around, she would have had to wait for him to get her alibi and waste all of their time. 

"As far as I'm aware of, the only pony that can reverse the effect is the original caster," she informed with a touch of regret. 
She did want to work with Miss Tome, after all.  "It certainly resembles one of the spells used by my illustrious father, but it is most certainly not his magic.  May I go inside, to examine things more closely?"

Lemon nodded.  "You'll understand, I hope, when I say I will be... accompanying you during your investigation; you may have alibis, but I rule out no one until I have direct, empirical evidence of such." 

"NO one?  So that means I'M a suspect, too?" 

A sigh.  "No, Cup - I know it wasn't you." 

"But... what if it WAS me, and even I don't know it?" 

"Cupcake..." 

"AH SHALL PUT DA COISE ON YAAAAAAAAH!" 

"CUPCAKE ALBERT SPRINKLES!" 

"Yeeeeeeeessssssssss???" 

Lemon facehoofed.  "Just... stop talking and let us investigate in peace!" 

Cupcake winked subtly at Obsidian.  "Okie dokie lokie!" 

Cupcake didn't seem too concerned about the fact that a rogue Dark Warlock was possibly wandering nearby, or that the librarian was silenced... at least, for now.

Miss Tome's office was neat and tidy, with no visible evidence of a struggle.  Her desk was a bit cluttered, but in an organized fashion.  The shelves were almost completely full of books... except for an obvious missing book that left a noticable gap. 

"From what we've found," Lemon began, "there was no physical struggle, nor was there forced entry... from what we can see, there's no damage to Miss Tome, and aside from the typical library books, we found nothing out of order." 

The garbage can only had a few bits of paper in it.  The [OUTGOING] file on the desktop had a single letter in it.  Already, a group of ponies had come in and were in the process of transferring Miss Tome to a freight dolly. 

"Princess Twilight's orders are to place Miss Tome in the royal vault, until such a time as she can be cured.  Until then, she's to be kept safe."

"Gypsy?"  Obsidian asked, "Do diamond dogs, perchance, have any skills that could be especially useful here?" 

She was sure that she'd heard somewhere that dogs could be used for tracking; perhaps diamond dogs were similarly skilled?  Whoever did this apparently either made a successful surprise attack or knew her well enough to get close. 
Obsidian checked to see if the books on the shelves were sorted - maybe it wasn't too much, but there was no telling what or where a clue might be.

The diamond dog's ears perked up at mention of his name, and he stepped forward hesitantly. "This o-o-one can a-ask his nose." 

Lemon gave a skeptical look.  "Ask... your nose?" 

But Gypsy was paying him zero attention; he had slumped down to the floor, and was studiously sniffing next to Miss Tome... bringing concerned and annoyed looks from the ponies trying to move her. 

"Missing a book... only one letter... plenty of Dark Magic in the air..."  Obsidian thought about her training, and tried to remember how long could casting this spell might take.  Surely, Miss Tome would have noticed the chanting involved?  

Frankly, it would have been far easier if she had just told Obsidian everything before she was crystallized... but noooooooooooooooo...

Gypsy wandered in a small circle for a moment, then turned abruptly and headed straight for the trash can.  Reaching it, he then reached inside and started pulling out papers and sniffing them, carefully placing them on the desk until- 

"THIS p-paper smells like s-s-s-s-sulfur." 

The smell was most certainly a sign of Dark Magic, and the paper that caught his attention practically dripped with an aura of ominous spells.  Written on it was a single paragraph: 

[Bring the books to the Black Pool at midnight; fail me, and you shall fail no more.  There is no time to waste, as they have discovered The Last Shard.  As she is awake, time is of the essence - deliver the books, or feel my wrath.] 

Underneath that was a small circle; otherwise, the paper had nothing else on it.  It had been crumpled thoroughly, and had taken Gypsy a moment to un-ball it before presenting it to her. 

Lemon gave the note a look.  "We hadn't gotten to the wastebasket yet; seems we should have."  He glanced at Obsidian.  "What does it say?" 

It took her a moment to realize why he couldn't read it; it was written in Ancient Crystallian... her father's native language.

For a moment Obsidian simply thought that they found an important clue.  Then, as soon as she realized that it wasn't written in Equestrian, she realized that it was VERY important clue - and she briefly felt a sting of panic.  

It wasn't supposed to go this way - this new, strange world of Equestria seemed to be so calm and peaceful compared to her home that the lightest scent of Dark Magic was a terrible dissonance, like a flat note in a song or a typo in a good book.  

"It seems as though Miss Tome may have had some connection to the pony who did this... there's something here about a black pool - whatever that is - and bringing books there.  There is also a threat that disobedience will be punished." 

She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Lemon the part about the 'Last Shard'... by darkness, it could only mean Obsidian herself!

She was discovered quite recently, and it surely wasn't an accident that Miss Tome was crystallized right after their meeting.  What had this mare wanted to tell her? 

She turned to face Lemon.  "Please, may I speak with Princess Twilight?  Privately?" 

Perhaps she should assume that any possible Dark Magic users were her father's allies... but nobody tried to reach to her, and they silenced a mare that had wanted to tell her something more.  A mare that, as Obsidian specifically asked, was hopefully going to work with her.  Summed up with the rest of things Obsidian knew, she truly doubted if she should trust these ponies without at least a bit of healthy skepticism.

"Connections?"  Lemon looked surprised.  "Miss Tome?  She hardly ever left the library, spending long hours pouring over book after book... how could she have such an unsavory connection?  It makes little sense." 

Well, being blackmailed was a connection too - nopony said that Miss Tome was doing anything out of her own free will, especially as she apparently tried to warn Obsidian. 

"Well," Cupcake mused, "if she was corresponding with others about gathering books, it's possible she may have had contact with some... less than savory folks, right?  Maybe one of those were the ones who did this?" 

Lemon shook his head.  "All we've seen note of entering and exiting the library have been faculty and students; the cameras told us so.  Of course, there are other thoughts..." He turned to Obsidian.  "Did your father's court ever entertain Changelings?" 

"Hoo boy," Cupcake sighed, "heeeeeere we go." 

Obsidian thought about it for a moment.  "I don't know, as I haven't seen any changelings before this very day... but it doesn't mean my most honorable father didn't use them."  It would probably make sense - perfect spies and assasins.

"Because that would explain a lot," Lemon began, "being as there are a number of Changelings who still side with Chrysalis, and I can most definitely see her Loyalists joining forces with Sombra..." 

"Lemon," Cupcake deadpanned, "it's NOT Changelings." 

The stuffy stallion raised a hoof in protest... then thought about it for a moment, finally lowering his hoof.  "I'm... not counting them out completely, but... you may be right." 

"Still," he turned to eyeball Obsidian, "a private audience with the princess, especially in light of what's happened, would be well-neigh impossible.  We should be doubling our-" 

"Lemon, I have no qualms with her request."  Twilight spoke up, walking over from her viewing place at the back of the office. 

"Your Majesty," Lemon said, "I don't know that it would b-" 

"Obsidian," Twilight turned and addressed her, ignoring Lemon Custard, "choose one of your friends you know you can trust, and bring them with us."  

She glanced over at Lemon.  "Will that do?" 

Lemon said nothing.  After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.  

Obsidian wondered about the choice of her friends. One she knew she can trust... normally, Stalwart would be the best choice... but she wasn't there.  She trusted them all equally, to be fair.  What exactly it meant was up to anypony's guess, Obsidian included, considering her confused state of mind lately.  But at least she got an opportunity to talk with the princess, even if it wasn't as private as she wanted.

"Cupcake, would you want to join us, then?"  He was the simplest choice, to be fair - he was already her liaison, so it made sense to ask him.

Cupcake beamed.  "Awwwww, you really trust me!  Yaaaaaay!!!" 

Lemon rolled his eyes, but Twilight smiled kindly.  "As you wish; here, follow me to the back room - we can speak privately there." 

Gypsy and Thunderclap stayed with Lemon, both seeming as though they had a few choice words for the stuffy stallion, yet they were keeping those words to themselves for now.  Lemon, meanwhile, looked skeptical and a bit concerned... but continued his search of the office, determined to find something of use.

The alicorn princess led the way out of Tome's office and around the rear shelves to a small room in the back with weird-looking television screens hooked to tables.  Their purpose was not easily discernible, but since they seemed to have a layer of dust on them, it probably didn't matter.  Cupcake followed, acting strangely reserved and behaving admirably. 

Twilight closed the door with her magic, then turned to Obsidian with a questioning look in her eyes.  "What's on your mind?"

"If you recall, the last time we met, you mentioned my most honorable father's writings and that he was writing about me. I... I may have reasons to think that it wasn't just a coincidence that Miss Tome was attacked after our meeting.  May I ask about what my father had been writing?" 

And if he mentioned anything about shards...

Twilight Sparkle, the alicorn princess of Equestria, gave a huge sigh and hung her head. 

"I... can tell you, Obsidian.  It's hard to hear, I'm sure... and I can't say for certain that what we know is the complete truth, but if it helps you put the puzzle together, then... then maybe it's time to tell you." 

Cupcake looked a bit worried.  "Auntie Twily?  I've... never seen you like this before." 

Twilight took a deep breath, preparing herself mentally. "According to what I've read, Sombra had an immense amount of paranoia as to his legacy and how best to preserve it.  He called upon his greatest court wizard, and bade her to create a spell he could use to ressurect himself with." 

She sighed softly.  "Sombra needed heirs to pass his kingdom onto, but he was... unwilling to produce, as the books put it.  So instead, he had portions of his own soul removed from him and placed within self-sculpted shards of crystal, so that each piece could have a chance at returning to the throne." 

Twilight began to pace as she spoke.  "Each shard, according to the writings, was transformed into a pony - Sombra's illegitimate children, so to speak - so that they would be much more difficult to locate.  Each of these was then, in turn, trained by Sombra and his minions for the sole purpose of becoming his successor..."

She sighed.  "But it's more than that; the shards were merely a means to an end - through a single shard, it's quite possible that Sombra can return... by mentally taking over one of the embodied shards of his dark soul." 

Cupcake gasped.  "You mean-" 

"Yes Cupcake," Twilight sighed, "if Sombra's magic took hold in Obsidian... she would become Sombra, and the mare we know would just... cease to be.  She would be no more than a tool for him to use and break as he saw fit..." 

She resumed her pacing.  "Many of the shards have simply vanished, with only five accounted for from the original thirteen.  The shards have all been lost to time, yet he still must have kept some hidden for his purpose to be fully realized." 

Now, she turned to focus on Obsidian.  "We found you in a small chamber... but when we found you, you weren't 'sleeping' or 'frozen'... you were a dark crystal shard, and you transformed into this form when I touched that crystal with my magic.  That is why the others who were present seemed so surprised by you; we thought you were only another crystal until that point." 

She sighed.  "The writings claim that, should he get his magical hooks into you, you'll become Sombra, and cease to be yourself." 

Princess Twilight was truly a honest mare - just as she said, it was exceedingly hard to hear; one could even say that it was a bit of an understatement.  Each word that escaped the alicorn's lips kept getting worse and worse, until Obsidian could barely comprehend what the ruler of Equestria was really talking about.  

It was just so... strange, yet completely and utterly logical.  But still... as soon as her majesty hung her head, Obsidian knew it wouldn't be a pleasant discussion.  She didn't expect that she was getting more than she bargained for - at the best she hoped to learn something more about 'shards' mentioned in the short note she found. 

Meanwhile she was learning more and more about her own history - and while her initial reaction was to deny it, she really couldn't.  This thing about heirs... or planting portions of a soul... or about her own return to this world. 

Why would she be turned into a crystal?  Why would this crystal react to Princess Twilight's magic?  

The young unicorn mare was doing her best to remember what exactly happened at the last day of her old life, yet she drew a continual blank.

"Do I... understand you correctly... that my most honourable father... wasn't my birth parent?" 

That was the most pressing matter.  Taking it simple, and not trying to comprehend it all at once... or she'd go insane, a poor mare trembling under the weight of the truth that she knew she couldn't deny.  Her eyes widened with shock, her composure utterly lost. 

This crystal... by darkness, this crystal!

Twilight wore a grim look, but spoke kindly. "It depends on how you see it - you weren't born naturally, but Sombra most certainly has no other heirs that we know of... so, technically speaking, you're his creation, which could be considered a child." 

Cupcake simply sat down, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide.  However, after a moment's shock, he looked at Obsidian and stared for a moment.

"But... you're real to me, princess.  To all of us, I'm sure of it.  I don't see you as some... shardy-thingy... I see you as... as a friend.  As someone who needs a friend in return, especially right now." 

Sombra's creation?  Shardy-thing?  But... but, there was... she didn't...

Twilight looked at them both for a moment, then turned her eyes to the dark princess once again. "At this point, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do.  I know of a few who might be able to help, but... I'm not sure how much help they would be.  Against something like this?  How..." 

"Princess Twilight," Cupcake spoke with not a scrap of foolishness in his voice, "if she is in danger, I would like to volunteer to stand guard for her.  A-and I'm sure the others will too, once they know what's happening..." 

Twilight gave him a small smile.  "Cupcake, you remind me so much of your mother sometimes... thank you.  I have no idea what we can do for now, but I do know one thing - that the lot of you are stronger together than apart." 

She turned to face Obsidian.  "I know you just met them, but you've gathered an interesting group of friends around you - and in such a short time, no less.  This tells me that you, Obsidian, have a future... and it's one you deserve to choose.  As long as I still rule Equestria, then I shall see to it that you are protected."

Obsidian was barely listening to their discussion, completely lost in her own thoughts.  There was something that really, really didn't make any kind of sense, and it was bothering Tartarus out of her.  

"But... I have memories - plenty of them."  Obsidian began to sound as though she was trying to convince herself.  "Muscle memories.  Magical lessons.  Your Majesty, I wasn't born the moment when you touched this crystal, right?  My father just had to... somehow turn me into it, and this contact just broke the spell... r-right?"  

The mere idea that she could possibly be a complete and utter fake was so terrifying to her, even the slightest chance that it was true was enough to make her forget about calling Twilight 'her majesty' - something that she wouldn't normally use to refer to someone who was NOT her father.

"Most likely," Twilight said somberly, "he created the shards, then began training you in the manner you remember; you probably existed for a while before you were, ah... 're-shard-ified' and placed in the dungeon.  I think it was just magical contact that released you... but I have no way to know for certain." 

Cupcake beamed sweetly.  "Princess Siddy... don't you worry; I'll stick by you, no matter what happens!  And with the rest of us watching out for you?  Well, ol' Sombrero might just have to pack up and head for the hills!  So don't worry - you'll be fine with us!" 

"Obsidian, I can't even imagine what you're thinking right now... but I want you to know that you aren't alone in this; we're all here for you, and we want to help as best as we can," Twilight added.

"And I promise," Cupcake raised a hoof, "nopony will ever kill you - not while I'm still around to stop 'em!  Yeah, you're 110% protected, no worries!  E-even though I'm sure you'll still have worries..." 

Twilight turned to them both.  "Shall I summon more guards to the palace for an escort?"

But of course, no one would kill her - it's impossible to kill something that never lived, after all. 

'Killing' is something that happens to real ponies, not to the artificial beings.  Oh, how powerful and great was her father, that he was able to do such a great deed!  She was merely his unworthy creation, just clinging to the ideas he taught her. 

"... why not just dispose of me?  It's the easiest choice," she eventually spoke, with a voice utterly and completely devoid of any emotions.

"NO!"  Cupcake yelled at the top of his lungs.  

Twilight, however, was more collected and calm. "Because, Obsidian... you alone have shown that you have the capacity for friendship, something the other shards never evidenced, at least by what the records say.  I feel that YOU, of all of them, have the true potential to be something truly remarkable, and I I want to help you become that." 

Cupcake got almost directly in Obsidian's face.  "Princess... Obsidian... Siddy... I believe in you.  I think, with everything you've been through, that you count as a miracle - one so unique that the likes of which will never be seen again.  You are ALIVE, do you hear me!?  A-L-I-V-E!  There's no need to feel sorry for yourself!  YOU are as ALIVE as I am, and don't you dare think otherwise, young filly!" 

Well, she didn't really consider it 'feeling sorry for herself' - at best, some kind of magical reaction was simulating a means to feel that way, to make her believe that she was a real creature.  Perhaps her most honourable father simply did something differently with her, if she was able to behave that way - and hey, Equestrians would be able to ask him about that as soon as he returned. 

In her body, that he constructed for himself; she was merely... renting it.  Temporarily. 

So Twilight thought that Obsidian had a potential to be something truly remarkable.  Well, as King Sombra was truly remarkable, in a way, she was right.   Just not in a way she imagined. 

She wasn't even really alive... tools are meant only to serve.  

And the worst part was Obsidian's opinion about herself; the more she was praising her father in her mind for being able to go along with such a great plan, the more she saw herself as just a tool - a thing - for somepony else's use.

"... if you say so..." Obsidian muttered miserably.  Frankly, if this mysterious attacker appeared here and now, she would gladly let her father return and take over her body, satisfied that at least she turned out to be useful at the very end of this parody of life.

Cupcake grimaced and turned to Twilight.  "This... isn't going well, is it?" 

Twilight sighed, then looked at Cupcake intently.  "Perhaps not, but the fact of the matter is that we have to keep Obsidian from whom-or-whatever did this to Miss Tome.  We cannot afford for Sombra to return yet again - that will not do.  Cupcake, do you think you could ask your mother if she-" 

"If she what?" Asked a mare's voice, filled with curiosity.  

Twilight spun around to see a pink mare with an extremely poofy mane standing behind her, smiling absently.  She looked to be as sappy-silly as Cup himself was... but there was something in her eyes that spoke of far more than what others saw on the outside. 

"Pinkie!?  How did you-" 

"Well, when my belly made a rumble, and then my right ear twitched and my eyes were blinking like crazy..." 

"Pinkie Sense?"  Twilight asked skeptically, but with a small grin on her muzzle. 

"Pinkie Sense," the other confirmed, apparently calming Twilight a bit for having heard it.  

Cupcake gave a happy squeal, then came over and hugged his mother tightly - which she returned, squeezing hard enough to make his eyes bug out a bit. 

"What's up, Cup?"  She said nonchalantly as he smiled back.

Oh, so that was how normal ponies - or, rather, normal, living ponies - interact with their parents?  Cupcake didn't stand at attention, didn't bow respectfuly, wasn't met with immediate scorn at his past failures... they were even touching without any kind of malice, without the slightest shivers of fear. 

Well, lucky him.

Twilight, meanwhile, turned back to Obsidian.  "I can feel the despair in you - don't hold onto it.  Let it go as soon as you possibly can... or else it'll weigh you down to the point you won't know how to get back up.  Trust me, even if I've never been in a situation like this before, I know what feeling worthless is like."  She gave a rueful grin, then returned to her concerned expression. 

"Talk to us, Obsidian... tell us what's going on, how you feel, what you're doing... we want to help, but we can't help if we don't know how to."

"I don't feel, princess," Obsidian - The Last Shard - replied with a voice like solid lead,  "you said it yourself; I'm no more than a tool.  At best, the mere fact that I ever pretended to be something else means that I'm a mistake - an error - as you said that no other shard behaved in any similar manner..." 

To be fair, she would try to escape as soon as possible, to reach her father on her own... but it was her idea, and she wasn't created to think - just to hold a precious part of King Sombra's soul and keep this body warm for him. 

Would it mean that her father would count as her mother?  Queen Sombra?  Or would he mould her body to fit his own appearance?  That was probably the most obvious option...

"I never said any of that," Twilight insisted, "but it seems like you might... need a moment, to work all this out.  Honestly, I can't blame you, but..." 

She stepped close.  "Obsidian, regardless of whatever purpose was in mind for you, you have already proven to be far more than one stallion's backup plan.  I can't make you see that, but I can try to help as best as I can." 

She turned to face Pinkie and Cupcake.  "You two, please get Obsidian back to her room and keep her safe; I'll be sending others as soon as I can contact them.  And please," she pleaded, "give her some space?  She will probably need a while to come to grips with all this." 

Cupcake nodded, and Pinkie gently put a hoof on Obsidian's shoulder.  "C'mon now... let's get moving, okay?  Once we get to the room, you can... uh, sleep?  Rest?  Read?  Whatever it is you do to unwind, you can do that!" 

Last Shard immediately shivered and stepped away from Pinkie as soon as she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Even if she was a fake, her experiences with father were true - which meant that she still didn't like being touched without warning.

Cupcake simply looked exceedingly concerned.  "We'll talk later, when you're more... uh, stable.  Please, think it over before doing anything, okay?"

She nodded absentmindedly in response to their questions.  Unwind... 

Thunderclap would probably be a bit put out that her plans for jogging with a defective back-up body wouldn't work. 
And Miss Trixie may be somewhat upset that she wasted her time, preparing a schedule for a mere tool, destinied to be used by somepony greater than any other creature in Equestria.  Oh, the disappointment would be rampant, yes...

"... let's go," Last Shard said miserably.
> Sixteen: Tool
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie and Cupcake led Obsidian to the doorway, with Cup looking as though his very heart was breaking.  

Pinkie turned back to Twilight.  "We got this, don't worry - you just go find whoever you gotta to make the bad stuff stop, okie dokie lokie?" 

Twilight smiled.  "Okie dokie lokie; thank you, Pinkie." 

The three of them made their way out of the room, and waiting for them were Thunderclap and Gypsy... both of which immediately looked concerned when they saw Obsidian's face. 

"Cup, what-" Clap began, but he cut her off.

"Uh uh, not now.  She... needs a mo'.  I'll fill you in later, but... not right now, 'kay?"

Clap looked surprised at Cup's seriousness... but nodded solemnly.  "Can I help?"  Nearby, Gypsy's ears fell, but when Clap asked about help, he was all sorts of attentive. 

However, Cup simply shrugged and said, "Later, definitely... but for now, we just need to get her to her room."

And so, now she had an entourage of four with her, all headed to the Applejack Suite.  It was strange, being around these folk who were usually talkative, yet now were silent as rocks.  They made it to her room, but before she could make it inside, Thunderclap spoke to her. 

"Whatever it is... I hope we can help, somehow - even if it's later.  Feel better soon, okay?" 

"Th-this one does n-n-not like to see you in s-s-s-such distress; pl-please let him know if h-h-he can help." 

"Yeah, let us know, okay Siddy?" 

Last Shard nodded to them with sullen apathy and, head hung low, entered the room.  Pinkie looked at her two friends and grinned slightly.  "She will.  Go on, now - come check on her tomorrow, okie dokie lokie?" 

They both nodded and, with one more concerned look at Obsidian, they both headed off down the hallway.  Pinkie, meanwhile, turned to her son and motioned towards the room. "Proooooobably shouldn't leave her by herself, y'know; go keep her company, even if you don't say a single thing." 

Cupcake nodded, and entered the room behind Obsidian, closing the door for her.  Once inside, he fidgeted for a bit before sitting down on the corner of her bed. 

"... y-you wanna talk about it?  Because if you do, that's okay - and if not, that's okay too.  I just... it hurts, seeing you so shaken.  I wanna help, I really do... sooooooo, I'll just sit here and be a bump on a log.  You need me, I'll be right here, okay?"

Ah, her 'friends'... she'd once thought that maybe trying to use warfare metaphors would help her understand things better - another means to acclimate and adjust.  But now, it was utterly and completely useless. There was no point in researching this topic, or satisfying terms of Princess Twilight's punishment... or doing practically anything, for that matter. 

Thunderclap had wasted her saddlebags and money on a creature that only looked like a pony, but was as alive as a knife or a fork. Gypsy was trying to entertain something that shouldn't be even able to be entertained.  Only Mica was wise enough to cut contact with her, even if he had no clue that she was just a fake.  Poor Stalwart would never be properly avenged... and of course, the little mare would still act with reverence for just a simple tool; she could praise her most honorable's father's toilet, and it would make as much sense.

As soon as Last Shard was left alone with Cupcake and sat down on the bed, however... she felt that something in her mind was stretching and breaking.  It was just... she couldn't... too much... 

During her entire artificial life, she had been doing her best to hide all of her weaknesses, all the pain that she felt during training, everything that could make her father look upon her with any amount of disdain. 

But she was just a tool. As long as she would be able to provide king Sombra with a well-working, living body, she would be useful. 

"Cccc.... Cccc..."  To her horror, she began to weep and sob.  Oh, how absolutely gross and humiliating... 

But she couldn't help it; her whole body began to shiver, as if she was freezing.  "Cccccupcake, I.... I don't... I'm not..." 

The first tears she'd experienced in ages - in fact, more than a millenium - started to gather in the corners of her eyes. "I... I'm not a princess... not a heir... not even a pooo-ho-ho-nyyyy..."

Cupcake wanted to hug her so badly, it stung. "Oh, Obsidian... I... I don't see it that way.  Not at all." 

He shuffled closer to her, their flanks almost touching but not quite. "Everything I've witnessed up to this point has me thinking-... no, knowing that you're more than just the sum of whatever that jerk thought you were.  It's not fair that he's not even here, yet he's hurting you so much." 

He looked at her, regarding her clearly.  "Besides... if you're not real, then neither am I." 

"I don't talk about it much, because it's a... weird... subject with me, but... I'm a Spell Foal.  Momma had me magically implanted inside her, since dad was doing his civic duty as a Super Duper Party Pony... but with his help, of course... and after I grew big enough, I was officially born.  But I'm NOT the product of a normal life, either; I'm as magic as you are, in that way." 

He raised a hoof to place on her shoulder... but stopped himself, his restraint visibly bothering him. "I wanna hug you so bad right now..." 

But he sighed and sat up straighter.  "Obsidian, you are whatever you think you are.  It's not up to anyone else to tell you who you are - you may have been made as a backup plan, but with everything I'VE seen in the past few days?  You're real to me... and you didn't even like me at first, remember?  Only a REAL pony could do something like that, could make the decision to accept a friend." 

He looked at her.  "I don't like that you're being so hard on yourself... but I kinda get it, too.  If..." his own eyes began to tear up, "... if you wanna cry it out, it's okay - I won't judge, and I won't blame you, and if you like, I won't tell a single soul." Now his own tears began to flow down his cheeks, his empathy eating him alive with all the pain he saw in her muzzle.

There was surely a lot of difference between being just magically created by a pair of married ponies and being crafted out of magical crystals and implanted with a portion of the soul of her creator.  But Last Shard didn't care about it enough to say it aloud, or even to think about it too much. She just... just...  

Her hoof moved a bit to the side and poked Cupcake slightly.  "... he... he is not a jerk.  He is wise and powerful... at least enough to create me.  I am honored... t-to be his... creation..." she muttered, trying to stop her tears - and failing. 

"... if you s-so wish... I would accept a hug right now..."  After all, it wouldn't hurt her any further, right?  It should be impossible to hurt her even more right now; when Cupcake mentioned crying, she'd lost it completely.  Tears flowed openly from her eyes, as she was facing the reality of being just a defective crystal body.

And so, Cupcake slowly and gently wrapped his forelegs around her middle and laid his head next to her own, squeezing (but not too hard) and sobbing right along with her.  There was a lot of pain to let out, a lot of hurt to expel... and crying worked wonders to that end.  It was as if liquid misery was pouring straight from her heart into her eyes, then down her cheeks. 

The same went for Cupcake as well... but his tears were all for her, not himself.  And they felt as though they would never stop coming; he felt so bad for her, he simply couldn't help himself but to cry for the poor mare. 

It lasted quite a while, and by the time she'd reached the end of it, she felt just drained.  Better, maybe... but drained, all the same.  But he'd stuck with her through every tear, and he had continued to hold her during the entire crying session. It was a touch without pain... which was almost unheard of with her.  

But the proof was right there - he'd held her during their entire crying jag, and had not once shown any hesitation for doing so.  They hadn't exactly stopped crying... but they were no longer sobbing, at least.

At the end of the worst of it, Last Shard felt even more empty and void than before this humiliating, shameless act of crying - but, to be fair, it wasn't neecesarily a bad thing. 

After all, it meant that she got rid of at least a bit of her overwhelming sadness and despair. And after a moment, she almost forgot that Cupcake was touching her - which was a good thing too, as she wasn't sure if she'd be able, even in her current state, to stand anypony's touch.  It was... a promising start, to be fair.  Even if the circumstances were very, very special. 

"... I think I feel a bit better," she admitted quietly, wiping away tears with one of her forelegs.  "but... this isn't anything like this 'crush' thing, is it?"

Cupcake gave her a teary grin.  "By Twilight's Crown, no!  It's... i-it's just sadness.  And there's n-nothing wrong with feeling sad, either - that's how the heart cleanses itself, after all.  Love is... well, I guess it's different for everyone, but mostly I'm sure you'll know it when you really feel it." 

"I just hope," he added, "that whomever it is, they treat you well.  You deserve that." 

He sniffled, then gave a big sigh... but he was still holding her, though not nearly as tightly as before. "You have folks who genuinely care about what happens to you - YOU, not your body, but YOU.  I'd say that's at least worth thinking about, y'know?" 

Reluctantly, he slowly slid his forelegs out from around her waist and settled himself into a laying position on the bed, yawning absently.  He then motioned to the other side - which he'd given plenty of room - and said, "You can take that side, if you're sleepy; after today, I could use some real rest... and I'm sure it'd do you some good, too." 

He nestled against the top of the bed, snuggling down for what he hoped would be a good little nap.  He opened a single eye, trained on Obsidian. "I hope I helped; you looked like you needed it right then."

Maybe there were one or two reasons to do something more than sit down and wait until her most honourable father claimed her artificial body...

Last Shard couldn't agree more with Cupcake at the moment - she was exhausted, not only physically but also mentally. As such, she had to sleep; apparently, even a mere object with false life had to rest. 

"... you did help.  And you're right, I need rest - especially as I did not cancel the morning jog with Thunderclap; I have to wake up early enough to greet her." 

Even if she wouldn't jog - or if Thunderclap wouldn't want to jog with a pony-shaped tool - she had to at least meet with her.  Even though she never did get around to asking Princess Twilight about switching liaisons... 

She also didn't expect her forehooves to encircle Cupcake and embrace him as she drifted off into the realm of sleep.


[-]


She was standing in the Crystal Palace throne room... and he was in attendance. 

But he was... wrong... 

Her most honourable father was... sleeker?  Shorter?  It was hard to put a hoof on what was different, until she realized that, as she stood in the throne room, he was in her body as he sat on the throne. Her own, crown-bedecked head turned to face her, and she saw her own visage grin with pointed teeth and purple mist in her eyes. 

"At last, I have returned... and all thanks to YOU... my precious tool." 

Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad fate; in fact, it would be a honourable end - to be useful to her maker, to be used according to her destiny, yes.  The vision in front of her was not a nightmare, but a short glimpse of the future... 

A future without Obsidian. 

Only a moment ago, she was... well, maybe not too keen on the idea, but at least able to accept it.   However, now that she was thinking about it, she found her heart to be a bit conflicted about this possibility.  

Exist?  Or serve?  It was either one or the other, because both felt as if it would have been impossible to achieve.

Sombra/Obsidian reached forward, as if to touch her - even if she had no idea how she was both here and on the throne - but before that visage could do anything more, it dissappated into black ash that simply fell to the floor in a scattered pile. 

"You... you are not what we expected," said a rich, regal and proud voice next to her, "yet you are the one described to us.  And so, we meet." 

Standing next to Obsidian in her dreams was a midnight blue alicorn with a rippling and flowing mane and tail, luminous eyes and a crescent moon for a cutie mark. "I am Luna, defender of dreams... and in this case, sent by another to ensure you are safe."

"Princess Luna?"  Obsidian turned her head, surprised by the sudden appearance of another alicorn. 

She had seen enough artwork of her, or read descriptions in the books about Equestria, to recognize her immediately - in fact, she looked as if she hadn't changed a single iota during these past thousand years.  Why would a creature made by King Sombra dream about an Equestrian princess? 

"... you... are NOT a figment of imagination, I hope.   Isn't this... one of your much-lauded powers?" she guessed, based on her knowledge.  Then, she suddenly realized what it really meant - and immediately bowed before her. "...y-your majesty!"

Father or not, this was Princess Luna - and even if she didn't believe in calling the current ruler of Equestria a 'Majesty', she most certainly felt that such a legendary princess had at least earned that right properly.

Luna smiled.  "No need for titles - I gave that position up some time ago, and the one who has replaced my sister and I has been doing an impressive job.  Therefore, I continue to protect ponies from their nightmares... though I hold no true power in Equestria anymore.  Which, to be honest, is refreshingly dull." 

Her smile slimmed down a bit as she looked at Obsidian.  "Now, thy situation has been explained to me, and I shall be your guardian as you slumber.  You shall be rested when you awaken, and thy plight will not seem as enormous as it feels right now." 

She was beautiful, as far as mares went.  And the way her mane just seemed to... flow... from her... 

"Now... Obsidian, was it?... let us walk a bit, and perhaps discuss things as they stand." She began to stroll through the throne room as if she owned it... which, considering her time in Canterlot, she most certainly had experience with throne rooms in general.  "Tell us, what troubles you, Obsidian?  Aside from the threat of thy father's return, from what I witnessed."

She really looked as if taken straight out of the books Obsidian had read thousand years ago.  Was it just a part of the dream?  Or maybe she really hadn't changed at all since ancient times? 

Obsidian followed her. "I... recently learned that I am... an artificial creature.  While I was aware that I was to be used as a tool, I had no idea that I was... er, how should I put it... that I was literally nothing more than a tool.  There is also another practicioner of Dark Magic around, and they are apparently quite willing to attack others to achieve their goals.  Those are the most pressing issues at hoof, I believe." 

Luna nodded sagely, considering her words carefully.  "A tool is an instrument that is used to make one's work easier," she began, "but true tools never develop their own actions, minds or feelings.  Tools are manufactured for a purpose, yet they can never fashion a purpose of their own design.  Tools can make an impact, but never without the action of another to direct them." 

The two of them now made their way out onto the balcony, where the view of the Imperial City was breathtaking.  In the fog of the dreamlike haze, it seemed to stretch on forever before the two of them. 

"However, from what I have gathered from the dreams of your friends, thou hast demonstrated all of the qualities of a living being... and not a mere tool, as thou would seem to be enamored with." 

"In the days before my sister and I ruled Equestria," she sat on a nearby royal couch as she spoke, "the vile draconequus Discord was of the opinion that all of ponykind were his 'tools', and he treated us accordingly.  Yet we refused to accept that our lot in life was to suffer at his command, and fought back to regain control of our fates.  And we won."

She looked at Obsidian kindly.  "And if we can fight the likes of chaos and win, then would it not be possible to do the same for thyself?  There is no need for thee to merely roll over and allow thy existence to vanish on the whim of a tyrant... because thou are not a mere tool, but a living, breathing, thinking and feeling creature."

Her muzzle went hard with an expression of anger.  "Sombra is naught more than a slave-master; it is his duty and interest to keep those whom he sees as his possessions under his hoof... and thou fit directly into that category.  He has even supposedly invested some of his own soul into creating thee..." 

Calming herself, she looked to the blue skies above.  "Yet, here thou art, questioning thy supposed 'fate', feeling fear and dread over the prospect of losing thyself, and unsure as to what to do about such." 

She smiled at Obsidian.  "And the last time I checked... tools don't react to such things in such a manner.  Ergo, thou are NOT a mere tool... but a unique creature who deserves a chance to be thine own pony.  And, last I checked, tools don't have friends, do they?  Thou art far more gifted and blessed than thou realize, Obsidian.  Make certain to give thyself proper credit."

So she was not only a tool, but a defective one, a tool that was acting out of line.  The fact that she apparently was enjoying (more or less) everything that happened to her today and yesterday, even if it was confusing and disorienting, didn't change the fact that she was brought into this world for a single goal, made by the greatest pony that ever lived. 

It would be selfish of her to think of herself instead of the greater good.  The Crystal City in front of her was very different from one from her times; it was beautiful and breathtaking - but was it useful as well?  Had it gained a new purpose after her father - or perhaps 'maker' would be a better term - was temporarily defeated? 

Last Shard winced at the comparision of the most honourable king Sombra to such a lout as Discord.  However... Discord was still around, wasn't he?  He even had a family, had been reformed and somehow was allowed to terrorize all diamond dogs into complete and utter cowards at the sight of ANY draconequus. 

Maybe... maybe there could be a way to let her father coexist with modern Equestria?  Not on the same terms perhaps, but if they could forgive a monster like Discord, then surely - sooner or later - they would find real value in the words of her father! 

"Since I was born... or rather, crafted... I've been doing everything I could to satisfy the many expectations of the illustrious King Sombra.  The only thing I ever truly wanted was to see him proud of me... and yet, now it turns out that I just had to live long enough, and provide him with a back-up shell.  Everything I thought about my purpose or destiny, or even about my past, turned out to be either blatant lies... or the whimsical fantasy of a delusional filly," she concluded bitterly.

Luna looked at her as she spoke, taking in what she said.  Once she was done, the alicorn looked to the night sky above them and stared at the diamond chips that hung there. 

"From my own recollections, the Sombra we challenged was hardly illustrious - his only goals were subjugation and domination.  Not something we look well upon in Equestria, for the record."  

She looked back at Obsidian, and her voice sounded so weary when she continued. "There was... once... a time where he showed a great potential to be the sort of ruler that all of Equestria could have lived under.  He was fair and kind, and ruled his kingdom well... but when he began to learn and use Dark Magic, he lost the parts of himself that were admired and cherished... and gained hate, pain and arrogance in its' stead." 

"No one wants to be owned like property, which is why my sister and I fought back against his rule.  He saw each pony as nothing more than a tool for his use, to discard at a whim... much like his designs for thee, I would wager." 

Now she stepped closer, giving Obsidian a look of compassion.  "But ponies are NOT tools.  They are NOT possessions to be traded, and they are not slaves to be worked.  They are alive... and sometimes, when one knows they truly live, they must fight to ensure they are not seen as mere toys."

"Obsidian, I feel that thy mind is convinced that thou art not 'real'... yet, as I stand here in the realm of dreams, I insist to thee that tools do not dream.  Therefore, perhaps the designs of Sombra are not what thou are destined for."

Hope tried to blossom in Last Shard's heart... but the cold realization of her supposed purpose had done far more damage than a single speech would help.  Still, she hearkened to listen to what the Prin-... uh, the former princess was saying.

"Destiny," Luna continued, "is never chosen by another being; it is something that calls to us, and our souls yearn to answer that call.  I sense in thee a want to perform the task thou were seemingly created for... yet, there is a conflict where thou finds thyself wanting to continue to be as thee are now.  I tell thee, from my centuries of experience, that the second calling thou feel is the one thou should hear, and cease listening to the first." 

She then simply stepped up onto the balcony railing, then into the open air, standing on nothing at all as she kept speaking. "I shall not order thee to listen to my words, as that is not our way... however, I beseech thee - as a fellow pony and not as an alicorn ruler - to consider the words of those who hold you in their hearts; these are the ones who will support and defend you in times of great peril, and the opinions of those who care oft outweigh those opinions from those who do not."

Ponies were not tools? 

Now that was something completely new; a fresh idea contrasting with everything that Obsidian learned during her life. It was... interesting, to say the least - especially as it would require her to change her entire perspective.  Especially as Luna, right afterwards, had stated that perhaps a Destiny chosen by her father wasn't one that should await her.  But... how? 

Last Shard defined herself only as a piece of King Sombra's life; she was barely able to think about the possibility of divorcing herself from his designs, plans and lessons - and yet, an alicorn that defeated him insisted that there was something more for her than being... a mere tool. 

Of course, the alicorn was her father's enemy, and it was obvious that she wouldn't want him back, but... did this simple Last Shard want-

No.  She couldn't force herself to finish that thought. 

"Your words... what you have said stands against everything I was taught, but... I believe I should think about it more deeply... perhaps," she said, rather hesistantly. "So as far as I understand, you knew my most honourable father before he took over Crystal Empire?"  To be fair, she had never heard about his life before he sat upon the Crystal Throne.

Luna nodded.  "In the olden days of the Crystal Empire, a young colt was discovered on a shoreline.  At first, all this colt could speak was the word 'sombra', and so it became his name.  He lived for many years as an orphan, yet he also had a single friend, one named Radiant Hope.  She was as close to him as the Element Bearers are to each other, and they both supported each other through times good and bad." 

Luna's expression darkened.  "But an Umbral shard found its' way into Sombra's hooves somehow, and it was shortly afterwards that he began to become corrupt and vile, believing ponies served better as playthings than subjects.  From there, he simply sank further and further into the darkness, until..." 

She sighed.  "Until he could no longer be reached.  At that point, he became Sombra, the Slave King... and ceased to be the stallion that his potential had shown he could be.   In that moment, he became our enemy... yet before we could usurp him from his throne of misery, he cursed the entire Crystal Empire with a banishment spell, as thou well know." 

"Had he not crossed that boundary of darkness, we would have gone to any lengths to save him... yet it was not within our ability, and the grip his dark madness held upon him was complete." 

It was strange, thinking about her father as an orphaned colt, enjoying life, adventuring... and even having a friend! That was completely different from anything she could imagine - and she could only wonder what had possibly changed him so much. She involuntarily shivered at the word 'shard', but couldn't help but wonder what it might have done to him.  

Perhaps... there was something more to it?  This calm, peaceful discussion with Luna already gave her so many things to wonder about... 

The alicorn seemed to consider things for a moment before speaking again.  "Obsidian, wouldst thou like to see what sort of impact thou hast had upon thy friends?  They dream of thee, at this very moment - and as I normally would not allow such a thing, I feel moved to show thee what thou mean to those who have accepted thee as a friend.   Perhaps thou would gain a better grasp of thy self-worth if thou were to see how others see thee..." 

And it seemed that the dream protector still had an ace or two up her own sleeve.

She held out a hoof.  "Take my hoof and follow me, if thou wish to know."

"... I... I wish to... t-to know, yes..."  Hesistantly, she reached out to her hoof - she trembled as if it were a snake she were reaching for - but she took it, the fire of curiosity beginning to kindle in her soul.  Just what could they possibly be dreaming about her?

Luna's smile broadened.  "Let us go, then..."
> Seventeen: Dream A Little Dream Of Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The world around her seemed to fade into a swirling whirlwind that she couldn't feel, then slowly settled around her...

They were standing on the parapet of a humongous castle - an overexaggerated version of Canterlot, actually - and there was a massive battle that seemed to rage all around them... yet, regardless, there was not a sign of any sort of defeat. 
In fact, it seemed as if the ponies were winning against... changelings? 

Yes, it looked as though Chrysalis' followers were once again storming Canterlot - but this time, the ponies were prepared. 
And the fight looked heavy-hoofed, in favor of them. 

And there, on the battlefield, in the thick of the fray was Obsidian herself... but one that was wearing royal plate armor and smashing her hooves into the enemy as grandly and heroically as any of Equestria's heroes.  She looked marvelous, a warrior queen without equal, and wore an expression of determination on her muzzle that spoke of confidence and power. 

As she fought though, a number of changelings began to swarm her, dog-piling atop her and making her scream in anger and frustration until she was almost swallowed under, until...

"HAVE AT YOU, VILE FIENDS!" 

With the sound of a ton of bricks slamming into the ground, the changelings were scattered in all directions, freeing Warrior Princess Obsidian from the ganging up she'd been enduring.  She wiped sweat from her brow, then turned to face her savior... 

Stalwart Stance was standing there, nearly thrice as tall as she normally was, bedecked in a full suit of Royal Guard armor, complete with a properly battle-damaged cape. 

"Your Majesty, we have secured the Eastern wall, and the Southern gate has turned the foul creatures away... by your command, we shall storm the Northern wall, and chase them out of Shmanterlot once and for all!  We are on the verge of winning this war!" 

Obsidian nodded.  "Then send out the call; it is time to push them out of our home!" 

Wart smiled broadly, and bowed before her.  "Your words are my driving goals, Your Majesty..." She then turned to the other guards present, looking ready and fierce.  

"Onward, fellow ponies!  Let's prove that we're not going to endure another SECOND of their presence!  AD VICTORIAM!!!!!" 

With Obsidian in the lead and Wart right beside her, the whole group surged forward as one against the tide of changelings, and when they met, the black bug-like beings were found lacking, and began to turn back.

Ah, loyal Stalwart - the unicorn mare that was too short to achieve her goal. A pony dreaming about great victories over beasts that were, as far as Obsidian knew, already defeated... but there was something strange about this battle...

Surprisingly, even despite the knowledge that Obsidian was connected to the dark King Sombra, one of the greatest enemies of Equestria... Stalwart was dreaming about fighting alongside her?  On the Equestrians' side?  Admirable, really - even though everything in this dream was wrong... Obsidian kind of liked the idea that her loyal little friend could imagine her in such a flattering way. 

"She won't be happy about the fact that I'm not truly a princess," she admitted.  However, she and Cupcake had helped her with the griffon problem, so maybe she wouldn't get quite as angry as Mica currently was with her.

Luna turned to her.  "I do not believe that will matter quite as much as you think... or as she thinks..." 

The castle, the battle and the warriors around them swirled away, and this time Obsidian could only see puffy whiteness all around her.

The world slowly came into bright focus, and they were high up in the clouds.  There was a large stadium beneath them - The Cloudsdale Coliseum, according to the signs - and there was a massive gathering there of ponies of all sorts… and dragons, changelings, diamond dogs, and even races she didn’t recognize!  They were all here, all present for some sort of show… 

Yet, there wasn’t anyone to be seen. 

“I… I-I don’t think I can… can d-do this, Siddy...” Thunderclap's distinct voice was clear among the massive crowd, as if she was right there next to them.  

Slowly, Luna and Obsidian drifted down until they reached one of the backstage areas, where a Thunderbolt-Flightsuit-clad Thunderclap Dash was pacing worriedly, while Obsidian - who was dressed in high fashion and looking like a beautiful model - was nearby, watching with veiled concern. 

“I mean, my mom’s the ONLY one who’s ever pulled it off, and I… I-I’m too big, Siddy!  I mean, lookit me!  I’m a freak, like Bulk Biceps!  How am I ever gonna pull… that... off?”

Obsidian stepped forward, her voice soft but strong.  “Thunderclap, I have faith in you.  I have seen you do amazing things, and you even managed to pull me back from the brink of depression.  This is a feat that not many can accomplish.” 

“You had other help, too,” she murmured. 

So that thing Obsidian was feeling was called 'depression'?  And her visage in Thunderclap's mind was quite different from her own vision of herself - in fact, she barely recognized the decked-out mare.  Dressed up?  Makeup?  Confidence? That was pretty far from her current state. 

“Regardless,” she continued, “you stood by me and generously gave of your time and effort, and did what you could to help me in my time of need… and now, I shall do the same for you.  You are more capable than you think, Clap.  You can do this - we ALL believe in you.” 

Thunderclap sighed, then opened her eyes with a spark of fresh determination in them.  “Y’know what, Siddy?  You’re RIGHT.  Okay, then,” she turned and saluted Obsidian, “watch me burn ozone, girl!  And… thanks.  MUCH thanks.” 

“That is what friends do, correct?”  Obsidian the Fashion Plate smiled. 

With a nod and a quick hug shared between them, Clap stepped out into the main arena and the crowd cheered LOUDLY at her arrival.  The announcer’s voice cut through the din, broadcast on megaphones all around the stadium. 

“Fillies, gentlecolts, and creatures of all ages and walks of life, Cloudsale proudly presents, attempting to demonstrate the power of the legendary Sonic Rainboom - Rainbow Dash’s own daughter - THUNDERCLAP DAAAAAAASH!!!!!”

She raised her hooves in a victory stance, then hunkered down and launched herself into the air, turning and heading outward away from the coliseum rapidly, until she was a mere speck in the distance.

"I guess that she truly cares about her mother's legacy," Last Shard - Obsidian - mused, watching as Fashion-sidian and Thunderclap were talking about... whatever it was that the pegasus was attempting to achieve - she was dreaming big... and somehow, it included Obsidian in a manner which was both helpful and friendly.  Even though she had already seen her at her lowest point and the shopping trip had gone bust, Clap saw her kindly.

"I still think that I'd look better in plate armor, just like in Stalwart's dream.  Preferably with a nice, red cape."

There was a tiny flash in the distance, then it began to approach.  It was Clap, who was flying so hard she was visibly panting, but the smile on her face was broad and shining with excitement.  She slowly angled downward, her form beginning to look as though it were… narrowing?... as she rapidly picked up speed. 

Luna smiled, then pulled a pair of sunglasses from her mane and put them on.  “Brace thyself - 'tis a glorious thing to behold.” 

As she got closer and closer to the coliseum, there was a moment where some attendants seemed to think she was going to crash into the bleachers… yet, as she was almost directly above the stadium itself, an amazing thing happened… 


>>>>>sssssSSSSSSS-BOOOOOOOOOM!<<<<< 


A miracle of color and power surged out in a ring from where Clap shot through, and the ring was utterly amazing in how bright and incredible it was.  Something about it felt as though it struck a chord in Obsidian, as she had never, ever witnessed anything quite like a Sonic Rainboom before in her entire life - she’d never even read about the phenomenon! 

Last Shard stepped back when the sudden surge of colours and lights washed over everything. It was... incredible.  Completely and utterly grand, a show of skill and determination which finished with a rainbow explosion, far different from any dark, bland magical feats she had ever seen back home. 

Luna simply smiled knowingly.  “She dreams of following in her mother’s hoofprints and perfecting it… yet, in her entire life, she has never been able to duplicate the act, not even once.  Still, she dreams of accomplishing it every single night, even if the methods used differ.  Since meeting thee, thou hast very quickly become a bolstering presence in her mind… and quite the fashionable mare, if I may say.”

For a moment, she forgot about everything - her father, her current situation, even the slightest worries about her future or her friends - and just let herself admire it. 

"... it's... I... I would wish to see this phenomenon with my own eyes, someday," she admitted, observing the colorful rings as they continued to spread until the colors covered the sky.

So Clap's mother, Rainbow Dash of the Element Bearers, had already done such a feat?  Then she simply had to read about it now; maybe it could be useful - at least for Thunderclap.

Luna nodded.  "Rainbow Dash's ability to do this has typically heralded some major, powerful change in some fashion or another.  I have grown to take it as a sign of Fate, heralding soon-approaching changes in the direction and history of our great nation... but enough; come now."

The world once more swirled away as the dream realm shifted again, bringing them to… 

The School of Friendship loomed large before them, swimming into focus as they got close.  However, there were posters all over the place - posts, mailboxes, walls, the flagpost, and even a few benches - advertising some sort of conference… a history conference, in fact.

Slowly, they drifted toward the lecture hall, which was crowded with folks here to see the proceedings.  When they reached earshot, Last Shard - Obsidian -  could hear a rich, warm (and somewhat familiar) speaker’s voice who was waxing almost poetic on the subject that was spoken upon. 

“... and that was when the Elements of Harmony came into play.  Each one, strong separately yet powerful as a whole sum, was of the utmost importance as the sole, solitary reason that the Villainous Trio were put into their place.  The statue that stands in the Royal Gardens is proof positive that friendship is a magic all its’ own, and one of the most powerful magics ever witnessed by our kind.”

At the podium was none other than Gypsy Rover, dressed impeccably and looking as a professor should look; intelligent, calm and collected.  He looked out over the audience… which, in the front row, included a turtleneck-wearing Obsidian, looking as smart as he did.

“The school here has it right, everyone...” and he glanced at Intellectual Obsidian, where he smiled at her, then she returned it, warm and content.

“... friendship most certainly is magic.  And those who know it well couldn’t be happier.” 

The audience broke into thunderous applause, giving the astute diamond dog a standing ovation as he stepped forward from the podium and took a grand, sweeping bow before the masses.  Even Intellectual Obsidian stood and gave a soft clap, smiling broadly at seeing her friend succeed so thoroughly.

Last Shard - Obsidian -  smiled at this sight; Stalwart's vision mainly reminded her both about her friend's problems with height and her opinion of the dark mare, and Thunderclap somewhat surprised her with the vision of her as fashionable pony, but this dream... there was something about academic pursuit that soothed her, somehow.  It was exceedingly kind of him to think of her in such a flattering way.

"He... he has no stutter!  He's fantastic as a scholar!" she cheered.  Now, wouldn't listening about history be far less awkward if he could speak without problems?  However, the ideal that he was striving for was practically perfect, and this time her own role was far less pronounced - but at least she could believe that she could end up like this. 

Leaving the stage at last, Gypsy came over to meet Obsidian directly. “This one hopes he wasn’t too boring, was he?”  The diamond dog wore a smarmy grin as he questioned Intelli-sidian.  

She responded by giving him a flat look, then chuckling softly. “Oh, I believe you did a passable job of it, my friend,” she replied, “good enough for common practice, anyway.  Might even be that a few of the ponies here actually liked it.” 
With this, they both gave a hearty laugh.  

Gypsy smiled at her.  “This one is still incredibly grateful that you gave up your precious time to come and see him do this - he was so nervous about getting onstage, but your presence helped him overcome this obstacle.” 

“Nervous?”  Obsidian looked surprised.  “You haven’t been nervous since you conquered your fears...” she cleared her throat, “... and since the disappearance of Jinx and any other draconequui, you haven’t had a single instance of fear that I have witnessed.” 

He grinned.  “And YOUR fears are defeated as well, friend.  We conquered them together, which made it such a sweeter victory.” 

“Yes, yes,” Obsidian waved the compliment away, “now, shall we go and celebrate with some ice cream and chewy treats?” 

Though his nod was all intellectual, his tail began wagging rapidly behind him. “This one would have it no other way, dear Obsidian.  Shall we?” 

He offered the crook of his arm, which Intellectual Obsidian gladly took in hoof, and they both proceeded out of the lecture hall as the janitors began their cleanup. The banner hanging above the stage read, in large bold lettering: 


Equestrian History - As Told By Expert Historian, Gypsy Rover


"The thought of such a vision... glorious," Last Shard/Obsidian spoke softly, as if saying such a thing too loudly would shatter the moment.  That sight had been most pleasant... she wasn't too sure about turtleneck, though.

The world around them swirled away as usual, and when it reformed, it seemed as though they were simply inside a marble-lined hallway - in a high-class building, by the look of the decor. 

In this hallway were a number of different doors, but only one stood open with a shaft of light pouring out of it.  Inside, there were voices… familiar ones… 

Reaching the open door, Luna carefully pushed it open until they could see what was going on in here.  And what they saw was… weird. 

There was a stage, as if a play were being performed, yet the only ones onstage were Obsidian… and Obsidian? 

To one side stood an Obsidian who wore a warm red cloak, lined with fur, that made her appear both stylish and regal, and her horn was completely straight and clear of any of its’ sinister red coloration.  This Obsidian looked as though she were slightly annoyed, but concerned about something or other. 

“You have no ground to stand on over this, fiend.  There is not even the slightest chance that I would ever harm the citizens of Equestria - my place is among them, not above them.  You would do well to learn from this.” 

The other Obsidian stood at the opposite end of the stage.  She was a direct opposite of her counterpart; her horn was fully red and curved, and wisps of purple smoke curled from the base of it, as well as from her eyes.  Her teeth were sharp and jagged, her coat slick with the blood of innocents, and she wore an outfit that was eerily similar to her father’s armor, though it was cracked and dripping with blood. 

“But they BLEED so WELL!  Each and every one, with screams that bring me delight upon delight!  And YOU do not exist, impostor!  WE shall overcome you, WE shall take back what our father left us, WE will RULE them ALL!”  As the Dark Obsidian spoke, spittle and purple smoke issued forth, leaving a slight string of drool between her mouth and her breastplate. 

The audience for this play was empty… except for a single pony seated up front, observing quietly as the debate continued.  Mica Chip was engrossed in the sight, apparently considering which side would ultimately win out, leaning his head on a forehoof as he watched things unfold.

Luna spoke.  “Even those who have known thee only shortly and have issues with thee still think of thyself.  And debate whether or not thou art a product of Sombra… or Equestria.”

Ok, that was unexpected; she really didn't think Luna would bring her into Mica's dreams, of all ponies.  However, Princess Twilight seemed to consider him her friend and apparently didn't know about their last small discussion - the one that hadn't ended in a pleasant way.  Just how big were the odds that they would all dream about her, though? 

"... why not both?" she mused. 

She was surely a product of Sombra - in many, many ways. However, she finally had experienced an opportunity to develop in ways that her father hadn't planned for her, so it was true that his influence over her wasn't as great as he... or she... thought. 

"But no matter what... I cannot imagine myself wallowing in wanton destruction and carnage like that."  To be fair, she felt a bit offended.

Luna nodded.  "And yet, Mica does not know this for a fact; he may have severed connections with thee for the time being, yet a dream like this tells me that he still wishes to be thy friend... yet he is afraid thou will turn out... well," she gestured to Dark Obsidian, "like so.  I believe, if thou simply reassure him that this is NOT the case, then perhaps he will warm to thee once more." 

"As intelligent as he can be," Luna grinned, "he can be quite stubborn.  Be honest with him, let him know his fears are unfounded, and that you mean neither ill will nor harm - I doubt he will be able to stay away from thee for long, as he makes few actual friends." 

"C'mon, Chippie," a voice whispered in Mica's ear, sounding a lot like Thunderclap Dash, "she's not all that bad, is she?" Mica's muzzle wrinkled in a frown.  

"She finds our opinions... unimportant." 

Again, the disembodied voice spoke up softly.  "She, like, JUST woke up after a really looooooooong nap; you think she's thinking clearly this soon?" 

Mica looked down, considering the words whispered in his ear.  "I... I just don't know.  I mean, I want to associate with her, but... I just don't know if I can trust her.  Especially with you, love; if she ever hurt you..." 

Oh, wasn't THAT interesting? 

"... I just wish I knew for certain."  Sighing, he looked up as the debate continued between the two Obsidians.

Obsidian blinked. Then blinked again. Then, she turned to look at Princess Luna, a look on her muzzle a mix of embarrassment and unsettling discomfort. 

"We... uh..."  She rubbed her temple.  "... n-next dream, please?"

Luna nodded.  "Come." Again, the swirl of energy was all around her.  It was both beautiful and mysterious at the same time - much like the alicorn accompanying her, which was fitting. When the world came into focus, it was... bright.  

VERY bright. 

All around them were cartoony versions of Twilight's Palace, the Friendship School, Ponyville... and they were all repeatedly bobbing up and down in the background, as if they were dancing to some unheard song.  Trees, grass, rocks - everything was moving to some unheard beat, as if it were all alive and in vibrant color that almost hurt her eyes.  However, when she noticed that even the sun was smiling down on everything... it was all a bit much. 

As they watched, coming down a path lined with lightly bobbing daisies were two individuals: one of them was bouncing up and down like a spring gone amok, while the other was calmly trotting along.  As they got closer, their identities could easily be seen... and they were BOTH Cupcake Sprinkles!

The bouncing one wore a big, sunny smile... while the other one had on a dour, grumpy face.  They walked side by side, seemingly oblivious of the day-glow world around them. 

"... and did I mention she's wonderful!?  And she's got that niftycool horn, too!  Oh, I hope she knows how to make fireworks!  That'd be TOTALLY AWESOME!" 
"She probably doesn't know any firework spells; her father wouldn't have taught her anything fun... and the thought of that makes me SO angry..." 
"I know, but that's why we have to help her out!  We have to get her to see that she's not just some dumb ol' shard, but a REAL pony!" 

Sullen Cup looked at Sunny Cup with a sidelong glance.  "Well, she IS a real pony... but it'll be a tough time convincing her otherwise.  She's determined to be a tool." 
"Naawwwwww... she just doesn't realize how special she is yet!"

Cupcake Sprinkles. Obviously. 

This dream practically screamed that it was him, as if he was purposely dreaming of everything that would be contrary to her old home in the Crystal Empire.  Did he actually perceive of his reality this way?  How could he possibly stay sane... or perhaps the better question would be, how could he ACT so sane? 

Obsidian was already surprised by two versions of herself in Mica's dream, but seeing two Cupcakes - not to mention the entire lunatic world around her they existed in... 

"Oh, how very sweet of him. Does that mean I should seek out a spell for fireworks, perhaps?"  

That's when they both stopped and stared at each other for a moment. "You... feeling strange, me?" Said Sullen Cup. 

"Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh... like we're... being... watched?" Sunny Cup replied.

At that moment, both Sullen and Sunny turned and looked directly at Obsidian and Luna. 

Luna held out a hoof, "Do not worry - he does this on occasion, as I have seen throughout his years.  Only his mother and his sister have the ability to sense us - they do not actually see-" 

"Uh, yeah, we do." 
"Yup yup yup!  You're riiiiiiiight THERE!" 

Luna's eyes bugged out, and she took a step back.  "I... how can this be?  You have n-never... how can you..." 

Sunny Cup shrugged.  "Eh, we dream lucidly all the time, Used-To-Be-Princess Luna!" 

"Yeah," Sullen Cup spoke up, "we've known you check in on us for years; we just figured you were either a part of our dream-" 

"- or being nosy!"  Sunny finished. 

They both turned to look at Obsidian.  

"Hiya, Siddy!"  
"Hi there." 

Luna looked back and forth between them, stunned, then looked at Obsidian.  "I assure thee... this has NEVER happened with him before." 

It was truly terrifying to see - an earth pony, utterly flummoxing an alicorn princess.  How could any stallion possibly be so mind-bendingly powerful and aware?

"But it's happening NOW!  And hey, would you two like to join us for a bounce in the Ponyville Fountain!?" 
"I filled it with gelatin dessert - it's fun." 
"Yeah!  TONS O' FUN!" Sunny finished his exclamation with a peal of laughter, bringing an eyeroll from Sullen.

Luna seemed to smile a bit, then cleared her throat.  "As fun as that truly does sound, we were showing Obsidian how she has become important to her friends, and hoping that she might learn something from the experience." 

"Sooooooooo, lemme guess - Clap?"  Sunny guessed. 

"Yes." 

"Gypsy, maybe?"  Sullen spoke. 

"Also, yes." 

"OOH!  Didja go see Stalwart?"  Sunny seemed to be excited by the prospect. 

"We have." 

"And I'll bet Mica Chip was in there too."  Sullen murmured, seeming... well... sullen. 

"In... deed... how dost thou know these things, Cupcake... er, Cupcakes?" 

They looked at each other, then turned to Luna and spoke at the same time.  "Pinkie Sense." 

Luna facehoofed.

She - Obsidian - blushed and stepped a bit to the side, closer to Luna. "Ah.  Well.  It is... nice to see you, too... er, to see you two, Cupcakes. I, eh, hope I didn't cause you any problems falling asleep," she said shyly, blurting out the first thing her brain could think of to speak.

At that, both Cupcakes smiled, though Sunny FAR more than Sullen. "Not a bitty-bit-bit!  Getting all huggy with you was SO nice, and your mane smells wonderful!" 
"And it felt good to make contact with you - I still sorta felt bad that you didn't like the reassurance of a pat." 
"But it's okie dokie lokie now!" 
"Yeah.  That.  Thanks for letting me in, Obsidian." 
"Yeah!  THANKIEEEEEEES, 'cuz hugs are wonderfully wonderous and wonderful!" 

Luna simply shook her head in wonder.  "I am... certain she also appreciated such a gesture as well."  Luna turned to her once more.  "Did thou not?"

Obsidian blushed even more. "Y... yes, I did. It was a... new and interesting experience... thank you, Cupcake.  Cupcakes."

Luna cleared her throat softly.  "I believe I have made my point, have I not?  Come, Obsidian... allow us to return to thine own dreams, that thou might now have much to consider." 

"Awwwwww... no fountain?  Well, that's dine and fandy!  We can always see you when we wake up!  And sure, you can hug us whenever you want to!" 
"Yeah, agreed.  Just stop being so insistently HARD on yourself, you got me?" 

"I believe she does.  Thank you, Cupcake Sprinkles." 

"Okie dokie lokie!  Byeeeeee!  Tell awake me that I said HIIIIIIIIII!!!" 
"Yeah, no problem.  Just take care of yourself, okay?  And stop moping." 
"YOU'RE one to talk, me!" 
"Oh, hush." 

They both waved as Luna led her towards a shining swirl that enveloped them both... and just like that, she was back at the Crystal Palace... but this time, it looked neutral and sterile - nothing but background scenery. 

"Obsidian, now that thou hast seen thy influence, dost thou still insist that thou art no more than a tool?"

She felt strange, and couldn't put a hoof on it - perhaps it was a passing thing and she'd forget about it, especially after a bit of jogging with Thunderclap.  She'd almost agreed to the ridiculous fountain escapade! 

"My father always told me that ponies can be tools, but..." she looked to the side, her eyes suspiciously moist, "... at least I realize now that perhaps... well, perhaps a chance stands that I may find another purpose in life."

Luna gave a sage nod. "Perhaps, given time, thou may even accept that.  But it must come at the proper moment, not merely because others say it." 

She gently placed her endlessly soft wing on Obsidian's cheek, giving it a slight caress. "Thou hast such potential, just as he did... but still, a future lies ahead of thee to live." 

Obsidian could feel herself fading from her own dream world, details becoming hazy around her. 

"And that future hath promise beyond anything thou might realize." 

The last thing that she could make out of her dream was Luna's large, luminous eyes as she stood there smiling at her with warmth, kindness and acceptance.


[o]

> Eighteen: Oh, Brother
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When she awoke, she could almost still feel that wing on her cheek.  Cupcake was asleep next to her, softly breathing in her ear.  Adorably, he seemed to have a small smile on his muzzle, as if dreaming something nice.

And she still had her forehooves around him.

Had she hugged him in her sleep, or was it the other way around?  She wondered idly if he'd eaten any fruit; his breath was sweet and warm.  It was the longest physical contact with anyone that she had ever experienced in her entire life - should she freak out? 

But it felt, well... nice.  Safe.  Soft.  Totally unlike any physical contact she had ever known during her lifetime in the Crystal Empire.  In fact, she honestly didn't want to leave the bed at the moment.  True, she was full of energy, just as Luna said she would be, but this bed was so soft... and Cupcake was so soft too... 

What a nice alicorn.  Luna had helped her greatly, and she'd been able to figure out a few things, even though she had a feeling that maybe looking too deeply into Mica's dream was a bit... invasive? 

Obsidian very, very carefully looked for a clock, to check what time it was.  The clock on the wall, a classic cuckoo clock, told her that it was roughly about 6 in the morning.  Which would mean that Thunderclap would be along soon to fetch her for their morning jog.  

Clap's dream... that had been interesting, and that Sonic Rainboom was incredible... but what would it mean if Clap were to learn that Obsidian had actually been in her dreams?  Maybe she would keep that to herself for a bit.

Obsidian really didn't want to get up, but she couldn't risk missing her meeting with Thunderclap... or risk Thunderclap barging in and finding out that she'd been hugging Cupcake the entire night.  It would be impossible to explain to her that Obsidian still didn't like being touched without warning after that! 

Thus, rather hesistantly, the mare tried to unwrap herself from Cupcake in a way that wouldn't wake him.  She had to wash herself properly - especially her mane; Cupcake mentioned something about her mane yesterday, so maybe she should try to take better care of it? 

First things first:  Bathroom.  Washing.  Eating, jogging, then Miss Trixie.  And avoid any dark magical unicorns trying to turn her into her father.  Sounded easy enough.

Cupcake smacked his lips as she moved him over.  He spoke, but all he said was: "... zzzzz... bouncin' higher den da skoolhooowwss... zzzzz..."  With that, his smile grew, and he redoubled snuggling into the blankets.  If she'd still been there, it would have been her he'd have snuggled into. 

The bathroom provided was clean and orderly, even if it was heavily scented with apples and cinnamon.  There were clean towels with little apples embroidered on them, as well as apple-shaped soaps and even an apple peel shampoo for her poor mane.  Such an obsession with apples... 

Once done in the bathroom, Obsidian came back out to the sound of a sharp knocking at her door.  Cupcake didn't even register it; he kept right on sleeping peacefully.

Perfect timing - perhaps she didn't have enough time to eat something but she was used to worse - a fast from time to time wouldn't kill her, especially as yesterday she'd eaten quite a lot.  She happily trotted to the doors to open them - and realized a few seconds too late that maybe she should wake up Cupcake as well.  After all, he WAS her liaison.

At the door was... not Thunderclap. 

It was a stallion who looked small and unassuming.  He had a soft orange coat, and a fluffy red mane and tail.  His eyes were a vibrant green, and he smelled of mint and paste. 

"Oh!  Miss Obsidian, I take it?  I was told by Miss Dash to come and see if you were awake, and to bring you to where she begins her run, if you were ready.  Are you ready, because I assure you that she is, Miss." 

He stood back to give her a look over.  "My name's Mirror Shine - nice to meet you, Miss."  He gave her a slight bow before standing back up.  "If you need a moment more, I'm sure it would be fine.  Miss Clap says that 'the whole liaison thing' was taken care of, and that you'll be okay with her.  I'm... not sure what it's about, but it's probably not my business anyway, so..." 

He began to pace slowly, looking the room over as he did.  "Whenever you're ready, Miss Obsidian."

That was... unexpected.  "Just, er... give me a moment, please."  Didn't she say that her jogging path went next to the castle?  Did she change her mind and decide to start a training track first?  Maybe this was just one leg of her path, and she was planning to go the full length?  

Obsidian backed into the room, got closer to the bed and shook Cupcake slightly. "Pssst... Cupcake... I'm going out to jog with Thunderclap."

"Mmmmmhhh?" Cupcake opened a single eye, looking at her with a bleary gaze. "Hokay... jush be safenmshgh..." The eye closed again, and his breathing returned to the calm, even flow it was when she first awoke.  He really did look... interesting... lying there like that.  At least, that was the closest word she could come up with.

So he was a heavy sleeper, eh?  Well, as long as everything about liaisons was sorted out and nopony would try to arrest her for stepping out of the room, she should be fine. 

"So... who are you to Thunderclap, Mirror Shine?  She didn't mention anything about sending anypony for me," she asked as she stepped back into the main room.  Now, what should she take to school... well, she didn't really have too much, except for her clothes, and she had no idea what she should wear.  In fact, she'd hoped to ask Thunderclap about it before heading out with her.

Shine grinned.  "Oh, I know her mother - my own brother is a 'Wonderbolt', and Miss Clap and I see each other from time to time.  She merely asked me to perform this favor for her, and I did exactly that." 

Mirror sounded calm and collected, but his pacing seemed almost impatient.  Almost.

"As for sending for you, she felt that perhaps an easier route would be a bit better to get acclimated with.  And she mentioned that you had an... incident yesterday?... and she didn't wish to overwhelm you with her regular route, as it's somewhat lengthy."

Well, it did sound logical. She had no idea what a 'wonderbolt' was, but it was starting to make sense.  And besides, if something did go wrong, she could always fight back.  "Fine - let's be off, then."

"Wonderful.  Follow me please, Miss."  Mirror began to walk at a lively pace, but not too fast for Obsidian to keep up.  

As they made their way out of the palace, he began making small talk. "So, if I may ask, I've heard that you're a relative newcomer here.  I feel as though I have to ask: what do you think of Equestria?"

"An interesting place," Obsidian remarked, "very different from my own home, I have to say.  There's plenty of opportunities to be had, and I've been looking into what this 'friendship' thing is all about..."  

Really, she should've come by herself if she wanted to take a less overwhelming jogging route; at worst, they would end the run early, eat breakfast together and head to Miss Trixie's office afterward.

"Fine, that's fine.  Most certainly, there are a number of opportunities here, I agree."  Mirror nodded in agreement, smiling at her as they walked along.

The two of them made their way out of the palace grounds and down the path that led to Ponyville.  However, when they reached the fork, it seemed as though Mirror was leading her towards the edge of town instead. 

"Miss Clap wanted to see what you would make of her... 'practice route', around the edges of Ponyville.  Hopefully, you aren't adverse to a little sweat, eh?"  Mirror seemed as if he were chipper and ready to go.

As they got further from town, he spoke again. "I hear you're from the Crystal Empire - what exactly in the wide, wide world of Equestria would bring such a fine mare as yourself to this humble little town?  Looking for someone, mayhaps?"

Why were they headed towards the outskirts of Ponyville?  That would take a lot of time... and didn't he say something about Thunderclap not wanting to overwhelm Obsidian with her regular route?  "What is Thunderclap's regular route?  I find it difficult to believe that jogging all the way around Ponyville would be shorter." 

She didn't bother with responding to his question - incidental mental meltdown or not, she was still somewhat trained to be a princess.

The stallion slowly came to a stop, almost at the edge of the Everfree Forest.  "Well... I suppose that would be an important question Miss... if that was actually where we were going..." 

The stallion turned to look at her... and his eyes had a slight wisp of what looked to be purple mist rolling from them. "But actually, I figure it's about time to drop the act and simply get on with the show, so to speak.  So, hello... sister..." 

The pony's coat seemed to char in a wave from his tail to his muzzle; he was now a uniform grey, the same as her illustrious father's coat, and his thick mane had gone a deep, blood red.  As he turned, she could make out sharp canines visible in his cruel smile. 

"Greetings - my name is Tourmaline; make sure you remember it... for the rest of your short, miserable life, you traitor!"  His eyes lit up like small suns, and Obsidian barely had time to move aside before a blast of green energy shot from them, leaving a scorch mark where she'd just been standing!

Truth to be told, she should have expected this; Obsidian knew that there was another warlock, one able to use her father's magic. However, she didn't really expect that they were able to mask their magic so well, or to be able to change their appearance - and most of all, she didn't expect that they could shoot energy from their eyes! 

She had no choice except to stand, or fall.  Her horn flashed as she had risen a shield - evasion was effective, but she would have had to evade every single attack, while he had to get lucky only once... 

"Cease and desist!  Stop!  You NEED me!" she growled - and to show that she was serious, an unholy aura covered her horn as she prepared to return the favor and send her own blast right into his face.

"HAH!  You honestly believe so?  Sister Onyx has almost all she needs to replicate the spell that will bring father home to us!  And YOU, worthless, have spent your time... fraternizing with the enemy!  What would our tremendous father say if he saw how you were actually making friends with these slaves-to-be!?" 

He blasted another eye beam at her shield, but when he saw it held fast, he gave a growl and his own aura became apparent; a sickly green color that made Obsidian think of infection and poison. 

"You are not even worrrrrthyyyyy of her attentions - so I plan to take you out before she has to!  Now, taste THIS!" The blast came not from his eyes, but from a horn that had grown from his forehead during his change; it was bent and ruddy red, looking much like her - their - father's.  

The horn blast had more kick than his eye beams, and she felt her shield buckle a bit... but it still held.  However, she couldn't take that sort of punishment for too long, else she might burn out her horn simply trying to defend herself! 

"Your DEATH will BRING more POWER to HER!"  

Slaves to be?  Oh yes, that was all too easy to imagine: Cupcake trapped in chains, Thunderclap with scars after a whipping, Gypsy forced to spend days in the mine instead of learning history as he loved... 

Obsidian's eyes burst with purple mist as she imagined all these things - and realized that the insane pony in front of her was possibly able to carry out his threats - even if he didn't know how much they meant to her. 

"Brazen fool!  All that you will find is your PUNISHMENT!" she bellowed.  

For a moment, she felt the energy filling her; her raw anger and hate being turned into dark magic of the purest quality.  Did her father feel that way too, gathering the shadows to exact pain on his foes?  Did he ever lose himself to the sensation? 

At the moment, none of that mattered.  She poured her energy into a powerful blast, aiming straight at her unfortunate brother - and right now, her greatest enemy.

Tourmaline also projected a shield... but his was far inferior to her own, and it shattered upon impact.  The shield had managed to provide enough time for the vile pony to dodge, but she could see he was clearly shaken by the amount of power she'd just harnessed. 

"You... you..." he panted as he gathered himself again, his piercing green eyes glowing with barely contained corruption.  "YOU do NOT de-SERVE such POWERRRRRRRRR!!!!!" 

With that, he fired a number of green beams above his head; all of them curved and bent to focus on her, multiple beams of green death headed directly at her at breakneck speed. "TRUE power IS what WE have ach-IEVED!  You will wallow in the... fffffffilllllth... you have surrounded yourself with, traitorous worm!  Have you for-GOT-ten your PUR-pose... or are you FLAWED and re-BELL-ing a-GAINST your FATE!?!?" 

The beams slid toward her as though they were greased lightning, while Tourmaline smiled manically at her; he was, indeed, crazy - at least, the look in his wild eyes said so.  She wasn't that level of crazy, right? 

He had as much grace and style as a mudworm; if not for his magic and appearance, she wouldn't ever honor him with a comparision of herself - let alone their illustrious father.  Obsidian quickly reinforced her shield with Dark Magic, their heated battle already saturating the air with the brimstone tang of corrupt magic.  He wasn't exactly good enough to make her too concerned for her own life - at least as long as she was using Dark Magic as well; without it, she'd probably already be a bloody carcass. 

"You seem to have a speech impediment; a friend of mine has issues too - maybe you'd like him?  Perhaps if I deem to let you live, I'll introduce you..." she smirked, as her eyes were practically burning with purple mist.  That power was... aaaaaah, wonderful! 

"Maggot," she added as an afterthought.

Tourmaline actually laughed sharply at her jibe. "YOU think I would RISE to SUCH a JIBE!?  FOOL!  WORM!  IDIOT!" 

The lines of green energy struck her shield, but not all at the same time; they slammed against her barrier, one after another, each shot driving harder into her magic and costing her more concentration with each landed blast.  When the mass of shots had finally all landed, she felt her shield waver; that attack had been deceptively powerful, and another such as that might shatter it, if she weren't careful. 

"Fiiiiiilllllllthhhhhhh... you are FILLLLLLLTHHHHHHH!!!!!  Tainted FILTH that KEEPS my SISTER from OWNING these TOYS!  You are due for your COMEUPPANCE, TRAITORRRRRR!!!!!"  He released another barrage of beams... but these beams split when they reached their apex, then fractured again and again as they flew at her - turning six beams into thirty! 

"DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!"  His voice was raw and raspy, eyes intent on seeing her dead.

Maybe she should've paid a bit more attention in her magical offensive studies, or perhaps she was needing only more instruction - though she wasn't sure about how succesful that would be.  She couldn't just pour more magic into her shield - so many offensive spells would damage it faster than she could repair it!  There was also no real point in evading them - there were far too many of them to dodge them all.  

So instead, she panicked and went for the first idea she got - and fired off another attack spell... but this time, she aimed at the green beams instead of her deranged brother, with the hope that it would take out at least a portion of them.

Her shot struck a section of the beams, turning them to so much smoke in midair... yet, it only got some of them.  The next few shots struck her shield as they had before, but there were so many of them, that her horn was sparking!  When her shield did go down, she was only struck by three beams in total... 

... three beams of pure, tendon-twisting agony. The shots struck her left side, and almost instantly, she felt the muscles in her ribs and barrel suddenly wrench up tightly, taking her breath away and making her see spots before her eyes.  Tourmaline laughed loud and heartily, seeing Obsidian in pain. "THIS is BUT a TASTE of THINGS to COME, foul WOOOOOORRRRMMMM... now, I shall end this farce... once and for aaaaallllll..."






"HAVE AT YOU, VILE FIEND!"  >>WHAM!<<
 

From seemingly out of nowhere, the minute form of Stalwart Stance slammed headfirst into her brother's mid-section.  He gave a WHOOF as the breath was knocked from him... and Obsidian could pick out the sound of a muffled snap, a surefire sign that he'd broken something. 

"ROT-ten LIT-tle PO-ny!!!!"  He shrieked, grasping at his ribs as Wart took up a place between him and Obsidian. 

"Attack Her Majesty again, and I shall end you, filthy cur!" Wart stood fast between Obsidian and Tourmaline, the scowl on her muzzle said she was hoping he dared make another move towards her.

Tourmaline looked back and forth between them both... then grimaced and hissed through his teeth.  

"... another time then, sister... but our next encounter shall be our last." 

Wart took another step forward.  "Get.  Lost." 

Tourmaline glared daggers at the small mare... then, with a sharp snap of light from his horn, he vanished into thin air.  Teleportation; that wasn't a good sign. 

The second he was gone, Wart turned to Obsidian.  "Your Majesty, are you okay?  PLEASE tell me you are okay!"

A rescue at the last moment; somewhat humiliating, but she welcomed it anyway - and would do so in a more verbal, maybe even happy and cheerful way... if it weren't for the fact that she was trying to cough her lungs up.  

It hurt - which meant a lot to a pony that had survived King Sombra - most pain shouldn't even budge her, but this was enough to break her focus and leave her at the mercy of one of his shards.  Bah, she hoped at least that she'd be able to reason with them - if not, then her only alternative would be to defeat them.  With extreme prejudice.

However, apparently she was unable to do either of these things - at least, not yet.  Obsidian had to train more... train harder... if this encounter were any indicator of her future.

"I... have survived worse things, Stalwart.  I thank you for helping me... with my brother." 

She tried to straighten her side out and hissed in pain.  The bastard... just what was that spell of his?  It couldn't have been just a simple attack spell, or he would have had to train with it extensively.  She never should have let him go on offensive - in fact, the best option would've been to kill him right from the start. 

"I hope I won't be late... for school," she bemoaned.

"That... w-was your brother!?"  Wart looked shocked.  "Does... d-does that mean I've actually struck a PRINCE?  I..." 

She watched Obsidian groaning from pain, and a dark look crossed her features. "... well, that does NOT matter, if he is such a fool as that.  Trying to kill his own sister - has he no shame!?"  She eagerly and carefully helped Obsidian to her hooves, then scowled at where Tourmaline had been standing. 

"Your Majesty, might I offer that we speak directly to someone about this attack?  I'm certain the teachers will understand the circumstances, in light of what has happened.  My only regret is that I was unable to corral the brute properly.  Please forgive my shortcomings, Your Majesty." 

She bowed low, then stood up and looked towards town and the school. "You have my word, I shall accompany you today - that lout won't have a second chance at you like that, not while I draw breath!"

"I'm certain you've noticed that my family is rather... unpleasant, at least by modern standards," she tried to chuckle but it hurt too much, so she held back. "... and yes, that's something I need to report as soon as possible. I'm also sure that... Thunderclap has to be worried by now." 

From what she recalled, she'd gone out at six, classes began at eight... there was no possibility that they would walk two hours straight, so hopefully she still had some time.  

"... thank you, Stalwart.  You are a good friend."  She gave the small mare a pained grin.

The pride was almost palpable coming off Wart's muzzle, but she simply said, "At your command, Your Majesty," and bowed humbly.  But Obsidian could tell her words pleased the little mare overwhelmingly. 

She looked off into the distance, toward the castle.  "Clap usually has a jogging route that passes the castle - I could take you there to meet with her, should you wish?"

"That might be a wise idea... I believed this tool when he claimed to know Thunderclap, and that she'd... that she'd asked him to bring me to the route directly and fell right into his trap.  He was masking his Dark Magic quite well..."  

She shook her head, frustrated at her own carelessness.  She was either too foolish for walking into such a trap, or too naive for believing she could properly defend herself... or both.  Probably both. 

"Let's go, then... and, eh, Stalwart?" Obsidian hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was the right call to tell her the truth. Stalwart was quite useful, but she was acting under the false conviction that Obsidian was a bonafide princess... and she most certainly was not.  However, lying to her just didn't feel right. 

"You don't have to... refer to me as 'your majesty' and so forth; I've recently learned a few things about my origins, and my siblings' as well.  Honestly, I'm not sure if we should be considered TRUE royalty, anymore..."

Stalwart stared at her for a long moment, then spoke slowly. "You have all the bearing of royalty.  You have all the necessary training for royalty.  And you come from a ruler, even if he was not a kind ruler, he was still royalty.  In my book, those things make you royalty to me.  And besides..." she looked down a bit, not looking Obsidian in her eyes, "... you're... the only royal who will allow me to guard them." 

That admission looked as though it hurt, but she shrugged it off admirably. "So, Your Majesty, that is where I stand on it - take it or leave it as you wish, but you shall always be regal to me.  Now, shall we go?" With that, Wart - the small knight with the huge heart - turned and began to lead the way towards the path again.

Obsidian tried to smile, even despite pain.  Now, she just couldn't turn into Sombra - Stalwart would be terribly dissapointed, wouldn't she?  Maybe she could at least convince her to call her something more casual?  But she didn't want to debate it right now - not after just being rescued by her.

The two of them made their way back towards the palace.  As they passed Ponyville, Obsidian could hear, see and smell the little hamlet waking up and starting their day; pies to bake, laundry to hang, chores to do... it seemed like a bustling little town, though not so busy it was hectic.  Each step was like someone grinding a rock into her ribs, but she managed with as much dignity as possible.

When they reached the road outside of the palace, Wart came to a stop.  "Here is where she passes each day, Your Highness - and I believe... I see..." 

Down the path, Obsidian could make out the bulky, muscular form of Clap, jogging along at an even pace, breathing with rhythm and sweating just a tad. "There she is, Your Majesty.  She'll be here shortly." When she saw them, Clap gave a wave and kept coming toward them.

At the sight of Thunderclap, Obsidian wanted to immediately trot over to her... but as soon as she tried to move, the sharp pain in her side reminded her of its' presence; she grudgingly resigned herself and just stood where she was, to let Clap catch up with them on her own.  

"Next... we need to meet with Princess Twilight - do you perhaps know where she would be at this time of day?"  If Clap was still jogging, then there was still plenty of time until classes - a good sign, no doubt.

As Clap jogged up, she looked at Wart with surprise. "Wart?  What are you doing here?  Your exercise is more strenuous than mine is!" 

"Her Majesty was attacked; ambushed."  Wart spoke solemnly.

Clap immediately got a look on her muzzle that said she wanted to beat someone down.  "WHAT!?  Where are they!?" 

"The situation was handled, the coward retreated," Wart said, making sure to allow Obsidian's honor to remain intact, "but we must speak to Princess Sparkle about this." 

"YEAH, we do!  Siddy, what happened - wait, c'mon, let's head to the palace - what happened!?"

"A family quarrel, shall we say?" she just replied shortly.  "You'll hear the rest as soon as we meet with the princess.  Have you seen Cupcake today, perchance?"  She immediately started to walk towards the castle; considering that her ribs felt pulped, it was easy to assume that her two friends could easily outpace her, so she maybe needed a head start.

"Nah, he's never up before school - yet he always makes it there all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, so to speak.  How does he DO that?  But," she shook the distraction out of her mind, "you said a 'family thing'?  Sweet Twilight's Crown, it's not Sombra, is it?" 

Wart scoffed.  "No - he was a pushover, honestly.  As much as we've heard about Sombra's fighting ability, this was a pathetic attempt, at best.  This was more like dealing with an unruly unicorn than anything significant." 

"I'd say that Siddy getting attacked is pretty friggin' significant, wouldn't you?" Clap's eyes kept searching Obsidian for wounds... which were all internal, so her search was effectively fruitless.

Wart gave a sigh. "It will be, that much I promise you." They walked into the palace once more, and made their way to the throne room side by side by side. 

"Whoever they are, they'd better not try that stuff on MY watch!  I'll pound 'em into the ground like tent stakes!"

If it had truly been her father, she wouldn't have even noticed that anything attacked her.  It wouldn't be a fight - it would be more like a force of nature, brought down squarely upon her head.  

"Both of you need to be careful too - I can only hope that my brothers and sisters won't try to attack my friends... but it's possible that you can become their target." 

If her twisted siblings dared ever come after her friends... she'd have to rip them apart to avenge them.

Clap balked.  "Whoa whoa whoa... brothers and sisters?  What in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on here!?" 

"You will hear about it," Wart said as she stepped to the throne room doors and knocked, staccato and loud.  When they opened, it wasn't Twilight there, but a mare with a rainbow-colored mane and a flashy, stylish flight jacket.  

Clap looked at her and her eyes flew open. "Mom!  What are you doing here!?" 

"Whoa, Thunderclap - now isn't a good ti-OH!  You're Obsidian, right?  Get in here!" The sky blue mare reached out and pulled Obsidian inside, where there were a number of ponies all surrounding Twilight Sparkle, who looked worried.  

When she saw Obsidian, she stood up from her throne. "Obsidian - Miss Tome is gone from the vaults!  There's no trace of her, not even a sliver of crystal - and my most talented magicians tell me they sense... Dark Magic in the vaults where she was kept." 

She began to pace.  "This is bad, this is bad..." She then stopped and took a deep breath.  "But we can handle this... right, girls?" The others in the throne room were as follows:

A muscular earth pony with a soft orange coat, with three apples on her visible flank for a cutie mark. 

Another unicorn, but this one was an alabaster white with a gorgeous purple mane that seemed to follow her own curves, of which she had plenty, even for her age. 

The sky blue mare who was apparently Clap's mother... though she didn't look like a mother; she looked like an adventurer. 

Then Cup's mother... and Professor Fluttershy was here too?  What was going on here?

However, upon seeing the gathered mares, Stalwart's eyes went wide.  "By the crown... the Elements of Harmony have reunited for this!?"
> Nineteen: Siddy And The Six
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

So... Equestria had brought in their heavy artillery - good; it looked as though they might possibly need it. 

Obsidian really didn't want them to think she was rude or possibly hostile, so she bowed to them.  "I was attacked by one of my brothers, princess - he said his name was Tourmaline.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to reason with him, as he was raving like mad about punishing me and allowing our sister, Onyx, to rise into power... and I had to use Dark Magic to defend myself." 

She had to admit to it; more than mere honesty, her father taught her well to readily admit to her sins - or else.  There was no point in keeping anything from ponies of authority, as they'd always find out the truth.

"They... er, they may actually have found a way to bring my illustrous father back to us..." 

Strange - she normally thought those words would accompany much more fear or pride... but instead, Obsidian was beginning to feel a rising anger, as if she'd been cheated somehow, yet wasn't quite able to understand (or accept) the details yet.

"Well, that just ain't good news, n'matter how ya slice it.  You okay now, Sugarcube?"  The orange mare had an accent which sounded a lot like Butter Churn's... maybe this was her mother? 

"Well, she's with Stalwart and Thunderclap, so I'll bet she's okay," Cup's mother said, then leaned in close to her, speaking softly, "you... are okay, right?"

"I am... sore," she winced, "but it's nothing life-threatening - though I thank you kindly for your concern.  My brother... could use a few lessons in friendship as well, it seems." 

Could she really kill him - even if it wouldn't be so difficult to do?  She'd never taken a life before...  but in this case stakes were far too high to ignore. 

"And worse yet, he masked his Dark Magical aura and was able to use an illusion to change his appearance."  To be fair, she should start to suspect everyone and anyone right now.  She could probably trust most of her friends, but... who else would have heard that Miss Tome had wanted to speak to her?  

Overhearing bits about her jogging with Thunderclap wouldn't have been that hard, as they had been talking publicly, but that thing about the library... "And they were apparently well informed; he used information about my plans for a morning jog with Thunderclap to fool me into trusting him."

"Oh my," Professor Fluttershy said softly, "that just can't be good!"

Clap shook her head.  "I shoulda got there earlier, Siddy... I'm so-"

"Thunderclap, you have nothing to apologize for," Wart spoke up, "as none of us could have possibly known what that fool was up to.  Don't turn your needless shame into needless blame."

"Twi, you got a plan yet?"  The orange pony asked bluntly. 

"Not yet," she said, "but I'm working on one.  Obsidian, if you're hurt - even a little bit - then I want you seen to medically."

It was probably very reasonable advice - after all, getting medical help was important.  She had no idea when they might attack again, which meant that she simply had to deal with her injuries as soon as possible. 

But... what if her doctor turned out to be yet another one of her murderous siblings?

"And as for the Dark Magic," she sighed, "I understand that it was your automatic defense, and I accept that.  However, I would suggest that you might want to start trying to learn Light Magic, if nothing else than to give yourself more options than you currently have available to you." 

"And of course, darling, they won't see that coming," the white pony spoke up, "as they quite possibly wouldn't believe that you might have any access to Light Magic whatsoever.  I would say it could be quite satisfying to see the look of surprise on their faces when you show them a little diversity."  Her accent sounded familiar too... but she couldn't place it just now. 

Wart seemed to be almost frozen, with only her eyes moving from mare to mare, utterly awestruck by the sight of them all in one place.  Of course, if they truly were the Elements of Harmony, then this could be a legendary reunion indeed.

"I'd gladly learn Light Magic, of course... but, um, do we truly have that much time?   After all, if my brother wasn't lying, they could be days... or even just hours from bringing back my father!  We... I... may not have enough time."

There was no denying it.  Right now, she was negotiating with her most honourable father's greatest enemies.  Not that she really had any other choice, of course - the only contact she'd had with her siblings had ended in a rather painful manner.  Those fools... if they were as clever as they thought they were, they could have just reached out to her yesterday; she would have gladly joined... BAH!  She would have been honoured!

Twilight looked as though the mere thought of Sombra returning made her feel ill.  "We might not, but we can still try.  I'll put one of my best magicians on it; you'll get training as more of a crash course-" 

"DON'T... say 'crash', okay?"  Clap's mother said. 

"Anyway," Twilight continued, "at this point, you are now a priority to protect... though I can't spare much in the way of guards.  I expect your siblings will raise their heads again, and soon - we'll just have to prepare you as best as we can.  Which means..." 

She turned to Wart and Clap.  "Stalwart Stance, Thunderclap Dash... are you willing to take up the mantle of 'protector', and keep Obsidian safe from harm?" 

Clap nodded.  "Yeah, we got this - no worries!" 

Wart stood there for a moment, tears standing in the corners of her eyes before she stepped valiantly forward and saluted.  "It would be an honor, Your Majesty - I shall guard her with my very life!"

Twilight nodded hesitantly, then turned back to the professor.  "Fluttershy, can you call for one of your medical students?  I'm sure they'd be able to get a better look at Obsidian's injury." 

"Oh!  Of course!"  The fair pegasus nodded, then gave a slight, melodious-sounding whistle.  A small robin flew in from an open window, and she let it land on her outstretched hoof. 

"Thank you for responding so quickly, Herbie - would you possibly be a dear and get Summer Flare to come to the throne room?  I would really appreciate it." The bird chirped a reply, then flew off her hoof and through the doors, headed down the hallway.  

"Herbie's fast," she said to Obsidian, "and help should be here fairly soon.  I wish I could do more to help, though." 

What in Tartarus was that?  Did she just... talk... to this bird?  And it listened?  And it UNDERSTOOD, then FLEW TO GET MEDICAL HELP?!  Obsidian had to learn to calm down - it wasn't even the strangest thing that she'd seen since she'd arrived in this crazy world!

"So," the orange mare asked, "what 'zactly are we gonna do about findin' Sombra an' puttin' him back out ta pasture?  I mean, it wasn't easy when we did it b'fore, but this ain't really gonna be a fight against a single pony; didja hear Obsidian sayin' there were at least two more of 'em?  That's sounds more dangerous than a hydra hidin' in a high haystack!" 

Twilight nodded.  "We'll have to see what else we can dig up - the book that I used to help me find Sombra's crystal catacombs should be in the vault; maybe it'll have more information about the shards in there." 

"Shards?" Thunderclap asked. 

"Ask your pal Obsidian over there... once you get a moment to breathe, that is," her mother replied, "but yeah, shards.  Twilight explained most of it to us, but I still don't get it."

"My... father put shards of his own soul into his creations - and I'm one of them," she gave Thunderclap the quickest possible explanation.  Then she turned back to Princess Twilight, as something Butter's mother had said was really troubling the poor unicorn mare. 

"Would it be really... necessary to, as you said, put my father back out to pasture?  A-a-and the same question goes for my siblings as well!  They... well, I'm certain... maybe they can... be reasoned with?" 

She had just discovered that her family was a little bit bigger than she'd initially thought - and no matter how screwed up it was, or even if they wanted to kill her... family is family, right?

"I... I don't know, Obsidian," Twilight said truthfully, "we've reformed some of the wickedest beings in Equestria, but... when we faced Sombra, he was more gone than we could reason with... though I'll give any of them you feel could be capable of reforming a chance, as we gave you.  Given the nature of these attacks on yourself and poor Miss Tome, it doesn't exactly speak well for your siblings, but..." she sighed, "I will certainly try, at least for your sake.  But please understand, I have to be aware of what is best for my subjects, and if that means banishment to Tartarus for your family... well, I hope you can accept that." 

"But..." Clap looked at Twilight, seemingly wondering something, "if... these are, like, Siddy's family... and she just found 'em?  And you've gotta send 'em away forever?  That's... that's not fair!" 

"But it's hardly fair to simply allow them to come and take over Equestria, isn't it?  Honestly, darling, I know it's a difficult call to make... but we also have to protect our families and homes, and if they can't be reasoned with, then we will have to do what we must.  Even if we don't like the idea."  The alabaster mare had a point.

"Of course, princess.  I would willingly go as well, if the only alternatives would be to exile us or suffer my friends' slavery," she admitted.  What she didn't say, however, was that she got disturbingly close to killing her own brother after his threats against them.  She may not have done the actual deed, but it still bothered her how close she'd come...

"I would assume the Friendship Academy should be safe, yes?  Because my first classes begin soon, and I'd hate to miss them... or maybe it should be locked up, to keep the students out of danger?"  It would be terrible if she would be unable to finish not one, not two, but THREE of her plans!

Twilight looked concerned, but the white mare stepped forward.  "Why yes, the school would be quite safe; Twilight, can't we send a few more guards that way, just to make certain the young ones are better protected?" 

Twilight nodded.  "Of course, that would be a good idea - and I can send one of my elites to coordinate things.  In fact, I'll send him with you, if that's okay Obsidian - that way, you'll have a strong stallion to ensure you're all okay, and I'm sure he could teach you a spell or two, since he's one of the best spellcasters I have in my service." 

Cupcake's mother looked up.  "Ooooooooh, I think I know who that will be!" 

Twilight smiled briefly at the pink pony's comment... and that's when it struck Obsidian.  They weren't just the Elements of Harmony... they also appeared to be close friends.  If Obsidian stuck by her own friends, would she become this powerful?

It was a somewhat worrisome thought; she had only just learned that her friends were able to care about her - for different reasons - and had seen more in her than she could in herself.  Obsidian was still learning what it meant to be a good friend and to genuinely appreciate her group as much as they truly deserved.  She didn't want to start thinking about them as mere tools, sources of knowledge, money... or power. 

In Obsidian's case, the saying 'friendship is magic' seemed to carry plenty of potential danger. 

"Yes, that would be quite reassuring.  May I inquire whom it's going to be?"  Obsidian asked.

"I'll summon him; he'll be here shortly." Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated; her horn put out a soft purple glow, which faded as she opened her eyes again. "There, he's-" 

There was a flash of light, and a stallion was standing there. "Your Majesty, I got your message, and I am more than ready to-..." 

It was at this point the stallion noticed Obsidian... and she noticed it was Lemon Custard. 

Lemon sighed.  "You.  Of course, it's you.  Marvelous."  

Of course it was Lemon Custard; every time she kept trying to distance herself from him, the antics of her wonderful siblings kept practically shoving them together. 

"Lemon, I expect you to keep Obsidian out of the hooves of her siblings, as they have no good designs for her.  Teach her some of your Light Magic spells, and act as coordinator for the guards when you arrive at the school." 

"The school?" Lemon balked.  "Your Majesty, wouldn't it be more feasible to keep me here, and allow another pony to-" 

"No.  I trust you, and I now command you to do what needs to be done to keep her out of harm's way; I expect you to do your best, of course." 

Lemon's face fell and he sighed... but only for a moment, before he stood up straight, saluting the princess. "By your command, Your Majesty."  

He spoke directly and clearly, yet when he turned to Obsidian he sighed, then muttered, "Please don't make this a waste of time..."

"I do not think I have anything else to report on or ask about, princess... w-wait, no.  There's one more thing; it's not really important but... can we possibly circumvent the entire 'liaison' requirement?  I'll be doing my best to stay with my friends, but attempting to keep Cupcake around at all times can be... challenging, sometimes." 

Not that she would have something against keeping Cupcake with her, so much - she just didn't want to inconvenience him again, as was the case yesterday, concerning the birthday party he'd promised his mother to help with - and that he'd had to break that promise, on her behalf.

"Wait... what's wrong with Cupcake!?!?"  His mother was suddenly a pink blur that ended up muzzle-to-muzzle with Obsidian. 

"Did he do something wrong?  OOOH, if he was a meanie again, I'll... I'LL... OH!  Wait!  NO, he didn't actually embarrass you, did he?  I promise, he really doesn't mean to do anything like that, he's just the sweet little treat he is because he- waaaaaaait... did he play a prank on you?  Because that might be funny, but if he did it over and over and over and over and over and over again, it may have gotten on your nerves; did he get on your nerves?  He's still just a little thing, don't judge him so harshly - unless he was rude to others around you, then OOOOH - you know he has a temper problem, right?  That wouldn't be good if he lost it, especially around someone who's trying to stay inconspicuous, which is what you're trying to do, right?  Stay inconspicuous?  Because Cupcake isn't very good at that, most days, unless he's been practicing - gasp  WAIT... did his stealth training creep you out?  Did he even try stealth training with you, because he hardly ever does it with anyone else, so maybe he's just anxious and nervousOH OH OH!  THAT'S it, isn't it?  He's too nervous for you to stand being around him for too long, isn't it?  Oh, puh-LEEZE understand that he really doesn't realize what his actions can do sometimes..."

Oh no. "No, no, no - quite the contrary!  I just... felt a bit upset that I kept him from helping you with the birthday party your daughters mentioned, Miss Pie." 

He really DID take his manner of speech from her!  

"And I didn't want to drag him along while jogging with Thunderclap today... I assure you, i-it's really nothing serious.  And never mind my request - it's, ah... probably better in the long run, after all."

The pink pony's smile grew wide as she stepped back. "WHEW!  Glad to hear that; I thought it was gonna be muuuuuuuch worse!  But don't worry about it - the party went off without a hitch, and I actually sent Blue home 'cuz I had it down like a clown... in fact, I was a clown!" Now, the family resemblance came through. "But no, if you're taking my tart lil' Lemonade-" 

"MOOooooOOM!"  Lemon's voice hit a high whine as he said the one word.

"... then having BOTH of them together would be a LOT better than just one of them.   Because they do incredible work together... when they WORK together, that is." 

Lemon rolled his eyes.  "I'll look for him, mom.  Okay?  I'll LOOK..." He then leaned in towards Obsidian again.  

"Can we go before she says anything else, please?"  Muttering through clenched teeth like that couldn't have been good for him.

"I'm waiting for medical help, I'm afraid," Obsidian whispered back to Lemon.  In fact, she would gladly leave... except there was medical attention coming, and with how her side felt, she would need it.  

"Also," she added louder, "I think Stalwart broke a few of my brother's ribs during the fight.  A small detail, especially if he can heal up quickly... maybe even futile, considering his illusion spells...  yet it's a sign that could expose him."

Twilight nodded.  "It's something, at least, thank you - and Stalwart?  Excellent work." 

The little mare looked about to burst from pride overload, yet she only bowed - too full of joy to even speak. 

"I'll make sure the word gets out to keep eyes peeled for a pony with broken ribs," Clap's mom said, then turned and flew to the window.  "DIVER!  GUST!  FRONT AN' CENTER!" she bellowed.

Two ponies dressed in uniforms similar to Thunderclap's in her dream came zipping into the room, stood at attention in front of Clap's mom, and saluted.  

"SIR, YES RAINBOW DASH SIR!" they said in perfect unison, almost sounding like one pony.

"I want you two to start patrolling the area; we've got a creep around, and he's got some busted ribs.  He can make illusions, so don't trust your first glances.  Keep your eyes w-i-i-i-d-e open, your goggles on tight, and your radar set for 'find that flankface'!  He's armed with Dark Magic, so no fighting - just come back and report what he looks like now, you got me?" 

"SIR, YES RAINBOW DASH SIR!" 

"Alright - then what're you waiting for?  Vamoose!" The two tore through the air so quickly, the door shut itself behind them from sheer velocity.

Scouting from the air was a sensible choice.  Hopefully they would find him quickly, though Obsidian didn't really believe that; even if he had been rambling and carrying on like a lunatic, he was at least wise enough to isolate her from friends before his attack.  He had to be hiding somewhere... 

The door opened, and in came... was it a pony?  It... kinda looked like one, but more... fluffy... and scaly?  And what was with the weird, double-pointed horn?

"Summer Flare!"  Fluttershy sounded so glad to see her... whatever she was.  "Oh, thank goodness you've come!  Our friend Obsidian here has been hurt by some bad magics; could you possibly help her, please?" 

The creature looked at Obsidian for a moment, then nodded.  "Sure... where's it hurt, hon?"

This world got stranger and stranger, the more she lived in it; there was no reason to be surprised by anything anymore. Yes - she had to remember that.  "Left side, m-midsection. I don't know what spell was used, but... it really, really hurt."

The strange pony-like creature looked at Obsidian's side, then her eyes began to glow.  "Oh, wow - that's not too bad, but what were you fighting that threw Bonetwister Spells at you?  Enough strikes, and your skeleton simply gives up the ghost and shatters; I haven't seen that kind of spell injury in quite a while... but easy enough to fix, at low exposure like this.  It shouldn't take long; hold still." 

Summer's eyes and weird horn began to glow brighter, then she lifted a cloven hoof and gently touched Obsidian's side; almost immediately, her muscles relaxed and her breathing stopped hurting. 

"There ya go... now, I'd definitely suggest NOT getting hit by those spells in the future, mmm-kay?  Miss Flutters, is that everything?" 

"Oh, thank you so much, Flare; I truly appreciate it!"  The professor's smile was payment enough for just about any doctor. 

"Anything for sweet lil' you, Miss Flutters!"  She looked at Obsidian.  "You be careful out there, okay hon?"  

"My deepest gratitudes unto you, kind healer..." she bowed a bit, enjoying the fact that she could do it without feeling that sharp pain anymore.

And with a smile and nod, Flare left as well.  Obsidian felt soooooooo much better after she'd gotten her ribs mended; breathing without searing pain was most certainly one of the better things in life.

Obsidian didn't even want to mention that she'd received only a minimal amount of damage, managing to avoid the rest. Thirty beams... it wouldn't have broken her ribs, only because they would have been literally vaporized.  Too bad that her first family reunion in ages turned out to be so violent and brutal - but at least she knew that she had to catch up with her fighting skills.  "... do you need me for anything else, Princess Twilight, or may I continue on to school?"

Twilight looked at her solemnly. "You are welcome to attend school, Obsidian - and believe me, I am very glad that you still have such an interest - but I ask you to keep your friends close to you, and to please listen to Lemon, if an emergency happens.  He's got experience, and he should be able to handle whatever comes up." 

"But what if he can't, Twi?"  The orange pony looked concerned.  "No offense there, Lemon."

"Then, as the ruling ailcorn," she sternly imparted, "I hereby grant Obsidian permission to defend herself... however, I'd ask that you try Light Magic first, leaving anything Dark for a last resort." 

"Twilight, darling!  If she keeps using it-" 

"I know, Rarity," (so THAT was Rarity!) "but we don't have much choice - especially if an attack should happen again today.  In time, she can learn other ways, but if the situation is this dire?  I'd rather have her alive than... well, the subject stands as it does." 

"Lemon..." The pink mare (Pinkie, was it?) made her way over to them, and gave them a very serious look. "You be nice to each other, back each other up, and don't let your brother get hurt, okay?  I MEAN it - if... i-if something hap-... h-happened to either of y-you.."

Her eyes stared to tear up, but Lemon nodded. "He's in the best hooves, mother, they all are," Lemon said softly. 

Pinkie fretted for only a moment more, then gently reached out and embraced him.  "I love you - be careful." 

... so that was how a family was supposed to behave...

Lemon nodded to his mother, then looked at Clap and Wart and gave them all a once-over as he stepped up beside his charge. "Right - ready when you are, Obsidian."

"Thank you; I'll do my best to learn, princess.  If there was anything that was taught to me by my most honourable father that could be applauded in Modern Equestria, it's my ability to focus on my lessons."  

Though hopefully, it would be less painful with Lemon than with King Sombra.  

"Farewell, princess," Obsidian politely bowed to the Bearers of the Elements and left the room, shutting the large doors behind her.


-=+=-


When the doors closed, Applejack turned to look at her friends.  "Did y'all feel somethin' weird, back there?"

"Yeah, kinda like a... tingling-type-feeling?"  Rainbow Dash added.

"I thought I felt an ear-wiggle, hip-shiver, tail-twitch, hoof-itch combo!"  Pinkie said with a smile... but then, a look of confusion crossed her features.  "But... b-but I've never felt THAT one before..."

"Almost as if something unique were on the very brink of dawning," Rarity observed quietly.

"Something wonderful, I think," Fluttershy said warmly, then added, "I hope," with a touch of worry.

Twilight nodded with a slight smile.  "I think I did, Applejack... but also feels like it's still too soon to know what it means for certain."  She looked over her gathered friends, her concern writ large over her muzzle.  "I just hope we can figure this out before something awful happens to poor Obsidian... or to Equestria."


-=+=-


"So... I think we can check my bed to see if Cupcake woke up already, as we are not too far from my room," she proposed, looking around curiously.  Where was she headed?  She'd have to get a map of this palace... that, or start memorizing hallways.

Lemon, Wart and Clap all stopped dead in their tracks in the hallway - Lemon in mid-stride. 

"Obsidian."  He spoke slowly, as if trying to comprehend her words.  "Did you.  Just say.  My brother.  Is in... your... BED?" 

Clap smirked boldly.  "Whoa... Siddy, you work fast!  Plus, I'da never thought..." 

Wart just blushed. 

Sighing and facehoofing, Lemon turned and headed down the hall towards the Applejack Suite.  As he did, Clap came over and said, softly, "Did... d-did you two get, like... cozy?... or-" 

Wart's eyes bugged out, and she crossly interrupted her.  "Thunderclap Dash! How dare you insinuate that Princess Obsidian would ever be anything less than a lady!" 

"Whoa, hey!"  She held up her hooves in defense.  "I wasn't-" 

"I would suggest you shut your mouth about it, and just assume they were both proper and decent." 

Clap rolled her eyes.  "Yeeesh, fine, okay!"

What did she mean about 'working fast'?  Obsidian didn't quite get that, though it seemed that Clap was asking about things that weren't acceptable - at least according to Stalwart.  To be fair, she gathered that Stalwart's standards were a bit different from average.  Obsidian's were a bit different too, of course - probably part of why the two of them were getting along so well. 

"Well, Thunderclap... I think that I may have gotten used to being touched enough to visit this Spa you've mentioned before," which was a rather subtle way to say 'I spent an entire night touching Cupcake'.

Thunderclap threw BOTH hooves over her mouth and made a sound like she was trying to hold back an outburst, while Wart turned and stared at Obsidian.

Then, after glaring daggers at Clap, the little unicorn looked at Obsidian and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me... but I think you should simply stop now.  Let's just gather Cupcake, and we shall not speak of this until later." 

Clap brought her hooves down, but gave Wart a salacious smile, to which the little mare replied, "Oh, go soak your head, Clap!" 

Had she said something wrong?  Maybe she should explain to Stalwart that everything was fine, because Cupcake was so soft and his breath smelled of sweets?  But no - apparently her friend had some kind of problem with this and didn't want to discuss it further right now. 

Maybe she had her own crush on Cupcake, and was jealous?

Meanwhile, Lemon reached the doors to the AJ Suite and calmly, politely knocked on the door.  After a moment, he simply opened it and crept inside.  

There was a second of silence.  Two.  Three... 

"CUPCAKE ALBERT SPRINKLES!!!!!" There was the sound of a squeak, a flailing, and a >THUMP< from inside the room. 

"WhaaaaAAAAAaaaAAAAAT!?" came Cup's haggard and wailing voice.

The speaking in the room became murmuring, then suddenly Cup came zooming out of the room, stopping at Obsidian and looking worried as could be. 

"YouwereattackedohmygoshwhathappenedareyouokaydidtheygetawaydidyoubeatthemohmygoshObsidianareyouokaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!?!?"

Bah, he was talking even faster than usual - which made him utterly incomprehensible.  Obsidian managed to pick out the words 'attacked' and 'okay', so she could guess what he was going on about. 

"I'm fine, Cupcake... my brother just isn't as charming as any of yours.  Stalwart delivered a final blow, forcing him to escape.  Er... did you sleep well?"  She tried smiling at him, to calm him down a bit.

Cupcake's expression s-l-o-w-l-y softened when she said she was fine, but then he began to pace as he spoke. "I'm so sorry, I should've been with you, but I just was so sleepy, and with the night we had-" 

"Sweet Twilight's Crown, SHUT UP, CUPCAKE!"  Wart cried out.  

The stallion stopped and stared at her for a moment, then looked at Clap. Thunderclap's smile was so big, if it got much larger, the corners of her mouth would meet in the back and her head would fall off! 

"WhaaaAAAaat?"  Cupcake asked, looking confused. 

Thunderclap Dash burst out laughing, in great rolling peals, until Lemon made his way back from her room, then covered Clap in a field of his magic and carried her unceremoniously along as he began to head for the doors.  "Come on - this is already becoming a chore."

Thunderclap seemed to really appreciate that Cupcake had a nice, proper sleep and that Obsidian would be able to visit the Spa with her.  What a great friend!  The dark unicorn was truly happy to hear her generous laughter... even though she didn't quite understand why she was that cheerful about it... nor why it was making Stalwart so irritated. 

"No... it's my fault, Cupcake.  I fell for a trap because I didn't want to interrupt your sleep.  Hopefully, that will be the last time that ever happens - because next time, I won't fall for such a cheap tactic."

Of course, she still had to find a way to detect illusions made by Dark Magic... or become far, far less gullible.  After all, her brother sounded both logical and believable, otherwise she wouldn't have followed him.  

"Now, off to see Miss Trixie, then to attend my new classes."  She trotted after Lemon.  Her little circle of friends was almost complete again - maybe they'd run into Mica on their way to class?  She had a few things to say to him - including a real and honest apology.

Once Clap finally stopped laughing, Lemon dropped her on her flank and they all began to make their way to the school. 

Once arriving on campus, Lemon turned to them all. "Okay - plain and simple, my job is to protect Obsidian; the rest of you, I'll do my best... BUT.  I expect ALL of you to pull your weight in a fight; don't expect me to be able save your lives, simply because you're with her," he pointed a hoof at Obsidian, "because I have my orders directly from Her Majesty Twilight Sparkle." 

Cup gave his brother a look.  "And you're gonna tell me that Mom said nothing about-" 

"Can it, Cup!" Lemon growled; Cupcake pantomimed the motion of locking his mouth, turning a key, then tossing said key over his shoulder. 

"Anyway," Lemon continued, "if there are any other members of your, er... club... then I would suggest you find out what classes they're in, and round them up as the day goes.  When we leave this school," he looked at Obsidian, "I expect we'll have the entire gang, crew, whatever... and I won't be very keen on adding anyone else." 

He then turned and looked at Wart.  "You, at least, have some knowledge and training; I expect you to assist, should an attack occur." 

"Yes sir!"  Stalwart saluted proudly. 

"Good... good."  He faced the group.  "Now, where are we headed first?"

Why it was so important to get them all, she didn't quite understand - perhaps to defend them as well?  Yes, that would be the most obvious answer, as her family could use them against her; now it made more sense.

"To Councilor Trixie, methinks.  Cupcake, do you know where and when we might find Gypsy and Mica, perchance?"

Cup pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Mmmph mmmphhh murph mmmmmphh mmph mmmmph." 

Lemon rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh.  "Cup.  Really?" 

Cupcake looked at his brother with wide, innocent eyes.  

Lemon gave another exaggerated sigh, then reached down onto the floor, acted like he picked up something, then held his hoof to Cup's mouth and turned it. 

"AAAAaaaahhh... thanks, broski!  Much better!" he smiled broadly.

Wha... w-what did Lemon do to Cupcake?  Was this some kind of Pie Magic?  But Obsidian couldn't feel any magical auras... was that thing he did with his hoof some kind of a ritual?  Maybe a curse?  By Darkness, was Lemon able to curse ponies?!  Considering that he was apparently some sort of expert about magic and a valuable intelligence officer (even though his mother seemed to be the only pony who truly liked him), it could be possible. 

On the other hoof... the ability to silence Cupcake at a whim could be useful; she was getting used to him, at least she thought so.  But Cupcake was Cupcake, and she was an ancient crystal creature that was still learning how the Modern World worked - and sometimes, it could still be frustrating to figure that strange stallion out.

Lemon closed his eyes and began to count quietly to himself as Cupcake spoke up, clearly now. 

"Well, Gypsy usually starts his day in Art classes, but I don't know wher-" 

"Mica's in the gym," Clap spoke up.  When Cup looked at her questioningly, she said, "Hey, as much as we hang out with each other, knowing his class schedule's a piece of cake." 

Cup nodded.  "Okay, so that's that.  Miss Trixie's, then the gym, then we swing by to gather up Gypsy, too." 

Lemon led the way as they ventured towards the Guidance Councilor's office.  Cup and Clap flanked Obsidian, with Wart bringing up the rear. When they reached her office, the door was open and she was lounging in her seat. 

"Well, here you are!  It took for-EV-er, but I managed to put together a schedule that would probably work out for you, Obsidian.  Take a look and tell me how wonderful a job I did!" 

[Schedule: Obsidian something] 
1ST: Teamwork - Rainbow Dash 
2ND: Mathmatics - Abacus Bead 
3RD: Creative Skills - Rarity 
-Lunch- 
4TH: Equestrian History - Dusty Shelf 
5TH: Science - Doctor Whooves 
-Study Hall-
6TH: Empathy - Fluttershy

"See?  All set for this semester!  So c'mon, who's the best guidance councilor ever?"  The blue mare smiled proudly.

Aaaaah, her class schedule!  Just the fact that ONE of Obsidian's goals had been achieved today made her feel better - and that it was her schedule for learning meant so much more; she did like order, after all.

"You did a fantastic job, madam councilor - and you are the best guidance councilor I have ever known."  Granted, she was the only one - which technically also made her the worst one, but Obsidian wasn't about to say that out loud.  "Is this my schedule for each day, or shall I visit you tomorrow for a different one?"

Trixie clapped her hooves together in glee. "Glad to see you recognize that I'm that good!  But no, this is your schedule for the semester - that's a quarter of the school year - and you'll have the option to pick your classes for the next semester... in abouuuuuut... ten weeks from now?" 

She looked quite pleased with herself... then cocked an eyebrow as she saw the others with her.  "Well, I know for a fact that the rest of you usually don't gather until lunch, so... what gives?" 

Lemon stepped forward.  "Miss Lulamoon, Obsidian has been found to be a special case, and permission has been given by Twilight Sparkle herself for them to accompany her today." 

"Oh," Trixie said in a flat voice, "she said it, did she?"  Was there something sore between the princess and the guidance councilor?  Perhaps a lesson gone wrong?  Either way, the ire on Miss Trixie's muzzle didn't last for very long, so it must not have been that serious.

Trixie pondered for a moment.  "Well, okay - but each of you need to make sure to ask about today's assignments & do catch-up work.  Starlight'll be all fussy and stuff about it, but I say just get to it when you can."  She waved at them with a dismissive hoof. "If that's all, then hurry and get to class; I've got some things to do, and it's hard enough to get to it with all of you just standing there."

Hm, ten weeks... hopefully she would survive that long. Choosing her own classes would be a grand liberty, but she should get used to simply making her own decisions until then. 

"Thank you, guidance councilor - I shall head to class now, and I truly appeciate your work on my behalf."  Obsidian bowed slightly and turned to leave, her entourage in tow.  

Hm, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy... three Bearers of the famed Elements of Harmony; hopefully, they could come up with a good plan to deal with her errant family members.  

Mathematics shouldn't be too much of a problem, though she had no idea what was currently being taught in school - she could only hope that her archaic, antiquated knowledge wouldn't embarrass her.  After that, Equestrian History and Science... those should be quite interesting. 

"Teamwork is first. Do you think we would be able to meet Mica before the start of class, Clap?"

Clap looked to Lemon.  "Well, he's gotta be in the gym right now, so if Yellow-&-Grumpy over there says it's okay-" 

Lemon's muzzle soured.  "Fine.  We can stop there first, Big-&-Foolish." 

Clap gave him an irritated glare as the lot of them made their way toward the gymnasium.  

As they left the office, Obsidian's group almost collided with another pony coming in. "OOP!  Careful!"  It was Looking Glass, the mare she'd (literally) ran into the other day - in fact, the same mare looked up and saw Obsidian and gave a little gasp. 

"Oh, hey there!  Seems like we keep running into each other... but not literally this time, thank goodness!"  Her smile seemed to dip a little as she saw the entourage. "Well, you seem to be fairly popular today!  But... why all here, especially with classes starting so soon?"

Could that be that Looking Glass was yet another spy in disguise?  Obsidian quite literally saw dreams of her friends, so she knew she could trust them - Cupcake was in a perfect position to assassinate her if he'd like, Thunderclap was alone with her yesterday, Stalwart literally saved her life... but Looking Glass?  

Who knew this pony?  And even if they would know her, could it be possible that she would be in disguise long enough to fool everypony?   Obsidian looked slightly to the side, attempting to catch the look on Cupcake's muzzle.  If he didn't know that mare, then it surely would be QUITE suspicious... 

"I have a quick thing to do before classes, but I'm sure I'll manage to finish it before start of the first lesson."  At least she hoped so - she had asked if they would be able to do it in time, but nopony told her otherwise.

Cupcake was eyeballing Looking Glass closely. "Hey, Glass," he said, "you okay?" 

She blinked at him.  "Why wouldn't I be?  Is... something wrong?  OH!  Is it my mane?"  She darted back into a small saddlebag and brought out a fancy-looking hoof mirror, quickly looking herself over in it. "My mane doesn't look out of place... does it?" 

Cup shrugged.  "It looks fine to me." 

Glass gave him a slightly suspicious look, then put the mirror away and glanced over at Obsidian again.  "Well, if that's the plan, then I guess you'll be okay - you've got a good fifteen minutes.  Okay then," she brightly spoke, "I have to get to the councilor's office; you have a grand day, okay?" She stepped into the office, closing the door behind her. 

"I swear," Cupcake said, "it's like that mirror is a part of her!"
> Twenty: A Touch Of Class
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reaching the gymnasium, Obsidian was treated to the sight of a large sports-type building; within were rows of bleachers on either side, with a smooth and shiny wooden floor where were a number of ponies who were in some sort of gym uniforms were milling about.  

At each end was a water fountain, and it was at one of these that Obsidian spotted Mica, sipping at the stream of water arcing from the spigot; he hadn't seen them yet.

Cupcake had seemed to recognize Looking Glass... or maybe the real Looking Glass had been knocked out, and this had been yet another one of her siblings in disguise...

By Darkness, she was getting downright paranoid!

Cupcake knew Looking Glass, so she was probably fine... after all, her brothers and sisters couldn't have known that she would enroll into Friendship School, especially that quickly.  

"Do you know of her, Cup?  Could you tell me a bit about Miss Glass?  We ran into each other yesterday," her forehead momentarily throbbed at the memory, "yet I feel I should be more cautious after this morning's trap."  

Cupcake thought for a bit. "Looking Glass?  Well... she's a transfer from the Crystal Empire; got here about, what, two... no!  Three years back!  She's sweet, but is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay obsessed with making sure she looks good.  Not snobby, though - just really self-conscious!  Has a fairly decent school average, had a few passing friends, likes to listen to music and style her mane.  If she's a spy, she's a LOOOOOOONG term one." 

Well, she could safely assume that Looking Glass really wasn't a spy, then. However, she had to be careful with the rest of her group, obviously - ponies from Crystal Empire sticking together, eh?  Well, she knew at least some who might not want much to do with a certain somepony - but hopefully she didn't belong to that category. 

But first things first.

Obsidian took a breath, preparing herself for her talk with Mica Chip.  "A moment, if you please; I should handle this myself, as would only be properly respectful of him."  She carefully trotted over to Mica, moving along the walls to stay clear from the path of any other sports participation.  With Lemon, the rest of them stayed at the doors while they allowed her to handle the situation. 

As she approached, he finished his drink and lifted his head... catching direct eye contact with her. 

"... you." 

However, even though the greeting was the same as the other day, there was something in his tone and his eyes that said he had, indeed, been thinking things over a lot.  He didn't seem completely open just yet... but he wasn't as cold as he'd been yesterday.

Fifteen minutes... a pretty short amount of time to deal with all the stuff that was between her and Mica, but she had to try. After all, he had been nothing but friendly, while she had been the one to offend - she understood that now. 

"Hello, Mica.  I've been looking for you, because I have to tell you something.  I'm..." 

Even now, after two CRAZY days and quite a few life-changing revelations, she still wasn't quite comfortable apologizing.  But this one was important to her.  "... I'm..."  

She sighed, just say it!  

"... I'm really, truly sorry, Mica.  I wasn't in the right, and I most certainly don't think that anything you believe is worthless.  I... had to learn a lot yesterday," she turned her head a bit to the side, embarrassed but bearing her shame to reach this stallion. 

"There are probably plenty of reasons to not want to be my friend, but... but I'm really trying to fix it."  Well, taking into account that her crazed siblings wanted to raise a slave lord from the dead and conquer Equestria?  It was probably the main reason not to befriend Obsidian to begin with.

Mica was quiet for a bit, just looking at her.  Then he gave a tiny sigh, and regarded her earnestly. 

"Opinions matter to those who have them, Obsidian.  It's not as though you were actually trying to be a brat, I... suppose I get that.  But if you want friends, you have got to learn that their feelings matter, too.  Maybe not to you, and maybe not as much as other factors, but... you cannot just tell people their beliefs and opinions are worthless - no matter the comparison." 

He regarded her for a moment more... and his eyes did slide over to look at the group in the back - specifically Clap, who waved timidly - then returned his gaze to Obsidian. 

"I... I get it, I do."  He closed his eyes.  "I should have realized you simply didn't understand, and that you were just frustrated and... I actually shouldn't have acted the way I did.  It certainly wasn't very Equestrian of me, and I apologize as well." 

He opened his eyes again, and they looked as warm and kind as they had when she'd first met him. "Apology accepted... as long as you also accept mine."  

He added, "Please."

"But of course, Mica! But of course!"  Obsidian said cheerfully, satisfied both with the outcome and with herself - she didn't need to beg Thunderclap for help or even ask Cupcake how she should deal with it; she did it herself!  On her own!  Well thought, well planned, well executed!  

And... honestly?  Something inside her felt better... whole... complete.

... and now she had to hurry to class!  "We'll meet later, ok?  I have teamwork class now, and I need to hurry." 

Mica's usual neutral muzzle actually put on a grin.  "You enrolled?  Excellent!  I'll see you later, then."  Though his even and neutral face returned, he did seem to be a bit more eager about his class now. 

Reaching the group, Clap looked at her and asked, "Soooooo... I take it that went well?"

"Very well; Mica is with us again. Give me a few more days and I'll become an expert in apologizing and meaningful self-criticism,"  Obsidian smirked a bit as she trotted to the doors leading out of  the gym... then stopped. 

"Umm... please, lead the way - I have no idea where to go."

Lemon actually gave a short chuckle.  "Follow me, then." 

The group was led down two halls and to a door with a number of merit awards tacked to it, displaying the names of teams that had apparently excelled at the class.  Inside, there were several students, and the sky blue mare from earlier. 

As soon as she saw Obsidian, she flapped over and landed next to her and Clap. "Ya made it - great.  I hope you're ready, 'cause I plan to really get the teams goin' today!"  She looked at her daughter, her pride thinly veiled.  "You coming in too?  If so, I'll partner you with Obsi-... wait, wait, there's gotta be an easier name than that!" 

"I call her Siddy, mom!"  Clap looked pleased, and Rainbow gave a smirk. 

"Siddy?  Eh, that works."  She winked at Obsidian, then turned and motioned to the desks before she began class. "... just sit where there's an empty desk - OKAY, EVERYONE!  Flanks in seats!" Her other students made their way to their seats, and class began.

Being partnered with Thunderclap would probably do wonders for Obsidian - they had to get along as well as possible, considering that she had honestly started to truly like her... and obviously, she didn't know anypony else. 

The fact that the teacher knew them both, and Obsidian knew the teacher, did little to relax her - after all, most of the studies she had experienced until today were hardly pleasant.  Luckily Equestrians weren't as, ahem, strict as her father, but he practically burned this anxious and serious approach to lessons into her psyche. 

So she very, very quickly took a seat, along with the rest of the class.

Teamwork class was interesting. They were all paired up, and each was presented with a different problem to solve as a team.  It hadn't been too difficult to solve, but it was certainly a clever way to get students to work together, and it was even somewhat entertaining, like solving a logic puzzle. Clap hadn't cared much for the class, but she was more than happy to pair up with Siddy and assist her.  

It was during this time that Obsidian got proof of what Starlight had told her earlier - though she'd been listless at the start of class, her mind was a steel trap when it came to puzzles like these; between the two of them, they managed to solve eight problems, which was three more than second place. 

When Rainbow Dash gave them accolades, Clap smiled proudly... come to think of it, so did the teacher.  Just as she was getting the hang of the class, though, it was time to head to the next one.  Lemon met her in the hallway, and began to lead her to the next class on her schedule.

Very, very interesting - Obsidian for some reason thought it would be more physical in nature, but instead she had to deal with logic problems that were able to force her to think them over, craft a good and proper solution... 

And rely on Thunderclap. That was a novelty - her life and her lessons, up until now, had been pretty lonely.  No help from the outside, not a single other pony that she could rely on.  Her father was very demanding - a strict teacher - and she wouldn't even dream of begging him for any form of support, as it would mean she'd dissapointed him and had shown her own incompetence. 

Here, however?  The entire lesson was built around the idea that ponies should work together.  It may have been strange to her... but Obsidian was beginning to - dare she think it - like what these classes might be like for her now.  

So next was... mathematics?  It would be interesting to see what Equestrians were learning about, and whether or not one plus one still equated to two - though she was fairly certain math hadn't changed THAT much.

As they walked, Clap nudged Obsidian chummily.  "Hey, you were pretty good back there - I think you might just ace that class, especially with me as your partner!  You've got a better head for teamwork than I thought you would." 

Obsidian winced slightly at the nudge, but said nothing.  She really had to get used to that...

"Good at teamwork?" Cup asked.  "I was good at teamwork too!  OH, the stories I could tell you about it!  I guess it's something we can both talk about together!"

She turned her head to peek at Cup and smiled at him slightly. "Well, I'd gladly hear them all, when you have the time," she practically... chirped?  Now that was something new.

"But to learn proper teamwork, I think that sooner or later I'd have to be partnered up with other ponies as well... so, you know, it would be a lesson at teamwork, not at Thunderclapping.  Not that I would complain, of course. It was... fun." 

Mathematics was nothing new... but the way class was done was certainly a change to her.  Lessons alone weren't nearly as... social... as these classes were, and the way the entire class participated made learning seem like much less of a chore, and more enjoyable.

If all her classes were like this, she might actually truly like school in Equestria! 

Creative Skills class, led by the alabaster mare from earlier, was something different; the class had been assigned an art project, but could only use three colors - no more than that.  Mixing and blending were allowed, but nothing other than the three chosen colors were to be used... and the picks were at random, from a fishbowl filled with slips of paper. The colors Obsidian had received were Red, Orange and Purple.

By Darkness, just what was the lesson here?  What was the point of it?  Teamwork - she got it... mathematics - but of course; she understood the advantages of learning the most pure and noble theoretical knowledge in Equestria. 

Creativity skills...?  She didn't even know if she had any.

So at the end of the class, a somewhat worried Obsidian had created an orange blob surrounded with a red blur, with spots of purple.  Obviously, it was a dying pony, lying in a pool of his own blood, surrounded by Dark Magic; she would call it 'Failure' - just as her creative skills were a failure.

Rarity, however, looked at her work and gushed.  She talked to the class about flow and structure, and went on about how Obsidian had made a piece that wasn't just a pattern or a realistic view - she seemed to genuinely like the artwork, though Siddy got the feeling that she probably shouldn't tell the teacher what she saw it as. 

That was the first time that Obsidian had ever been praised for a complete failure - which only disoriented her more.  With her lack of creativity skills, or even any comprehension about art, she didn't even know why professor Rarity was complimenting her at all.  Did she, completely by accident, make something good? 

Even if it was true, it was merely a fluke of luck that she wouldn't be able to repeat - which, to her, meant that she hadn't learned a thing.  She didn't just leave the class - it was more like a tactical retreat. 

At least it was lunch time - wonderful, as she had left the castle this morning without breakfast.  Normally she wouldn't be too hungry, but it seemed that living in Equestria was GREAT for her appetite.

She was eagerly led to the cafeteria where there were three cooks, all working to put food on the trays of the students.  Today was what they called 'vegetable medley', which tasted rather good, as well as kerneled corn, two slices of wheat toast, and a small cup filled with a cinnamon-apple mixture that was sweet and tasty. 

Plus, another treat - Gypsy eagerly came over to them, waving happily to Obsidian as he sat down, tail wagging like mad. "P-princess, this one i-i-is so very hap-p-p-p-py t-t-to see you here in c-cl-c-cl-classes!  How has your f-f-first day gone?"

"Good morning, my friend!  Everything seems to be in perfect order, at the moment - it's quite different from the lessons I had with my father, but I suppose I can't complain about that."

Gypsy simply seemed happy to hang out with them.  All of them (possibly even Lemon, as he simply hadn't said much) were there, and it made her feel... strange... when she saw her friends all having fun, cutting up with each other and her, and generally just being friends. 

Perhaps she couldn't quite understand it, and maybe couldn't quite describe it... but it certainly seemed as though she... belonged here - with them.  How could her father's plans be so important, yet this way of life seemed just as fulfilling?  

Maybe there was something to what Luna had said to her about choosing her destiny.  Though she most certainly didn't want to throw away her illustrious father's plans... something inside her was definitely considering things. 

History was next... but lo and behold!  She was apparently sharing the class with Gypsy!  

The diamond dog's tail never stopped wagging as he sat right next to her, grinning from ear to ear. "I am s-s-so glad we ha-ha-have my f-f-favorite class tog-g-gether!"  His puppy-dog eyes were adorable, and he looked fit to split, he was so happy.

"I can hardly wait for it as well, Gypsy... though for me, it's more like learning about the future," she admitted quietly, waiting patiently for the lesson to begin.  

It should be interesting on its own, and having a history maniac next to her surely wouldn't hurt - especially now that she had seen Gypsy's greatest dream.  She had read a bit about things that changed since her birth, but there were still so many things that she could learn... that she WANTED to learn... and history was on the top of the heap. 

The class was, in a word, wonderful.  The section they were covering currently was the Attack on Canterlot by Queen Chrysalis, and the teacher was rather animated and truly interested in the subject as well.  The same teacher also apparently treasured Gypsy in his class, and when the diamond dog leaned over to her to fill her in on events, individuals or just plain trivial knowledge, the teacher just grinned, knowing his star pupil was helping out a fellow student. 

Obsidian wasn't used to so much talking during a lesson - even though most of it was done by Gypsy.  Even more surprising, it seemed as if the teacher approved of this behaviour.  And Gypsy apparently was able to talk more clearly - he just had to... well, forget about his stress?  About Jinx?  About everything around him?  Obsidian promised to herself that she would try to help him with his issues.

When class was over, Gypsy tagged along with the group and chatted excitedly about history to Obsidian and the rest; as usual, when he spoke about actual subject matter, his stutter all but vanished. 

Study Hall.  

For this period, she was taken back to the cafeteria, but there was only the residual smell of food - nothing to eat this time.  Seated at the tables, students all around her were busily doing work or chatting softly with each other.  A single teacher was at a table towards the front, but she seemed to doze off after a few minutes. 

So, there she was.  In Study Hall.  With Lemon seated across from her, looking as though he were caught up in distant thoughts.

Hmm, free time to learn - what a strange idea.  Ponies these days seemed to enjoy wasting too much time - and with her siblings running around, she herself had far too little.  

She looked immediately to her escort.  "Mister Lemon?  Might we possibly train in Light Magic now, perchance?" she asked him without any meaningless small-talk. She had to learn more, and the sooner the better.

"Mmmm?"  Distracted, Lemon looked at her, taking a moment to realize she was speaking to him.  "Eh... that... wouldn't be a bad idea.  Alright, fine," he said, "but you're to do as I say, and not stray from the lesson - I've no time for foolishness like my charming brother's when it comes to spells." 

He closed his eyes and his horn began glowing a sharp, vibrant pink - almost the same color as his mother's coat.  When he did, Obsidian saw the same glow wrap around several stacks of chairs by the wall.  Slowly, each one drifted into the air and began to stack themselves on the other side of the room, smoothly moving and quietly stacking, showing great control and ability from the dour stallion. 

"Telekinesis was the first spell I mastered, and you can see how well I did so.  I have no doubt you have some grip on it already, but I have honed my skills to the point where I can use it to strike my enemies.  Hard." 

Once finished with moving a total of six stacks chairs in this manner, he opened his eyes and focused on Obsidian. "We will start with that; once you've mastered teke at least well enough to strike effectively with, we shall move on.  But not before.  You must respect the process if you're going to be a student of mine, is that clear?"

Obsidian nodded.  "Yes, my most honourable teach... umm... I mean, yes.  Yes."  

Now that was something at least a little bit familiar to the good old (well, partially good) days - countless hours filled with the constant struggle of controlling magic, subjugating its mysterious powers to serve her needs. The fact that Lemon obviously was not her father didn't change much - in fact, the less stress she felt, the easier it should be.  Hopefully, she would live up to his apparently stringent expectations.

Lemon regarded her for a moment, then he levitated a pencil from her saddlebag, placing it on the table between them.  It became covered in his magical aura, and as soon as it was obvious he had it in his thorough grasp, he looked at her. 

"Here's where we start; lift the pencil." His aura stayed around it, apparently holding it in place.  Was she supposed to take it from him?

She lifted her eyebrows, then her horn flashed as her dark magical aura surrounded the pencil.  Then, keeping to the exact letter of the command, she tried to lift it a bit - enough to fullfil his requirements.

It didn't budge; he held it fast with his own magic. "Good.  Keep trying.  And, while you're at it..."  Her saddlebag opened again, and out came an eraser this time.  But when he reached the table with it, the glow around the eraser vanished and it dropped to the table. "... lift that, as well."

This should be interesting - lifting a few things at the same time wasn't much of an issue, as her father had somewhat similar exercises for her, from time to time -  so she lifted eraser as well, while still trying to force her will on the pencil.

When she did this without question or complaint, she was given an unexpected reward... Lemon smiled. 

"Good, good.  Most ponies your age don't bother with learning to levitate multiple objects under pressure; it's good to see you already have some training in that area."  

He nodded in her direction, "Now, while continuing both, lift your saddlebags."

Her saddlebags... ah, the ones given to her by Thunderclap - her friend!  A small smile appeared on Obsidian's muzzle as she followed that command as well.  Now, how should she lift the pencil... just overwhelm Lemon's magic?  He was most certainly skilled, of course... but she had a part of the soul of King Sombra, and was probably quite powerful herself - she should be able to break his hold, sooner or later.

Lemon Custard was looking at her quite differently now; though he'd been, frankly, a jerk since day one, he now saw potential in her that he'd outright ignored before.  He could now see that she wasn't just some ditzy court fop, parading around like she was entitled while not doing anything... no, she was proving that she had real training, and that seemed to please him quite nicely. 

"Alright, good... now, maintain those... and lift..." he looked around a bit, seeking a new target.  Then, a smirk crossed his features. 

"The teacher's glasses.  Without waking her."

She looked at him, looked at the teacher, then looked back at him again... now this was something new.  Perhaps not completely new, as lifting something specific in a group without disturbing the rest was a part of her exercises... but she never had to do with an actual living pony - obviously, as no pony would DARE sleep in presence of her father. 

But it didn't mean she was just going to dissapoint her teacher or give up without a fight!  Very, very carefully, after making certain she was maintaining the lifted objects AND still pulling on the pencil, her magic surrounded the sleeping teacher's glasses... 

Hopefully, Lemon wouldn't ask her to pickpocket things next.

Slowly, the glasses lifted from the mare's muzzle, and began to float quietly and smoothly above her sleeping form.  Lemon, meanwhile, was grinning eagerly - strangely enough, with an actual smile on his face, he resembled Cupcake - a LOT.  His whole sour look had made it hard to tell they were related; with a smile, they were almost twins. 

"Yes... yes... good... very good..." he whispered excitedly.  Then, once the glasses were airborne, along with the other objects and the stubborn pencil, Lemon looked at her and said, "Now... maintain that for five straight minutes.  I'll time you."

Only five minutes?  It shouldn't be too hard... in fact, this magical load was nothing compared to what she was forced to use that morning, when her brother was doing his best to beat through her shield.  She maintained her full focus; there was no way he could surprise her and break her concentration.

He sat back, watching as she continuously kept the objects in the air.  After a moment, he simply said, "So... what in the wide, wide world of Equestria were you and my brother doing last night?  Because if it was sex," he smirked, "then you and I are going to have a very long talk."

"If it was what?"  Obsidian asked, completely unfazed, "No, I... I had a little, er... breakdown, let's say.  He comforted me, then we fell alseep together in the same bed."

"Slept together, eh?  JUST sleep?  Or, in your early teachings, did nopony tell you about how foals are made?  Either way, I have to admit, he's never done that before; sleeping next to a mare that wasn't mother.  And it's... interesting... to note that you seem fine with it."   He smiled as if he were considerably amused.

"Heirs are made after marriage, of course," Obsidian shrugged slightly.  No marriage, no foals - it was plainly obvious.  The details hadn't really ever been important to her, anyway.  And apparently, Cupcake trusted her like his own mother?  That was... a bit strange, yet somehow it was also kind of flattering.

"Know this, however," he leaned forward, but his expression didn't change, "that my brother hasn't really ever paid much attention to other mares - he's just this carefree, happy-go-lucky spirit that always seems to be ready with a smile or a hug or a goofy song." 

Now, his smile folded to become a look of concern. "If there IS anything romantic going on between the two of you, then just know that my brother will have no idea if you're manipulating or using him toward... less than pristine goals.  If you try to introduce him to Dark Magic, or break his heart, then you and I will have to have a much different, much more serious conversation - one that might hurt, if you understand me clearly... because, as annoying as he can be, I love my brother dearly." 

"Oh please - as if I would risk bringing him into the world of Dark Magic; could you imagine him as a warlock? Maybe with cursed puns and corrupted jokes, prepared to torment his enemies with?  Putting the 'laughter' into 'slaughter', and so forth..."  She waved her hoof dismissively.  "No, just... no."

His stern look disappated into a grin as he gave a light chuckle.  "Point taken.  Well then, if your intentions are indeed pure, then I suppose he could do worse.  Besides, it'll make sure that someone who can handle themselves will be with him most of the time." 

He glanced back at the floating objects.  "Now, that's enough time - place the glasses in her front blouse pocket... again, without waking her.  Then, you may cease floating the other objects in the reverse order you stared with... but you'll maintain that pencil's pressure, even after you're done."

She carefully lowered the glasses, slipping them deftly into the teacher's pocket. "Now wait a moment; are you talking about this 'crush' thing?"  It had taken her a moment to realize what he had said earlier.

Lemon had actually given a chuckle as she spoke of Cupcake the Warlock, but when she mentioned the 'crush thing', he outright gave a short yet rich laugh. 

"Why yes... didn't you realize it when I spoke about the two of you together?  I would figure that, perhaps, the two of you were possibly trying on a bit of romantic affection... so, it would only make sense that it might indeed be a crush you two have on each other." 

His smile then grew wider, "Or is it just you?"

A laughing Lemon - the world must have been ending.  It didn't help that he seemed to find amusement with her lack of understanding of this world, but it was still quite an accomplishment to see the stallion being pleasant for a change.

"I have only learned of this phenomenon recently... in fact, just yesterday.  In my life before, I never knew of such a concept - perhaps I should speak further with him about it?"  She began to drop the rest of things, starting with her saddlebags.

Lemon pondered her a moment, a small smirk still settled on his features.  "Maybe you should, at that.  Of course, you're always able to look up books on the subject, if you like - there are quite a few, though I would stick to the school library, as anyplace else might have... less than savoury novels about such." 

But with mention of the library, his brow furrowed yet again.  "I do hope Miss Tome is alright; she has been a fine librarian and a patient mare, and I would sincerely dislike if she were hurt... or worse."

Now, only the grip on the pencil remained.  Obsidian started to struggle against Lemon's magic once again, now with her full focus. 

"Rest assured that I will seek out more information, as I detest ignorance and it sounds as if education is an important part of life in Modern Equestria.  And Miss Tome will be alright as soon as we capture the sibling responsible for her current state.  After all, I directly asked for a job in library; I'm still looking forward to it."

"Well, here's to hoping you're correct." He looked at the pencil, and it suddenly flew straight up and began erratically moving about in the air. "Now, again... but this time, you'll attempt to stop me from moving the pencil about while you pick up the other things again, in the proper order - glasses included."

Sleeping on the job or not, Obsidian thought this poor teacher didn't deserve being used as a training tool.  

She gritted her teeth, fully focused on stopping that pencil.  Exactly how much strength he was putting into this test?  She absolutely had to stop him... while lifting everything once again, in order.  Simple lifting was easy, even in groups; lifting and stopping the erratic movements felt much, much more difficult.

Impossible, in fact - as no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even slow him down, much less stop the swooshing, flipping motions of the writing instrument. The other objects were more difficult to maintain a grip on with his erratic, rapid patterns, and it took a fair amount of concentration to achieve all the tasks at once - and even then, as she removed the glasses from the blouse pocket, the targeted mare roused a bit in her sleep. 

Lemon's voice was low and tense, as if he was watching a wild tiger in the jungle.  "Yes... yes yes, that's right... continue..."

She lowered the pair of glasses, holding them right above the desk - to avoid any unwanted problems from a loss of control.  There had to be a way - maybe not just trying to stop it in place, but make an opposite vector of movement?  Forces working on the pencil might be nullified that way.  

She began to sweat, concentration written across her muzzle as she tried to create a counter-force to bring the pencil to a halt.

Lemon seemed to grin a bit wider as she made the attempt. "Ah, there's the pressure... but you're pressing against something that can change angles quickly."  He seemed to get a bit more animated as he leaned forward and spoke softly.  

"An opposing factor can work, but only when the item in question is on a set path; don't think from a single direction, but imagine a circle around the object, or more like a ball, perhaps.  Don't resist against a single direction - resist against them all at once."

Wouldn't that apply to her own pressure too?  But she wasn't asked to think about that, but to do it - so that's what she did. 
After all, if she were as well-trained as Lemon apparently was, he wouldn't need to teach her.  

Well, here goes nothing!

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, and the pencil's erratic movements slowed... not stopped, but still visibly and obviously slowed.  However, there was almost a sparkle in Lemon's eye as he continued to float the pencil in different patterns, though he did seem to be concentrating a fair bit more. 

"Excellent!  It normally takes beginners some time to put so much resistance against such a task, but you already have surpassed second-year students - bra-VO, Obsidian!"  

It was strange... but positive encouragement during her lessons was utterly alien to her, yet it almost seemed to be bolstering her abilities just a touch.  Her father either usually scolded and punished her for failure... or said nothing at all when she succeeded. 

Lemon, however, seemed as though he were trying to be Obsidian's cheerleader, encouraging her to not only continue, but to excel and praise when she accomplished such. It felt... quite different...

She bowed respectfully, though with a small smile on her face.  Being praised at all (contrary to her father's actions) was nice - though with Miss Rarity and the obvious waste of paint Obsidian had made, it felt strange to receive praise for such a dismal failure.  

However, Lemon's genuine approval was truly a nice change, filling her with a feeling of accomplishment.  "I thank you for these kind words, Mister Lemon.  Now, may I ask what the next step is... and may I stop stealing the teacher's glasses?"

Lemon gave the teacher a look, then glanced back at the rest of the students... then back to her, with a grin on his muzzle that eerily matched his brother's mischievous one. "By all means.  Because I want you to now levitate her chair without waking her." 

His smile said she couldn't possibly do it... but his eyes held hope that she could.

Obsidian gave him a rather frightened look, followed by a loud gulp.  Levitate her chair... without waking her?  Taking off her glasses was one thing; moving the chair someone was currently sitting in was something quite different.  Maybe she wasn't teaching Obsidian herself right now, but she was a teacher, and thus worthy of some praise and respect. 

And yet Lemon wanted the dark princess to move her.  "O-okay... by your command, then," she muttered nervously as her aura slowly surrounded both the teacher and her chair, to keep her immobile during this dastardly deed.

As she did, Lemon smiled... and redoubled his efforts to sling the pencil around.  It was frightening as she realized he was only using a fraction of his power earlier; this was like trying to wrestle food from an Ursa Major! 

Slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y... the chair and mare combo began to lift up from the floor... but the effort was bringing beads of sweat out on her forehead, and Lemon's increased vigor with the pencil-waving was throwing her off, making this much more difficult than she'd surmised. 

Suddenly... Lemon let go of the pencil! 


>CRASH!<
 

The teacher and chair both dropped, but at the angle she'd been leaned back in, the chair had unceremoniously dumped her onto the floor.  She came fully awake, sputtering and looking about wildly.  Obsidian, dumbfounded and terrified out of her mind, was shivering with fear.  She could have injured the poor teacher, or worse... made her furious! She didn't even know who this teacher was!

When she spotted the two of them staring in her direction, she lifted a hoof and - with fire in her eyes - she took in a breath to speak... until Lemon spoke up first. 

"One word, and I'll ensure the camera footage of you sleeping is made a priority watch for Miss Glimmer." 

The teacher stared for a moment... then, with a huff, she sat back down, crossed her forelegs, and pouted as she looked over the rest of the cafeteria, purposely avoiding eye contact with either of them. 

Lemon gave a chuckle.  "No worries; if she hadn't been sleeping on the job, I wouldn't have chosen her for a target.  You're completely in the clear, and if she does try to punish you later... tell me, and I'll handle it."

"But, eh... er... i-if you say so," she muttered nervously.  At least it seemed that Lemon's blackmailing skills were on point; they would be getting away with this, though she still felt bad for dumping her in the floor like that.

He looked back at her. "I must say, I am quite impressed at your ability level - much more than I'd anticipated from a royal such as yourself.  I..." 

He suddenly stopped and seemed to have an epiphany which made his look grow, not hard, but serious. 

"... I... may have underestimated you, Obsidian.  And, believe it or not... I think I owe you an apology for such." He gave a small chuckle.  "Imagine that - I was wrong..."  

He then leaned in close, his former dour look crossing his features for only a moment.  "Do not make me regret saying that." 

It seemed that everypony's assumptions about royals were quite different from the ones she had - first, they were surprised that she never had any decent food... next, that her upbringing was a little bit harsh... and now Lemon hadn't expected her to have proper magical abilities... had they really thought her to be so pampered and helpless?

With that, he seemed to visibly relax and sit back in his seat.  "Now... we start again with the pencil."  

The rest of Study Hall was taken up with more examples and exercises... though no more live subjects were targeted by Lemon, who actually turned out to be more than just a sour curmudgeon after all.  At least the rest of the lesson was more peaceful... and at the end, still a bit shaken, Obsidian very profoundly apologized to the teacher before practically fleeing into the hallway.

Now it was time for her Empathy class with Professor Fluttershy; what would she be in for?  Her entourage was in full attendance as she and Lemon joined them and made their way down the hall.  Her friends all seemed to be interested in what she thought of her classes. 

"You like your other stuff?"  Clap asked. 

"Yeah, how's it been for you?" Cup added. 

"Th-this one wants t-t-to know as w-well, please?"  Gypsy smiled, wagging.

"Stop crowding her!... but yes, Your Majesty, how are you liking it?"  Wart leaned in closer.

"Everything is... actually rather good.  In Creative class, I wasted a lot of paint and still somehow got praised by Professor Rarity... but except for that one mishap, I'd say it has been a grand experience," she admitted to her friends. 

Strange; she hadn't seen Mica  yet... and she had been sure that they would have met him during lunch... or maybe even during Study Hall?

Reaching the classroom with the vines around the doorway, the group started to separate off... but Clap stayed behind. "Hey Siddy," she asked, "you seen Mica?  I'da figured he would've joined us by now, but... no show.  You did make up with him, right?"

"I did; I was just thinking about that as well," Obsidian admitted.  Hopefully, her crazy brothers and sisters hadn't gotten to him... oh dear, that would be bad - very bad!  "Do you know where he should be, normally?"

"He should be... well, here; Empathy is his last class for the day too, but..." 

She poked her head into the classroom, looked about, then came back with a worried look in her eyes.  "Nope, he's not here.  You don't think..." 

Lemon scowled.  "That is NOT good; Obsidian, attend your class - I'll search around, as well as inform the Headmare that a student seems to be missing; I'll be here when your class is over, but with all that's happening, he needs to be located." 

Clap looked serious.  "I'm helping." 

"No, you go to class," Lemon started, "I can handle thi-" 

"You don't GET it, Lemon... I'm helping.  You don't send me to class when my best friend is missing.  Period." 

Lemon sighed, but nodded.  "Fine, but partner up with me; neither one of us needs to be alone right now." He turned back to Obsidian.  "We'll find him, don't worry.  Until then, DO NOT LEAVE CLASS... for ANY reason.  Do you understand?"

Oh, darkness and damnation... he WAS targeted!  And it was HER fault, because she didn't think that anypony would be attacked within the school, especially considering she was with Lemon and the additional guards Princess Twilight had sent here!  She was stupid, dumb, a failure, a waste of oxygen... 

If he was hurt, or worse... then his blood would be on her hooves. 

Everypony would have a right to blame her, and only her - her mere presence in this school was a constant danger to everypony around her.  She nodded, her muzzle somewhat pale.  

"Good luck... and please, stay safe."  She faced the doorway before adding softly, "... I'm sorry." 

She walked into the classroom; at this rate, she would become the Princess of Apologies... and would still have a lot to apologize for, as she seemed to be utterly unable to learn from her past mistakes.

Even though Fluttershy was preparing for her class, she took one look at Obsidian and was almost instantly right next to her. "Oh!  Obsidian, what's wrong?  You look so upset!  What's happened, and do you need any help?  Please tell me..." Wow, she really had a knack for this stuff, didn't she?

Was this some kind of magic?  She wasn't reading her mind, right?  Poor Obsidian didn't have much knowledge about things such as body language and so on.  "I'm worried about this situation with my family; Mica Chip didn't meet up with us, and I'm afraid that they might have... done something to him," she explained quietly.  "Mister Lemon will deal with it, though, and I'm sure there's no need for further help."

With a soft sigh, she added quietly, "At least as far as I'm to be involved..."

Fluttershy's eyes widened.  "Oh my goodness!  Poor Mica!  But... but I didn't know he was family to you!  Does that mean you're related to the Pie family?  Oh goodness, this is bad!  Headmare Starlight should be told about this, and Twilight too!" 

"Er, no... Miss Fluttershy, I'm afraid that my brothers and sisters did something to Mica."  Pies related to Dark King Sombra... that would be pretty ironic, all things considered.  And more than a bit scary.

Fluttershy gave Obsidian a soft, reassuring hug.  "Don't worry, I'll call in some friends." Again, she whistle/twittered, and this time, and entire flock of birds, of many different kinds, all flew down from the rafters and landed around them both - a sparrow even alighting on Obsidian's back! 

"My friends, Mica Chip is missing!  Oh please, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I ask you to fly over the school and see if you can find him?" 

The birds all seemed to nod some sort of compliant agreement, then they all headed out through a venthole near the top of the walls, apparently made for birds to go in and out through.  She then turned back to Obsidian. 

"Under these circumstances, I'll understand if you don't think you can concentrate on today's lesson... oh dear, I hope Mica's alright!"

However, Obsidian felt far better when Professor Fluttershy sent all these creatures to help in searching for him.  And though it was still a strange sensation, being hugged by the professor didn't make her flinch.  Perhaps it was because of the fact that she seemed so much an antithesis of violence?  She was the Bearer of the Element of Kindness, after all. 

"Please... I would rather focus on my lessons; I promise you, even though I worry, I will still do my very best," Obsidian assured her.

Fluttershy looked at her. "Oh, you're being so brave... a-are you sure you want me to simply teach today's lesson?  I really wouldn't mind at all if you didn't feel up to it, or if you'd rather we all go look for him?" 

She sighed.  "But... I also understand if you just want to occupy your mind while everyone else searches for him; this must be so hard on you!"  She looked at her directly.  "How would you want me to handle this situation?  I'll understand, either way."

"I was ordered to remain in class, under Mister Lemon's direct orders, Miss Fluttershy."  She didn't want to occupy her mind, to be fair, and she didn't want to endanger anypony else; class was probably best for everyone involved, right now.

"I... I really think that your animals should be enough help for Lemon - especially those with a good sense of smell."  Hmmmm... what if Gypsy could be able to find her brothers and sisters?  Was his nose that level of talented?  And did her siblings account for scent when they were making their illusions to hide with?

Fluttershy looked at her with sadness and sympathy in her eyes... but she nodded sagely.  "Okay, then... I'll teach the class, if that's what you want.  Just know that, if you need anything, just ask - I promise you, you're much, much more important than my lesson plan." 

Fluttershy stepped up to her podium and began to teach the class.  The other students, having been somewhat privy to their conversation, kept glancing over at Obsidian and making faces similar to Professor Fluttershy's. 

The lesson today was, ironically, trying to explain what others might feel if you felt bad, and how sympathy could be kind - but too much could become a problem, such as developing an annoyance or even a reliance on that sympathy. 

As the class went on, there was no word back yet... until a cardinal, bright red and quite pretty, flew down and lit on Fluttershy's mane, twittering at her for a moment before she said, "Oh, Carey, thank you!" 

She turned to Obsidian.  "Carey says he saw him close to the running track on the athletics field, and also said he showed Mr. Custard the way; he says not to worry, Mica didn't look hurt.  But he was..." 

She looked up at the bird, who twittered again at her. "He says he was wearing a... helmet?"

A helmet... A HELMET?  Like the ones worn by the slave-soldiers of her most honourable father?  The ones made to force ponies to serve his will, and fight without even the slightest signs of hesitation or mercy? 

Oh dear, oh dear... 

"My father was known to use magical helmets to force slaves to fight for him," she whispered, utterly terrified at the prospect.  Luckily, Lemon was skilled when it came to light magic, and should be able to restrain him without too many problems.  

"Could this bird... er, Carey... send Mister Lemon a note about this?" she asked timidly.

"Wait..." Fluttershy suddenly gasped.  "You mean... THOSE helmets!?  Oh my oh my oh my..."  She jumped up and looked back at the rest of her class.  "All of you, please, stay here with Obsidian to keep her company while I go tell Headmare Starlight about this horrible situation!" 

Without waiting for a reply, she darted out of the classroom, leaving her students all looking towards Obsidian.  There was an awkward silence for a moment, then... 

"Uh... don't worry," a pegasus stallion from the back row spoke up.

"Yeah - don't worry, you'll be okay," came from a griffon, seated next to her. 

"Yes, and Mica will as well, I'm sure," said an earth pony mare behind her. 

"Yeah, so don't worry - it'll be okay, you'll see," reassured a young dragon with orange scales. 

Her classmates, not even a full day with her in their class, were trying to comfort and encourage her; apparently, Fluttershy truly was a good teacher.

But it was all her fault, and she had plenty of reasons to worry; what if these mad ponies attacked the school - whether out of spite or design - and brought her father back while the defenders were busy? 

She had to remember to talk to Gypsy and check if he could smell the Dark Magic in front of her room.  Her brother was surely quite reeking of brimstone, and if Gypsy could track that, then every diamond dog in the school could just look for ponies that smelled of Dark Magic... except herself, of course. 

It was betrayal of her family - yes, true - but she had to do it, to ensure her own survival... right?  Besides, there was a history to Equestria about these kinds of things; one of numerous attacks against Harmony, all won by its current rulers.  No invader ever won - not even her father, on his own home turf.  Twice.


Obsiiiiiidiiiiiiaaaaannnnnnn...


What was that?


Obsiiiiiiiidiiiiiiiaaaaaaaannnnnnnn... come to usssssssssss...


It was so soft, she almost didn't hear it at all... but in the back of her mind, she swore she heard a mare's voice, with a thick Crystalian accent, whispering softly, almost seductively. 


Come to ussssssssss... join ussssssssss...


There was a flicker of a vision; she saw a slight overlapping of reality and what seemed to be... was it... yes, it was a set of bleachers... and a shiny wooden floor... 


Coooooooome...


Obsidian stood up, looking around her carefully.  It was not real, it couldn't be... how could her sister call out to her? 
Was it some kind of communication between shards, perhaps?  If so, then why she didn't call her earlier, when she was far less invested into fighting them? 

Or perhaps she was close... 

"Onyx...?" Obsidian whispered, so focused on the vision that she forgot she was in a classroom.


Coooooooome... heeeeeerrrrrreeee...


Again, a slight overlay of... the gymnasium!  That was where she was being shown! 


Speeeeeeeaaaaaaaak wiiiiiiiith meeeeeeee... Obsiiiiiiidiiiiiiaaaaaaaannnnnnn...
 

Wait, was she... suggesting a parley, perhaps? 


Coooooooome...


Obsidian smirked - luckily, Mister Lemon specifically told her that she wasn't allowed to leave on her own, and she had been taught well that disobeying her teachers was a bad idea. 

Even when your siblings want to play and dance.

After a moment, her head began to swim just slightly, and the vision of the gym became more clear... and standing there, in the center court of the wooden floor, was someone else in a helmet, standing there with her grinning brother Tourmaline standing beside them, a look of vicious spite on his muzzle. 

Gypsy Rover.


Cooooooooommmmmeeeee... NOOOOOOOWWWWWWW...
 

Tourmaline's eyes glowed, and a cruel-looking dagger levitated up from behind him, and came to rest against the diamond dog's neck, right before the vision faded completely away, the barest whisper floating through her mind beofre it went silent once more. 


Cooooooooommmme...


Of course, merely a spooky whisper or two wouldn't have brought her - so they naturally had upped the ante. 

She was told to stay in class; don't leave under any circumstances.  However, nopony told her what to do when one of her friends literally had a dagger pressed to his throat. 

"There is a pack of warlocks in the gymnasium - please tell the professor or Mister Lemon when they return," she said out loud, not exactly caring if her classmates understood her or complied with her wishes, before she darted into the hall, headed for the gymnasium as quickly as possible. 

She wanted to finish this... and the ponies responsible.
> Twenty One: Twisted Sister
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her classmates may have tried to say something to stop her, yet she heard not a word of it; her goal was the gym. 

Arriving there, Obsidian could very much feel the foul presence of Dark Magic in the air... though it was thicker than Tourmaline's aura had been; perhaps it was due to more than one of her siblings being present?  

It didn't matter - if anything had happened to poor Gypsy... 

Without even noticing the slight purple mist that began to issue from her eyes, she opened the doors.  As in her vision, there was Gypsy - with a helmet-clad Mica standing nearby.  And there was a third stallion standing with them - Lemon Custard in a helmet!  

This was BAD... but Tourmaline was nowhere to be seen, curiously.

In a way, she had satisfied Lemon's command - she was in a presence of an adult pony sent to guard her... too bad that he was currently brainwashed into helping the OTHER SIDE.

"There you are.  Good.  Now that I have your attention..." 

There was a roll of purple smoke from the corner, and a form shimmered into sight as an invisibility spell dropped around a mare about the same age as herself, with a braided mane and tail - both jet black - while her off-white coat seemed to fade to a dull grey at her hooves.  She looked angry, and purple mist rolled from the corners of her mouth as she spoke, revealing wickedly sharp canine teeth. 

"Obsidian... it's about time I met you - glad to see the little illusion I whipped up brought you here.  I was beginning to wonder if you were somewhat retarded, not taking the hints I was sending you!" 

She looked a bit... manic... yet she also seemed to be taking her time and gauging Obsidian carefully.  This mare might not possibly be as foolish as Tourmaline had been, but there was a 'harried' look to her, even though she strode confidently forward. 

"This doglike one, by the way, is very interesting."  She slid a hoof across Gypsy's shoulders, without a single flinch from him as she did.  "Able bodied, uniquely clawed, strong armed... I think he'd make quite a good strip miner, once father's kingdom is back on track." She smiled, and it was like seeing a shark's cold grin.

Obsidian narrowed her eyes, not daring to leave this sister out of her line of sight even for a moment.  Invisibility... that was bad, very bad.  Her mad brother could be anywhere, planning darkness-only-knew what. 

"Onyx, I presume?  I wondered when we would eventually meet..."  Life would be far too kind for them to meet in any peaceful way, of course.  "Yes, diamond dogs seem to be very able miners, with at least a few other interesting abilities.  Using them only for industrial work would be a waste, honestly."

There was somepony else coming, right?  After all, Professor Fluttershy went to raise an alarm, Lemon had also supposedly gone to meet with Headmare Starlight... for Darkness' sake, animals were running and flying everywhere!  This whole mess had to attract somepony's attention!  She just had to stall for time. "The messages, in my head... can you speak this way to all shards?" 

"Onyx!?"  She growled low and guttural.  "Don't you DARE confuse me with her!  I'm nowhere near the level of power she's got amped up inside her... and neither... are... YOUUUUU!" 

The crazed mare suddenly whipped out a dagger very much like the one she'd seen Tourmaline holding earlier, and it floated in front of her, wavering as if it were a pendulum in her magic's grasp. 

"No, you have it wrong... I am Amethyst, a creation of our incredible father's magic, and superior to anypony created after me!" 

She began to pace, her eyes glued to Obsidian as he let her blade follow her pacing, while occasionally making false passes at the helpless diamond dog, coming within inches of cutting him. "And you... we've been watching you, and I find you lacking... BUT..." 

She paused, and the blade seemed to come to a stop. "... she does not, for some reason that's beyond me.  She... is so very close to our goal, to bringing our most honourable father back from the grave, but she says she... requires... our power, which was a gift from father... a gift we must now re-gift unto him, so he may return..." 

She grinned again.  "Still, I'm sure you're FAR more interested in your own slaves here, yes?  Have I made you mad by threatening to break your little toys?"

Oh, so she had not one, but TWO sisters!  Obsidian would have been quite happy to hear that... if they weren't so crazy.  And murderous.  And evil.  Obsidian was beginning to understand more and more about what Princess Twilight had said about the rest of the shards - that perhaps she was the only one among them able to actually have friends. 

"Maybe a little - frankly, I'm a bit surprised that you got Lemon too.  Do you want to keep him - I'm certain he has some redeeming values... though I'm not completely sure what they may be..."  Obsidian said carefully, eyeing the dagger.  In a way, though she was being somewhat flippant, Lemon's presence reminded her that she knew of a few things herself - and she may have had experience with some things that her erstwhile sister wouldn't expect...

Like a pencil.

"So, Sister Onyx seems to have a higher opinion of me than you and our brother - good.  You've effectively admitted you're lacking in comparision to her... so why not just agree with her, would you kindly?" 

Obsidian stepped closer.  Was she really that keen to die to bring back their father?  "Your loyalty to our father is admirable... even I had second thoughts about dying for his return."

"Of course you did, you damnable traitor!"  Spittle flew from her lips as she shrieked at Obsidian, murder in her eyes.  "You are a coward and a waste of father's glorious power!  How could YOU have gotten so much of his magic!?" 

So, if she heard correctly, they all had aspects of their father, and Obsidian's trait was his magic?

"No matter!"  She suddenly shifted her attitude from crazed to calm and collected, smoothing her rumpled fur with a hoof. "The issue here is your cooperation, so I come to you with an offer, you traitor.  If you come with me NOW, then we can have you available for the spell, once Onyx finishes her research... and she will finish soon, thanks to the tome we 'acquired' from the Royal Vaults!"  

She laughed madly; it had all the quality and charm of a cat's claws snagging nylon.  

"Our lives matter not one bit, compared to father's!  And should Onyx have her way, she will have the distinct honor of freeing his essence, giving him life once again!  And in the heart of Equestria, no less, with more power than he has ever held before!"  The dagger was spinning in place, wavering slightly as light reflected off its' blade with each turn.

How wonderful - Obsidian had often wondered who her mother was... and now, it seemed that her father was her mother!  Just as she'd always wanted! 

... gross. 

And Obsidian couldn't help but wonder which aspects were given to Tourmaline and Amethyst - his sublime sense of humour?  Perhaps some unknown of tendency to stare?  Maybe he had a habit of screaming?  It couldn't be anything important; those two weren't exactly regal or dignified - a bit crazy, at best.

Magic, on the other hoof - did it mean that her siblings were potentially more skilled than her, but their powers were weaker? 

"In the HEART of Equestria... you do know what that means, right?" Obsidian focused her mind and her magic.  It was just a pencil - a very sharp one.  Slowly, she began to imagine a ball of resistance around the dagger, hoping that Lemon's advice would save Gypsy's life.

"It means that he would be defeated even more quickly than before; look at the history of this land!   All that you could possibly give to our glorious father in such a place would be a humiliating defeat.  Now, I have asked the princess to spare him... and the lot of you... but I'm not certain if she means to honor my request." 

Obsidian taunted her crazy sister further. "Assuming you'd be able to pull it off in the first place, as incompetence seems to be rampant among you!  Were you simply too foolish to even attempt to reach out to me before that pathetic attempt to kill me?" 

There had to be someone on the way...

"That impostor princess is just a glob of muck under our father's hooves!  She will be his concubine!  AND YOU WILL LEARN YOUR PLACE!" 

She strode forward, and Obsidian felt her jerk HARD on her dagger... yet, to Amethyst's great surprise, it didn't budge. "Wha... what is this!?  LET GO!!!" 

She began pulling magically on the dagger, so intent on gaining it back from Obsidian that she was paying absolutely NO attention to her sister at all - her eyes and focus were all on that blade! 

"MINE MINE MINE MINE MIIIIIIIINE!!!!!" 

At this point, she began trying to struggle it out of Obsidian's grasp... but the dark princess was managing to hold it in place, if just barely.  She wouldn't be able to continue this for long though, as her sister's magic was frantic and agitated - and she'd wiggle out of it before too long. 

The doors on the other side of the gym suddenly slammed open, and somepony stepped forward. 

"... OH, TARTARUS NO!" 

With a roar of frustrated anger, Amethyst completely lost her grip on her dagger as she turned, surprised, and saw another mare storming over towards them both.  "What-" 

"NOBODY PLAYS ROTTEN WITH MY FRIENDS, SCUMBAG!" bellowed Thunderclap Dash, looking mad enough to spit fire. 

The massive mare lunged at Amethyst and grabbed her midsection, then did what looked almost like a dance move, and smoothly (and POWERFULLY) twisted her around and >WHAM!< slammed the errant shard-pony into the floor with such force, the high windows rattled in their frames! 

"Obsidian!" Also charging through the doors came Cupcake, with a potion in one of his hooves.  He ran towards his brother and, uncorking the bottle as he made his way over, he poured a splash of what looked like green water over his head... and the helmet merely sizzled away.  

"... uuuugh, wha... what?  H-happened..?" the unicorn looked a bit dazed, but Cupcake spoke up.

"Lemon!  Danger!" 

The word was like a lightning bolt as Lemon snapped out of his daze and spotted Amethyst, who was screaming on the floor while Clap began to twist all her hooves behind her and sit on them. "Obsidian!  The dagger!  Get it to me!"

Whatever aspect Amethyst had gotten from their illustrious father, it surely wasn't his wits; her crazed ranting, her failure to approach Obsidian in a parley fashion... and now she seemed to be more focused on her weapon than her enemy! 

Truth to be told, Amethyst was very lucky that Obsidian didn't continue her assault - with her apparently potent Dark Magic, she would be in a world of pain; at the moment, the dark princess was simply doing her best to stall her... then Thunderclap rushed in, personally redefining the term 'world of pain' for Obsidian's unlucky sibling. 

Obsidian immediately levitated the rather sharp dagger to Lemon - for the first time in her life, so glad to hear his voice.  She'd been lucky that Amethyst hadn't thought about using her puppets against her; Gypsy should be probably easy to restrain, using Dark Magic, but Lemon would have been a far more formidable opponent. 

And so; first things first.

Obsidian's horn flashed, creating magical binds that kept Amethyst in place as Thunderclap restrained her, then she rushed forward, with the very clear intent of putting her sister into a more manageable mood... by knocking her unconscious with a kick to the horn.

It was at that point that three things happened:

First, Gypsy suddenly moved like greased lightning, moving between Obsidian and Lemon, and yanked the dagger from the air so fast that Obsidian didn't even have time to pull it back from his grasp.  He then turned and, with a quick swipe, drew a slash across Lemon's barrel. 

Second, Mica leapt forward and slammed his hooves into Thunderclap's back, making her yelp.  She turned with anger in her eyes - and stopped cold when she saw who it was. "M-Mica!?"  And then he struck her again, this time in the head, drawing blood from a gash on her temple as she cried out in pain. 

Third, Amethyst growled... and a helmet appeared out of thin air, right over Thunderclap!

The crazed pony began to laugh maniacally. "You lose!  You lose!  You-" 

Obsidian's kick landed, and the scream of pain that erupted from her erstwhile sister was loud enough to hurt her ears!  Yet the very moment the kick connected, all of the helmets vanished in puffs of smoke, as if they were unstable to begin with.  Gypsy and Mica fell to the floor, while Lemon merely let out a hiss of pain as he brought a hoof to his chest, which was beginning to bleed. 

"I'll live," Lemon rasped through gritted teeth, "just restrain that psycho!"

Frankly, if you have to scream about your victory for your enemies to know that they'd lost... then it wasn't exactly a victory yet.  Obsidian made sure that Amethyst would remember this lesson... though it wasn't like Obsidian had to let off some steam and was enjoying it, right? 

"AND STAY DOWN!"  Obsidian shouted with a righteous fury, as she delivered a second kick to Amethyst's head.  It wasn't civilized or pretty - but she had to be sure her crazed sister was thoroughly pacified, or at least too dazed to cast any spells.  Again, a bloodcurdling scream issued from the shard-pony as she squirmed underneath Thunderclap's weight and Obsidian's restraining magics. 

She was just making sure.

"LEMON!" Cupcake called out to his own sibling.

"NO, Cup, I'm fine - check on the other two!" 

Hesitantly, Cupcake - still looking towards his brother with extreme concern - made his way over to Mica's limp form, trying to shake him awake gently. 

"You sorry little... I'M GONNA BEAT YOUR FLANK SO HARD, YOUR WHOLE FREAKIN' EMPIRE'LL FEEL IT!"  Clap yelled as she leaned down into Amethyst, causing her to screech yet again... and this time, there was an accompanying >snap<, which brought an even higher pitched scream from Obsidian's sister. 

"Thunderclap, back off!" Lemon yelled.  The massive mare grit her teeth so hard, Obsidian could hear it... yet she stopped pressing the dark mare down into the wooden floor like she was trying to bury her through pressure alone. 

"... ooooohhhhhh... th-the head..." Gypsy started to sit up, yet held his head and groaned.  Mica, meanwhile, was beginning to rouse as well, also groaning and holding his head in his hooves as Cupcake patted his back. 

"Mica?  You okay?" Cup asked anxiously.

"... I feel like... a freshly-shifted tectonic plate... in a state of geothermic distress..." the earth pony muttered.

"... he's fine," Cup said with relief as he turned to see to their diamond dog friend next.

"Th-th-this one... d-d-does not enj-joy... the h-h-head-poundies..." Gypsy groaned, but his tail gave a light wag as Cup came to check him over.

Amethyst, her muzzle pressed to the floor and bleeding from the base of her horn, stared with an almost palpable spite at Obsidian. "I hope... she... skins your slaves alive... and force feeds their flesh to y-" 

"SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE!"  Clap yelled directly into her ear, which made Amethyst squeeze her eyes shut in pain.

Well, the first meeting with her sister could have gone better, but at least she didn't escape... at least not yet, as Obsidian had no doubts that her siblings were pretty crafty... when it came to running away with their tails between their legs. However with her bleeding horn, inferior magical skills, and now what may have been a broken bone or two?  She would probably stay down, for now. 

Obsidian barely managed to resist the temptation to taunt and belittle Amethyst and instead turned her attention to Lemon Custard.  She trotted quickly to him to examine the slash wound and, if possible, heal it.  

"... I'm sorry for disobeying orders... and I await the appropriate punishment," she whispered to him, not wanting Amethyst to hear it.  

Lemon muttered back, "Don't worry about it - you did fine; far be it for me to punish you for saving me."  

The wound was mostly shallow, but the cut ran all the way across his barrel in front, leaving an ugly red line from his shoulder to the opposing foreleg.  It was most certainly within her realm of healing however, and she began to prepare the spell for him and Thunderclap.

"I... what happened?  I don't recall," Mica said, holding his head with a hoof. 

"Slimeball here had you under a Sombra helmet, 'til Siddy kicked the fire outta her!" Clap proudly boasted for Obsidian.

As the group gathered themselves, Obsidian got a look at Clap's forehead; it was a gash that seemed to be bleeding somewhat freely - but also not a difficult fix for her healing magics. 

Amethyst said nothing, but if looks could kill, they would all be corpses with the seething and furious glare she was giving them all.

Her magic gathered, Obsidian cast the healing spell on Lemon's wound, and then on Clap's head... the Dark Magic of Sombra, being used to heal 'lesser' ponies - who would have thought?

"We should call for Princess Twilight, right?  I mean, since we have performed pest control... and successfully captured the pest," Obsidian smirked at Amethyst, enjoying the futile rage in her eyes.  Such a foolish little pony, daring to attack HER and her FRIENDS... 

"Mister Lemon? Did you get to the headmare before you were attacked?"  There was still no Tourmaline to be seen - was his appearance in her vision a mere illusion?

"No, I didn't; I picked up a trail - left intentionally, I'd wager - and followed it to the restrooms on the second floor; next I know, I'm waking up here, coated in green... Cup, what IS this stuff?" 

Cupcake grinned, "Professor Fluttershy reached us in the science lab, and Doctor Whooves had a concoction that he said could dissolve solid magics, just in case.  I... think he wanted it back... wait... he said he didn't want it back.  I think." 

"And I was drawn to the cafeteria... it looked like my mother was walking inside, but she doesn't work here - so I naturally followed.  And you know the rest."  Mica rubbed his head again, absentmindedly. 

"Th-th-this o-one... rec-calls seeing y-y-y-y-you after c-c-class... then he w-was th-th-thirsty, and w-went for a d-d-d-dr-drink at the f-fountain... then s-s-suddenly, he w-w-was here."  Gypsy looked down, unsure of what else to say.

Clap looked up at her as she healed her cut.  "Thanks, Siddy - that feels lots better." 

Lemon nodded.  "Yes, thank you - NOW," he walked over and leaned down, his face inches from Amethyst's, "as for YOU, I believe you're familiar with the concept of a dungeon, hmmmmmm?" 

"I.  SPIT.  ON.  YOUR.  ENTIRE.  NATION.  SLAVE." 

Clap spat directly onto the crazed pony's muzzle.  "Beat you to it, you garbage," she scowled. 

"Now now," Lemon glanced at Clap, "that's enough of that... no need to rub it in."  As he spoke, he reached up and did exactly that, smearing Clap's spit into Amethyst's muzzle fur... but carefully avoiding her rather sharp teeth.

"Okay," Lemon stood up and gave the group a most serious look, "I'll fetch guards and take her where she can't harm anyone but herself, but I want all of you to report directly to Princess Twilight, immediately.  Let her know what's happened, and for Twilight's sake, stay together." 

With that, he turned and, with a final glance at Amethyst and her dagger encased in his magic, he left to do as he said. As soon as he'd left the room, Clap began leaning on Obsidian's sister again, making her groan in pain through gritted teeth.

Obsidian frowned at the treatment of her sister.  "Thunderclap, there is no call for that - if my siblings hadn't been so incompetent by not trying to reach out to me - not to mention trying to kill me - thus forcing me into the Equestrian camp... well, I'd possibly be the one on the floor." 

Despite herself, she looked at Amethyst and smirked anyway.  "... or not; I wouldn't focus on a simple dagger during a fight, ignoring everything else around me.  Anyway, does anypony have a handkerchief?"

Gypsy, of course, reached up his sleeve and pulled out a hankerchief.  "Th-this one d-d-d-does."  He reached down and, amidst growls from Amethyst, kindly and cautiously cleaned her cheek of spittle.  

Clap's brow darkened.  "She was gonna HURT everyone; trust me, if I hadn't done that, I'da done much... much... worse.  But," she sighed, "fine.  FINE.  No more spit.  Because YOU asked."  She also sat up a little more, allowing a bit more room for Amethyst to breathe... for which, she seemed so grateful for... 

"You had better hope I don't get my blade back, or I will skin you all alive!" 

"LOOK," Cupcake was suddenly right in her face, crouched and eye level with her, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR MANURE, YOU WARMED-OVER EXCUSE FOR A CONQUEROR'S JOCKSTRAP - SHUT.  THE.  TARTARUS.  UP!" 

Amethyst glared at him... but said nothing more. Cup stood up, smoothed his mane back, and gave a short sigh.  "Well, I guess we have to get to Princess Twilight, as soon as dark-&-gruesome here is safely put away.  Are you okay, Obsidian?" The others looked to her, apparently also concerned.

Obsidian nodded. "I've just discovered that I have another sister... managed to survive my meeting with her... everypony seems to be alive... and we captured her.  It's ideal, I would say.  As soon as she stops talking about skinning ponies alive, I'm sure we'll become Best Big Sister Friends Forever," she grinned to them, reaching levels of sarcasm and irony she didn't even know about a few days ago. 

Clap grinned.  "Heh, I think you're getting the hang of this stuff, Siddy - just don't invite me to your family reunions, 'kay?"

"Considering everything she said before," Obsidian pondered, "I think my sense of self-worth feels a bit improved, too."  Knowing that you were made from the best part of your father does wonders for one's stress and anxiety. 

"Gypsy, I was wondering..." she trotted to him and leaned toward his ear, whispering,  "... do you think you would be able to possibly smell Dark Magic?  My siblings can mask themselves, and I don't have any other ideas on how to detect them..."

Gypsy looked down thoughtfully at Obsidian's question.  "Well... th-this one c-c-c-can certainly s-smell your sist-t-ter, th-that is cert-t-tain.  Perhaps he c-c-could.  He w-w-would be willing t-to find out-t."  It was better than nothing, right? Perhaps it should be enough to at least prepare for fight instead of getting two surprise attacks in a row. 

"What she said before?" Mica asked.  "I don't believe we were privy to that part of the conversation, Siddy - care to fill us in?"

"I believe that Amethyst had stated that I was the recipient of my father's magic when he created us; I consider it very interesting information..."

"What do you mean?  How did you get his magic?"  Mica asked curiously. 

Cupcake looked as though he understood though.  "Wait... this has to do with the shard-thing Auntie Twilight was talking about earlier, doesn't it?" 

"What in the wide, wide world of Equestria are you yammering about, Cuppie?"  Clap asked. 

"Well... it's not my story to tell, Clap," he looked at Obsidian, "because I don't know if she feels like she can share it with everyone yet." 

"C'mon, Siddy," Clap looked to her, "spill it."

That's right - they didn't know; only Cupcake had been with her when she'd experienced the worst meltdown of her life. 

"Oh, how should I put it... my siblings and I were made from parts of King Sombra's soul, infused into crystal - and isn't that interesting too?  We are literally shards of him!"  Her eyes practically beamed as she spoke. 

Maybe she actually, truly DID like this modern Equestria and didn't exactly want to go with this whole 'bringing father back by killing you' idea, but she still considered the power and skill from her most honourable father to be the BEST... THING... EVER!

The rest were quiet for a moment.  Two moments.  Three. 

"So... what, you're... not actually a pony?"  Clap blatantly asked. 

Cup's eyes went wide, and he jumped in immediately, apparently recalling how bad Obsidian had taken it when she'd heard it herself. "Nonononononononono!!!  She's REAL - as real as I am, Clap - and she already had a mini-crisis over that, so I think it'd be a good idea to not-" 

"Whoa, no, yeah," Clap turned to Obsidian, "I didn't mean... I just... yo, I am SO sorry, Siddy!  I just... it's weird, y'know?" 

"I'm sure she does know, Clap," Mica said evenly, "after all, how would YOU react to being told you were a magical shard?" 

Clap stood up and walked right over to Obsidian and embraced her tightly, but not so hard it would hurt.  "Oh manure, Siddy, no, I'm sorry, please don't take it bad!  You're real to me, I swear!" 

"You're real to us all," Cup said as he also came to her and wrapped his hooves around them both. 

"Never a d-d-doubt," as Gypsy joined them. 

"As real as each and every one of us," Mica joined the group hug. 

Well, maybe she wasn't really 'real', but she had proven was at least as good as real!  It was nice of Cup to try to protect her, though before she managed to reassure both him and Clap that she was in a rather fine mental state right now, they'd all ganged up on her!

Thunderclap's hug had been a bit rough; it truly felt as if she could absolutely crush anypony around - no wonder Amethyst went down that easily!  Then the rest of her friends went along with the idea, quickly surrounding the poor unicorn mare who didn't really like being touched with hooves and paws...

But... it actually wasn't as bad as she'd expected - though it was still a bit of a nervous experience. 

It lasted for all of ten seconds before Mica spoke up.  "Okay, we should consider what's going on here." 

They all separated, with Clap leaving a lingering hoof on Siddy's shoulder for a moment more.  Once parted, Mica began to pace. "Okay, so if each shard supposedly contains an aspect of Sombra, then we need to take stock.  It seems that you have the magic, while your charming sister has slavery magic.  Not to mention illusions, as my mother was quite probably nowhere near this place today.  What did your brother have?"

"Hold that thought, Mica; I'd say not now, not here.  In a moment, we can go see Princess Twilight - we should be able to talk there, especially as there would be no spying sisters around."

Amethyst glared in anger and narrowed her eyes, but said nothing at all. 

"Right," Mica said, "you're correct."  He gave the groundbound mare a glance, shrugged, then looked back at the group.  "So then, my guess would be that, if you've been attacked by two siblings today, then perhaps there will be another; I'd wager they're close to their goals, so they've reached desperate measures." 

This was when the doors opened, and Lemon stepped in, followed by Professor Fluttershy, four fully-armor-clad Royal Guardsponies... and a very pouty and comparably tiny Stalwart Stance. 

"Amethyst," Lemon began as he levitated out a unicorn magic shackle, fitting it into place over her horn, "you are under arrest for the assault on Obsidian, as well as the forced enslavement of Mica Chip, Gypsy Rover and myself.  And given time, I'm sure I can come up with plenty more to keep you imprisoned for a loooooooooong time." 

She still seemed defiant, and struggled at the sight of the restraint - but as soon as it locked into place, Amethyst simply sort of deflated against the floor, looking as though she had finally given up... as well as slightly scared. 

"Take her away... and get her to a cell quickly, as she could have accomplices." The guards saluted, took hold of her (where she went completely limp), and dragged her bodily from the room, bound for a cell in the Royal Palace. 

It was admittedly a bit painful to see Amethyst treated that way; if her siblings had amicably approached Obsidian first, or at least tried to reach her before she started to enjoy friendship, or at the VERY least hadn't tried to kill her... she could be on their side...

And most likely, she'd meet a similar fate.  In a way, Tourmaline had actually saved her from this possibility with his surprise attack... but at any rate, at least one shard out of four was defeated and captured.  And beaten into submission.  With maybe a few broken bones, an injured horn, and without her magic... 

Obsidian really hoped things would end well for her; perhaps after a while in a cell, she would realize that there were other ways to live her life.  Amethyst may have been crazed, but she was still her sister. 

"That's done," Lemon sighed, "but now we have to report this incident to-" 

There was a flash of purple light, and Twilight Sparkle, in all her glory, was standing among them!  "Fluttershy, I got your message - what's the problem?" 

Professor Fluttershy looked to Obsidian.  "I think she could tell you more than I could, Twilight.  Obsidian, if you would, please explain?"

"Princess," Obsidian bowed lightly, "if I may?  Everything started after I apologized to Mica; we were going to meet up later, but he never showed up, even when it was time for Empathy classes with him.  It turned out that he was slave-helmeted by my sister Amethyst, along with Gypsy and Mister Lemon as well.  She then called out to me magically... I think... and then, I managed to stall her for a moment, then Clap and Cup joined in, and when she was bested, the helmets vanished."

It wasn't bad for a recap of the events; Obsidian hoped she wouldn't have to recall too many fine details, as it had been somewhat fast and furious when the entire affair had gone down.

"She said that another sister, Onyx, is quite close to bringing back our father, thanks to the book she claimed she'd recently gotten from your Royal Vaults.  Each of us shard-ponies apparently holds a specific part of my father - from what I gathered, I've got his magic, and she probably got his enslavement spells."

Twilight Sparkle's muzzle looked grimmer and grimmer as Obsidian told her story.  "It's worse than I thought, then - I would assume that to mean the other shards are somewhere nearby, and that their plans are coming to fruition.  If they're getting desperate enough to attack you on campus, then we can't be certain they won't try something more." 

"Wait," Obsidian pondered, "my sister didn't say 'book' - she said 'tome'.  I wonder if she meant Miss Tome..."

She turned to Fluttershy.  "Gather the girls and meet me in the map room; we're going to discuss what we can do, then we're leaping into action."  She then turned to face Obsidian again.  "As for you, please keep your friends close to you - are you missing anyone else?" 

Stalwart was still pouting by the doorway, seemingly staring at the carpet.

Obsidian looked among her friends, making note of Wart's arrival.  "No, not that I can tell; I don't count ponies that I've only exchanged a few words with, of course."  She then spoke to the little mare.  "Stalwart, friend... please join us."

Stalwart Stance looked up, then her eyes slid over to Twilight... then they returned to the floor. 

The alicorn sighed.  "Stalwart, I'm sorry, but I've told you this before - you simply wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest of my Royal Guard; I can try you out as a number of other positions, though.  You could-" 

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she uncharacteristically interrupted, "but I cannot do what I do not feel that I should do." 

Twilight sighed, but nodded.  "... as you wish, Stalwart.  And I truly am sorry." 

Wart said nothing, yet made her way into the room and stood next to Obsidian, unable to look at her. 

"Now," Twilight said, "if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for what might be an invasion from within; please be careful, my subjects.  And let your fellowship protect you."  With that, she vanished with a >POP<, leaving them on their own once more.

Perhaps there was really no other option to help Stalwart, other than help her deal with fact that her dreams were only that - dreams, and nothing more.  

Obsidian carefully raised her hoof and slightly patted Stalwart on the back. "You... you missed a group hug. Do you want to make it up?"  Hugs seemed to cheer the others up, so maybe it would work on her as well?

Stalwart's bottom lip wavered.  "I... w-will be fine..." 

Cupcake looked at her earnestly.  "... but you're not fine, Wart." 

That did it.  With those words, Wart let out a whimper, then a sob that just repeated as she stood there, eyes closed, tears tracking down her muzzle to the floor. "It isn't fair!  I've been training and training and training... I'm even better than most of the guards already IN the guard, but... but because I don't fit their image, I cannot do what I so desperately wish I COULD do!  I have pushed myself to my limits and beyond, and yet I am a FAILURE!" 

"Wart, you-" Mica began. 

"NO!  NO!  I shall NOT merely roll over and accept this!  NO!"  She stamped her hoof, putting a small crack in the wooden floor. 

"Wart, c'mon..." Clap said. 

"I... I... I... i..." She began sobbing again, and everyone else seemed as if they were hurting right along with her. 

"... failure," she repeated.

Well, Obsidian knew that feeling fairly well - especially lately, as her self-worth was wavering between very low and very high values, depending on how many terrifying truths she learned about herself or how badly she'd fallen into her sibling's traps.  

So she very, very carefully - urrrrgh - wrapped one foreleg around the diminuitive mare. "Stalwart. you are not a failure - it was you, not one of the guards, that forced my brother to escape... and how you stood against griffons yesterday? 
You can do so much more than just wear shiny armor, stand next to the throne and try to look intimidating."  

She tried to cheer her up - in her own, very non-experienced way. "Especially if you stick with us, because I'm afraid that our lives may be quite exciting, soon."

Stalwart sniffled, tears still running from her eyes... but she looked up at Obsidian, red-eyed and miserable.  "I... but, why would... I..." She looked across all the others as well, her gaze drifting from one to the next. 

"Stalwart, you are one of the best fighters I've ever seen.  You don't need validation from the throne," Mica said to her. 

"Th-this one ha-a-a-as, many t-t-times, seen your b-b-br-bravery, and h-he envies y-you.   You are a-a-already a m-mighty warrior t-t-t-to us," Gypsy smiled kindly. 

"Yeah, you're totally awesome in a fight, and you kick some serious flank!"  Cup laughed. 

"Wart, they're just afraid you'll take over - that's all, girl."  Clap grinned widely. 

She looked at them all, then back at Obsidian, then she sighed and wiped her eyes. "... thank you.  All of you."  Her pain was still obvious, but it was no longer eating her alive.  Maybe Stalwart didn't seem to be as happy as before, but at least her meltdown had ended for the moment.

"Okay, Obsidian?"  Mica spoke up.  "We need to figure out what we're doing; shall we head to the Applejack Suite, then?"

"Oh dear... I think that my coming here might count as 'skipping a class'," Obsidian muttered under her breath when she realized that.  What a terrible student she was - her father would be severely dissapointed. 

She looked at all her friends.  "Yes, let's go.  I'd like to check if Gypsy could still smell my brother's scent anyway,"  she suggested,  she had no better ideas for now anyway.

Gypsy instantly put his nose to the floor, his hoodie all but covering his entire head.  He snuffled around for a moment, then looked up. "There is n-n-no other sc-scent th-th-th-than Amethyst-t-t here, p-princess.  But if we enc-c-c-counter a scent like th-this again, I will ch-ch-chase it d-d-d-down for you."  Proof positive that Tourmaline's image had been an illusion... but then, where was he and what was he up to, if he wasn't here?

With that, the lot of them began to make their way down the hall.  SIX of them, all grouped together, travelling as one.  There was something that felt... whole... about it, and Obsidian could almost feel the static charge of something special happening, though there was no clue as to what it could be. 

Perhaps it was just being surrounded by her friends?  Frankly, walking around with them like this was something Obsidian could get used to.

At any rate, it was only about ten minutes before they reached her current room in the palace, and with them all inside, it seemed somewhat full, but livelier than it had ever looked before.  The colors around them almost seemed sharper, crisper than they'd looked before she'd brought them all here.  The Applejack Suite was much bigger than her old room in the Crystal Empire, so there was still enough room for everyone.

"Alright," Mica started, "as I said, we have magic, illusions and slavery.  What did your brother attack you with or specialize with?"

"My brother was using an illusion as well to hide himself. As soon as it dropped, however, he used very powerful offensive magic - including some charmingly named Bonetwister spells."  Obsidian shivered slightly; if those thirty beams had hit her, she would have turned into jelly. 

"Either each of my siblings can use illusions, or one of them specializes in it.  I have only encountered two of them so far, but from what I've learned, apparently their leader is my sister, Onyx.  They spoke of her plans being almost complete... which would lead me to the conclusion that she may be the recipient of our father's wits."

"His wits?  That sounds wonderful," Cup bemoaned. 

"Still, we have at least a few things to go on.  And if all of you are required to give your power to Sombra, then having Amethyst locked up may give us some time."  Mica pondered the point.  "And more time is better than less time." 

"Look, if we're gonna do all this, we've gotta find something that can tell us more about what's up here."  Clap looked a bit frustrated. 

Gypsy sighed.  "W-we d-d-did... Miss Tome, who is n-n-no longer anywh-where we c-can f-f-find her, unf-f-fortunately." 

Clap kicked the bed.  "Dangit!  How're we gonna find HER?" 

Gypsy pulled out a piece of paper and began folding, his mind elsewhere as he thought it over.  Cup started pacing.  Clap and Mica looked as though they were truly trying to figure something out. 

"We... could use a... Locator Spell?"  Wart offered, timidly. 

The others stared at her for a moment, then- "Wart, that's brilliant!" Mica exclaimed.  "As long as she's not shielded from such, we should be able to cast a Locator Spell on her, then we could find-" 

"No," Wart interrupted, "I mean, on the dark crystal surrounding her.  That way, even if she's shielded from detection, the crystal might not be." 

"We'd have to have a dark crystal first, Wart... but not a bad idea at all," Mica mused. 

"Hey, Siddy... can you make one of those dark crystal thingies?"  Clap looked to Obsidian, an eyebrow raised.  "Maybe we could use it to track the rest of 'em?"

Obsidian couldn't help but wonder how the disappearance of eight of her other siblings could have influenced the rest.  Could it possibly hamper the return of their father?  Or perhaps, as her brother said, their power was distributed among the rest of them?  Or maybe Onyx found a way to gather it after all... 

And Miss Tome - the mare who was apparently was working with her siblings for reasons unknown, but wanted to alert Obsidian.  How was she involved in all of this?  And how did her kidnapping help them with bringing back their father? 

She wondered for a moment. Dark crystalssssss...
> Twenty Two: Crystal Clarity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I... can try.  That's very Dark Magic, though; it may take a moment..." 

What should she tell them?  That she felt far too happy with them to be sure it would work? 

She tried to focus on her negative feelings, starting with the proud triumph she felt after the utter defeat of Amethyst.  It was... pathetic to see her crushed so utterly.  Maggot!  Mongrel!  Unworthy of carrying even a portion of such a soul as wonderful as their father's!  

Hopefully scorn and pride would be enough to cast the proper magics...

Obsidian concentrated, trying to build up the energy needed to produce one of the sinister Dark Crystalsssssss... she pushed and struggled and focused her immense willpower... 

Aaaaaand nothing; she was too happy.  There was no way she'd be able to make even a hoof-sized crystal, never mind one of the size required. 

"Wait," Cup blinked, "Dark crystals need Dark energy, right?"  He looked at the others.  "We've been pumping her full of goodwill; I don't know that she could right now... could you?" 

"Hmmmmm... Obsidian," Mica said, "does the energy have to be Dark to work?"

"Well, no one has yet tried to cast the spell with Light Magic before, as far as I know so - yes - you could say that," she sighed, clearly unhappy about her humiliating lack of ability to cast Dark Magic on a whim anymore.  It almost felt as if she was magically mutilated. 

"I can use others' negative emotions, but allow me to be clear: I do NOT want to use any of you in any way..."  

She cut her eyes to Cupcake; 'hugs' weren't exactly using others, right?  

"Perhaps you could make an attempt to embarrass or possibly even anger me?  With that sort of motivation, I may possibly be able to cast it.  For example, Lemon tried to disorient me during our exercises, asking me about some, er... romantic stuff, but his tactics were unsuccessful."

It was Wart who got the idea. "Your Majesty," she said, "when I saw you dealing with your brother, he said something that made you very angry.  I... didn't say so at the time, but you had... purple mist... coming from your eyes." 

"Whoa," Clap said, impressed, "what'd he say to you?" 

Cupcake trapped in chains...  Thunderclap with scars after whipping... Gypsy forced to spend days in the mine instead of learning history as he loved...  

Just the thought of what Tourmaline had implied about the fate of her friends under the rule of the Slave King... and purple mist began to seep from her eyes, making wisps that flowed back toward her mane.

"WOW!"  Cupcake took a step back from Obsidian, and the others just stared. 

"There!" Wart exclaimed.  "That was what your eyes were doing when I found you!" 

She could feel it.  ANGER!  Maybe if she imagined more and worse, the power would possibly come?

The thoughts came rapidly and, after years of experience with her father, shockingly naturally to her: Cupcake impaled on a Dark Crystal shard, his still living body twitching in unspeakable agony, tears running down his blood-stained muzzle, mouth open and gasping for a scream... 

Mist practically erupted from Obsidian's eyes as she growled and shot a beam of inkwell-black energy at the floor. 

Kill! Destroy!  She had to defeat every single creature that threatened the lives of her friends!  IT DIDN'T MATTER WHETHER THEY WERE HER FAMILY OR NOT! 

Obsidian's growl grew until it reached a fevered pitch, and she opened vengeance-filled eyes that were gowing like hot steel in a forge!  "... damn you... CREATE!!!"

The floor of the Applejack Suite split wide open, and a Dark Crystal rumbled up from the ground beneath, stopping just short of the ceiling.  The others backpedaled from the occurrence, all simply thunderstruck by the power they just witnessed.  

Mica and Cupcake exchanged a worried look, then Cup stepped forward. "Princess... Obsidian... you did it... calm yourself down, it's done.  It's okay." 

"Wow - if you get THAT powerful when you get riled up, remind me not to get on your bad side!"  Clap gave a chuckle, the look on her muzzle changing from shock to gritty good humour.  "But keep whatever you thought ready for if we gotta fight again, 'kay?" 

Mica came closer to the crystal and examined it closely.  "I... am impressed, for the record.  I didn't think-"  He then made the mistake of touching it, though only gingerly. 

"... oooohhh..."  Mica stumbled back, catching himself on the corner of the dresser that had been shoved against the wall by the crystal's entrance.  Gypsy came towards him in concern, but Mica held up a hoof.  

"That was... ohhhhh... no, no, I'm... I'm f-fine, but..." he shook his head vigorously, as if clearing his mind of cobwebs, "remind me never to do that again."

"I truly hope that Butter Churn's mother won't be using her suite for a while... otherwise, I'm dead," Obsidian muttered, even though she was rather... pleased by its size.  She had never managed to make it quite that size before; quite a noticable difference. 

The Dark Princess stepped forward, touching her crystal lightly with a hoof, in an almost motherly fashion, practically petting it.  

"Yes... crysssssstalssssss..." she purred huskily.  With such power, she should be able to defeat all of her foolish siblings... and take their own magics for herself!  Yes, nopony would be EVER able to stand against her!

... okay, maybe Cup was right.

"Cupcake, please... you don't have to call me 'princess'.  However, I believe I require a calming hug - would you please come forth and provide one?"  She slid her hoof along the crystal tenderly, her eyes never leaving it - even as she made her request.

And while the others had eyeballed her 'loving caress' of the large black crystal, they ALL turned to stare at Cupcake when she asked directly for a hug.  He looked at the others, chuckled sheepishly, then came directly to her. 

"Whenever you want, Siddy," he said kindly, then he wrapped his forelegs around her and nuzzled into her mane.  She could smell the sweet scent from him that she'd encountered before... his touch was so kind, his fur so soft... "whenever you want." 

It was like he was the cooling balm to her angry rash, the soothing drink of water for her anger-parched throat, the ice for her fire... 

By Darkness, was she having a crush on Cupcake!?

The rest of them simply stared.  At one point, Clap looked over at Mica and blinked.  Gypsy looked at Wart, and she simply shrugged.  Slowly, the purple mist from her eyes ceased its' flow, and faded from view.

An interesting experience, truth be told - of course, it could just have been the fact that it was thinking about his horrific death which had angered her; his touch reminded her that he was still alive and right next to her.  She held him at foreleg's length and smiled.  "Thank you, Cup.  Your hugs are quite powerful, I daresay - nothing has ever brought me to peace so quickly..."

With one last smile at Cup, she turned to Wart. "Now, what was it you were saying about a Locator Spell?  I do believe this crystal will... be... er, sufficient?"

Why were they just staring at her like that?  A mere moment before, they'd had a group hug - without asking her first before including her - and now they were surprised by her actually asking Cup for a warm, wonderful hug?  

Were they possibly jealous?

It was quiet for a moment, but then Wart stepped forward, clearing her throat to speak.  "A... *ahem* a Locator Spell isn't exactly a commonplace spell, as its' uses are far too tempting - yet I believe there's a copy in the library here; I can fetch it, if you like, Your Majesty?" 

Mica pre-empted Obsidian's reply.  "Actually, I had designs that Obsidian, Thunderclap and I could fetch it; I want you here with Gypsy and Cup, watching this crystal; it may attract something we don't want, so I'd want the three of you to guard this room, and keep the door closed and don't allow anyone besides us into the room." 

Cup looked at Wart and Gypsy, then smiled and saluted.  "Yus yus yus, you can count on us!"  However, his gaze lingered on Obsidian for a moment before he turned back to the others...

Mica nodded, then turned to Clap and Obsidian.  "Shall we go?  I have a feeling it'll be in the rare book section, am I right?"  

He looked to Wart for approval, who nodded an affirmative. "Towards the back corner, last bookcase on the right, on the middle shelf - behind the front desk," she added.  Mica gestured for them to follow, and headed out the doorway.  

Well then - a trek to the library; she'd hoped that it was something they already had available... as in, 'in hoof'.  Splitting the group up like this could be dangerous; hopefully her siblings wouldn't risk attacking them in a middle of Princess Twilight's castle... but it seemed as if they had no other choice.  

Her fault, really - she should have asked for more details, then gotten hold of spell first and then... THEN she could have created this beautiful cryssssstal... but she left the room with Mica and Clap anyway; perhaps it was the for the best, splitting up so they could fetch the spell.  There was no doubt in her mind that Stalwart and Cupcake, backed by Gypsy, were more than capable of guarding her room.  

As soon as they were out of range of the room's earshot, Mica looked over at Obsidian. "I'd like to ask a few questions, if I may, Obsidian?"

"Of course, Mica - after all, we are friends."  She didn't see a single reason why Mica shouldn't be allowed to ask questions; friends didn't have to ask to ask, right?

"First question," he began, "what would you want to see as the ideal outcome for all this?  I'd like to know so that I can plan accordingly."

Her ideal outcome, eh?  She hadn't really thought about it before... well, not very much.  "Everypony lives, that's for sure.  Hopefully my siblings would learn to adapt and integrate, without spending their time plotting the return of my father.  I also wouldn't complain if I could find out exactly why my most honourable father turned... well, into the Slave King Sombra you all know from the history books."

Mica nodded.  "Save Equestria, save your siblings if we can, find the reason behind your father's corruption... okay.  Got it.  Now, next question: if Dark Magic is required to win this battle, do you think you can use it and keep yourself controlled from the backlash?" 

"Backlash?" Clap asked. 

Mica nodded.  "You saw her after she summoned the crystal, Clap - if she has to do that in a much bigger way, I want to know if we'll ALL possibly need to help her calm herself, or if she can manage it on her own."

"Well, Cupcake seems to deal with it pretty well, does he not?"  Obsidian chuckled lightheartedly.  "But the more Dark Magic I use, the the more calming I would require; your presences would be quite helpful, methinks."

"Alright, be prepared to help if and when we can, especially if for some reason Cup isn't available.  Got it.  Question thr-" 

"Hey," Clap interrupted, "does she get to ask anything?" 

Mica considered it.  "That's fair; do you have any questions in return?"

"No, not currently - I'm too concerned about this situation, and my only goal is to learn something more, which would be the spell we currently seek."  Obsidian shrugged lightly.  "Trust me, Mica, Thunderclap - if I have any questions, about any topic, I will most certainly be asking."

Mica nodded.  "Good.  Excellent.  Very well, question three: when this is over with, do you plan to return to the Crystal Empire, or will you be staying with us here in Equestria?" 

"Please say you're staying!"  Clap said with a smirk.

Obsidian raised her eyebrows and peeked sidelong at Mica.  "I spent my entire life inside Crystal Palace, limited to only a few rooms... so I'm not sure if there are any real reasons for me to return.  No friends, no empire, existing as a body back-up for my father and so on... so, I think - at least for now - I'd prefer to stay here."

"YESSS!"  Clap hollered, receiving a look from Mica for it.  She just smiled back at him.  "What?  I'm glad she's staying - I like Siddy!" 

Mica gave a slight grin.  "As do I, Clap.  As do I." 

"And I like both of you, too," Obsidian admitted, pleased by their reactions - especially Mica's, as they had wasted a potential day of friendship, and she was maybe a bit afraid that his brief brainwashing by her manic sister would have made him reconsider their relationship. 

As they reached the library, a passing pair of guards saw them approaching.  Mica nodded to them, and Clap gave a slight wave.  They didn't stop any of the three friends as they entered the doors, continuing their patrol. 

The library was quiet... but eerily so.  Without Miss Tome behind the desk typing away softly, it was completely devoid of sound, except from the trio's footsteps... and the floor was carpeted. 

They made their way towards the back, where the section was filled with books from floor to ceiling.  So many books... Obsidian could practically live in here, reading for an entire decade, and she still wouldn't be able to finish them all! The shelf they were looking for was where Wart said it would be, and Mica and Clap began searching through the titles.

So many books. That's why she asked for a job here - it was calming to see it, and the realization of just how many books were there was quite humbling.  

But first things first. 

They had to find this spell Stalwart had mentioned. There had to be something here they could use... her siblings couldn't have known what they were up to - for the first time, the element of surprise would be on Obsidian's side.

There was a dull thump, and the doors to the library opened slightly, then closed again moments later.  Mica's head popped up from where he was searching. 

"Stop."  He froze in place, listening intently.  After a moment, with as quiet as it was, they could hear hoofsteps headed this way. 

"... hide," Mica said, and crept over behind a nearby table, where he positioned himself so he couldn't be seen.  Clap looked at Obsidian and motioned to a shelf, where she then slid her large frame behind it and out of sight, with just room enough for Obsidian if she wished.

No no no no NO!  Don't tell her that they were ONCE AGAIN hot on her tail! 

Just how could it be possible!?  Did they plant a stealthy magical listening spell in her room?  Did they have a spy?  Were they using tons of invisibility spells?  How did they always manage to keep one step ahead of her, By Darkness!?

But she didn't have either the time nor the want to think about it right now - instead, she quickly joined Thunderclap behind the shelf.  Hopefully, they wouldn't have to fight in the library - so many books would be in danger...

All they heard were soft hoofsteps for a moment... then, a slight muttering, as if someone was talking to themselves.  More hoofsteps came, and a form appeared around the corner of the shelving... 

It was Looking Glass.  Alone.

She made her way down the row, searching the shelves carefully for a particular book, one would guess.  Clap looked at Obsidian and shrugged. "Should we say hi?" she whispered.

Yesterday, Obsidian more or less trusted everypony... well, perhaps a touch less.  Today, she wasn't sure she could even trust herself.  And another thing - it was a sizeably large school; just how many times could two ponies accidentially run into each other?  Obsidian hadn't even come across Eloquence or Licorice again - and she was spending time with their family members and unrequited crushes!  Was it REALLY an accident that they'd met again, right before she made up with Mica?  How much time would Onyx have truly had to create a facade of a normal life for herself?

So Obsidian shook her head slightly; better safe than sorry.  Looking Glass was officially suspicious.  Clap nodded, and turned to watch the young mare. 

Glass began scanning the shelves, looking back and forth for a few minutes before she suddenly exclaimed, "A-HA!"  and pulled a single book from the shelf.  Looking it over, she smiled to herself. 

"Grim Shadows: A Treatise on Dark Magics!  YES!  I told you I could find it!  Let's hear you tell me I'm just a 'frilly researcher' now!  Oh, they'll be so happy, I just KNOW they will!" 

Clap lifted an eyebrow.  

She hugged the book to her, smiling and turning a pirouette.  "And when father comes home, we can all be a family - no more fighting!" 

Clap's eyes widened in shock as Looking Glass began to do a cute little victory dance.

Obsidian smirked at Thunderclap's shock.  It truly felt good - being able to be right about something at least once.  Even if it meant she almost fell into another trap.  At least this one didn't seem to ramble... and she couldn't risk the chance that her siblings would get their hooves on this apparently important book. 

She stood up and stepped out fom her hiding spot. "Interesting choice, I daresay - pray tell, is your real name 'Onyx'?  Or perhaps I have a third sister?"

"G'FAGAHAGAH!"  Glass fell over with a flurry of legs, the book hitting the wall behind her.  

She looked up at her interloper. "OBSIDIAN!?  I... oh, I j-j-just... it'snotwhatyou... you..." 

Her ears drooped as she made the connections.  "I... uhm... eh..."  She fidgeted for a moment, then sighed and looked up. "No, I'm not-... uhm, I... h-h-hi.  I'm... Ruby."  She looked ashamed of herself.

Obsidian's horn flashed, as she surrounded book with her aura and immediately brought it to her.  "So I have not one, not two, but THREE sisters?  Such good news,"  the dark unicorn grinned at Ruby... though, not in a mocking way.  Maybe two out of four siblings had tried to kill her, but they were still a family. 

Her eyes widened as she took the book. "NoPLEASENO!"  She reached desperately for it, falling onto her face as she missed

"I may have forgotten to introduce myself during our past meetings... but it seems you already know my name.  Good.  So... what would you say to a quick chat?  Brother Tourmaline and sister Amethyst didn't seem to want to explain very much, amidst the ranting and death threats."

Lying there, she sniffled and began to tremble. "Please... they don't think I'm capable of anything!  I've been trying to locate this book for so long!!!  If I don't get it, I'll be exactly what they say I am!  Oh, Obsidian, PLEASE give me the book!  Please please please!  I'll... I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just PLEASE don't take it away from me!  Not after I tried so hard to find it!" 

Great.  Now she was crying.  Wonderful.

But Obsidian, as it turned out, had become fairly sensitive to crying lately - at least, when it was one of her friends crying.  A potentially dangerous sibling, though?  She didn't care...

Much.  Well, too much, anyway.

"Sister Ruby, please... calm yourself.  After two separate assassinations attempts, I'm not just going to give you a book about Dark Magic that could possibly be used for sister Onyx to kill us all with."  She stepped closer a bit, but not before moving said book right into her own hoof.  Now it should be safe - unless Ruby wanted to fight for it.  "Did you really spend three years living here amongst the Equestrians?  Or maybe there's a real Looking Glass, imprisoned somewhere or possibly even murdered?"

Ruby looked up, tears flowing freely.  "I... it's me - ALL me.  When the empire returned, I was stuck there for a long time, until Onyx came and freed me.  She... (sniffle) she said, when the time was right, we would all be a part of something special.  Something BIG." 

She sat back, wrapping her forehooves around herself and letting a few tears roll onto the floor from her muzzle. "That's... that's when I made this persona, Looking Glass, and came to Equestria.  I've been searching for that book," she stared at it in Obsidian's grasp, "for the past several months, as it was what Onyx told me we needed to... t-t-to... finish it." 

She trembled a bit.  "Please.  I don't wanna be seen as the useless one anymore.  Please."  Her eyes locked onto the book.

"So instead, you want to be seen as pony that allowed Sister Onyx to kill herself?  Ruby, you've obviously spent plenty of time in this school; do you really hate it so much that you want everything to end?"  Obsidian tried to convince her by appealing to the propects of her current life.  How could any creature willingly spend time with Tourmaline and Amethyst, yet manage to live in the school without exposing herself?  There was no fooling Obsidian; Ruby was good.

She now turned her tearful blue eyes toward Obsidian. "Oh NO!  No no no - that's not it at ALL!  Onyx assured me that father won't want to end all this... he'll want to take charge!" 

Now a dawning look of hope crossed her features.  "Father will come back, and he'll take over so we can have a big, happy family, and then he'll bring Equestria into the Crystal Empire, which is where everything here will last forever!  Why would he want to destroy it; he wants it to be our new home, Obsidian!" 

She sniffled again, glanced at the book, then back into Siddy's eyes. "I remember father teaching me about what ponies needed - do you remember?  He said they needed order, they needed structure, they needed discipline if they ever wanted to survive for more than a few centuries.  He said they didn't know self-control, so it was his job to bring it to them, remember?" 

Obsidian DID remember.  All too well. 

"Yes, father got... g-g-got angry at us when we failed, but when you're trying to build a stronger tomorrow, you have to be strong, or you end up dead.  Father may have disciplined us, but he never actually tried to kill us!  And besides, do you think you would have been able to survive in the world at all, if he hadn't made you tough?  Resilient?  Would you have made it as an undisciplined princess?" 

Ruby shivered again.  "Obsidian, please understand - I kept bumping into you because I was so excited to meet you!  I couldn't help it, because you're so powerful... and you seem so nice, not like-" 

She covered her mouth with a shocked look on her muzzle, then continued after a moment. "I just want us to be a family, Obsidian.  Please.  Please.  If you ever want a chance at having a family, please give me the book."

"Ruby, By Darkness, are you fully aware of how long Equestria has survived, especially with how many dangers it faced?  And even though it may sound unbelievable, ALL of these dangers were most effectively neutralized, in many different ways - including Discord and Headmare Starlight.  It's already a number of centuries old, and yet Equestria still exists, and Celestia and Luna are still alive.  I'd even say that it flourishes, accounting by the number of griffons, diamond dogs, changelings... even dragons in this school.  Does it look like a failed society to you?"

To be fair, it had already gone well beyond the point where Obsidian was trying to provoke Ruby, in order to get more information out of her and so on.  In fact, the longer she kept talking, the more logical it sounded. 

"... I... I don't think even our father would be able to take charge here, Ruby.  He would be struck with the Elements of Harmony, o-or maybe a small dragon would accidentially put the Crystal Heart into the right place... or something else would happen!  The world seems to be rigged in Harmony's favour..."

"Can you deny it, sister?  Even our father once had a friend - he had a life.  Then, he... h-he found something, and everything changed."  

Please Ruby, deny it, Obsidian hoped.  Show me all the holes in my logic, present all the knowledge that you've gathered during these past few years, and counter everything I've learned from reading a few modern books about history... tell me it isn't so...

Ruby looked at her for a moment, then looked down. "You don't know, do you?  Equestria is not even a minute's length, compared to the Umbral Empire... like, did you know, it lasted for almost half a million years?  It was the most advanced civilization in all of Equus, and it only fell because the Darkheart was shattered." 

She now looked at Obsidian with curiosity.  "You don't even know about the Umbral Empire, do you?  Oh... oh Obsidian, I can teach you!  I'd love to teach you!" 

She stood up, happiness in her eyes as she wiped her muzzle.  "That's what father discovered!  He was the last Umbral, and the remnants of the Darkheart were only a fraction of what he found; they taught him all about his ancestry, about his heritage, and charged him with returning the Umbral Empire to its' former glory - and he accepted!" 

She stopped, and put on a worried face.  "Equestria kept trying to stop father because they were formed in the bones of what was the old regime - not even using their own devices, but stealing from the unmarked graves of the Umbrals!  Who would want to give back what they stole from us?" 

She now looked kindly at Obsidian.  "And I know father had a friend... you look a lot like her."

Now that was an interesting bit of information.  If Mica and Clap hadn't been here with her... well, more like her with them... she could have had a far more in-depth discussion about this subject.   So their father wasn't even a true pony?  And ponies were using Umbral devices?  

And... um, that bit about being possibly purposefully crafted to resemble a dead mare?  Yeah, THAT was totally NOT NOT creepy.  Obsidian wasn't sure what to make of the thought; instead, she started to try a different tactic.  "How did this Darkheart shatter?"

"Naw, uh-uh, no way!" Thunderclap suddenly burst out, coming out from her hiding place with an angry look on her muzzle, storming over to where Ruby stood, making the smaller mare cower. 

"That's a HUGE load of manure!  Equestria isn't a bunch of scavengers!  We grew up of our own accord, and we did NOT steal from any 'Bumble Empire!  You'd better take that back!'" 

Ruby stared at her, then at Obsidian, then the book... then shut her eyes, and with a >POP<, she was gone. 

Clap stared for a moment, then gave Obsidian a sheepish grin. "Ah heh heh... oops."
> Twenty Three: Into The Parlour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obsidian GLARED.

"Thunderclap Dash!"  Mica exclaimed as he got up from his hiding place.  "How could you do that!?  We were learning something important, here!" 

"Well, all that stuff she said was stupid!" Clap countered, "Equestria isn't some land full of thieves and scavengers!  We had every right to exist as much as they did!  For her to just put down our ancestors like that, I couldn't help it!" 

Mica facehoofed.  "Well, if you had helped it, Obsidian might have talked Ruby into joining our side, Clap.  As it was, I think Obsidian was doing an excellent job of milking her for info - until YOU messed it all up because you PRIDE was hurt." 

Clap glared at Mica... but after a few moments, she looked down. "I just... couldn't help it.  I'm sorry, okay?" 

Mica closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them and looked at Clap. "... I... I get it, Clap.  BAD timing, though."  He turned to Obsidian.  "Sorry.  But at least we learned a few new things, plus we have the book, so it isn't a total loss."

"Very bad timing," Obsidian growled. "It was going to be so exquisitely easy: I would have put the book on a table near where Mica was staying so he could grab it quickly, while I walked closer and hugged her in sisterly fashion... granted, I have no idea how sisterly hugs work, but I'm sure it would have allowed me to distract her from teleportation! Then we would have continued our nice little talk - the first proper one I've yet had with any of my siblings!"

First things first.  Always, first things first. 

"Now, we need that spell, and to possibly speak with the princess, as well.  If sister Ruby ends up getting hurt, I shall be most upset, so let's act quickly."  And once again, she felt like a traitor.

Mica nodded, and with a sigh, Clap did too.  Together, the three of them began making their way out of the library. 

"Do you think she really would've joined us?  I mean, she seemed like she was so freaking happy about him coming back - and even she admitted he'd hurt her!  How could you take beatings from somepony and still care about them like that?" 

Mica huffed.  "Well, I suppose we'll never know now, will we?" Clap glared, then pouted... but after a moment, Mica spoke again. "That was uncalled for; sorry." 

Clap looked up at him, and he was looking right back at her. "I suppose it's out of a sense of duty," he said, "brainwashed so hard into the very core of her that she can't even fathom that anything he would do could be wrong.  She simply feels as though it's all she can do, and it's the only outcome that she would want... because it's what they told her to want." 

"Still," Clap muttered, "she didn't have to say all that stuff about being garbage-pickers."

"Thunderclap, I would be pleased myself about the return of our father as well, and maybe even more keen to help my siblings if they hadn't tried to kill me twice already," Obsidian growled, still rather annoyed with Clap over the situation her rash actions had caused. 

She felt she'd been so close to possibly forging a meaningful relationship with a sister... and maybe even convincing her to join their side, after all. 

"And not a single word about 'Looking Glass' to anypony beyond our circle, got it?  If she'll join us, I'm certain she would appreciate us not revealing her identity to the rest of Equestria.  And, for the record Mica, our loyalty... well, it isn't just what others have told us.  Do realize, the only thing I cared about previously was our father's approval - literally the ONLY thing."

"But that's not the case anymore, I hope," Mica said, looking at Obsidian, "you have friends now, others who are concerned about your welfare.  I mean, you can certainly still care about his approval, but it shouldn't be the only thing you care about anymore.  And I agree with her; not a word about Looking Glass and her reality, not to ANYPONY else, Clap." 

The pegasus nodded, then pondered for a moment before she said, "But I don't get it, Siddy - WHY do you still care?  You said so yourself, that he beat you, and it's already been shown that his plans are to just take you over, making the Siddy I know one dead pony.  How do you still care, after all he's done to you!?"

"Because he is my father, Clap - the one that literally crafted me, put part of his soul into me and then trained and taught everything I know.  I'm not really keen to die, but I don't want any of my siblings to die as well, and at the same time I would like to see him... hopefully with no explosions or slaughter..."  

She pondered for a moment. "... maybe even, you know, in a more fatherly fashion; more of your modern Equestrian sensibilities?  He was different before he found out about the Umbral Empire... but probably just as powerful, wise and wonderful as he was later."

The thought of her family being similar to other families in Equestria... that dream was worth a shot.  Sister Ruby was kind of cute, anyway - she could be Obsidian's big sister!  Best friends forever!

Mica looked over at Clap.  "I think what she's saying is that Siddy's seen how families are in Equestria, and she wants the same with her own." 

"Oh.  Ohhhhhhh... okay, that, I get.  Okay Sids," she smiled, "if that's what you want, well... your sister's a butt, but we can try, right?  I mean the other sister, not... well, she did say-" 

"Clap," Mica smirked, "she gets it; let it go."  Clap nodded.

The three of them made their way back to the Applejack Suite, where Cupcake, Stalwart and Gypsy were still waiting.  Upon seeing them, Cup smiled. "Hey guys!  Did you fi-" 

"STOP!"  Stalwart stepped forward to the door, holding it only a crack open as she looked out at them... which meant it was a single green eye at knee-level.  "How do we know it's you?"

Ah, Stalwart - perhaps a bit paranoid, but maybe a touch of paranoia was perfect for their current situation.  "I literally called Cupcake a 'meanie' during our first meeting and he ran away crying afterwards; the first time you met me, you were immediately suspicious of me when you heard who my father was; Cupcake threatened to pluck a griffon bare after they beat upon you... and Thunderclap has won every race that she has proposed with me.  Is that enough?"

"It's her!"  Cup called out from inside, and Wart nodded, opening the door. 

Again, Obsidian was treated to the sight of the lovely Dark Crysssssstal she'd created; she wondered idly - would Princess Twilight have an issue with the broken floor?  Hopefully not too much... though, to be fair, the crystal was rather big. 

"D-d-d-did you f-find the sp-sp-spell?"  There was a small army of paper ponies around him of all different colors and some of different sizes... along with a paper diamond dog, surrounded by five paper ponies, in the center. 

"I hope you were successful," Wart said, "because I am a bit bored, guarding a rock."

"Yes, yes, we found a book that's apparently far more interesting than I initially thought, and even came across yet another one of my siblings; Sister Ruby is actually really cute." 

Obsidian then quickly rushed to the crystal, checking to see if it was damaged or, Darkness forbid, cracked!

"I hope everything's alright here?  Nopony treated you badly, did they?  You are the greatest cryssssstal I've ever made, and I'm so proud of you, my little nugget of Darkness..."  Obsidian cooed, sliding a calming hoof against its' surface.

Wart blinked as Obsidian cooed over the crystal.  "It... er, i-it made not a sound, nor was it damaged, though Gypsy did sniff it thoroughly and decorate it a bit." She pointed a hoof at a single spire that branched out; it was wearing a paper hat, and had a paper griffon perched on it.  Otherwise, the crystal was unmolested. 

Cupcake lifted an eyebrow.  "Another sister?  Uh-oh... she didn't hurt anyone, did she?"

"Ooooh, did you have fun with my friends?  Oh, I'm so glad you like them..."  Obsidian made a fuss over the cryssssstal a bit more before she turned to face Cupcake.  "No, she didn't; in fact, she didn't even try to fight - as I said, she was cute and kind.  She was also looking for this book," she levitated it to Stalwart, "but got scared when I startled her, so I managed to grab it.  Too bad that I wasn't able to talk her into joining us, I think you'd have liked her."

Cupcake smiled.  "Sounds like I would; I hope we get to see her soon!" 

"Okay," Mica gathered their attention.  "Now that we have the Locator Spell, we have to cast it.  Obsidian, if you'll do the magics, Cup can assist you while the rest of us stand back and keep an eye on the doors; once it's active, we'll travel together and find where the source of it is.  Hopefully, we'll find Miss Tome while we're at it." 

"Yeah," Clap said, "I'm kinda worried about her - I hope she's okay." 

Wart looked to Obsidian.  "I have every confidence you can do this, Your Majesty - just please, be careful." 

Cupcake stepped next to Obsidian, grinning.  "Well, what are we waiting for?  Let's find Miss Tome!"

"It would be wise to send a message to either the princess or the headmare after casting this spell - I'd prefer to have potential reinforcements... or at least know where the proper authorities should look for our bodies, in the worst case scenario."  

Obsidian said it very casually, but was not allowing herself to think about it - the mental vision of her dead friends could bring her back to that very dark place in her mind.  She levitated the book back to herself to look for the Locator Spell - and maybe a quick peek at what else it had to offer.

The book itself didn't seem to have any actual Dark Magic spells in it - but there were some interesting defensive spells in the back, geared toward defending oneself against said Darkness. A shield spell (which her own was already more powerful than), a taint-cleaning spell (for small things, like food or clothing), an alignment spell (for distinguishing motive... interesting...), a spell to produce dark-rending light (about a candle's worth)... AH!  There it was! 

"I'll have to check this book more thoroughly later - my sister was certain that something here would possibly be able to bring our father back; I need to find it before they do," Obsidian informed her friends as she started to read the spell.

[LOCATOR SPELL]: This spell is often used to locate concentrations of Dark or Chaos Magic.  It was created for the purpose of locating and properly identifying items or objects, as long as there exists a sample of what is being sought out.  The sample is destroyed in the spell's casting, and the effects will last for roughly two hours.  While the spell is active, it will direct the caster toward the nearest target; targets further than one mile will be exempt from the spell's effects. 

The writing underneath it was easy enough to understand; casting this would be a breeze.  Of course, there was the notation that the 'sample' would be destroyed...

"... th-the... sample is... destroyed?"  She looked with teary eyes and a heavy heart at her beautiful, wonderful cryssssssstal. 

"Oh, you poor lovely thing, I'm so sorry I have to do this... I really don't want to, but I have to..."  She actually stopped reading, trotted closer and embraced the beautiful crysssssstal, as if she was calming a filly before their visit to the doctor... to be put to sleep.

Cupcake placed a hoof on her back.  "If you want, I'll paint you a picture of it later, okay?" 

Mica looked at her.  "Okay.  We're ready.  Begin the spell, and we'll be right here." 

The first part of the spell was the setup, and it was simple enough to speak... though the language was weird, it wasn't undecipherable.  After a few false starts, she felt something click as she finally got it correct.  Now, all she had to do was touch the 'sample', and the spell would be complete.

It was a tearjerking moment; Obsidian struggled to overcome herself, knowing that the spell would destroy the most wonderful personal creation in her entire life... but she had to do it.  To save Miss Tome, and to stop her siblings. Hopefully, they hadn't broken Amethyst out of the dungeon already.

Finally, with a tear and a sniffle, Obsidian touched the crystal.

With a sound like a shattering wind chime, the crystal seemed to fold in on itself, then >FOOF<... it was nothing more than a pile of purplish ash, piled onto the break in the floor. 

... and Obsidian felt the world slide away from her.  It was when she felt the magics go off that the truth of the matter became clear; this was no Locator Spell at all... it was a teleportation spell!  As the world shifted, she felt her body disintegrate, then reform; the process wasn't painful at all, but extremely disorienting, and not to mention a little surreal.  

When everything around her finally swam into focus, she was standing inside a circle of purplish ash (the same color as her poor, poor crystal), with a seven-pointed star painted in the center.  Around her were massive shelves, reaching farther than she could see above her, the walls curving around as if she were at the bottom of a massive well... and those shelves were filled, even crammed, with books of all sizes and colors.  

To one side, there was a small alcove and a doorway; the door was open, and there was a greenish-blue, almost sickly light coming from the other room.  The dark red candles that littered the huge well-chamber she was in were lit, and the wax looked almost like...  blood... 

The floor was ancient stone, worn and slightly damp.  The air was chilly and musty, as if she were in a cavern that had not seen fresh air in a long, long time.  The bookshelves went on for what looked like many stories above her head; with the lack of proper light, she couldn't see the ceiling at all.

How was such an upset possible?  This book had supposedly been there for a long time, as sister Ruby had been looking for it - it just couldn't be a trap!  She didn't even know they would be looking for the damnable spell until a few minutes ago!  Her siblings would have had to prepare a fake book, then would have to manufacture a reason to ensure that she'd fetch it and so on, and so forth.  Too many strange events that would have had only the very slightest of chances to succeed... and yet, here she was.

What was this place? So many books... did her siblings really have to look for any more?  The entire place seemed to be underground - and considering the air quality, it was a terrible place to keep books - at least as long as their owner didn't want them to get molded and rot.  

And it seemed that none of her friends had accompanied her... how wonderful.  A feeling of frustration started to grow in Obsidian's heart, a light purple mist wisping slightly from her eyes.  She walked to the shelves, to check out these books - were they titles that Miss Tome had been bringing her siblings?

Scorched Earth: The Legacy of Fennestri
Lazander's Law: Volume Six
Shadows of the Night
The Razor's Edge: Finding the Chasm
Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Darkness Falls On Crystalia
Darkheart's Curse
Blood Sacrifices and Rituals
The Craft of Flaying 

... these books were rather serious, or at least their titles sounded so.  And there were so many more she couldn't read without levitating them down.  And those shelves seemed to go on forever...

Craft of Flaying?  Blood Sacrifices?  Somepony was taking this whole 'bringing father back' thing very seriously.  It didn't sound good - Obsidian was sure as Tartarus (pardon her Prench) that she didn't want anypony passionate about flaying anywhere near her friends. 

She levitated "Lazander's Law" over to her, to quickly check out its' contents - everything would have been far easier if her dear sister Onyx would have been the kind to hoard, say, romance novels...

From what she gathered from a quick skim of the book, it looked like a set of laws and decrees that seemed draconic and ancient, dealing with things she had no idea of; death for those who spoke ill of the Umbral, drawing and quartering for betrayals, removal of... hands?... for stealing, eye removal for looking directly at an Umbral, via a hot steel rod, and so on... 

Lazander was supposedly some sort of ruler or king, but none of the things mentioned made her feel as if this entity had even existed in the past few thousand years. There was even a few hoofdrawn pictu-OH SWEET DARKNESS, THAT WAS DISGUSTING! 

Even for how she had grown up, it was far too graphic, and made her hardened stomach lurch a bit.

Well, that most certainly might be what could explain why some creatures would really, really wanted to shatter this Darkheart, to be fair.  It was pretty harsh; Obsidian herself would probably already be put to death - multiple times - for all the things she had done since she first woke up.  

So her father... was looking to bringing back things like that?  These umbrals weren't seeing ponies even as tools - they were something far, far lower.  The title gaining her interest, she picked up the next book, 'Darkheart's Curse". 

Hopefully this one wouldn't have pictures.

The words were written in what appeared to be blood, and the book had no table of contents, nor an introduction; it was as if it had been hoofwritten. 

When the world still cooled the skies rained stone 
and the Darkheart fell to us and spoke to us loudly 
in a hundred voices of night 

For seventy revolutions the Darkheart brought 
shadows and when light returned nothing green survived 
and the world was stone and mud 

We were much afeared for there was no hope 
no manner to save ourselves from the terror that was 
and the terror that had now become real 

Yet the Darkheart spoke and it demanded blood 
and it was fed out of fear and it brought back the green 
but it was not the same and never would be 

Before she could read any further, a voice spoke from behind her. "YOOUUU... I see YOU have COME at LAST!"  

She knew that voice...

She immediately set up a shield - better safe than sorry... or in this case, better safe than dead.  

"It's a true joy to hear your voice, o vastly inferior brother of mine," she growled as she turned to face him.  Of all of her siblings, this one had to be neutralized most quickly and thoroughly.  And without her friends or any other help, she had no other choice but to use everything she had.

Tourmaline was standing at the doorway, his psychotic smile wide and bright as he looked at her like she was made of hay, and he was starving. "Oh, are we already at jibes?  Well, then I would LOVE to reMIND you that YOU are the LEAST of my WOR-" 

"Hush, Tourmaline; that's no way to welcome your sister home." The voice came from the blue-green room, and it sounded... familiar somehow. 

The effect the words had on her erstwhile brother was immediate; his mouth closed so fast, she heard his lips pop.  He glared daggers at her... yet, slowly and with great visible reluctance, he stepped back towards that doorway and, without taking his red eyes off her, he moved away far enough to allow her plenty of room to enter. 

"Please, Obsidian... meet me," the voice from the other room requested, "we have much to discuss."
> Twenty Four: Fly, Meet Spider
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jibes?  To be at jibes, Tourmaline would need to have something on his mind other than his apparent psychopathy.  Ah, but now, she was going to finally meet the mastermind behind all this - the pony who was seemingly both respected and feared by her siblings.  

Obsidian pointedly smirked at her brother, and walked to the room.  What other options did she have right now, after all? 

First things first... and at least without Amethyst present, they shouldn't be able to use slave helmets on her.

The enormous room was almost as massive as the library/well, but across instead of up; the walls only rose three stories, but seemed to go outward forever.  There was a relatively small thatch of an island in the center, with a stone path leading directly to it... the entire rest of the floor, all around the room, was nothing but a pool of black water - it reached from one end to the other, disappearing out of sight after what looked to be a few city blocks.

And the walls?  They were absolutely covered in Dark Crystals that were the size of entire houses!

They took up every single centimeter of wall-space and most of the ceiling, and glistened with sheer power in their own malevolent light.  They were all so varied; tall, short, fat, thin, column-sized to straw-sized... and practically everything in between.  It put the crystal she'd created to utter shame; this was what successful crystal growth truly looked like! 

The island in the middle was about as big around as the Crystal Palace's throne room, and there was a rise of steps that ended at a throne on a dias, all made of the same Dark Crystal.  The throne was elegant and seemed to be decorated with runes of power; it was even more incredible how it looked to have not actually been chiseled that way... but to have been grown in such a manner.  No seams, no added pieces - perfect.

And seated on that throne was none other than Miss Tome, smiling sweetly at her. 

"Hello, Obsidian.  I am quite pleased to finally meet you, after all these centuries.  Please, come."  She beckoned with a single hoof.  Tourmaline stared at Obsidian as she passed him by, but said not a word.

Cryssssstalssssss... something deep in her soul was whispering to her that she should spend more of her time here - she could research these crystals, use them, perhaps even try to grow them herself.  Alas, but there was no time for that now - not when she was about to speak with her greatest nemesis.  The largest threat to her existence.  

Such a shame, as this place was perfect - everything was masterfully crafted, prepared with great care... and it even came with its' own throne... 

"And to think, I was toying with the idea that you might have been behind things for a moment before discarding it as insane - woe on me," Obsidian said dryly, as she stepped closer.  It didn't make any sense to her - of all ponies, Miss Tome had the greatest opportunity to recruit her; in fact, the only reason why Amethyst was sent to Twilight's dungeon with broken bones and a bleeding horn was because Miss Tome had failed to bring Obsidian into the fold. 

This was this legendary mastermind she heard so much about?

She grinned as Obsidian came close. "There you are.  I do apologize for not speaking with you sooner, but my plans were... derailed a bit, thanks to your discovery.  I'd planned to release you... but not for another decade.  Still... I suppose your appearance should be considered a good omen, as it brought me opportunities I hadn't had before." 

She looked past her to her brother.  "Bring your sister a chair, Tourmaline.  Now." 

He jumped like he'd been bitten by something, and scampered back into the library well.  Miss Tome looked her over calmly, seeming not at all interested in attacking her. 

"And so, with your presence, many of my plans are very close to fruition.  But I'm sure you have some..." she grinned, "confusion as to how all this happened, and what shall happen next, yes?  Then please, by all means, I am more than happy to answer anything you need explained, dear sister." 

Tourmaline returned with a moldy, yet sturdy chair and placed it on the dias, within ten feet of that magnificent throne. "Please, make yourself comfortable," the mare offered.

Derailed, eh?  Considering that Obsidian still had not even the slightest idea of what Onyx could get from her 'kidnapping', except having far less freedoms to implement her plans and allowing Princess Twilight to realize that a bunch of Sombra's children were trying to bring him back... but perhaps this local librarian had a good explanation?

At first, she wanted to just ignore the proffered chair, but there was no point in it; Onyx was obviously trying to act like King Sombra, and it would be useless to annoy her before milking some information from her first - so Obsidian 'made herself comfortable'. 

"Now... why didn't you just speak with me in the beginning of all this?  I even asked madam headmare for a library job, just to get close without any suspicion."  Perhaps Obsidian was better at planning than Onyx, and simply had less time to prepare...

Miss Tome sat back, taking in the pony in front of her and steepling her hooves.  "If you recall, you were being watched at the time, plus your being here ten years early threw me off, just a bit.  And honestly?  It brought about the need to advance my plans... so I had to improvise."  She smiled a bit at that.

"Twilight Sparkle just so happened to possess a certain book that I required for our Father's ressurrection... and I've been here in this blasted country for years, undercover, trying to find a way to get into the royal vaults to get it... a way that you, though your impeccable timing, allowed me to manufacture..."

She smiled wickedly, as if pleased with herself. 

"It was already known that you had connections to Father, so it wasn't much of a stretch to encase myself in crysssssstal, to make it obvious that someone was trying to 'frame' you... and of course, Twilight Sparkle would want to keep me safe, yes?  So, into the vault I went, and once I released myself, the book was mine - and with my prize in hoof, I merely escaped by using Ruby to pop me right out with her teleportation magic.  So thank you, Obsidian; you helped me to achieve my goal, and nopony was the wiser for it.  In fact, I'm willing to assume that they probably still think 'Miss Tome' is in peril..." 

She reached a single hoof into the air and swirled it in a lazy circle... and as she did, the form of 'Miss Tome' swirled away like so much dust.  Underneath... 

Onyx was a tall and thin mare, with a jet black coat and a mane of black and red.  She was exquisitely beautiful to behold, any stallion's dream come true (save for the sight of her sharp teeth, perfectly white and intact), and her coat was crimson red around her hooves, making it appear as though she'd been stomping in a pool of blood.  Her eyes were a vivid purple, glowing green like they were aflame inside with balefire.  She wore a long, sensuous bodysuit that was black and slick like oil, and a necklace of silver with a small red jewel in it, gleaming on her chest amidst her dark fur. 

"I am so very done being a librarian - though I still have quite a collection of books.  Always room to read up, don't you know?" She sat back again, proud and regal, looking the part of a true Umbral princess. "Any other questions, dear Obsidian?" she asked.

These damned illusions... Life would be far easier if they wouldn't keep changing their appearances on a whim.  Grudgingly, though, Obsidian had to admit that her older sister looked quite lovely. 

"And everything happened in such a grand manner that I had to fight not one, but two of our siblings," the Dark Princess complained, though she admitted to herself that it was making at least a little more sense.  However, couldn't they have used Ruby for that same purpose? 

"Yes... might I ask about your necklace, dear sister?"  For some reason, she had a feeling of forebodance over that silver trinket...

Onyx laughed, and it sounded melodious and pleasant.  "Amethyst and Tourmaline are quite useful, given exact directions and little room to debate... but they aren't exactly very intelligent."  She glanced over at Tourmaline.  "Isn't that right?" 

Her brother almost seemed about to glare back in defiance... but instead, he shamefully looked at the floor, impotent rage in his eyes.  "Yes, Onyx." 

"But they are loyal.  They wanted to kill each other, once upon a time - but I put a distinct stop to that activity.  After all, they are holders of Father's power; it would be a waste to lose them so close to the magic moment to come." 

She smiled so sweetly... and yet, it was filled with poison.

"So, as they haven't much thought on the matter, I simply directed them to attempt to harm you.  Being who you are, I was quite sure they would not succeed... and I was right, of course.  Tourmaline's attempt showed me what you knew and how you fought.  A bit sad," she smirked, "but with potential.  Also, he truly does need to be put in his place, every now and then.  Something you accomplished admirably, with assistance from that little whelp who mewls at your heels, calling you Majesty."

She sneered at the thought, but recovered quickly and went on calmly.

"As for Amethyst?  She was so you would feel a sense of urgency to find me; it worked out beautifully, to be honest.  As I was certain somepony would come seeking me someday, I had placed that book into the library only days after I'd started working there... and when I was ready, I sent Ruby to fetch it, letting her think it was important to me... which it never was; I only needed her to lure you here, by getting you to take that specific book and utilize the spell I'd put in it." 

"Ruby is the researcher of our little gathering, who I've been using for years - but she's far too loyal to realize she's just a tool to me.  A foolish and weak-willed tool, at that.  But she makes for a grand innocent, and has quite an ability to garner sympathy, does she not?  Not that she knows I lied to her about the book... not that it mattered to me." 

She then looked down at the necklace she wore and smiled.  "To answer your question, it's a key, dear sister... a key that will very soon open a door that I have been seeking for FAR too long."

The moment Obsidian heard the word 'tool', she knew she wouldn't like Onyx. To be fair, she didn't really like Amethyst or Tourmaline either... but it didn't change the fact that they were her family - and she was doing her best to save them, even going as far as demanding Thunderclap to stop abusing Amethyst as soon as she was defeated. 

Onyx, however?  She was no better than their father... bah, worse, even - he technically had the right to their loyalty, bodies and souls, as he'd made them himself.  She was just another artificial pony with no right to treat herself as somepony better.  

And she was a bit too smart for her own good; these plans sounded over-complicated in places where they should be simple and vice versa.  If Obsidian was in her place, Amethyst and Tourmaline would be properly used and she would be sitting on... 

... well, considering the history of Equestria and its' villains, she would most likely end up as a statue.

"You say it's a... key to our father's glorious return?"  She tried to guess - was it possibly a shard of the Darkheart?

Onyx gave another toothy smile.  "Something like that." 

At this point, there was a flash of light, accompanied by a staccato >POP<, and Ruby appeared directly in front of the throne, with a bandaged and irritated-looking Amethyst.  The latter was still a bit disoriented, but Ruby herself seemed fine for the trouble. 

"I fetched Amethyst, like you wanted me to." Ruby spoke quickly, "a-and it was difficult talking my way past the guards, but it worked - but I think one of them might have seen me leave.  I don't know if he can identify me, but I told you I wouldn't have to use... violence..." 

Her eyes widened as she saw Obsidian, and a smile almost had time to appear on her muzzle before Amethyst caught sight of her.  Instantly, the wounded mare stood forward, taking an offensive stance and gritting her teeth angrily. 

"You!  I'm gonna-" 

"DO.  NOTHING."  Onyx said with a voice that echoed off the crystalline walls.  Instantly, Amethyst shut up, gritting her teeth tightly but saying nothing else, her gaze turned to the foor.  Ruby froze in place, a bead of sweat rolling down her muzzle. 

Done with her warning, Onyx continued.  "Good - that means we're all here, where we should be.  Now, as soon as we can, we need to ensure that we are ready for the great and glorious day to come.  If you have anything else to ask, now would be the time... because time grows short." 

She stood up, her mane flowing out behind her; it reminded Obsidian of Luna's mane, as it seemed to flow on its' own. "Are you prepared, Obsidian, to do your part?"

Onyx didn't really want to bring their father back, did she?  Such a manipulative pony wouldn't waste so much time on someone else's sake, and she certainly didn't seem to want to kill herself...

And of course Ruby, Onyx's damned tool, somehow managed to fetch Amethyst; just as always, the fact that Obsidian did things in the wrong order was biting her in the flank.  If she'd only sent word to Princess Twilight before casting the 'Locator' Spell... 

First things first, eh? 

"You didn't exactly explain my part, sister,"  Obsidian rose from the chair, eyeing her siblings. Hopefully, Amethyst was still hurt and sore, so she wouldn't be as much of a problem... she might be able to defeat Tourmaline with a sufficiently powerful attack... Ruby didn't seem to be willing to fight... 

It would mean using a great deal of Dark Magic - so much so that, in the end, Equestria might find out that Empress Obsidian was claiming the throne - but she was willing to risk it, if only to save her friends and Ruby.

"Oh, that's the easy part, my darling Obsidian... you see, from all I've gathered, each shard that Father created had a purpose, a base, that they were required to carry for him.  Amethyst had the power to enslave, Tourmaline the ability to project illusions, Ruby has teleportation... and you, dear sister, have a significant portion of his POWER." 

She now looked at Obsidian gravely.  "And that power is what we need now.  Oh!  But I suppose we should discuss something I believe you have some interest in, hmmmm?" 

She stepped towards the pool's edge, looking out across the still and silent black waters.  "Your... favored tools, shall we say?" She smiled with a wicked glimmer in her eye. "I believe you should be allowed to keep one or two, but not all five of them; too close to Equestria's favorite number for heroes.  No, you may be allowed to choose up to TWO that will become your personal slaves.  However, the rest?" 

She gave her lips a lascivious lick.  "Well, we'll simply say that they will... provide for us, shall we?  So, which of them interests you the most?  Don't be shy; they'll be completely yours, so I'd choose carefully..."

No living ponies were just tools for Obsidian or her inferior sister Onyx to use as they pleased - and that definitely included her friends, her siblings (even those who may have been mentally challenged) - NOPONY.   Their illustrious father could technically claim his children for his own use, as he'd actually created them - but they were, in a way, equal.  And, as far as Obsidian was concerned, it made them equal, more or less, with the rest of the world. 

Was Onyx trying to get under her skin?  

"Surely Gypsy, as he could be quite useful," she said, containing a fury that was growing in her mind.  "For the second one, may I choose from outside this group?  There is another pony I'd like to keep for myself..."

"The Diamond Mutt?" Onyx questioned, "Oh, I'm certain it could be quite useful - especially in the crysssssssstal mines of our glorious Empire... in fact, I daresay I have plans for that entire race of," her lip sneered in disgust, "... vermin.  But, if you so wish to waste space on it, then I suppose you can have it." 

Ruby looked at Obsidian with a curious look, as if wondering why she was making such decisions in the first place. 
Meanwhile, Amethyst had slunk her way over to Tourmaline, and the two of them simply stared daggers at Obsidian. 

"But another outside your little group, you say?  Well, that's fine I suppose - no need to stay within the boundaries of what you know; hopefully, you'll be present when I put an end to them... tell you what, I'll even allow you to have the first bite, once they're flayed, seasoned and roasted at Father's coronation." 

She smiled at Obsidian with razor-sharp teeth.  "How does that sound to you?"

Then again, it looked as though Onyx really DID want to bring their father back; Obsidian couldn't be sure of anything right now, except the fact that her sister was trying to make her furious - and was making progress with it.

"Bah, I wanted to kill Cupcake and Lemon myself," she said casually, moving carefully closer to Ruby; now, that Amethyst was standing next to Tourmaline, it should be safe.  In a way, it was the truth - she could almost smile at the memory how terribly they had both angered her, after her arrival... and how nice it had felt to receive Lemon's approval and to enjoy Cup's crazy antics...  

And she really, really shouldn't think too much about that flaying part.

"But eating Thunderclap?  Have you seen those muscles - she'd taste terrible, sister." 

Just a bit closer...

"And you wouldn't have too much use for a broken researcher, sister Onyx - you described her yourself as 'foolish and weak-willed' - our sister Ruby,"  As much as she was trying to hold her anger in, she growled the last part, feeling her Dark Magic building and boiling inside her - she was starting to hate Onyx far too much, far too quickly.

Onyx casually breathed on a hoof, then daintily brushed it on her chest fur.  "Oh, I enjoy a challenge.  You see, I am well aware of how tough muscles are... whch is why I have plans to tenderize that one."  

She smiled as she began speaking her list.  "She will be beaten thoroughly first, of course - have to take the fight out of her, don't you know?  Plus, bones broken in the process will just add more delicious marrow to her meat.  Once she's pacified, I'll have Amethyst tend to her with her blade, though I want the pegasus alive and conscious for this - I do so love the screaming part!" 

Cannibalism... though Tourmaline was psychotic and Amethyst was crazy, Onyx crossed the line into the realm of horrifying by the idea alone that she not only could eat other ponies, but that she apparently enjoyed it.

"Once she's flayed, I'll have her boiled.  Sadly, that will most certainly kill her, but alas, the pursuit of flavor, eh?  Anyway, once she's boiled down enough, I'll probably endeavor to have some enslaved cooks separate the fat for butter, then begin grinding the remaining bones for broth flavoring." 

A small drop of drool started to work it's way down her lip, but she licked it up with a grin. 

"And that will just be a single course - with her size, we'll eat well for a day or two, but I suggest it won't be too long before we're, eh... rid of her for good, once that's done." She let her eyes slide sideways to look at Obsidian.  "Shall I tell you my plans for the tiny whelp?"

Kill kill kill KILL KILL KI- 

"Stalwart?  A salad, I'd wager - there's barely enough meat to serve as an appetizer."  

Obsidian growled inwardly, trying to fight against her hatred as it grew with each word of Onyx's descriptions.  So this was her glorious mastermind of a sister, who was supposedly leading her siblings to ressurrect her fallen father?  Such a waste of space and oxygen... 

ObsIdiAn wAs bEttEr iN EverY Way THaN tHiS FOoliSh MArE!!!

"You know, Cupcake could cook her - he is a rather skilled chef, and it would be entertaining to use one meal to make another," she proposed pleasantly... through gritted teeth.  She reminded herself all the wonderful food he'd cooked for her... and wondered what he would make tomorrow. 

Obsidian wanted to immediately impale Onyx with the biggest crystal she could create - but there had to be reason for this discussion.  At least it seemed that her vile sibling was really into her descriptions - perhaps she could make her dream about eating ponies long enough to reach Ruby...

"Oh, no - far too small for food... however, she would most certainly make a fine vest.  Skinned, alive preferably - and I do happen to know a number of spells that will help... preserve her, so that I can take my time enjoying her skinless form.  As she's so tiny, a bite a day should be sufficient to make her pain last for weeks." 

She smiled broadly at Obsidian.  "Won't that be delightful, dear sister?  Not only will we enjoy the company of your so-called 'friends' one last time, but I'll have a nice little addition to my wardrobe to remember this occasion by - I'll even share it with you, should you like!" 

She then shrugged lightly.  "Of course, we could simply skin them all - except the mongrel - and make an entirely new wardrobe!  Oh, the screams will be delightful!!" Onyx threw back her magnificent head and laughed with the voice of a lunatic, echoing all around them before she caught her breath and smiled again. 

"And you want Ruby?  Come now, you can't have her - she'll be feasting right along with us!  You cannot own a piece of Father!"

"Ah, with the way you were talking about her, I thought you wouldn't want to share with her.  Well then... hooray for a nice, happy family, I suppose.  Maybe... Licorice, then?  In case you've forgotten, he is... very well-built, I daresay.  I may enjoy his slavery quite a lot..."

What in Tartarus had Miss Trixie told her about crushes?  "You know, rubbing stuff..."  Hopefully it was believable enough - Obsidian was almost close enough to reach Ruby!  Almost there!  Just a little bit more!

Onyx's smile faltered, just a touch.

Obsidian continued.  "There are also Mica and Cupcake - and frankly, I expect Mica to taste rather bland... and for Cupcake to make us sugar-sick."  Yes, Mica was a bit bland, wasn't he?  He was probably the closest thing they had to 'normal' in their group, and had been the only one to not accept her half-hearted apology when she'd offered it - but had accepted it when she spoke honestly and from the heart.

Onyx's smile faded, and she gave a long, drawn out sigh. "Obsidian... do you truly believe I'm buying into your sham?"  

She turned to look at her, and shook her head as she clicked her tongue. "I was pulling stunts like that while I was still fresh - even Father was impressed by how ruthless I was.  And now, you speak as if you were nothing more than a foal, with your 'rubbing stuff' - did you believe that would work?" 

She now stared directly into Obsidian's eyes, and locked her gaze there.  The green aura of those violet eyes felt vile and diseased, as if she had a plague right behind them, ready to unleash upon the world. "I've been watching you, you idiot - since the day you strolled into the library and confessed your name, I've had you on constant monitor... and I've seen it all."  She now stood up from the throne, her focus completely on Obsidian.

"The argument with the boring meat, the hugs and... snuggles... with the candy meat, the yelling from muscle meat at Ruby, the 'apologies', oh sweet Darkness... ALL OF IT.  And may I say that I'm frankly disgusted that you would find anything worthy of your time in any of them at all." 

Her stare redoubled, and the smile left her features entirely. "I plan, wholeheartedly, to tear your little slave-toys apart right in front of your idiotic eyes... and once I complete that, I'll devour whatever's left, and force your leftover 'comPANions' to eat whatever I leave behind!  Your group will dwindle while they fatten up on each other, and then I'll turn the last one into high-quality manure MYSELF!!!!!" 

She started walking towards Obsidian, her brow beginning to furrow disturbingly as purple mist began to pour from her eyes...
> Twenty Five: Broken Glass
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only one that was going to be devoured was ONYX HERSELF!

Long-contained fury erupted from Obsidian; her eyes didn't simply start to emit mist - they looked as if they were aflame with purple fire!

"RUBY! PLEASE, RUN!"  She shouted a considerably shortened version of everything she wanted to tell her sister, while at the same time she set up a shield - the strongest one she could.  Even if it wasn't enough, it would have to do.

"DEVIANT! MAGGOT! I'LL ENJOY YOUR SUFFERING," Obsidian cackled with a deranged voice as her horn flashed with enraged Dark Magic - aimed straight at her perverted, gluttonous sister.  Ruby, unfortunately, was transfixed by what was happening so much, she only blinked and gave out a "hunh?" when Obsidian spoke. 

"Ruby! Please! Is THAT future you want?!"  She desperately pleaded to the only sister she felt she could connect with.

Onyx paused, staring at her glowing horn.  "And what do you plan to do with that, pray tell?" she asked with contempt.

"THIS!" was the only thing Obsidian managed to say before she blasted Onyx with every single shred of spite and fury in her heart.  The sheer POWER and FORCE behind the bolt of red energy that shot from her horn was bigger than she'd ever known before; no less than THREE layers of overglow burst from her horn as the shot fired, and the light from it made the entire cavern shine like a small sun... 

And as soon as it got close to Onyx, the entire beam went directly into the amulet... and kept going! 

Obsidian couldn't stop projecting the blast, and now she could feel her energy being pulled into the amulet itself, syphoning off her own power!  Helpless, she looked up and saw Onyx's oily smile return... in spades. 

"Dear Princess Twilight," she began to orate, "I learned something today: that any tool can be manipulated into doing whatever needs doing, should you push it hard enough.  And no matter how intelligent they may THINK they are... they truly have no chance against a superior intellect!" 

Turning somewhat sideways, the amulet was now glowing a bright red color, which made the cavern glow intensely as the power kept draining away from Obsidian's horn.  Onyx then lifted her hooves and stood on her back legs, gesturing at the water. 

"Uoy fo sdnammoc esruc ruoy sa, yebo dna pu esir!"

A pencil-thin beam of red energy shot from the still-draining amulet, striking the water and making it glow where the beam met the surface.  At first, nothing happened... then, bubbles began to surface; few at first, then more and more as the energy continuously fired into the now rippling pool. 

"You see, Father knows he cannot defeat Equestria alone, or even with an army of slaves... but... his chances are FAR better with a horde of Umbral undead!!!!!" 

From the black water rose a pony's foreleg... but it was unlike any foreleg she'd seen before, as it had wickedly sharp claws on the end of it, which flexed and creaked like old leather.  Then another.  And another.  And five more.  Then twenty more.  Then a hundred more... 

"Thank you, my dear, foolish sister!  Because of you, Father has his army, and Equestria will witness its' supreme defeat as it comes under attack in the very heart of the nation!  YOU have helped bring about the end of the Equestrian Era, and the renewal of the Umbral Nation!  Under Father's rule, all shall kneel before him, and he shall own every last one of their pathetic lives!"

The first Umbrals broke the surface... and they were horrifying.  Fanged maws, clawed hooves, jet black coats, rotten and stinking manes and tails, decayed frames and dessicated and vile horseflesh that was stretched taut over blackened muscle and mouldy tendons.  And yet, even in their awful state, each one stood taller than Thunderclap!

They began to slough up from the bubbling, roiling depths, forming lines that became flowing rivers of undead, rolling and creeping through the tunnels and headed towards the outside world.  Towards Equestria.

Obsidian now felt as though the amulet was nearly done with her magic, and was beginning to feast on her very soul!  Her knees felt weak, her breathing shallow, her head pounding, her vision growing fuzzy; at this rate, she would be drained completely dry in mere minutes! 

Looking over at her, Onyx gave a contemptuous sigh, then turned to Amethyst.  "Her power is gone, and-... PAY ATTENTION!!!" 

Amethyst was staring at the churning, rippling water filled with dark shapes, all headed for their position, hypnotized... at least, until Onyx snapped at her, where she jumped and looked to the eldest sister with shock and thinly-veiled contempt. "The spell is cast, and she is done; finish her." 

"NOOOOOO!" Ruby suddenly bolted directly towards Obsidian, a look of fierce determination in her eyes as she ran directly into the gap between Obsidian and Amethyst.  The crazed mare howled in anger, and using her magic she threw the dagger...  

There was a >POP<... 

... and Obsidian did collapse, as the line of draining energy was suddenly cut off.  She hit the ground, and she felt as though she hadn't slept for days, though she strangely wasn't tired. 

Around them was the Rarity Suite, in all it's overachieving elegance; ironic, where she was back where she started... but now there was a new issue; she couldn't feel her magic.  At all.  It was as if she was an Earth Pony; not even the tiniest blip of energy was present in her entire body. Next to her was Ruby, who was holding her tightly and crying silently; aside from that, it was deathly quiet. 

But at least the plush carpeting felt good against her fur.

Dear Princess Twilight, my siblings (most of them) are real bastards - too bad that I'm an idiot.  Yours, Siddy 

To be fair, Obsidian was fairly certain she couldn't have fared much better; her plan had been very simple - to quickly convince Ruby to teleport away and call for help while she would try to hold off the rest of their siblings... or even teleport with her.  It would ALL depend on Ruby - she'd find help, guards and bearers charge in, arrest everypony - a happy ending.

It a way, it had worked... too bad it had worked a bit too little, a bit too late.  But really, how was she supposed to win a victory against someone who'd been plotting and scheming for longer than Obsidian had even been awake in the Modern World!  She didn't feel well... then she realized Ruby was crying.

"No... nononononono - no crying!  Father hates crying!  Teleport us to... t-to somepony important..."  

Ruby slowly looked up at her, tears silently making rolling rivers down her cheeks. "Oh, Obsidian... I'm so glad you're... okay..." 

Ruby didn't look all that well either, now that she looked at her sister.  She seemed a bit... weak?  Pale?  But the smile that slid across her features was just as sunny as it had been in the library. 

"I... I wish you hadn't... h-hadn't had to ever... meet her..." Ruby still hadn't gotten up; the two of them were laying in the floor, her forelegs wrapped tightly around Obsidian. "Onyx.  She knew this would..." she gave a slight whimper, "... would happen.  She even told me you'd come to us, but... I never knew... it would actually... h-happen.." 

Her adorable appearance began to shift, and slowly the form of Looking Glass melted away. 

What was left was a rather pretty young mare, about her own age, with a cream-colored coat slashed with stripes of black and red - almost like a zebra, yet more like lash marks - and a long, luxurious black mane that was even longer than Glass' had been, which seemed to sparkle with red flecks.  Her eyes were a soft, warm pink, and her tail was a cute little bob, neat and trim behind her... 

About ten inches below the jagged steel dagger hilt sticking out of her back. 

"But she didn't... d-didn't count on... on me... making my o-own... ch-choices..."

"Buck... my... life..."  Obsidian stood up, almost feeling anger rising in her - almost.  Her head was fuzzy and she was barely able to think properly.  She was acting more on instincts, really - she knew that daggers in the back were very bad things and thus, somepony had to deal with it.  But not her - not without her magic. 

"Ruby... oh, Ruby, you precious thing... s-stay here, I'll call for help..."  Hobbling, Obsidian moved towards the doors of the Rarity Suite; there had to be guards there, right?  The universe couldn't hate Obsidian that much, could it?

Obsidian's legs collapsed under her the very moment she tried to take a step; she tumbled to the floor, feeling too weak to walk... almost too weak to move.

From the floor, Ruby smiled at her sister.  "Obsidian... without me, they-" She drew in a sharp hiss of air, and her muzzle contorted in pain for a moment... then, sweating, she continued. "... th-they won't be... able... to t-teleport... anymore..." 

A sliver of light flashed off the dagger as she tried to move, but with a sharp and pained whine, Ruby merely settled back down onto the floor.  "... l-listen... to me... my b-bag..."  

She made a feeble gesture toward her saddlebag, lying on her hips.  "T... t-take it.  In it, th-there's a book... I've been ... r-reading... and my notes on the p-... the p-... the prophecy.  Notes I... n-never told... her... about..." 

Her watery eyes almost seemed to be eagerly drinking in the sight of Obsidian, as if they would never see her again. 






"... I w-wish we... could h-ha-have had...a t-tea... party... together..." 


She gave a sharp cough, and blood bubbled across her dainty pink lips. "... oh, it... i-it's getting... why is it so c-cold?  Ob... Obsidi... an... w-would you..." 

Those pleading eyes looked to her.  "... h-hold me?  I'm sc-scared... of the... d-d-dark..."

Buck life.  Buck everything, buck Equestria, buck Twilight, buck Onyx!  Nothing mattered... nothing really mattered anymore. 

Obsidian crawled back to Ruby, wrapping her hooves around the best sister ever.  "We... w-we will, Ruby.  You'll love my friends, I'm sure of it.  We have... ha-have a lot to catch up on... right?"  Obsidian was practically choking on her words.  

Buck.  Everything.  Why she was such a damned failure?  Not even a single attempt she'd tried to use to improve anything worked; she felt like she should just jump off the roof of the school - this way, she wouldn't screw anything up anymore...

Ruby nuzzled against her coat; her sweet sister smelled of exotic herbs and parchment, and her mane was softer than even Cupcake's coat.  Her smile, dotted with tiny flecks her own blood, widened as Obsidian held her closely. "You're... a good... pony..." 

She gave a soft sigh that became a light, almost polite cough... though the cough produced even more blood.  Gauging from the angle they'd been lying at, Obsidian would have taken that dagger fully into her chest; Ruby, with her sacrifice, had saved her life twice now; once from the magical drain, and once from Amethyst's blade. 

"I can't... w-wait to... chat about... ghosts... and... books... and..." Obsidian felt her shuddering inside. 

"... friend..." Her eyelids began to slide down, Obsidian being the very last thing those warm pink eyes ever beheld. 

"... ship..." Her eyes finally slid closed, and her breathing became very, very shallow. 

"Ob... sid... i... an?" She attempted to lift a hoof, but to no avail as it thumped back down. "Is... my... mane... ok-kay?"

"Your mane is beautiful, sis,"  Obsidian assured her.  Stupid Onyx.  Stupid Amethyst and Tourmaline.  Everypony involved was stupid, really - her father's legacy was mothing more than a parade of failures and idiocy!

Ruby's smile twitched wider, and she sighed with relief. "Thank... you... I...I..." 

Her voice grew so soft, Obsidian could barely hear her. "... l... l-love... y... you...  sis... t..." 

There was a twitch from deep inside... and then, with a soft sigh, she settled against Obsidian.  Her shallow breathing silenced.  A small smile on her lips.  She looked adorable, like she was just sleeping, and she'd be awake soon to do all the things that sisters should do together when she woke up. 

The room was still and quiet.

Honestly, Obsidian had no real reason to even to try to get up; even the thought of using the same dagger to bring about her own sweet release was a total and complete lack of energy... or care.

Stupid Equestrians!  Everything would have been perfectly fine if they hadn't allowed an ancient conspiracy to appear in the very middle of their accursed school!  And stupid Thunderclap, why she couldn't she have just shut her trap for a moment? 
Stupid Stalwart, where did she even hear about this spell?  Stupid Twilight, she really should've just destroyed her yesterday!

... and stupid Obsidian, for trusting ANYONE - even herself - to do something properly.

By her count, it took roughly fifteen minutes for Ruby's body to cool.  It was several minutes after that when the door to the Rarity Suite opened up, and Butter Churn stepped inside. She started to look the room over, but when she saw the bloody mare and Obsidian in the floor, she jumped. "Sweet sufferin' succotash! Obsidian!?  What in-" 

Then it registered, and she stuck her head out the door and into the hall. "'MERGENCY!  'MERGENCY!  HELP!  GUARDS!  HELP!" 

Like lightning, three guards galloped down the hall and hit the doorway.  As soon as they saw her, one turned to speak quickly to another. "Inform the princess that we've found her!  I'll gather the doctor!"  He pointed to the third.  "YOU stay and guard!" 

Two of the guards headed off, and the remaining one gave Obsidian a worried look. "Miss Obsidian, are you alright?  We've been searching all over for you!" 

Butter Churn looked at the two of them, then pointed to Ruby. "Is... is she..?" One look at Obsidian's muzzle, and sorrow rolled across her own like rainclouds. "Oh, sugarcube..."

Obsidian just stared at Butter Churn with a completely empty look, devoid of any emotion in her eyes; after all... Father didn't find tears acceptable, did he?

"Hon, ah am so sorry.  Did... did she mean a lot to ya?  Should we... y'know... maybe put her up on th' bed?"

Obsidian turned her head and shrugged slightly.  "Equestria is ending.  Why not simply end it all, together, quickly and painlessly... shall we?"  Her voice was utterly deadpan.

That drew the attention of both Butter and the guard. "Miss Obsidian?  Did you just say... Equestria is ending!?" 

Butter Churn looked at her for a moment, then made her way to the door.  "Ah'm gettin' Cupcake - he'll know what to do, ah'm sure of it!"  With that, she was out the door.  The guard, still in position, felt extremely awkward... so he said nothing more.

Perhaps she could strike a deal with Discord?  Or maybe there was something about the Magic of Harmony?  But... why bother?  It was done.  Nothing really mattered anymore to Obsidian - nothing at all. 

Why was she even bothering to try to live, if she couldn't fix anything, make anything better, or was only succeeding in screwing everything up?  She was just a complete and utter failure, that tried to accomplish something worthy and commendable... and only bucked it all up.  

In fact, it felt as though she was only truly dangerous to the side she was trying to actively support.  

It was only about five minutes before the clattering of a mass of hooves came barreling down the outside hallway, and the poor guard was almost bowled over as they all charged into the room. 

"SIDDY!" 
"Obsidian!  Sweet Twilight's Crown, are you okay?" 
"Your Majesty!" 
"Ob-b-b-b-b-b-b..." 
"Ohnononononononono..."  Cupcake raced forward and knelt beside the two shard ponies.  He looked to the cold sister, then his teary eyes rolled to look at the still-warm one.

"Do I LOOK okay? Does ANYTHING look okay?!"  Obsidian cried out in a voice more weak than angry, feeling just a sting of anger... until even that burned out too. 

Stupid friends.

Mica shut himself up immediately; he saw how upset she was, and wasn't about to make it worse with any further questions, stupid or not.  He knew she was angry, and didn't take it personally... but he seemed to be aching over her sorrow.

Oh, Obsidian... if I could take a million wounds for the one you've clearly suffered here to not have happened, I would languish in agony the rest of my days.  Your smile is worth that pain. 

Thunderclap got down on her knees and sat next to Obsidian, tears forming even as she tried to wipe them away. 

If I find out who put that look on Siddy's mug, I'll smash 'em into powder with everything I got!  And then I'll PISS on that powder!  Then I'll smash the pisspowder again!  And AGAIN!  NOBODY does this to MY SIDDY and gets away with it! 

Gypsy, timid but concerned, laid a gentle paw against Obsidian's hind hoof, not daring to touch anything else. 

A precious life, taken - and one she cares about, no less.  A pity - the mare looks as though she was kind and lovely.  Poor Obsidian, with a family full of thorns, she is forced to watch the one rose die.  My heart to you, my dear friend.  My heart to you...

Mica began to pace, his muzzle looking lost in thought. 

The last instance of a Phoenix Potion was over two hundred years ago, so that's quite possibly out of the question; any spells for the use of reanimation would all be necromantic in nature, so they wouldn't truly resurrect her; I will NOT tell her about the 'Life For A Life Spell', no; Luna-dammit, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE BEEN MORE THOROUGH!? 

Wart stood the furthest away, looking ashamed of herself, and full of sorrow for Obsidian's loss. 

By every hair upon my body, by every step I have ever taken, by every fiber of my being... if I should EVER find the one who did this to you, fair Princess Obsidian... they shall know only of pain and death from that moment forward, and that shall come at my furious hooves... and I shall smash the very souls they claim to keep, and burn the bodies they inhabit, and destroy any trace of them upon the face of Equestrian history. 

Cupcake simply wanted nothing more than to hug his dear friend... but if he did, he was sure she'd strike him or shove him away right now.  He looked as though his very soul was melting inside of him.

BLOOD.  FIRE.  DEATH.  MISERY.  PAIN.  MAIM.  KILL.  SLASH.  TEAR.  BURN.  DESTROY. 

Was... was she hearing their thoughts?  But... why did it really matter anymore?

It wasn't long before the guards returned, and Princess twilight was with them, her eyes nearly popping from her skull as she saw Ruby and Obsidian. "Oh no... Obsidian!"
> Twenty Six: One Little Spark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


=====


Two hours.  

It had been two hours since Obsidian experienced utter defeat at the hooves of her wicked sister Onyx, and she was now lying in bed in the Fluttershy Suite; the AJ had a huge hole in the floor, and the Rarity had bloodstains on the carpets that would probably never come out. 

It was lovely and quiet, much like the mare it took its' namesake from.  Almost every aspect of the room was nature-themed, with ivy covering the walls and the posts of her bed being actual tree trunks, seeming to grow into the ceiling of the room itself.  Her sheets were large, cured leaves sewn together, and they were silken and smooth.  Her pillow was a mushroom, but one that was sturdy enough to withstand typical handling. 

She lay there, under the covers, in a room where it was quiet and peaceful. Her friends had run a gamut of emotions, all about poor Obsidian, but had eventually deigned to put her where she could get some rest, after cleaning her up a bit.  Ruby's blood had been ev- 

Best not to think about that.

Across from her, seated in a chair and just watching her silently, was Cupcake Sprinkles.  He had refused to leave her side - which Mica had said was not a bad idea.  He'd been here ever since, but he hadn't said a single word since crossing the threshold into the Fluttershy Suite.  He just sat there, looking at her as if he wanted to hug every last care away.

Which was fortunate, since Obsidian didn't feel like talking.  In fact, she would quite possibly vomit - either with very unkind yet undeniably true words... or more literally.  She had no magic, no strength, and absolutely didn't care about anything... she couldn't even sob; at the first signs of incoming tears she reminded herself harshly that father hated that.  It was all so tiresome.

Her siblings missed reaching her first, which forced her squarely into the Equestrian camp. Then the Equestrians, including herself, turned out to consist mainly of idiots and failures, and failed to accomplish anything. She couldn't help either side on her own, and still couldn't feel anything - even hate or anger at Onyx, the most stupid schemer ever, that succedeed only because her plans were too addle-brained for anypony to figure out in time!

Stupids.

There was a gentle knock at the door, and Cupcake got up from his chair (a huge, hollowed-out walnut) to answer it, walking softly.  Reaching it, he carefully opened it and looked outside.  She could hear Mica's voice from the hallway. 

"... how is she?" 

A sigh.  "She still hasn't moved." 

Silence for a moment.  "When she wakes up, make sure she eats something." 

"Mmm-hmmm." 

"Cup?  Are you-" 

"Not now, Mica.  I... I have to get back to her." 

"Wait."  Slight shuffling sounds.  "Here; these were Ruby's bags, and I have a feeling she'd want them." 

A sigh.  "I don't think she wants anything, anymore." 

Another sigh.  "Well... if she says or does anything... anything..." 

"Yeah.  I will.  Sure."  Cup didn't sound very convincing. 

"Okay.  Alright.  You... don't you get yourself worked up, Cup - we need you.  Both of you." 

"Thank you Mica I'll take it from here bye."  It was all one run-together sentence; he apparently felt just about as miserable as she did.  He closed the door before Mica could say another word and went back to his seat, pausing long enough to make a noise of setting down a saddlebag. It went back to being quiet again.

About five minutes later, when she finally spoke, Cup jumped a bit in surprise.

"It was a bucking accident.  A step to one side.  A one second quicker teleportation.  I was right next to her, and it still took her time to teleport... it doesn't make any bucking sense.  I did everything I could to reach her so nothing would happen to her or me, and it still happened.  No damned sense!  Do you hear that, Cupcake?  NONE!"  Obsidian growled, pressing her muzzle into pillow as she fought back yet another round of tears.

Cupcake sat in the seat, watching his friend grieve over the loss of her sister. "Sometimes... Life doesn't make sense."  He wanted to tell her everything would be okay... but even he didn't want to hear those words like that.  Still... 

"You could have done probably a million, billion things differently, and it still might have ended... the way it did.  There's no way to really know for sure." He gave a single sniffle; like hers, his eyes had remained puffy since their first tears. "The world we live in really hurts sometimes." 

He now stood up, and slowly walked his way over to the side of her bed.  He knelt down, crouching so they could be eye-to-eye. "That's why we have to help each other to make it.  She did that for you, because she loved you.  I'm here because... because I love you.  And the others, out in the hall?  They love you too." His own tears started flowing again, but slowly.  

"A wise pony once told me 'love is all you need'... granted, he was wrong, but in times like this, he couldn't have been more right.  I know it hurts.  I know it does." He blinked and swiped a hoof across his eyes.  "And if I could die so she could live, I would.  In a hoof beat."

Then, it... i-it was just a... 'friendly' love... that Cupcake had for her?  But... it didn't matter; it was all so stupid.  

"Stop being stupid, stupid - don't you talk about dying, don't annoy me any further... but if you must sit there, then check those saddlebags; maybe you'll find something that could help your incompetent princess who missed a conspiracy growing near her own castle,"  Obsidian growled and turned to the other side.

Cup sighed.  "O... okay.  I just wanted to... t-to help.  I'm sorry..." He rose and crossed the room, sat down and dragged the saddlebags into his lap.  There was the sound of buckles jingling, then cloth moving. A momentary 'hunh' from Cupcake.  More shifting.  The crackle of paper.  And... 

"Wh-what's..?"  There was a jingling sound, like a small chain or a necklace.  From where he was sitting, a soft blue light gave a feeble glow. "Oh!"  Then a sharp jingle, as if it was dropped onto the grassy floor.  

"... oh, manure..." Now there was the sound of grass shuffling around.

Sighing, she rolled her eyes.  "... whaaaat?"  Even in her current state, Obsidian couldn't help herself and had to turn around to see what had just happened.

Cupcake was on the floor on his knees, waving his forelegs through the grassy carpet. "It... i-it was a necklace of some sort.  It glowed and I... dropped it here somewhere..." He continued searching. On the log table next to the walnut chair were the saddlebags, a yellow-covered book, some papers, a hoof mirror and a red and black scarf.

... just wonderful. Obsidian levita-... reached for the papers and book, to check what they were about.  She tried to ignore the mirror as much as possible.  She idly wondered what would her father say if he caught her wasting valuable training time in a bed? 'FITTING FOR A FAILURE - WHICH IS WHAT YOU ARE!' 

Well, he wouldn't be wrong right now, would he?

The book had a bright yellow cover, and had a simply-drawn pony on the front, pointing to the title:  Light Magic For Dummies.  It seemed to be an instruction manual on how to cast Light Magic spells, and it was apparently made to ensure the subject matter was well understood. 

The papers, however, were more interesting; they were written in Crystallian, so obviously Cup hadn't bothered to read them... but Obsidian saw them and knew each word at a glance. 

If I can find the Light Shard, the writing at the top said, maybe I can save our family. 

What was this? 

The legends all say the same thing, and even though there are differing opinions on when it will occur, all of them agree on one thing: that it will take an Umbral shard to undo anything these prophecies foretell. 

The writing was loopy and frilly, but clearly legible to Obsidian; Ruby's hoofwriting. 

The only way to fill an Umbral shard with Light sounds impossible though - first, it must be emptied, then refilled with Light Magic.  It does not say how to do this, nor does it say anything of what will become of such an Umbral shard.

But it DOES say that it will be the ONLY way to stop the Umbral army that Onyx is raising.

Stupid Ruby.  Everything would have worked out just fine if she had the chance to talk with Obsidian, to tell her something other than 'the Umbral Empire is sooooooo wonderful' or that 'Onyx wants to make us a family again', and so on, and so on.  Obsidian grumbled slightly as she continued reading. 

"Cupcake," she said without looking up, "I think I've found something which may be very important; if you could ask Princess Twilight or anypony else in a position of authority to join us, I would be grateful.  Maybe Lemon?  He was said to be skilled with Light Magic, wasn't he?"  Stupid Lemon, stupid princess. 

Stupid, stupid Obsidian. 

"It's possible that we could still save this worthless world from the horrid cruelty of my stupid sister."  Obviously she wasn't in a good mood... but it didn't mean she couldn't think - even if she could be pretty sour in process.

Cupcake stopped searching.  "But... the neckla-..."  He stopped, then nodded, "y'know what?  You're right - this is more important." He stood up and brushed off his knees... then he looked at Obsidian standing there, upright and awake, even if sour, and simply admired her for a moment... then, without warning, he reached over and quickly planted a kiss on her cheek, right before he zipped out the door, leaving it standing open.

Obsidian blinked at this strange gesture and rose hoof to her cheek. Interesting...

Ruby would surely explain a few things about this phenomenon to her... if she could.  The dark, magic-less unicorn mare shook her head and sighed heavily as she started to look for the necklace as well.  

This thing glowed, right?  Maybe... maybe it'll start glowing again?

In fact, it was glowing; she could easily see it among the grass.  The azure glow was soft and wavery, but it was most certainly visible. The necklace was on a platinum chain, and the blue gem in the center of it was exquisitely beautiful; it looked almost exactly like the one that had been around Onyx's neck, the one that had drained her of her Dark Magic and used to raise the long-dead Umbrals from their dark slumber. 

It simply sat there, the light blue glow it gave off seeming soothing and comforting.

If it looked the same... could it be possible that it worked the same?  That it could be used to be filled with Light Magic and... uuuhhh, and used to do something light-centered and goody-goody?  Just what could Light Magic do, except for maybe moving things around?   Too bad stupid Lemon didn't manage to teach her anything really useful between second and third attempt on her life IN A SINGLE DAY... 

Maybe her father wasn't exactly the kindest pony around, but at least she knew what to expect with him; strangely enough, she was sort of missing the good old days.  At least she found this thing - and insted of waiting for the princess to show up, she decided to read this book about Light Magic.  She picked it up, flipped it open and turned back to her bed as she casually scooped up the necklace with zero concern...

... and the gemstone let out a brilliant burst of blue light as soon as she touched it, covering the entire room in the same azure glow and glowing with the brightness of a small star! 

Obsidian... my sister... I somehow KNEW it had to be you. 

That was Ruby's voice! 

I had thought maybe Tourmaline would eventually give in, though I knew Amethyst was a lost cause.  But you... I somehow had a feeling it would be you.  That's why I kept running into you; I wanted to make sure I was right. 

The gem pulsed with each word spoken, as if her sister were inside the amulet itself.

Obsidian blinked once, then twice.  Though Ruby may have been smart, she was pretty sure that 'Looking Glass' would have come up with a better plan than getting stabbed in the back, so she could pass on a necklace to a sister she'd never known.

"Ruby..?" she said aloud.  Was it some kind of spellbound message?  Maybe something about their own abilities as shard-creations?  Possibly some manner to learn what the Tartarus was going on?

Obsidian, YOU are the Umbral shard we need to end this.  I always wondered how it was possible to empty a shard of Dark Magic... but when I saw Onyx drain your power away, I KNEW, in that moment, how it was done.

The voice was soft and etheral, and seemed to fill her head - but not headachey-like.

With your energy stolen from you, you no longer had any Dark Magic to use... and were now ready to receive the Light that you'll need to defeat her.  I had thought we would be able to work this out together... but Fate, it seems, had other plans.

No kidding.

Regardless, the matter still stands, my sister - you, an Umbral shard who is completely devoid of Darkness, are now in place to fill yourself with Light, and to put an end to our insane sister's plans, once and for all.

Well, that part was more or less obvious, though Obsidian wasn't sure if the term 'empty shard' meant 'devoid of magic' or 'utterly dead'; after all, what was more empty than lifeless magic?  But there were some things that still cried out for an explanation. 

"How... how did you put yourself in this necklace?  It's obviously you, if you can talk about Onyx's last actions, but... h-how is it possible at all?"  She didn't want to stop hearing her voice - damn Onyx and her plans, damn Equestria and damn herself, but she had actually cared about Ruby!

What you are hearing isn't truly me... but the LOVE I have for you, Obsidian.

This pendant is the opposite of the one Onyx wears; it channels Dark Energy, yes, but it also feeds that energy - and Onyx's power, by proxy - with FEAR.  That FEAR is why she's so powerful, and it's that FEAR she's been cultivating from myself - from all of us - for years that has made her powerful.

This amulet, however, functions as a beacon of Light Magic, and is fuelled with the exact opposite emotion that fuels hers: LOVE.  Only through the power of LOVE can FEAR be countered, and only through LOVE will you be filled with Light.

What is here in this amulet is the LOVE I have for you... and if you can gather the LOVE that's around you into you, you will find yourself far more powerful than any Umbral has ever witnessed.

Obsidian scowled, gritting her teeth in frustration.  Bah, LOVE!?   A hollow word, an utterly unnecessary feeling, forcing ponies to act completely out of their minds.  How could something so pathetic be able to counter the driving power of FEAR?  And it really didn't improve her mood that the voice was just an echo, a shadow of sister Ruby - not Obsidian's sister herself. 

At least she knew that Onyx wouldn't have to worry about a gathering of emotions towards her; Obsidian held nothing but scorn and spite in her heart towards her... the pathetic, foolish Queen of the Stupids! 

"It sounds like I'll have to turn to my friends, then, and wait for some sort of magic to happen?"  She still wasn't quite accepting it.

The glow in the amulet faded ever-so-slightly as Obsidian thought such harsh things about love. 

Obsidian, you must not only take in the Light, but you must learn to accept it, too.  Light will not survive in the Darkness of despair; only the fires of hope and LOVE can cleanse away the shadows that are coming, even as we speak...

And do not despair so bitterly, my sister; so long as you carry the Light of my LOVE in your heart, I shall always be with you, forevermore in your heart, in your soul... and I will always LOVE you, no matter how grim things get, how dire the straits, how close the defeat.  Though my body has passed on, my LOVE for you will never die.

Wear this pendant, and let your friends show you how much their LOVE can do.  For you.  For Equestria.  For all of Equus.  Use my notes if you can to decipher what to do.  Don't give up, but surge forward with determination, and the truth that you will succeed and conquer the Darkness, not only here in the world... but in your own heart, as well.

I love you, sister... and I always will. 

The amulet's glow faded somewhat, but was still alive enough to put off light.

This necklace kept using the 'L' word waaaaaaay too much... but Obsidian still ended up clutching it tightly to her chest as soon as the words stopped, unable to take off her hooves off it for a rather long moment, shedding quiet tears.

"... Your... Majesty?" 

Standing at the doorway was Stalwart Stance, eyes wide and jaw hanging open as she stared at Obsidian. "What... what was that light... and that voice..?" She looked completely taken aback; she had apparently seen much, if not all, of what had just occurred.

"My sister, apparently. At least a part of it.  A disembodied part... but at the moment, it's good enough."  Obsidian perhaps wasn't in the best possible mood in the world, and she wasn't sure how much she cared about Equestria as a whole... but Darkness damn her if she was going to allow Onyx to make a vest out of Stalwart or ignore her sister's pleading.

She had to beat Onyx into a twitching, bloody pulp as soon as possible - then have an official vacation.  She'd kill for two or three dull, boring days with her father - or better yet, with her friends, doing... uh, friendly things? 

"I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that I believe we can best Onyx and save Equestria, Stalwart."  But still, why did she have to bring up Amethyst - couldn't she lie, and simply state that it was too hard to free her?

Wart looked at her for a minute, pondering before her reply. "Your Majesty... do you think I don't know that?" 

Now, she let a small slip of pride cross her features. "I have every faith and confidence that, together against the storm, we shall persevere and overcome whatever your mad sister has planned.  We are not mewling cowards; we are Equestrians!  There is no surrender in our vocabulary!  There is no doubt in our camp!  There is nothing but the upcoming victory to celebrate, and which path to take to reach it!" 

She proudly strode forward, and took a knee in front of Obsidian. "Your Majesty, there is no force on Equus that can stand in our way; victory is assured.  I swear it."

"Oh, by Darkness..."  Obsidian rolled her eyes.  "Stalwart, friends don't have to kneel in front of friends... or, a-at least I think so," especially as she wasn't feeling very royal at the moment.  "Let's finish it quickly and have a fun weekend, shall we?" she added as she turned to her papers. 

Notes, book, pendant... she had a lot of work to do.  Ah, but it was research work  - the best kind of work, in her opinion.  Maybe it'll put her mind at ease, at least a little bit, at least for a short while.  As she turned, however... 

From the moment Wart began speaking, Obsidian had felt a... tingle... in her horn.  And what's more, the amulet now began to glow just a bit brighter. 

Stalwart was seemingly oblivious to this, as she stood and smiled broadly at her friend. "It will be an honor to enjoy a weekend with you, Your Ma-... Lady Obsidian."

... ah, yes, behold the power of friendship.  Referring to her in this manner was apparently a very big step for Stalwart.  With the guidance of this pendant, maybe things would work out even better than she believed?

"What are you doing with your free time, Stalwart?  Because I'm not sure what I'd like to do, once this is over - perhaps I would be available for this 'spa' thing that Thunderclap was talking about; after saving the world, I don't think I should be scared any longer just by thought of being touched... oh, and maybe Eloquence could do something different with my mane..." 

She sat down, took the book up in her mag-... with her hoof... and started to look for any possible useful clues.  Maybe Ruby had marked something specific?

"In my... f-free time?  Well, I... uhm, I train, of course.  I have to, if I want even the smallest chance at joining the Royal Guard; my small stature hinders me greatly, so I compensate with accelerated training regimens!" 

The yellow book wasn't exactly as 'For Dummies' as it had claimed to be; it was actually rather intelligent, yet explained things in a way that was clear, concise and easy to repeat, should she try to.  There were notes and highlights, written in Crystalian, that made mention of similar spells & the pages they could be found on, alternate wordings for certain incantations, and even an occasional doodle in the margins - usually of crystals and ponies, but frilly and pretty ponies.  With LONG manes. 

Ruby really liked manes, didn't she?  Or, rather, 'does she' - as part of her seemingly lived inside the necklace and... well, it seemed as though Obsidian's life had most certainly gotten quite interesting, as of late.  

Still... would it be too much to ask the universe for something surprising and good to happen, at least once?

"I may not be able to add up to the stature of a standard Royal Guard, yet I swear to you that I am at least three times as capable as any one of them might be, due to my strict training regimen!  If Princess Twilight would only let me try, instead of telling me 'no' without even a chance to make a display... she would see I'm Royal Guard material, I am sure of it!" 

Ruby's notes were not in any visible order, yet each one seemed to be important in some fashion. The Umbrals are far more disconcerting than I thought; they lived in a time where ponies had clawed hooves, and fangs the size of Amethyst's Foci Dagger!  Plus, they could see in total darkness, and felt no pain nor fear. 

Creatures that couldn't feel pain? How were they able to survive at all? Pain was quite useful when it was coming to, well, sensing that something important was struck. Did they torment ponies to feed on their fear, because they weren't able to feel it themselves? 

"Obsidian?" came the voice of Twilight Sparkle from the hallway.  "I came when Cupcake told me you were awake, and he said you had something important to tell me?" Stalwart looked at Obsidian, visibly wondering if anything about the voice should be mentioned.

"Yes, princess - I've just looked at Ruby's notes and had a short talk with what was apparently a portion of her spirit within this amulet that was found in her saddlebags.  Do you, perchance, read Crystalian?  It would most certainly help the process along, if you did..."

Twilight Sparkle actually gave a smirk.  "I learned to read Crystallian before I was six, because the library said it was a 'dead language'... and, to be fair, at the time it most certainly was." 

She stepped over to where Obsidian had the books, and looked down at them.  Her eyes flew over the words quickly, like a mare who had given herself over to a great deal of reading practice, and she flipped the pages carefully with her magic.

"According to this, it says that there is supposedly an army of Umbral undead ponies that can be resurrected and controlled by whomever casts the spell; the counter to this Darkness is a..." her eyes flew across the pages, "... shard of Light, it says.  An Umbral shard filled with... um, is that a pony with a really long mane?... a-anyway, it says that this shard of Light is key to changing the way things are going." 

"Do we know anything about this shard?" Twilight asked aloud, looking a bit frustrated.

"Yes, your majesty - my sister really likes long manes," Obsidian confirmed, "and apparently I am suposed to be this shard. Back at the Black Pool, sister Onyx drained me of all my magical power - including my Dark Magic - leaving me unable to use my horn at the moment.  However, as sister Ruby concluded, it makes me the perfect vessel for being filled with Light.  Then I should be able to counter Miss Tome's control over her hordes, beat her up and..." she stopped. 

And kill her? Maybe imprison her?  Obsidian clearly didn't have any warm feelings towards her pathetic and completely stupid sister. 

"So, by accident, Onyx created a weapon to counter her own actions.  Pretty ironic, methinks.  And apparently the key to this Light Magic is obviously friendship."  To be more precise, it was supposed to be 'love' but, uh... those two concepts were similar enough, right?

Twilight scowled.  "We already discussed the fact that 'Miss Tome' wasn't real; what's important now is that we study up every single note Ruby left behind, and see if, somewhere in there, we can locate the things we need to know to win this battle!" 

"Your Highness!  Your Highness!"  A mare in Royal Guard armor slung the door open, looking panicked and panting profusely.  "Scouts... report that... large army... headed towards... Ponyville..." 

Twilight gritted her teeth.  "No NO NO!  We need more time!"  She turned to the guardpony.  "Thank you, Civil; I'll get right on it.  Tell the scouts to monitor closely, but stay out of range!  They need to watch, not fight, if they're going to be our eyes." 

Civil saluted, "Yes, Ma'am!"  and headed off in the direction she came from, still panting.

"Obsidian," Twilight started, "I have to look out for my subjects in Ponyville - a horde like that will lay the town to waste, and probably kill all the innocents inside.  I can't let that happen - so, unfortunately, I'm going to have to leave you inside my palace for the moment. I'll try to get back when I can to check on you, but I'm afraid you'll have to research this without me.  I'm sorry; good luck." With that, she promptly teleported away, leaving Obsidian holding the bag... er, book.

... well, manure.
> Twenty Seven: A Few Light Changes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stalwart, if you could please bring the rest of our friends here, I would be grateful; I really think we should stick together for a moment, both for security reasons and to get this... Light stuff... working.  They didn't return to Ponyville, did they?"  It would be a very bad thing, if they ended up in the path of the oncoming horde.

Stalwart straightened and smiled. "Not a chance in Tartarus would they have left you, Lady Obsidian!"  She leaned out the doorway.  "She says she needs us!  ALL of us!" 

The door opened, and in they came: 

Thunderclap Dash, broad and muscular, who may not have always been the one with the bright ideas... but she was always the type to give 110% of herself to everything she did, and often turned out to be just as generous with her friends. 

Mica Chip, whose own brand of calm, collected honesty had almost been set too far out of reach for her, yet he had warmed to her once more, and was now more inclined towards being the 'egghead' of the group.

Gypsy Rover, the timid diamond dog with the stutter, who not only became clear when he spoke on a subject he loved, but exuded kindness in almost every deed, and was clever and gifted, whether creating art or scouting unruly griffons. 

And Cupcake Albert Sprinkles, who was annoying, gabby, a little bit crazy... but was also one of the best friends she had ever known, playing up his silly antics in order to give his friends just that little jolt of laughter they needed. 

Stalwart Stance joined them, exceedingly proper and stern, yet determined and steadfast, and with bravery, loyalty and a fighting spirit that would put even the most seasoned warrior to the test.

Obsidian smiled - though it was one tinged with her current sorrow - at the sight of her friends.  She stood up to embrace them, each one, no exceptions... even though figuring out how to properly hug a diamond dog was only slightly awkward at first.  

She also returned the earlier favour to Cupcake - by doing the lips thing on his cheek. 

"My dear friends," she spoke as she went to each one, "I'm not sure whether or not you are aware, but apparently sister Onyx, completely by accident, prepared me to become a vessel filled with the magic of Light, which has the side effect of forging me into the perfect weapon to crush her, completely and utterly.  We need to be the biggest, bestest, most friendship-choked warband in the history of the world; all of it meant to smite Onyx with everything good that she kept mocking."  Obsidian then redoubled her smile, with a slight smirk to it.  "I hope I can count on you?"

When she hugged Clap, the huge mare looked surprised for a second... then grabbed Obsidian up in a hug and swung her around in a circle! "Awwwww... Siddy, ain't you sweet?  Of COURSE, we got this - yeah, we got this together!" 

The amulet's glow picked up a bit more strength. 

Mica looked a bit taken by surprise, but he didn't hesitate to return the embrace. "Obsidian, this... is good progress... thank you." 

There was another tingle in her horn, and the pendant's glow increased. 

Gypsy watched her embrace the others, and welcomed her with a smile, open arms, and a waggly tail.  It took a moment to figure out how hooves and paws worked together, but when they finally did, his hug was warm and tight. "Th-this one thanks you, f-friend.  He is g-gr-grateful for your f-f-fr-friendship." 

The gemstone gave another pulse of blue light. 

Cupcake threw his forelegs around her and gave her a huge squeeze... with a bit of a blush in place.  Especially when she kissed his cheek in return. "OoooooOOOOOOOH!"  Clap taunted, good naturedly. 

The amulet's glow jumped up a few points at that interaction. 

Wart looked hesitant, yet when Obsidian hugged her, she simply threw her little legs around her and squeezed like a vice grip. "Lady Obsidian, our hearts are yours." 

The pendant was now visibly glowing brightly. 

"Say," Clap noticed, "that necklace-thingy is putting off a LOT of light, Sids - that little thing isn't gonna explode, is it?"  Well, if nothing else, she could use it for a torch... which would be at least ONE thing she knew how to use it for, as she was still clueless as to how to tap the contained Light energy within.

"Okay Obsidian," Mica looked at her, "what do we do now?  We're here, we're ready... what would you suggest?"

"We need to get through my sister's notes to find more information about how to use the amulet; I want us to be prepared.  Onyx's putrid army rapidly approaches Ponyville, and Princess Twilight left to defend her subjects.  If we want to repeat anything like our shopping trip yesterday, we have to hurry - the sooner I find out how to annihilate dark ponies with friendship, the sooner I can beat Onyx into submission.  And to answer your question Clap, I'm fairly certain that the necklace won't explode - its' dark counterpart absorbed A LOT of my magic and it never exploded.  Too bad, as it would have saved us plenty of trouble..."

Mica nodded.  "Okay, we'll need to figure out who can read-" 

"Crystallian?"  Gypsy smiled.  "The ancient l-language of the Crystal Empire?  This one c-c-CRAVES the challenge!" 

"Good, that's another set of eyes," Mica grinned, "now, we'll probably have to deal with some of these things coming here, especially if there's any way Onyx can sense what we're doing here." 

"I volunteer," Wart stepped forward, "as I know the most defensible areas here, and understand how the Siege Mechanisms work; I can lock down the gates on the lower levels-" 

"And I gotcha on the higher ones," Clap finished, "if you can run me through what to do.   Like, s-l-o-w-l-y, you know what I mean?  Step by step and such?"  Wart nodded firmly at the request. 

Mica turned to Cupcake.  "Cup, we need you to see if you can gather your siblings in one place; there's no way Darkness could ever stand up to all five of you." 

Cupcake saluted.  "Roger roger, mon cappy-tan!"  By Darkness, all five Pie siblings together, in one place?  Obsidian almost pitied the Umbral monstrosities that were trying to invade Equestria... and was a bit afraid what would happen if they also lost a sibling to this. 

Mica gave a small smile and shook his head.  Then he addressed them all. "Please, be careful - and if danger gets close, don't be a hero; come back here, to this room, and we'll gather our forces together after securing this place." 

Cupcake looked at Obsidian and gave a slight blush again.  "Obsidian, uhm... please be careful; I don't want anything else to happen to you, okay?"

"Take care, everyone. Good luck. I'll do my best to figure something out before enemies will make contact with us."  Then Obsidian turned to face the Pie stallion.  "And don't worry, Cup - I don't want anything else to happen to me as well!" 
She smiled, but it was mostly forced, and it felt weird; she just hoped it was enough. 

"Wart, be certain to leave some monsters for me as well, yes?"  She looked to her friend with a rueful chuckle.   "When future Equestrians read about this upcoming battle, I want to make certain that I am remembered for more than reading."

Wart saluted, Clap waved and Cupcake gave a big, dramatic bow as the three of them headed out.  Mica then turned back to her and Gypsy. "I'm headed to the armory; if we're going to fight, we'll need armor and weapons, and that's where I'll find them.  You two figure out what you can, and I'll return as soon as possible."  Armor... finally!  PLATE ARMOR!

Gypsy looked at him.  "B-b-be careful, M-Mica." 

"I will - no worries.  Until then, Gypsy... Obsidian..." He headed out the door, galloping away rapidly.  

The diamond dog turned back to Obsidian. "Now... w-w-wh-what are we l-l-looking at?"

"We're looking for any mention of shards - mainly Light shards, but any mention might yield results.  Maybe we'll be able to find something about my siblings?  The more we know, the easier sister Onyx will be to defeat... especially as sister Amethyst has already experienced such; I truly don't wish to injure her any further." 

Obsidian turned to the texts - ah, yes... research.  During an oncoming siege.  And her friends at risk.  But, as she knew, she didn't have time to accompany them all... and besides, first things first, yes?

Gypsy took up the small stack of papers and separated them into two piles. "Here... y-you take this p-p-pile... and this o-one shall take th-the oth-th-ther pile."  He handed it over to her, and dug into his own stack.  As the diamond dog read, he took a sheet of paper from his pocket, a marker from his sleeve and began taking notes in short, neat handwriting.  Watching him use his fingers was fascinating... but she had to get to work herself, so she did. 

It was fifteen minutes later that they both heard a distant >THUD< as the gates to the castle slammed into place, proving Wart's tenacity had paid off.  That was followed by a similar sound from above, meaning the upper floors were shuttered, thanks to Thunderclap. 

To be fair, it should have been the palace's guards who were dealing with the gates - not a gaggle of teenagers - but apparently the peaceful and friendship-happy Equestrian heartlands hadn't dealt with any truly serious dangers in quite some time... or they were busy as well, but perhaps outside the palace?  Either way, it seemed a bit disconcerting that they'd been left here 'for their protection'... and there was very little of said protection to be seen.

Shortly after that, Mica returned with a dessert cart that was loaded with armor and weapons!  The stallion himself had chosen a light steel barding, leaving him plenty of room to move.  On top of the cart, in full view of Obsidian, was a full suit of Equestrian Royal Guard plate armor, complete with helmet and cloak. There were a number of other armor pieces as well, and an assortment of swords, knives, axes... and even a lance! 

"Here's the best of what was in there," Mica said, "but I can go back once we offload this bunch, if you think we'll need more?"  Obsidian rose her head from texts and for a moment her eyes glimmered when she saw riches brought by Mica.

Plate armooooooorrrrr... a royal clooooooooaaaaak... and a laaaaaaaance... 

She would take that lance and impale her feeble-minded sister upon it, and then rename it for its' glory!  The Lance of Light, perhaps?  Of course, said impalement couldn't be mortal or anything... heh heh heh...

"Could you perhaps find something for Gypsy?  If there are no exact armors for diamond dogs, then at least a nice shield, maybe?" she proposed as she was eyeing the plate armor greedily... though she might have to ditch the helmet.  Too bad she didn't have time to paint her coat of arms or at least her house colours on it.  

Now that she thought about it, was it an Umbral Empire invasion or a war of succession?  Was she fighting for Equestrians, or was she just allied with them?  Well, first things first; it wasn't important right now.  Besides, if they proved victorious, she could always convince future historians to fix their books a bit, right?

Mica nodded, and started unloading the cart onto the floor.  

Meanwhile, Gypsy sat up at his seat. "OOH!  Th-th-there is a mention of the fourth dynasty, which says that the Umbrals were particularly succeptable to fire," the diamond dog said, with nearly no stutter at all, "and that they will possibly flee from a b-big enough bonfire - though, t-t-to be fair, this is p-probably also the c-case with living Umbrals, but... we c-c-can try, yes?" 

"Yes," Mica answered, "which means, on my next trip to the armory, I should fetch some torches and lamp oil.  Good, we now have armor, weapons and deterrent - and that's a start." 

Fire... it was as good as anything else - though to be fair, plenty of creatures were afraid of fire, and rightfully so.  "Good.  We could use it to defend our positions... and maybe set up a few traps.  Hopefully we can find something to light them up with."  She couldn't count her own magic in this category, sadly - her lack of magic was even more frustrating than she first thought. 

Through the doorway came Wart and Clap.  "Okay, folks," the pegasus chirped, "we're all closed up, 'cept for the north and south gates; those aren't equipped with big steel doors to close." 

Wart, in the meantime, had eyes for nothing but the Royal Guard armor, watching Obsidian put it on and then staring at the helmet for a moment before shaking her head and digging through the pile of weaponry.  

Clap looked at the armor lying on the floor.  "Wow - that's a lot of steel!  Got anything, uhh... lighter?  If I'm gonna fly, I gotta make sure I can maneuver properly!" 

Mica grinned and pointed to the chainmail shirt in the corner.  "Will that do?" 

"Tartarus, yeah!" Clap replied, taking it up and wiggling her way into it.  It was very tight-looking on her large frame, but she'd managed to get her wings through the holes in the back, and was now flexing in it to test its' capacity. "That'll hold... probably.  You find out anything else yet?  And where's the Cupster?"

"Cupcake went to collect his siblings, which may be quite a boon to our cause.  Oh, and Gypsy discovered that our enemies should be scared of big bonfires, so maybe we could block them that way..." 

And if they would turn out to not be deterred, Obsidian and her group wouldn't have to fight with undead monsters - but with fiery undead monsters - not a nice thought. "Sadly, we found nothing more about shards - more's the pity.  Out of curiosity, which gate should be easier to defend, just in case?"

"The southern gate," Wart spoke up as she searched through the weaponry, "will be the easier of the two to defend; it has a partial drawbridge, which will potentially limit them to single-file movements across it.  The northern gate has but one bridge in, but it is cement and stone and does not lift." 

Standing up, Wart took up two longswords in her magic and sheathed them, placing them on her back.  "I shall be taking position on the northern bridge." 

Clap lifted an eyebrow.  "You... think you can handle that by yourself?" 

Wart looked at Clap with a rare smirk on her muzzle.  "I have not a doubt in my heart." 

Clap looked at her for a moment more, but when Wart didn't flinch, she smiled.  "Okie dokie lokie - guess you've got the northern bridge."  Wart's smile doubled, and she began gathering small pieces of armor to try to fasten them together.

Obsidian eyed Stalwart for a long moment.  The northern bridge, all by herself... by Darkness, where in Tartarus were all the palace guards?  Why would a princess leave a bunch of teenagers to hold this palace by themselves?  Or perhaps they were sent to Ponyville to deal with the menace?  Regardless, the lack of guardponies was a bit worrisome.

"Remember about fire, Stalwart... and do be careful - if anything happened to you, I would have no choice but to slay my siblings to avenge you."  She patted Wart lightly on the back and returned to the books.  Maybe there would be some way to restore her magic with this necklace... she felt fairly useless without it.  Though to be fair, she was considering herself a huge failure at the moment, anyway.

Mica turned and looked at the yellow book, pondering.  "Give me a moment with that book, Obsidian... I have a thought.  There might be a Monitoring Spell in there, which would allow us to keep an eye on everyone from here." 

Clap grabbed a morning star, swung it around a bit, then shrugged and tossed it back on the pile.  A sudden sense of danger skittered across Obsidian's brain when the pegasus grabbed the weapon... but luckily, it took her only a few swings to realize that it wasn't a weapon for ponies that weren't already good with it - and at least this time she didn't cause any additional damage. Whew. 

Meanwhile, Gypsy's tail began to wag rapidly. "H-here!  There's a section h-h-here about something referred to as the 'Darkheart', and it says that the only remaining pieces of it were gathered by King Sombra at the height of his reign; they were fashioned into am-m-m-mulets, and bestowed with the power to counter each other - and only the one with more power would b-be victorious.   This one believes th-that we c-c-can work to build the L-L-Light up, as soon as we f-f-find out how to."

Mica stood up.  "Okay, I have the spell, now Obsidian, you just have... to... cast... it.  Manure!"  He looked at her.
"Have you tried your magic lately?"

Hm, to gather more light... but, why would a Darkheart be able to gather energy that countered its' true power? After all, it was called 'Darkheart', not 'Dark & Lightheart' or something of the sort.  Too bad that she personally filled Onyx's amulet with so much power that she was able to control army of undead monstrosities - she hoped it was a strain on Onyx's abilities anyway, giving her at least a rotten headache.

"In fact, I have not."  She tried to focus on something simple - like lifting a book. Maybe she'd gotten at least a little, teensy sliver of her own magic back?  She had not a single clue that Onyx could so thoroughly drain her magic... and, more frightening, she was unsure if something like that even could regenerate.  She concentrated, hoping for the best, dreading the worst.

The glow surrounded the book, and it lifted from the table - it felt like she was trying to move it through tar, but it began to lift all the same.  However, that wasn't as significant as the detail she noticed the most: the glow was blue; the same blue as the pendant she was wearing. 

Thunderclap lifted an eyebrow.  "Siddy, uh... that doesn't look like the same stuff you used last time I saw it.  You okay?"

"No, not really," she replied with a slight sigh, "my Dark Magic has been completely drained, but I've got this necklace.  I will risk saying that, for the time being, I am completely dependent on it."  It seemed that the stored power was... meager, to put it mildly. 

Just how could she get more magic, love and so forth?  Propose marriage to Cupcake? 

"Unfortunately, it is quite weak, at the moment; I can barely move this simple book.  I'm fairly certain I wouldn't even be able to write with it, let alone fight," she rubbed her temple. 

Friendship, love, affection... and she was but a rank amateur in light of it!  She had sworn these concepts were utterly useless, the day before yesterday!  She had trained all her life to use the powers that she was intent to counter now; how in Tartarus did she get herself in such a mess? 

"Maybe I could get some power from Cupcake's family, if they love each other as much as I think they do - it should give my necklace at least a bit of light.... or maybe meet with the Element Bearers, though I would assume they're probably too busy.  Gypsy, would you possibly have any ideas?"

Gypsy looked at her and thought for a moment.  Then, slowly, he got up from his table, walked over to Obsidian, and once again embraced her. "This one knows what love is." 

He stepped back and looked at her with kindness in his eyes.  "D-do you r-re-r-remember when this o-o-o-one made for you some p-p-paper anim-m-mals?  He was t-trying to make friends with y-y-you - he b-b-b-believed that you would l-like them, and you d-did." 

The pendant's glow grew a bit brighter, and the diamond dog nodded at the sight of it.   He looked over at the others.  "It is the a-a-a-affection which she needs; p-p-p-please, give it to her." 

Mica nodded, turning to her and speaking up. "Obsidian, I... I had a dream that you were split in two - one side was thoroughly good and noble, the other was vile and wicked.  I debated for quite some time as to how you would turn out in the long run, and I have to say the prospect... it frightened me."

"But when you came and apologized earnestly to me, not like the back-of-the-hoof apology from McDonkey's... I felt that.  And I realized that it was most likely that you would be a mix of both sides... but without guidance and friendship, you'd be lost before long.  I didn't want to lose you, even after everything that happened."  He smiled.  "I'm glad I gave you that chance, Siddy; thank you for helping me see your truth." 

She could now feel, not a tingling, but almost a soft pulse in her horn, and some weird sensation from it as well.

"Hokey smokes, lookit that!"  Clap said, pointing at Obsidian.  The others also seemed to stare at her forehead...

Mayhaps this would be enough energy - she hoped there would be more of a reaction than struggling to lift a single book. Perhaps... yet Obsidian was feeling strange, even though it was almost familiar... 

When she was using her dark powers, she tended to lose herself in anger and hate, but now... now it was something completely contrary to any previous experience.  

It felt nice. 

"Dearest Mica, I do hope you know that I'd like to turn out to be the best and the most noble example of myself, right?"  She gave a light giggle; maybe she would possibly have time to sit down and try to understand everything that had happened to her since her rescue from the Crystal Empire... 

As soon as they put Onyx down. 

"... wait, what's happening with my horn?"  She crossed her eyes trying to look up, but obviously she couldn't see very much.

Mica reached over to the table, his eyes not leaving her head, and picked up Ruby's hoof mirror, holding it out to her as they all watched, transfixed.

Obsidian's heart ached at the sight of Ruby's mirror.... but still, she looked onto its' surface to look at herself.

Reflected back at her, she now saw what they were staring at - her horn, curved and red since as far back as she could recall, was now radiating a soft blue glow... and, right in front of all of them, it was straightening... slowly but unmistakably straightening out. She felt the tingling and the pulsing, and as she watched, it looked as though other indicators were also active, as a pure white mist began to seep ever-so-slightly from her eyes. 

"... I've never seen anything like this before in my entire life..." Mica said, sounding shocked and amazed at what he was witnessing before him.

She quickly turned away from the mirror, hoping that somewhere there she could fine some fine brain bleach.  Solid objects, like bones or horns, weren't supposed to move that way!  Obsidian paled a bit, trying not to think about it too hard.

How was it possible... and why didn't it hurt? 

"I... assume it's a good sign, then," she said in a reserved voice.  At least the mist was quite familiar - though she was far more used to it being the standard purple color.  "So... shall we continue?  I'm really glad you've accepted my apologies, Mica - I'm well aware that being my friend is not safe, so I didn't want to force you into liking me, but I really, really didn't want you to think that I consider any one of you beneath me."

Wart stepped over towards her and stared at her horn for a bit... then spoke, in a soft, gentle voice that was very unlike her usual tone. "All my life, I only wanted to protect others.  Even as a young filly, I had a want to stand up and shield those who I knew were important.  Because they needed to be safe, so those under their rule would be taken care of." 

"When I heard you insisting on being called 'princess', I hoped beyond hope that you would, in your infinite mercy, allow me to do for you what everyone else would not allow me to do.  I desperately desired to be able to protect someone royal, no matter whom it was." Now, her smile broke through... and it was so very sweet.

"And you did.  You allowed me the opportunity to put my hard-won skills to use in your defense... and by doing so, you made my dreams come true, even if it wasn't quite in the way I'd imagined it would be." 

She looked over at the Royal Guard helmet and cloak, sitting on the table. "Someday, I may even have that chance I want, I need, so badly... but until then, if all I am able to do is protect you, Obsidian... then I will consider my wishes fulfilled - because, to me, you are one of the most noble beings I have ever had the fortune and blessing to have not only known... but kept safe." 

"Thank you, Obsidian... thank you so very much." She could feel it now; a swelling in her chest, a surging in her head, an undeniable strength that was starting to charge her very being.  

Mica looked at her for a minute, then held out the yellow book to her. "Care to try that Monitor Spell, now?"

It was interesting, really - with her Dark Magic, sooner or later she was overwhelmed with desires to control, conquer and subjugate... even when trying to create an absolutely BEAUTIFUL dark crystal.  Yet now, she didn't seem to have any issues or problems.  Quite the contrary, in fact; Obsidian felt that she was in the mood to snuggle Cupcake a bit. 

... she had a crush on him, okay?

"At the beginning, I was merely satisfied that somepony treated me the way I thought I should be treated... but since then, I really started to appreciate you as much as you deserve, Stalwart."  It wouldn't hurt to admit it, and a bit of honesty would be appreciated. 

"Yes, Mica, I think I could try it right now... in fact, I feel quite powerful.  Luckily I'm used to magical influences taking a toll on me, though the type of influence here is something new."  Focusing herself, she made another attempt to lift the book.

Casting a spell with Dark Magic took some finesse; the energies were warped and potentially lethal, so the caster had to keep in mind each and every aspect of what could go wrong with it.  There were potentials for mutilation, illness or even straight-out death for some spells, so a Dark Magic user had to pay the closest bit of attention to every single little possibility, hence the need for so much training. 

But when Obsidian cast the Monitor Spell, it just... happened.  No peril, no malevolent energies, no malice or anger, not even discomfort... it just happened.  

Bubbles issued forth from her horn - five of them - and slowly grew in size until they were as big as globes.  Each one seemed to focus on a different individual; she could see herself through Mica's, Wart's, Gypsy's and Clap's eyes, all at once, and- 

Wait... was that her? 

Obsidian, in each of the globes, looked more like Professor Fluttershy than she did her old self; her mane was long and lovely, her coat seemed to be lighter, and her body itself no longer looked ravaged by hunger with ribs countable... she looked almost like a different pony, though she was most certainly herself. 

Ruby had been right; Onyx's amulet had drained all of the darkness from her... and what it left behind was quite lovely to behold.  She looked healthy.  She looked pretty.  She looked honestly happy, which was the most amazing thing of all, and she had never thought, even for a single second, she could ever look so nice.

... and there went the look that Eloquence seemed to like so much.  Hopefully Cupcake would accept it, as Obsidian was barely able to recognize herself right now.  Maybe she could frown a bit, to add just a touch of the old to the new... maybe she looked fine, but why she had to endure so much change that even her old appearance was no longer a part of her?  How much of the original Obsidian would be left at the end of this battle? 

If her scars dissapeared as well, she was going to be annoyed.  

"Well, the good news is, I can use magic once again,"  Just at the cost of everything she had, from her sister to her dark disposition.  At least she would be able to use her wonderful lance now.  "Gypsy, how many books do we still have to check?"

Gypsy, staring at the orbs, shook himself out of it and looked to her. "If you w-w-wish to look through the b-book, you may; I th-think the pap-p-p-pers will be our b-b-best b-bet.  I shall look th-through th-th-them now, i-if you wish?" 

The orbs above her all showed what was happening with each of her friends... including Cupcake, who wasn't here.  In this orb, she saw what looked like a sweets shop of some sort, windows blocked and doors sealed shut against... oh... sweet... 

Each one looked as though it had only roughly been referred to as a 'pony', as there was very little about it that was pony-like.  Long legs that ended in hooves with flexing, menacing claws... tails that were more akin to a scorpion, wicked barbs extending from rotten-looking strands coming from their rear... flesh that was closer to wet parchment than actual skin or fur... manes that were wet and greasy-looking, dripping with ichor... and mouths with large hinges, filled with shark-like teeth... and the eyes... the eyes... 

There WERE no eyeballs in their rotten black sockets... just tiny marbles of red light which all glowed with malevolence. And there wasn't just a small basketful, nor a busload, nor even a houseful...  

There were thousands of them. 

In the distance, there was obvious action as flashes of magic went off over and over again... but surrounding the shop, there was nothing but a veritable ocean of Umbrals.

In a completely different set of circumstances, Obsidian wouldn't even bat an eyelid over such as these creatures.  Bah, she should admire them - they looked like monsters out of a pony's worst nightmares, terrible machines of nightmarish warfare that could be used to spread terror and destruction, under the command of a capable warlock (say, for instance, herself).  The mere sight of them would make most of her enemies tremble, and she would bet that they could rip limb from limb of any creature stupid enough to stand against them.  And this glow in their eyes - it reminded her of her childhood! 

Ah, for the older days... when everything was simpler and her biggest worry was being rightfully punished by her wise father.  And, though stolen from her, it had been HER magic that brought them back to life!  She was just THAT powerful!  

Unfortunately for her, these creatures were under control of her cruel and blighted sister.  Even worse, they were threatening ponies that were important to Obsidian herself... which made admiring them a bit more challenging, regardless of how they made her feel. 

Her magic glowing brightly, she took the lance from the stack of weapons, carefully checking to see if she could use it without problems with her new magic.  She had to help Cupcake and his family... she had to DESTROY EVERY SINGLE CREATURE THAT COULD THREAT- 

...ah, yes, and she had to do it without the Dark Magic that she'd been using for most of her life.  

"These creatures do not appear to be too friendly... and I don't think that a simple sweet shop will hold them off for very long.  I suppose I shall witness first-hoof if this much-lauded Light Magic is worth anything.  Gypsy, keep looking through papers; as soon as I return, I'd like to hear about everything you've learned."  

She'd be damned if she would allow her pathetic sister do even more damage.
> Twenty Eight: A Feast Of Pies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay Sids, we'll head out there and do what's gotta be done!" 

"Clap," Mica said, obviously worried, "she said she would take care of it." 

"Yeah," Thunderclap Dash said with her characteristic smirk, "and it'll be an open cage night in Tartarus before I let her do it alone." Again, Obsidian felt a rush of energy at her friend's insistence on being with her. 

Mica looked at her for a long moment, then walked over to her, reached up, took her muzzle in his hooves, and planted a long, deep kiss firmly on her lips.  When he disconnected with a soft >pop<, she simply stared at him, dumbfounded. "Stay alive, Clap," he said with a small grin, "and we can discuss that after this is all over with." 

"Bbluhmsgnnrr... o... kaaaaaay..." she replied, looking a bit thunderstruck at the turn of events, but she shook her head as if to clear it, then looked at Obsidian. "Well, uhm, uh... r-ready?"

Did this strange ritual with the lips have a lot of importance?  Obsidian was both kissed on the cheek and kissed one herself, but in this case, hooves were involved... maybe THAT was an important part of it? 

"Interesting - I felt a rush of energy as soon as you offered to join," Obsidian noted to her pegasus companion, "as apparently, fighting alone wouldn't make much sense..."  

Obsidian peeked at her amulet.  It was an interesting thing, that much was certain, but... what would happen if she lost it?  Would she lose all of her powers in an instant?  Regardless, she could test her dependence on this thing after the battle - as soon as everypony was safe. 

"Let's leave through the northern bridge; we'll check to see if Stalwart is well.  Clap, would you kindly lead the way, as I still don't know this castle very well..?"

Clap was busy looking at Mica, but she jumped a bit when Obsidian addressed her. "Hunh?  Oh... OH!  I mean, uh, yeah!  We got this - c'mon, Siddy!" 

With that, they left the room, headed for the northern bridge.  However, they were down the hallway before Clap spoke. 

"That... that was... I mean, it... it felt..." she stammered, trying to articulate what had just happened (and failing).  After a couple more attempts, she simply gave a big, hard sigh and kept flapping along next to Obsidian.  Then... 

"... he's a good kisser; who'da thought?" 

And she gave a lazy, loopy smile.  And bumped into the wall. "OH!  Manure!  Let's just... yeah, let's go already.  And don't tell anyone I said that."  Her blush was adorable, and she may have been speaking such a way about it... but she still had that dreamy smile on her muzzle.

Sooooooo... apparently, there was no longer a crush on Eloquence?  "I assume, this, er... kissing, you called it?... is something important?"  Obsidian asked, just to be sure. 

Since, you know, Cupcake kissed her cheek... oooooh... oooooooooooooooh, and she kissed his!  

"Mica really cares a lot about you,"  Siddy spoke up, "Try to avoid any damage; I'm less scared about Onyx than about the possibility that I'd have to explain to him why one of those Umbrals got 'snuggly' with you."

"He... he does?"  Even with the display mere moments ago, she still didn't seem to be certain?  "I mean, I know we're best friends and all, but... I mean, he never mentioned that he... honestly, it's not like I never thought about him that way, but... wow... I just didn't have a clue..." 

She blinked again.  "Kissing?  Yeah, it's a big deal - mostly, kissing is one of those things folks do either when they really, really care about someone... or when they're related, but never on the mouth when related.  That's just weird." 

"My mom used to kiss me on the forehead, so that meant she loves me... but Mica?   On the lips?"  She smiled.  "THAT means L-O-V-E.  At least," she looked thoughtful, "I hope so, in this case.  He really does like me like that, doesn't he?" 

She then smiled at Obsidian.  "And I think that also means that Cupcake likes you."

Now it was Obsidian's turn to almost run into the wall. "Y... y-you really think so?  I mean, it's obvious, we are all friends here..."  Listening to someone talk about it was kind of pleasant, to be fair; another part of everyday life that she'd never experienced before.  Considering that she was made to look like father's oldest friend, maybe it was better he had never kissed her in any way.

"Oh, totally Sids!  I'll bet he even wants to do the whole 'family' thing with ya!  Y'know, marriage, foals, the whole nine yards!" 

They made their way towards the front, and in a very short distance, they came across their destination. 

The bridge in question spanned a large, rushing river that ran beneath.  It was made of mortar, sturdy wood and stone, and looked solid and resilient.  Lined at the sides by bricks, it sat a good fifty feet over the water; it was wide enough for two carriages to roll down, side by side, without bumping each other.

And standing on their side of the bridge was Stalwart Stance, who was levitating both longswords she'd picked at the same time and glowering down the bridge towards the distance.  

Waiting.  Watching.  Guarding...

"Heya, Warty!" Clap called out.

Wart jumped about three feet off the ground! "Cuh-cuh-CLAP!  Don't DOOOOO that!" 

Clap smiled.  "Heh, sorry - how's it going over here?" 

She frowned at the pegasus, but looked back towards the horizon.  "Nothing yet... but I can almost feel their hoofbeats coming... and there will be MANY."

ENEMIES, YAY!  Monsters that had to be brutally destroyed - now that, she knew how to deal with. Marriages, foals, something about yards - not so much.  She'd just have to explain to Cupcake that she really doesn't feel ready for foals right now.  Of course, if he would insist... 

Also, she never thought that Clap could be able to sneak up on Stalwart like that.  

"More enemies, more glory!  Stalwart, Clap and I need to leave castle for a moment, we should be back soon with the Pies; we may attract some attention, so on our way back we... we..."  

Obsidian looked at the bridge. "... do we possibly have any explosives?  Please, tell me we have some manner of explosives - I'm sure Princess Twilight will understand any damages, yes?"  Enemies rushing through a bridge, a short explosion and boom, hundreds of Umbrals shredded... or better still, some explosives could completely block this path! 

Eh, with Dark Magic, she could've just made a crystal wall... but alas...

"No, Lady Obsidian - no explosives.  However, you do not need them; you have a Stalwart Stance, and that should be sufficient."  She grinned proudly. 

Clap chuckled.  "You've always been a heckuva brave one, Wart - but do you think you can hold off an entire horde when they show up?" 

The little mare stood up proudly and levitated her two swords up next to her.  "Watch me and be amazed, Thunderclap." 

Clap smirked, then nodded to Obsidian.  "C'mon - your sweetheart's waiting for us." 

"The best of luck to you both, and may Celestia and Luna protect and guide you!" The two of them were a good ways from the bridge when they heard Wart behind them call out, "Wait, WHAT!?  Sweetheart?!?" 

Clap grinned.  "Just keep movin', Sids; she'll figure it out."

"She's quite loud when she is surprised, isn't she?"  Hopefully, such a fact will allow them come with help if Stalwart got surprised by power of the horde.  "You know this place, Clap - is there anything we can use to our advantage?"

"Well, from what I could tell through that bubble-thingy, it looked like they were holed up in Sugarcube Corner; when the Cakes retired and moved to Manehattan, Pinkie Pie bought out the whole place.  She... had a surprising number of bits to do it with, too."  So, then the Pie family was rich?  They didn't seem to be...

"Anyway, ever since then, she's employed her kids and others in town to work the counters while she keeps the tradition of celebrating birthdays alive.  Heck, before you showed up, that was almost always where you could find Cup.  Honestly, you showing up got him out of that place more than he'd been in, like, a year or two." 

Clap then took on a smirk.  "Rumour has it, she had an underground bunker underneath it, where she kept intelligence on each pony and always knew all sorts of stuff on everyone... but she never used it for bad stuff; she'd know what your fave flavor of ice cream was, what sort of presents you liked, how old you were... stuff like that." 

She then gave a bit of a distant expression.  "But nopony knows that for a fact, except her family... and Cup won't blab, so there's no telling.  But they have great food there, at least."

Obsidian lifted an eyebrow at this news.  "So you're saying we have to hope that they DO have a bunker... and that it has escape routes."  Nothing else about this sounded even slightly useful... well, hopefully Umbrals couldn't fly. 
"Could you get inside from the air, while I engage in distracting our enemies?"

Clap grinned.  "Actually, I was thinkin' the same thing, Siddy... except I got the distraction part, and you get inside.  Think you can handle it?" 

Ponyville, when they reached it, was under siege by the Umbrals... but the citizens seemed to be mostly protected by Princess Twilight and the other Element Bearers; they were hiding out in City Hall, a bubble of purple magic keeping the Umbrals out and the ponies in.  

Sugarcube Corner was surrounded on all sides by at least five-score Umbrals, and they seemed intent on trying to break in, or at least break down the walls.  Other than the terrible creatures, there didn't even seem to be anypony there... but the orbs had directed them to this place, so here she was.

"In case you've forgotten, I can't exactly fly, Clap; you make a better fit for a quick scouting mission, and I should distract and destroy, to relieve my bloodlu-..." 

She stopped talking and snarled lightly.  "I'm still trying to rile myself up, to get my Dark Magic flowing.... how exceedingly annoying."  So many enemies... so many bodies that would have to be buried...

Oh well - at least sister Onyx wasn't playing around. 

"But sure, I can get inside, no problem."  Huh, Cupcake will be absolutely shocked with her appearance, she was sure of it.

Clap grinned.  "Okay then, Obsidian my friend... here we go, filly!" 

She shot directly straight up into the air, flared her wings out (which gave her an appearance like a phoenix, for a moment), then she dove down and swept towards Sugarcube Corner. When she got close, she flapped low and, with a hearty yell, plowed right into the crowd, sending several sprawling and a few flying through the air backwards.  

She was like a flying battering ram, sending them packing as she kept flying on. "Catch me if ya can, Umbrellas!" 

She then took off towards the other side of town, and had a number of the Umbrals right on her tail, even if they were safely below her.  A few back-n-forth passes, and the majority of the horde ended up following the pegasus around the corner and down the street. 

There were now roughly about fifteen or twenty of them left outside the place, and they were sniffing about, still looking for a way in.

Oh dear... with that many undead trailing the pegasus, Obsidian really hoped that she would be okay; a single hoof in the wrong place, and her attempt to ram Umbrals would end with Thunderclap being buried by these monsters!

But, ah yes... first things first.  Obsidian took up her lance with her newfound magic - and it was going to be the biggest pencil-like weapon around... but before a more direct attack, she tried to power her horn - and cast any form of magical missile she possibly could.

There was a flash from above her vision, and three small balls of white light began to circle her horn.  Meanwhile, she could feel her magic growing inside her - she was gathering it back a bit at a time, and it actually felt like the Light was easier to recharge, quicker, more concentrated.  The lance was almost weightless in her magic's grip, and she hefted it with ease.

Three spheres... multiple targets... reloading time, unknown... hmmmmmmm... 

Obsidian stepped forward, attempting to unleash a barrage of missiles at her enemies.  She wasn't delicate about it, either - she wanted to feel her powers and learn to wield them properly.... aaaand if it ended in overkill, she'd just have another reason to be pleased with herself.

The three small spheres didn't leave the orbit around her head; instead, each one began producing smaller balls of light, which started immediately streaking towards the Umbrals like darts.  Each one popped as it struck the ghoulish forms, and each pop was like a small explosion; a ripple of pops, like firecrackers, and the closest one lost a leg, part of its' barrel and an eye.  Now THAT was superior firepower!

It made very little sound, but the attack most certainly did NOT go unnoticed. 

Others turned, and they began to charge at Obsidian at a breakneck pace, scrambling as if they were running for their... uh, unlives.  When more of the Light missiles struck, the damage began to rack up; limbs were taken clean off, bodies damaged to the point of collapse... even a skull burst like a balloon!  Jet black ichor flew everywhere, and even splashed onto Obsidian; it smelled like raw sewage that had been boiling on a stove for, oh say, six centuries or so?  The odor threatened to make her gag, but she managed to hold her stomach's contents down. 

The lance?  THAT was a different category of fun... 

The things may have had vicious claws and teeth, but their waterlogged bodies weren't made for resisting damage.  The first one she speared, it went right through them!  Pulling it free actually broke the creature in half, sending its' torso to the ground as its' back end stood there.  Wait... it didn't fall? 

No.  It didn't. 

That's when she noticed the dismembered limbs were all still moving, writhing, squirming... and advancing, as if they instinctively KNEW where their enemy was!  Still, whatever the Light bullets didn't destroy, the lance was sufficient to make short work of.  However, now she knew that the only way to guarantee their demise was to smash each part into paste; otherwise, it was just a smaller, more limited foe to fight.

Obsidian didn't stop assaulting the wretched creatures with her magic (as well as a growing hope in her heart that she'd be able to clean herself quickly) while striking them at the same time with her lance - impale and wound to slow their momentum, reduce their mobility and then Light missiles to finish them off for good. 

Hopefully lancing them first would reduce a bit of pressure in their bodies, so they wouldn't burst in such sickening ways... but as long as the smaller parts were less dangerous than the full creatures, she was more focused on the Umbrals that still had a complete set of limbs.

It didn't take very long before she'd managed to work her way through the Umbrals outside of Sugarcube Corner, and eventually she found herself stomping the last piece into gristle. 

The worst part hadn't really been the icky goo, nor the fighting itself... it had been the eerie silence.  The horrible things never made a sound, save the echo of hooves on the ground; it had been like fighting while wearing earplugs, and it had been dangerous due to the fact that she realized she would never have heard them coming, were she not already aware of their existence.  It made her wonder what the initial flood had been like, and how large the toll had already been on the population. 

The last of the nasties dealt with, the way was clear for Sugarcube Corner.  In the distance, Obsidian heard Thunderclap laughing her fool head off; good, because it meant she was still living, breathing... and by the sound of things, having a blast.

Granted, it would have been helpful to have a partner here, to keep her plot safe; otherwise, she could have severe problems during a prolonged fight with these creatures.  At least Clap was safe - good.  

Obsidian quickly trotted to the shop and knocked harshly. "Cupcake?  Mister Lemon?  It's clear!"

There was nothing but silence for a moment, then there was the sound of something heavy being moved from behind the door.  After a moment, the doorway cracked open and a bright pink eye looked back at her. 

"Oh great.  It's you." It was Blue Raspberry, the smarmy sister who was so pleasant, last they met. "Let me guess; you think you're some kind of big-freakin-hero, and now you wanna come in here and parade your alicornier-than-thou attitude among the poor little Pie family, right?" 

"Blue?"  The door opened wider, and Licorice Twist stood there, looking dreamy and gorgeous, his sister Blue standing off to the side with a pout on her muzzle. "You put down the Umbrals?"  He poked his magnificent head out and looked around.  "I could have sworn there had been a lot more of them.  Thank you kindly, stranger."

Oh, so of those two ponies it was less pleasant one that recognized her - how sad. 

"Yes, you're correct, Blue," Obsidian grinned at her, not willing to play with her hostile approach,  "Licorice, it's me, Obsidian.  Thunderclap lured the monstrosities away - we should leave quickly!"

Licorice's eyes flew open.  "... Obsidian!?  That's... is that you?" 

Blue rolled her eyes.  "Yes, stupid - she still has that same stupid face, she just looks... less evil, that's all."  The angsty mare motioned inside.  "Get inside, you dumb nag; we're not leaving yet.  The others and Mom are downstairs." 

"Mama..." Licorice said with a visible fall in his demeanor. 

"Yeah, yeah, save the waterworks, let's GO." 

Oh, dear - had something terrible happened here too? Hopefully Equestria didn't lose one of the Element Bearers - besides, Cup, Lick and the rest of the Pie family would be devastated.  Hopefully Obsidian was right on time to help... for a change. 

Even through the nasty stuff on her coat, she could smell the delectable scent of sweet treats all through the place.   It was decorated in pastels that were bright and warm, but with the lights off it looked more lonely and abandoned. 

Blue trotted over to one of the counters and reached onto a high shelf, tipping a cookie jar to the left.  As soon as she did, there was a shifting sound, and Blue vanished down below the countertop, out of sight, as if the floor had fallen out from under her! 

Licorice walked over to the shelf.  "Come stand on the floor mat; I'll send you along, and I'll be right behind you." Licorice looked handsome... but seemed quite bothered and glum.

As instructed, she stood on the floor mat.  Licorice reached up and tilted the cookie jar. 

{WHOOSH!}  The floor mat slid out from under her, and Obsidian found herself sliding down a long tube; it had what looked like multi-colored lights imbedded in it, so it wasn't dark... but she was moving quite fast, and sliding around turns and bends too rapidly to properly take in.  

And then, she shot out of the tube and landed in... a bunch of colored balls? Yes, she'd come out of the tube and landed in a pool of soft plastic spheres of many colors.  The descent had been rapid, but these balls at the end were what kept any injuries from happening.  Interesting mode of travel. 

However, when she looked up, there was much more to see.  

It was a warehouse... underground!  There were shelves and filing cabinets, each filling the wall on each side, which were chock-full of papers and pictures, photos and notes, and looked as though they were utilized often, as there was no dust on anything down here, and the shelves were filled with all sorts of gear, like packs of 'party balloons', party plates, party hats, party tablecloths, party presents... just about anything one would want for a celebration, and then some! 

Standing at the head of the aisle was Lemon Custard... and he did not look like a happy pony - he looked as though he was fighting tears. "Obsidian.  You..."  He blinked and looked at her again.  "You... you're different."

By Darkness, it was the most ridiculous fortification she had ever seen.  The long tube was clearly meant to confuse and disorient any enemies, but was also used for allies - including those who, like Obsidian, had no clue what they should expect.  Her recent skirmish with the Umbrals didn't traumatize her as much as that had! 

She quickly moved forward, to avoid being crushed by Licorice. "Yes, Mister Lemon... Light Magic; I can explain later. What's the situation?"  Who knew Lemon could cry... yet, considering Blue's behavior, Obsidian hoped the situation wasn't THAT serious.

Lemon Custard looked over his flank, down the aisle behind him.  "Mother.  She... wanted to make sure we were all okay, so she naturally came here, where we were holed up.  We held off a number of those things, but the fight did not leave us without... casualties."  Lemon shut his eyes for a moment, then sighed and turned.

"Mother is hurt.  She says she'll be fine, but..."  Lemon cleared his throat, and motioned for her to follow as he made his way along the shelving, towards the rear of the place. 

"Obsidian, I swear to you, if I lose her, I will personally kill anyone and everyone who is responsible for this blasphemy against Equestria.  I've had contact with Princess Twilight, and she says that she's holding Ponyville's Town Hall, and has the majority of the town's population amassed there.  It's good news... but unless we can find a way to end this siege, we will eventually be overrun with these horrid creatures." 

Should Obsidian be worried about his threat?  She was partially responsible for this mess after all, which was seemingly making her a potential target!  Maybe Lemon had warmed up a bit to her lately... but it didn't mean he wouldn't pull her kidneys through her ears, if he felt she was a part of it. 

"Well, Mister Lemon, the good news is that we probably found a tool designed to counter magic that controls this undead army, and..."

They reached the back, where it was set up like a living room, so to speak, with couches and chairs and a few tables. 

Sitting on one of the couches was a drab grey mare with a flat purple mane and a completely disinterested look on her muzzle.  She reminded Obsidian of Mica, for some reason.  Pacing back and forth in front of her was another grey mare, this one seemingly agitated as she continued to stalk back and forth, back and forth. "I swear, if anything happens to her, I'll-... I'LL..." 

"You know," the mare on the couch said, "your stress really isn't doing her any good.  Or you." 

"Cram it, Maud!"  The pacing pony stared at her.  "If Pinkamena had just stayed with her friends, she'd be-" 

"She'd be knee-deep in zombie ponies, Limestone," the couch mare intoned, "just like she was here.  The difference is, now she knows her foals are okay." 

Pacing mare (Limestone?) grit her teeth and made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat... then she saw Obsidian and Lemon, and rolled her eyes. "Great.  More ponies in trouble - are we just a problem magnet today!?" 

Couch mare (Maud?) just looked at her.  "Hey."

Hm, Mica's mother?  Obsidian bowed respectfully to both mares; Maud surely looked even more stoic than Mica. 

"...a-and I know some healing spells, and currently I am enjoying a rather large reserve of magic.  I haven't had much of a chance to practice with it yet, but... umm... it wouldn't hurt to try, methinks?"  She then looked around curiously.  "Where are Patty and Cupcake...?"

"Light Ma-"  Lemon balked, utterly shocked.  "You're telling me that you have completely switched magical capabilities!?  But... b-but HOW!?  That shouldn't even be empirically possible!  How could-" 

"Wait," Limestone now stared at Obsidian.  "THIS is the refugee from Sombra's dungeon!?  What in Tartarus is SHE doing here!?" 

"Offering to save Pinkie," Maud stood up, and looked at Obsidian.  "They're in the back, with our sister.  Come on, I'll show you." 

"Maud!?  What do you think you're do-" 

"If you're not going to help, then keep thinking; you're capable of coming up with good plans, so you should do that right now - leave this to me.  Unless you have a reason not to trust my judgement?" 

Limestone's muzzle twisted up into an angry moue... which fell with an exasperated sigh.  "FINE." She then marched right up to Obsidian, and pointed a hoof at her, almost right in her face.  "But if you mess up and something happens to Pinkamena because of it!?" She then brought her hoof back and drew it slowly across her own throat.  

Maud blinked at her, then turned and walked along.  "Come with me." 

"I can explain later, Mister Lemon," she called back as she followed the drab grey mare.  It was quite a good thing Mica's mother wasn't being weepy or angsty; now she saw where Mica got it from.

When they were out of earshot, Maud spoke up again.  "Limestone's just angry that she wasn't able to stop Pinkie from getting hurt; don't judge what she says too harshly."

And a doubly-good thing nopony was actually dead; it was going to stay that way if Obsidian had anything to say about it!  No more ponies dying on her watch.  Including herself, of course. 

"Well, I don't have too much choice, methinks," she mused as she followed Maud.  In theory, healing magic should be better attuned to Light Magic, and would therefore make the act of healing easier, right?

They reached the back area, and Obsidian could see the ponies gathered here. On a moth-eaten old couch was Pinkie Pie.  She didn't look all that bad, but there was a thick red stain at about waist-level on the blanket that covered her midsection.  She looked almost as chipper as she'd been when Obsidian had seen her last time... but her muzzle looked tired, as if she were silently struggling with something. 

On one side of her was a beautiful mare, about Pinkie's age, whose eyes widened as Obsidian showed up.  She gave a soft, almost polite gasp and watched with apprehension as she and Maud approached. 

On the other side was Peppermint Patty, the quiet sister.  She had a number of books and charts out, pouring over them all and seemingly searching for as much info as she could find.  

Next to her was dear Cupcake Sprinkles... with twin rivers pouring from his muzzle as he held his momma's hoof in his own. 

"OOOOOH!  Obsidian, you look so pretty!"  Pinkie said to her as soon as she saw her.  "I am loving the new you!  Not that the old you was all that bad, but this new look is definitely YOU, filly!" 

Patty looked up, smiled and waved, then went immediately back to her work. Cupcake looked up at Obsidian; he looked so sad and pitiful, heartbroken as if his mother's corpse was cooling under his hooves. "(sniffle)... S... Siddy?  What're you doing here?"

Was the other mare perhaps Pinkie's mother?  No... no, she was too young; the aforementioned other sister, then?  Regardless, Obsidian bowed to her anyway, as well as the rest. 

"Miss Pie, please save your strength; we'll be able to chat soon," she assured the wounded mare as she approached the group.  Was this blanket sterile at all?  "I'm here to help, Cupcake; Patty, did you find something useful?  I know healing magic, but I have to know as much as possible," she surrounded the stained blanket with her magic. "If somepony doesn't wish to see this, you should avert your eyes now."  Obsidian carefully lifted it to inspect the wound...

"STOP!"  Pinkie shoved her hooves down on top of the lifting blanket, then glared at Obsidian. "I do not want anything wrong down here to be seen by my family!  I won't have it, I won't, I won't!"  

Her muzzle softened then, smiling at Obsidian.  "But send them out, and I'll let you see to me.  I don't want my little ones having nightmare fuel filling up their brains!" 

Cupcake looked at her earnestly, "But momma-" 

"No no no!  Marble, would you please get these two out of here?" she asked the unknown Pie.

"Mmmhmm," the quiet, lovely mare said and made her way around, putting hooves around Patty's shoulders as she reached her, making her way to Cupcake.  Cup looked at his momma, then turned and threw his forelegs around Obsidian, squeezing her tightly.  "Please, Siddy... help my momma." 

Pinkie Pie smiled at her colt.  "Don't worry - I have a feeling she's gonna be able to do quite a lot, here.  You go on with Auntie Marble now, you two go see to everypony else in there, I'll be fiiiiiiine!" 

With great reluctance, the three of them left the area where they all were.  Once they were no longer about, however, Pinkie Pie breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Am I glad to see you!  You can't imagine how hard it's been to just keep them from freaking out!  So," she threw back the cover, "your job's easy..." 

To Obsidian's great surprise, other than some scratches and a bruise on her left flank, she was completely unharmed! 

"... all you have to do is convince my kids that I'm wounded, and they'll take care of the rest!"  She was all smiles now, and stood up and stretched, as if to confirm.
> Twenty-Nine: Bringing The Boom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obsidian blinked. Then blinked again. She looked at the mare's unharmed flank, then at Pinkie, then again at her flank... 

"... WHY?"  This mare was crazy, right?  Why were they all THAT crazy-sad if she was fine?

Pinkie dabbed a hoof into the red on her blanket, then tasted it.  "Mmmm, strawberry!" Then she turned to Obsidian and sighed.

"You've met my kiddos, right?  Do they really look like the type to work together very much?  Well, they don't - not unless... well, something really bad happens." 

"When I got here to check on them," she began, "they were so busy arguing and yelling and being mean siblings to each other that they almost died!  They couldn't even set their petty differences aside long enough to save each other's lives!  I couldn't believe it!" 

"But when I tripped and fell, they all came to check on me... which gave me the idea to 'pretend' I'd gotten badly hurt; as soon as they saw that I was 'injured', they all banded together to get me and the others down here as fast and safe as possible." 

She looked Obsidian in the eye.  "If I hadn't, then we would have been overrun with those nasty things, and we'd all be ghosties because they would rather argue than assist!" 

She sat down.  "So.  I need you to let them know that I may recover, but the wounds I've taken are pretty bad.  I need them to rally together, because that's how they're the strongest.  I don't want them to die - and if this is the only way they'll do it, then a mare's gotta do what a mare's gotta do." Her eyes turned to Obsidian, pleading silently. 

"I Pinkie Promise, I'll tell them everything after this is over and everyone's safe; until then, my children need a reason to work together, and their shared feelings of worry and anger at the gruesomes will do exactly that." She smiled sheepishly.  "I hope you don't think less of me for this, but it's the only way that's worked."

Obsidian stared... then, she glared at the pink mare.  Was one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony lying to manipulate her own children?  Using them as... as tools? 

"So in other words, the Bearer of the Element of Laughter made multiple ponies soul-crushingly sad... oh, the absolute irony," Obsidian was not amused, "including Cupcake, whom I happen to be very particular about."

A few hours ago, Obsidian was holding her own sister's cooling body in her hooves... and here Pinkie was playing mind games? "Ponies are not tools to play with," she growled quietly.  "Besides, I wanted to evacuate you all to the castle and I'm not really able to do that if they'll think you're too hurt to walk!"

Pinkie looked down, but there was determination on her muzzle. 

"I'm not playing with anypony here; I tried to get them to listen to reason when I first got here, but Lemon was trying to tell Blue what to do, which she hates, while Cupcake was busy telling Licorice about how he'd finally kissed a mare," she smirked at Obsidian for a moment, "and nopony was even paying attention to Patty, who was trying to point out which direction those things were coming from!  It was chaos, but the bad kind of chaos!  I tried and tried to get them to work together, but it's like herding manticores, I swear!"

Oh... so Obsidian was Cupcake's first with this whole kissing thing?  It was good to hear that, even if she wasn't exactly sure why it felt so nice.

Pinkie Pie now looked angry, but not at Obsidian. "A friend taught me, a while back, that sometimes you need a push in the right direction to prepare for the worst.  I didn't like it when HE did it, either - but in the end, it got the results that we needed, and nopony got killed." 

"No, it's not the bestest idea ever... but I've already tried talking to them, signalling them, explaining to them and even tried some semaphore... Nothing.  Else.  WORKED."  She looked up at her now, eyes serious but not angry; they were seeking understanding.  "If a lie can save my children's lives, then why shouldn't I do it?"

"Because, uh, it's lying?  Dishonest?  I don't really know - I'm still a touch green with this whole friendship and harmony thing... I suppose just have my own personal reasons to be annoyed when I think there's a manipulation going on."  

Obsidian then sighed, and shrugged with resignation. "But I would still like to move you all to the castle, especially Cupcake. What if... oh, fine; I'll tell them that your life is no longer threatened, but we need to evacuate and that you still can get worse?  It won't be a lie... technically speaking..."

She pondered that for a moment, then gave a smile. "Okie dokie lokie - but I'll leave it to you to deal with them, then!" With that, she turned and started gathering up a bunch of seemingly needless things: packs of uninflated balloons; spools of kite string; a pouch of jacks; hoofuls of streamers; bags of confetti... and more, each making seemingly less sense than the last.

Don't question it, don't question it...  Equestrians were crazy.  And with that thought, Obsidian turned around and left the mare to rejoin the others. 

"Good news, everyone...!" she said as she stepped out into the larger room.

Even though there were countless conversations, grumblings and arguments... every single one of them stopped cold as Obsidian spoke, and all eyes were very suddenly pointed directly at her.

"Your mother's life is no longer threatened... and she can move about freely.  However,"  she held up a hoof, "I did what I could, but it would be... preferable... to move her to a safer place - somewhere that would be easier to defend... with more medicine and supplies.  You know, just in case of any side-effects from the, er... wound."  

She looked at Cupcake, somewhat pleadingly.

There was a moment of pure silence.  Then, with a shake of his head, Lemon came back to life first. "Okay, you heard her!  We need to move our little family reunion to Twilight's Palace!   Auntie Limestone, Auntie Marble and Auntie Maud?  I need you three next to Mother, and stay together for safety!" 

The cranky mare, the skittish mare and the stoic mare all nodded and moved almost as one toward the area behind her, to join their sister. 

"Licorice!  Peppermint!  Cupcake!  I want you three to flank Obsidian, and watch her back as we head outside," he glanced at her, smirking, "she can hold her own, but the more, the merrier - and I'm sure she'd appreciate the backup!" 

The dark stallion on her left, the quiet mare on her right... and Cupcake directly behind her, looking ready for a rumble with a big, smarmy grin plastered to his muzzle. 

"Blue..." The mare may have made a distasteful expression, but she waited for him to speak. "I need you up front... with me."   She looked at him for a moment, surprised... then gave a solemn nod.  

Turning, Lemon began to make his way towards the front of the group, and his sister fell into step next to him.  The wicked grin was still there on Blue's muzzle... but now, there might have been just a smidgen of pride, as well. 

Lemon cleared his throat and began to speak as they moved.  "Now, we Pies aren't here because we want to be, nor are we here because it's what is best for us... but we are here.  And since we're here..." 

He looked to each of his family members... and smiled. "... then we are here to PARTY!" 

That drew smiles and chuckles of approval from the Pies, and Obsidian could feel that tingle again; Hope.  Courage.  Strength.  Connection.  And yes, even Love. 

"By Twilight's Crown, we will ROCK this party to the ground!  Are you with me!?"  The next thing Obsidian knew, she and the others were making their way out of the hidden doors at the rear of Sugarcube Corner, innocently disguised as a small toolshed.  The Pies seemingly marched in formation, a surging energy surrounding her that Obsidian might not have been able to identify... but she could most certainly feel.  

As they reached the outside, they were treated to the sight of countless Umbral undead, amassed at the sides of the sweets shop and in the process of breaking it open like a pinata.  However, as soon as the group left the tunnel, the Umbrals began to take notice of the new arrivals.

Hopefully, Clap was already safe in the Castle and enjoying some relaxation after covering Obsidian's passage into the sweets shop.  Such a shame these creatures were going to ruin it; hopefully Onyx had gathered enough assets to pay for its rebuild after all this mess!

But first things first.  These beasts returned in numbers and while Obsidian would gladly dance with them a bit, she had their entire group to escort into safety - and to do that... she tried to cast a shield over all the amassed Pies, hoping to use this energy surge they were creating.

Not only was she able to tap into the energy around her... it surged into her shields and doubled their effectiveness!  It was like feeling those energies harden and reinforce themselves as they came into existence, without even a need to even try very hard - it just felt natural to her, and the energies seemed to simply accept her directions. 

Light Magic may have been alien... but the rush was intense! 

The Umbrals that saw their presence seemed to hunker down as if to prepare for an explosion of activity, and they began to surge towards the lot of them, all Tartarus-bent on tearing the entire Pie family - Obsidian too - into tiny, bite-sized flesh gobbets that would either dry in the sun, or rot inside a corpse's shell!

"SIBLINGS!  FRONT AAAAAAND CENTER!" 

As the elder Pie sisters - Pinkie included - joined them from the tunnel, Lemon yelled his order, and all of his siblings lined up next to each other, side by side, in a line.  All facing toward the oncoming hordes of wicked, horrific undead pony-things. 

"PREEEEEeeeee-SENT!"  

Now, each pie reached behind them and pulled out... what in the name of Father's crystals..? 

Licorice Twist brought out a party cannon; it had an iron black barrel with white, loopy scrimshaw across the rim and large, dark red wheels underneath - it looked as if it were made of brooding thoughts.  He gave a grin that would melt any mare's heart and slammed in down in front of him. 

Peppermint Patty brought out a party cannon; it was a severe bell shape, with an almost tiny back end supported by what appeared to be train wheels, and a wide-mouthed cannon at the front, covered in brass gears and pistons, a little steam whistle at the top giving a toot of readiness.  She smiled fiercely and lowered her goggles into place.

Lemon Custard brought out a party cannon; it was black-and-white checkered, but splotched with garish, rainbow-colored splashes of paint, almost looking like a paint store exploded around it, all standing on two caterpillar treads that were well-oiled and sturdy-looking... and mustard yellow, like his coat. 

Blue Raspberry brought out a party cannon; it was cast-iron black, but covered in graffiti and skater stickers, with a spiked band wrapped around the middle and steel-belted radial tires as supports.  She climbed aboard it and revved her hooves in mid-air; the cannon under her roared like a motorcycle, with no evidence of any sort of engine. 

Cupcake Sprinkles brought out a party cannon; it was the tall cupcake on it's side, with huge, sugar-frosted donuts as wheels, as she'd seen before.  She was fairly certain they were simply made to look like food, and weren't made of food... but there was still a bite taken out of one wheel.

"PIES!  FOR-WAAAAARRRRD FIRE!" 

The thunder of the first shot from each cannon going off simultaneously echoed across Ponyville - possibly across all of Equestria!  An entire row of Umbrals went down, bursting rottenly and flailing as the next rows surged forward... but they weren't making a single inch of headway, as the Pie children all began blasting a path through the oncoming hordes towards the castle.

Non-unicorn artillery?  A wonderful idea, really - it wasn't dependent on magic and every pony tribe could use it!  Obsidian was trying to help, using her own magical missiles, but very carefully - her priority was upholding the shields.  Hopefully they wouldn't run out of ammo before reaching the castle.

The might of the Pie Army continued to blast its' way through the masses of swarming undead until they reached the palace grounds.  There, it became a different story... 

The entire palace was utterly surrounded with Umbral undead things, charging forth as they pressed in on all sides, trying to surmount the moats and defenses.  Luckily, those seemed to be holding up just fine - each shuttered window doing its' job and keeping out anything that wasn't welcome. The only two directions that seemed to have any chance of entering would be the north and south gates.  

South seemed to have a number of defenses in place - including some of the previously unseen Royal Guards - but the North was supposed to be where they might find the best way inside, at the hardest end to defend. 

Where Wart was supposed to be.

Stalwart needed support - besides, Obsidian was sure they'd all be able to defend themselves perfectly as soon as they reached the bridge.  Perhaps she could even seal this path afterwards?  Could she even cast crystals with Light Magic? 

But no time for experiments - she had to escort this group to safety first.  But if the Umbrals broke in, they would be doomed anyway.  Too bad they had to destroy these undead creatures - they were such wonderful machines of destruction! 

"To the north - we can make our way in through there, and shore up our defenses once we're in!" Obsidian called over to Lemon, who nodded and readjusted his glasses as he bellowed out more orders.

"NORTH END!  SWING WIDE, DRAW TIGHT!" 

The Pie Brigade did exactly that, continuing their rolling wall of bombardment as they forged ahead, making way toward the north bridge.

As they reached the point where they could see it, the guardhouse doors swung wide, slamming into the walls on either side as a lone defender came strolling out.   

Stalwart Stance wore only light armor barding, but a captain's cloak flowed out behind her, tied at the neck and waist, and on her head - slightly too big but padded to fit - was a helm of the Equestrian Royal Guard. 

There was a confidence, a physical assured-ness, that the fight to come was a foregone conclusion - in her favor.  At her sides hovered two greatswords, both many times larger than she was, and wielded in a dual-hoof style in her magic.  

She strode to the middle of the bridge, facing the oncoming hordes and completely oblivious of Obsidian and her crew.






"Lo, tremble and quake, you foes of all that is right and good in this world!  Know this, that you stand before Stalwart Stance, defender of Equestria - for evil such as thee, there shall be no quarter given, no mercy spent, no chance in Tartarus of victory on this day!"
 

As she spoke, a surge of undead horrors continued to charge towards the bridge; when they were nearly on top of her, she threw back her head and her voice blasted with power before her, as if she had found her own Royal Canterlot Voice: 

"HAVE AT YOU, VILE FIENDS!"

And with those words, she began to tear into the horde with her greatswords, slashing and thrashing like a mare possessed!  She leapt back and forth, pummeling Umbrals with her hooves as she ducked and jumped over her own blades,  tearing them apart faster than they could reach her.

As Obsidian watched, the horde kept coming until Wart was forced to use the blades as gates, holding back the enormous flood of foul creatures until one of the swords broke in half!  She pressed her shoulder against the other, straining to hold the horde at bay, until she spoke up in a voice that screamed thunderously:

"YOU... SHALL... NOT... PASS!!!"

Her cutie mark, a green tower shield with twin longswords crossed behind it, suddenly BLAZED to life with a blue aura that matched the one in Obsidian's necklace; it almost looked as if it were on fire as she met the massive wave of Umbrals head-on... and undead pieces and chunks went flying in every direction!

Wart became a tiny dynamo, smashing, slashing and crashing through the masses as if she were a one-mare army!  The roar of triumph that came from her shouldn't have been physically possible from a mare of her size - yet it rivaled a lion's!  Scores of vicious horrors flew to pieces as the victims of Stalwart's onslaught began to amass at her hooves while she tore through them like they were made of clay and straw.

... maaaaaaaaybe she didn't really need their help? 

It was quite a sight to behold, truly - Obsidian almost regretted picking a lance herself after seeing how easy it was for Wart to use those massive greatswords!  The bravado speech she had given may have been wasted on enemies that were literally already dead, but eh -  at least it seemed to bolster Stalwart's confidence. 

"To the bridge!  Crush everything in our path!" Obsidian exclaimed with enthusiasm. Blocking the enemy's escape path was usually considered a tactical mistake, as it typically made them fight more desperately... but Umbrals were dead - they had no morale or emotions... 

Which meant they could blast them as much as they wanted to!

It took a moment, especially for Lemon Custard, who was just staring, open-mouthed, at the tiny mare's incredible feat of warrior-hood; he shook himself out of it, but it was certain the sight of what she could do had not been lost on him.  

The Pies rallied, and began blasting their way towards the bridge as Obsidian covered the rear, sides and wherever else they came from.  Eventually, they managed to cut off the stream headed to the bridge, and they met up with Stalwart as she cleared the last of them from the bridge. 

Seeing the Pies and Obsidian, Wart visibly sighed with relief... but only briefly, as she went completely professional again. "Your Majesty, the North Gate is held, as well as the East and West gates.  The Southern Gate may be breachable, but as the majority of the remaining guards are there, I find it highly unlikely.  And our friends are safe, as of the last time I checked on them." 

She then actually bowed on one knee to Obsidian! "Shall I escort you all inside?"  She looked up at the Light Princess; from what she could see under the helmet, it looked as though the mare was feeling more alive than she had in her entire life.

Well, at least one of the gang managed to somewhat achieve her dream - terrifyingly effectively.  Good for her - and for the rest of ponies inside, as it seemed that the horrific creatures summoned by Obsidian's vile sister were too weak to defeat her in a fair fight.  "What about Thunderclap? Has she already returned?"  Mica would kill Obsidian if she returned without the pegasus...

Wart shook her head.  "No, I have not seen her come this way - but I have seen her on occasion, flying around Ponyville.  I believe she may have decided to stop by and check on Princess Twilight Sparkle and company." Wart then cracked a smile.  "It would be just like her to try to check up on her mother, mid-fight." 

That was when her eyes glanced over at the elder Pie sisters... and they suddenly grew wide. "M-mother?" 

Limestone Pie looked at her and grinned proudly.  "Heh, that's my filly!" 

Stalwart smiled back, and saluted her... then turned to Obsidian, who could feel her horn tingling again. "Your orders... Lady Obsidian?"

Wow, so Stalwart was ALSO related to the Pie family?  That left... hmmm... Gypsy, Clap and Obsidian herself out of the lineup.  However, considering that Mica got kissy-kissy with Thunderclap, she could technically also be included into their house as well.  

Obsidian herself had no idea if she was intimidated by this fact, especially as her current knowledge about crushes, relationships, marriages and so on was... misty, at best.  After all, she didn't even react to the teasing about her sleeping with Cupcake or their kisses - even when his own brother was asking if she were doing this 'sex' thing or his own mother was smirking at poor Siddy...

Uh, right, orders.  First things first. 

"We need somepony to guard the bridge; we've smashed plenty of these beasts, but they are too quiet for my own tastes, so we'd need a volunteer... Stalwart, escort those who aren't fighting," she turned to look at the pink mare with a pointed expression, "especially miss Pinkie Pie, who can walk only after my treatment..." it wasn't technically a lie, right? "inside and join us in our room.  Peppermint, can you come with us?  We need to know where these creatures are coming from and Gypsy could gladly use some help, methinks... Cupcake and I shall join the rest, but I just want to quickly check on where Thunderclap is... and then, I'm going back to get her."

Wart saluted smartly, and motioned to the Pie sisters. "Mother, if you would all follow me, I'll get you to safety as quickly as possible." 

Limestone nodded, then turned to her siblings.  "Okay, get inside!  The LAST thing we want is another injury!  Follow my daughter - and show her some respect, y'got me?" 

As the sisters passed Obsidian, Pinkie let go with a single, sly wink at her; she apparently appreciated the act, and approved of Obsidian's taking charge. Peppermint, still bedecked in her goggles and vest, nodded and saluted Obsidian before putting her own cannon away (where in Tartarus did they put them!?) and sidling up next to her.  

Lemon, Blue and Licorice grouped up, and he looked towards her before he spoke. "As it stands, I believe we may be capable of holding the line at the Southern bridge," he then smirked at his sister, "unless Blue here needs a breather?" 

"Ah, blow it out yer feedbag," Blue snarked with a grin.  Licorice simply smiled and waved at Obsidian, then gave Peppermint a quick, tight hug as he passed her.  The three headed through the palace to the Southern bridge, where they would probably set up their cannons for the next wave. 

Okay, everypony had something useful to do; good - and hopefully Gypsy would appreciate the help.

Cup stood next to her.  "Where is Thunderclap?"

"She volunteered to distract the Umbrals to allow me sneak into your shop. They can't fly as far as I can tell, so when I saw her last time she was having an absolute blast... but now I need to check the Monitor Spell to get a more precise location."

The spheres of the Monitor Spell were still working when they arrived at the room.  In Clap's sphere, she was zipping back and forth alongside her mother, and the two of them were seemingly playing a game of 'who can kick an Umbral head the highest'.  From the spectacular kick she witnessed as she took in what was going on, it would seem that Rainbow Dash was the winner so far. 

Cupcake grinned.  "Well, can't say I'm surprised."

A good thing, as Obsidian was worried she'd see her friend's torn and broken body... but it seemed everything was okay so far.  It would be nice to have her with them, but at least she wasn't in any current danger.  After all, her mother should take care of her, right?  At least Obsidian thought so; she admittedly didn't have too much experience with moms. "So... Gypsy, did you find something new?  Any important news we missed during our little rescue mission?"

The diamond dog was still seated at the little table, but he was surrounded by notes, all scribbled with different colored markers.  He looked up as she spoke, his tail wagging as he saw her. "OH!  This one has b-been busy translating lots of p-p-prophecy and sp-p-peculation, as well as much of the Umbral social standp-points, and there has been quite a lot of mention as to how they t-tr-treated their so-called 'subjects'; they were incredibly f-f-fond of ritual sacrifice, especially anything that was gory or loud.  They have a seemingly tribal na-" 

"Gypsy," Cupcake laughed, "did you find anything we can use right now?" 

The pup smiled.  "As a m-m-matter of f-f-fact, yes th-this one has!" He turned and held out a sheaf of pages, all marked in red marker.  "These are sp-sp-spells that have been known t-to stand ag-gainst the Umbral p-p-p-powers... t-try them!"

Ritual sacrifices... but were they for a purpose?  Or were they cruel just for the sake of cruelty?  Obsidian really hoped that her most honourable father wasn't trying to bring back an empire that was so incredibly wasteful. 

She levitated the pages closer to examine the spells - hopefully there would be something really useful.  Onyx would make such a funny face if she discovered that her better, wiser and more beautiful sister had wrecked her entire army!

There were spells against rot, spells to combat the undead, spells to seal off Dark Magic, spells to summon... oh, THAT was certainly not a Light Magic thing to do... spells to cleanse a corpse to ensure they couldn't rise as one of the Umbral, spells to turn water into the equivalent of Umbral acid... 

Gypsy had indeed been a busy fellow.

A spell to seal off Dark Magic?  Now that could be useful indeed when she found her siblings!  Spells to combat the undead were surely quite useful as well. Turning water into acid - that would require a very specific set of circumstances, but Obsidian was sure it could be a wonderful spell of a mass destruction!  Cleansing a corpse... well, hopefully they wouldn't need it, as well as the spell against rot... but lately, Obsidian's wishes meant less than zero, so it could be important too. 

"That's wonderful, Gypsy!  It should greatly increase our chances to survive this battle, that's for sure.  Peppermint, did you find, perchance, where these creatures are coming from?"

Peppermint nodded vigorously, then whipped out a piece of chalk and wrote quickly on the table in front of them:  {Originates from Everfree Forest, from a portal} 

Hmmm... well, if she were mute, that would explain why Obsidian didn't hear her speak even once - and here she thought that Peppermint was merely shy. 

"P-portal?"  Gypsy grimaced.  "That can't b-b-b-be good.  Th-that would m-mean we might have t-t-to go through the p-p-portal to get to wherever th-they are." 

Cupcake looked at Obsidian.  "You feel like portal-hopping?"

"Of course... it makes sense, considering the size of my foolish sister's Black Pool.  She couldn't just build it near Ponyville, as somepony would notice that an underground fortress filled with Dark Magic was being constructed.  And," she looked at Gypsy. "I think it's something we should do together.  All six of us.  How do you feel about that, Gypsy?"

Gypsy's eyes widened.  "A-a-all of us?  Together?" 

Cupcake grinned.  "Yupper, pupper!  We all gather together like the Element Bearers, and we go take the fight right to Onyx, and BAM! POW!, we make 'em surrender to our incredible might!" 

The diamond dog looked skeptical.  "Is... is th-th-this wise?"

Obsidian tapped her chin, thinking. "On one hoof, considering how this Light Magic amulet gathers energy from our companionship, it seems like the best option.  It would also mean we would have a very versatile team of combatants, each with a different fighting style and advantages that could be used to protect the rest. A team of six creatures should still be small enough to be able to sneak into a portal without attracting too much attention..."

"Yet, on the other hoof... we are just a bunch of teenagers.  However, it's either that, or prolonging the fight and trying to destroy all the Umbrals in the village, and counter-attacking with the help of the Bearers of Harmony and any remaining guards... however, it would possibly mean plenty of needless property destruction and, Darkness forbid, giving my siblings time to either escape or use other ancient rituals."

Cupcake nodded.  "Sounds perfectly logical to me!" 

Mica simply shook his head.  "It... makes for a plan of attack, at least.  And if we can all band together, then it's far more likely we'll be able to keep each other safe, like she said.  I say, why not?" 

Gypsy looked apprehensive, but stood up and joined them, pocketing a number of sheets of scrawl-covered paper as he did. 

Cupcake, Mica, Gypsy... Wart had returned to guarding the Northern bridge, so she was nearby... and Clap was towards the center of Ponyville.  Gathering them all in one place shouldn't be too hard, right? 

...right?

It would be far easier if they simply had another pegasus to get Thunderclap back.  Now, how to get her attention... maybe she could make an enormous illusion of Mica kissing Clap?  That would surely catch her eye and make her return to the castle!  Or at least a very, very big message of 'CLAP, COME BACK', projected into the sky. It seemed to be a safer option than moving through the Umbral army - though Obsidian wasn't even sure if she would be able to cast illusions, especially that big. 

"So, Mica, Gypsy... you should look for some nice, sturdy armor and weapons for yourselves. Cupcake, you too... but first, can we talk... in private?"

Mica nodded and began looking over the pile of armor he'd brought... but Gypsy's eyes went wide, and his tail and ears drooped low. However, Mica saw it, and moved in close to the diamond dog.  "Don't worry, Gypsy - we'll be together, and we'll keep you safe.  I promise, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you don't get hurt." 

"B-b-but th-this one i-i-sn't w-worried ab-b-b-bout hi-hi-himself... h-he w-w-w-worries ab-b-bout a-all of y-y-you." 

Mica blinked at that... then smiled kindly.  "Thanks, Gypsy - but I think we'll be just fine, as long as we're together." The diamond dog gave a small grin in return, and his ears lifted as he also began shuffling through the available armor - now with Mica's help. 

Cupcake gave Obsidian a curious look.  "Okay, uh... sure.  It seems important, so I'll guess it is.  We can, ummm..." he suddenly smiled, "... use the CLOSET!  YES!" Without another word, Cup swept both himself and Obsidian into the closet - which was okay, as it turned out to be one of the walk-in varieties.  

He then closed the door and turned to her with a smile. "So... what's up?"

As long as Gypsy was worried about everypony around... well, he should be able to carry on, right?  Obsidian wasn't really sure if taking him along was that great of an idea, but what other choice did she have?  They couldn't just walk into Onyx's lair incomplete... and if they left Gypsy alone in the castle, he would be even more worried!  Poor diamond dog; hopefully everything would end soon, and then he'd get a really nice, long chance to relax. 

However, first things first - and right now, the firstest thing of all was Cupcake.  She didn't even give him any chance to protest - she just hugged him without mercy (or any real experience - but hey, that's thought that counts, right?). 

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad I've chosen you as my liaison; I thought initially that it was a big mistake, as you've been completely different from anything I've ever known... but it turned out to be a good thing.  And I need you, not just as a liaison..."  

To be fair, she was still firmly set that his behaviour at the beginning was really annoying, and she would still get mad if he acted that way even now... but she was fairly certain that was behind them both.

She raised her head to look at him. "I also think I may have this 'crush' thing on you... however, I'm not sure if I understand this idea correctly. But both Thunderclap and Lemon seemed to be sure about it, though."

Cupcake was stunned by the hug (though he DID return it, after a moment)... but he was floored by her confession.  He simply stared at her for a moment.  But before she could voice any doubts, his muzzle turned bright red, and his smile went sweet and wide. 

"Obsidian... you're not like anyone I've ever known.  You're from a whole 'nother time, and you know darkness well, and you're not really silly or loud... but..." 

He looked straight into her eyes. "... but I think I have a crush on you, too.  I mean," he chuckled, "I KNOW I do.  It's been weird, as I don't really think I've felt this way about anypony before... it's like, whenever I see you, my heart wants to sing and dance, even if you're mad at me.  I don't even know when it started, it's just... b-been going on for a while, now." 

"I never really had an interest in anyone before... not like the interest I have in you.  Heck, I don't even know what to expect or say or do or..." He leaned over and hugged her again... and this time, he planted a lingering kiss on her delicate lips.  

Once done, he gave a sheepish, embarrassed grin. "I didn't know if you... felt the same.  Then, you hugged me - and THAT was wonderful, honestly!  It let me know that you DO have a heart, and that I was reaching it!  It felt so good to know it, but... but then, I couldn't stop thinking about you.  I mean, REALLY I couldn't!  You're just so... you!!!" 

His smile was now broad, and he looked at her in a way she'd never seen him look before.  "So... I guess this means that, when all this is done with, we should do stuff together?  Like a... d-d-date?"

Well, he was still talking quite a lot... however, having a crush on somepony more quiet would be probably pretty boring, and she was learning a lot from him.  

And she was finally kissed on the lips!  Such an interesting sensation... 

She smiled back at Cupcake. "Of course I have a heart, silly pony!  It's a very important organ; I would be dead otherwise!"  To be fair, did anypony ever check to be certain of that?  After all, she was an artificial pony... 

"And yes, I think, to your 'date' idea; just remember we also planned to do something together as a group.  And you have this game with Jinx.  And of course..." she lowered voice. "... uhm, what actually are dates?  It's not something about foals, I hope?"

Cup's blush threatened to overtake his whole body, but he just gave a nervous chuckle. "A-actually, foal-making is usually something that married couples do, Siddy.  Dates, however, are just time together with a Special Somepony, whether it's out at a movie, or getting food, or shopping, or even just being together at the park; it's about being-... uhm... well, we can talk more about it after all this is done.  But now, we both have to realize that we now have an obligation to NOT die during all this; if one of us goes, the other will be sad." 

He nuzzled her gently.  "And I can't stand the thought of losing you... not after we just realized we have something nice together!  So now, we both have to try extra hard not to get hurt, okie dokie lokie?"

Ha, so her previous knowledge was right - first marriage, then heirs!   At least that ancient right was still true. "Of course, Cup; I'll do my best to avoid any deaths on our side, both of us included," Obsidian promised him. "So... You'll need a weapon now. Or at least some sort of armor..."

"Oh, armor, yeah... but I already have a weapon!" Once again, he reached behind himself and (how does he do that?) retrieved his Party Cannon from seemingly nowhere, putting it on the ground with a >THUMP<.  

He patted the cannon's bell. "This baby'll get me through a lot, and when it can't, I can always use my horn!" His horn began to glow... and the glow, unlike the typical fare, was not the same color as his eyes; it was white, with little multi-colored dots floating around inside it.  His magic was full of sprinkles! "But yeah, I'll grab some armor and put it on; I'm in no hurry to get nicked by one of those things!"

"Wonderful. Let's get out of the closet then, shall we?  Unless... you want another kiss, of course," she added invitingly. After all, it was quick, right?

Cupcake couldn't say no to an offer like that. 

The warmth and sheer POWER she felt was almost intoxicating, but even though the amulet simply put off the same blue glow, there was now a richness and a depth to it... and even if it wasn't a spectacular change, she could certainly FEEL it! 

When the kiss was done, Cupcake exited the closet with a bit of a goofy grin on his muzzle.  Mica looked over and lifted an eyebrow, then gave Obsidian a questioning look... but said nothing. Cup went straight to the pile of armor and started digging.  

Meanwhile, Gypsy had found something... and was wearing it.  Sort of.  It was half a chestplate, and two chainmail sleeves that stuck out of his hoodie.  The chestplate had been fashioned for ponies; diamond dogs would just have to make due.  

He looked at her with an embarrassed grin. "This o-o-one has st-st-strapped armor t-to hims-s-s-self.  He hopes i-i-i-it will h-ho-h-hold." 

Mica nodded.  "With how I tied it to you, you should be fine.  Now," he turned to Cup and Obsidian, "we have to fetch Wart and Clap, then we should be set to do... whatever it is we're doing."

Aaaaaaah, so much power!  But it was only a side-effect; Obsidian would hate herself for even thinking of using Cupcake (or any of her friends) as just a source of power... but it was a very, very nice side-effect, and there was no point in denying it. 

She smiled proudly to Mica, before trotting to Gypsy to examine his... umm, 'armor'.  Why was it that Princess Twilight didn't have any armour for diamond dogs?  They seemed to be the perfect candidates for shock troops... or spies, considering the time he scouted the band of griffons. 

"Well, we just have to stop my sister.  It doesn't matter how many Umbrals are there - they are all under the control of a single pony.  If we take that pony down, we win.  It's practically like chess..."  

Only they couldn't afford losing a single piece... but she didn't want to say that out loud. 

"It would be good to locate and defeat my other siblings before meeting with Onyx, but it would be stupid of her to let them wander off."  She pondered for a moment.  "After all, there were supposedly thirteen shards - if those two are all that are left, then perhaps she's not quite as intelligent as she would have us think.  Anypony want more weapons?  Armor?  Potions or books, perhaps?  OH!  We could certainly do with a few more healing potions..."

There's always some healing poultices in the kitchen, for burns and stuff!  "Sure," Cupcake said aloud, "if we hit the kitchen before we go, there should be a few; they usually keep 'em there for burns and stuff!" 

Wait.  What?  Why did she hear him speak twice? 

"Good, that should do nicely." Mica added.  "Now, if we're all armored up and armed... let's go."

By Darkness, she didn't just hear his thoughts, did she?  The last thing she wanted was an ability to read mind of her crush, that was also crushing on her. "Er... y-yes," she murmured.

Mica, Gypsy, Cupcake and Obsidian made their way through the palace. It wasn't as empty as originally surmised; there were guards here, though surprisingly few, and they were busy shoring up the areas that the Umbrals were trying to break through.  They seemed to be holding up well enough, though they obviously couldn't last forever. 

They also came across the occasional 'other'; a dragon here, a griffon there, and so on... but for the most part,  the palace had been evacuated of the majority of average citizens.  Most of those were possibly in Ponyville, which would certainly make it imperative that Twilight Sparkle and her friends were defending it. 

With the exception of Pinkie Pie; she and her siblings had also armored up, but only Limestone held a sword.  Marble looked ready to turn tail and run at any second, Maud seemed completely unfazed, and Pinkie herself simply seemed to be waiting for... something. 

We're coming, love - hold on... "Alright," Mica spoke up, "to the Northern gate; the sooner we gather Wart, the sooner we can head to Ponyville to get Clap.  Then, we're golden."

Should she perhaps ask her friends not to think so loudly - it was embarrassing to hear that!  At least Cupcake wasn't thinking any shameful thoughts... besides, it would be much, much better to read minds of their enemies!  Wouldn't it be just great to know everything that Onyx  was thinking? (Or not thinking, considering her meager mental capabilities?)

"If I may, does anyone have any good ideas on how to call Clap from a distance?"  If everything else failed, she could perhaps try one of those illusions she'd considered earlier...

FIREWORKS! "FIREWORKS!" Cupcake cheered, as he looked to his mother, who grinned brightly and (from somewhere behind her) produced a number of rocket-like devices. 

"Which ones, Cuppie?  Do you want the 'sploders, the twitchers, the shiners, the BOMP-BOMPers, the spazzers, the sparklers, the golden starburst, the big blue blast, the screamers, the laughers, the OHMYGOSH level extravaganza, the fireflies, the-" 

"ALL of 'em, momma!  Use 'em all!" Cupcake practically sang.

Pinkie grinned.  "Yeah, that certainly will get her attention, that's for sure!  Marble, Maudacious, Limey - you three help me get to the roof to set up!" 

"Good grief, Pinkamena - you can't possibly be serious about-" 

"Limestone.  It's Pinkie," Maud interrupted, "when it comes to fireworks, do you honestly think she's NOT serious?"

One look at the drab grey mare, and Limestone sighed. "FINE.  I guess you are serious about it!  Then okay, roof time; c'mon, you two." 

"Mmmhmm." 
"Okay."

Pinkie looked back at Cupcake, fixing him with a gaze that only a mother could have for her child. You make me so proud, Cupcake - you've grown up so much, and it's hard to realize you're not my little pony anymore.  Your HERS.  But I like her, so I think you'll be just fine. 

Pinkie then turned and smirked at Obsidian. And hopefully, she'll learn how to control that telepathy of hers before you two try your hooves at foal-making. With a wink, she and her sisters headed down the hall and up the spiral stone staircase, roofbound.

By Darkness...
> Thirty: An Element Falls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gypsy suddenly lifted his head, cocking it slightly to allow his ears a better angle. "Th-th-this one hears a s-sc-s-sc-s-scream!" 

Do not be Stalwart, do not be Stalwart, do not be Stalwart, PLEASE do not be Stalwart...  Mica turned and charged up the hallway, the others in tow.  Reaching the Northern gate, he made his way to one of the windows overlooking it, his attention riveted to the bridge beneath them. 

Stalwart Stance looked as though she'd been wrestling with a manticore... and slowly but steadily losing.  From where she had held them back at the middle of the bridge earlier, she was now backed almost all the way to the gate itself.  She was still fighting like a pony possessed... but now, it looked as though the superior numbers were finally starting to wear her down. 

To be fair, there were so many Umbral bodies surrounding the bridge, they could have possibly just climbed them to reach the doors.  And the bridge itself was no longer visible under the carpet of broken bodies and viscuous slime.

Stalwart was one Tartarus of a fighter, that much was certain; Obsidian hoped she would never be on the wrong side of her blade...

But, as it goes, first things first.

She cast a shield spell to separate Wart from her enemies, and to give her at least a moment's respite - and then tried to push the shield forward, with the clear intention of seeing how many Umbrals could be knocked completely off of the bridge.  Plus, it would be nice to get rid of all these bodies too, considering they probably had to walk through this mess.

As soon as the shield went up (which was surprisingly easy) and the Umbrals began to slam against it, Wart fell to a knee and began panting like an overachiever at the Running of the Leaves. 

"LUX INVICTA!"  Obsidian screamed a new war cry as she took her lance and charged.  Her horn surged with light as she tried to cast the familiar light missile spell from earlier - the one that had worked so nicely at Sugarcube Corner.

When Obsidian charged, not only did she begin to glow with a blue aura, but the missiles that she created weren't just three like before; she now had eight swirling balls of light orbiting her, and each one produced five shots each!

If Stalwart's attack had been impressive, then Obsidian's charge was awe-inspiring.  Umbrals flew apart in great chunks, limbs and ichor flying in every direction as she tore through them like they were rice paper!  By the time she reached the head of the bridge, the river of dark, nasty undead had become a slight trickle... then, just like that, they simply stopped coming. 

Wait... why have they stopped?  "Why'd they stop?"  Cupcake intoned.

"Either they were waiting for me to come here, or perhaps my Light Magic has scared them away?" she tried to guess, looking around and reinforcing her shield, just to be sure.  After all, both Tourmaline and Amethyst preferred surprise attacks, right? 

"Stalwart, were you wounded?  Let me check you..."  She moved closer to her, to examine and, if necessary, heal the brave little mare.

She shines... like... a star...  Wart looked up at her, her eyes wide as she did... yet, with a shake of her head, she refocused herself.  

"I... did not... f-fail you, Lady Obsidian." She tried to stand, then winced and returned to her knee-bent position, taking in a sharp breath as she grit her teeth against her pain. 

Not good... not good at all.  "Obsidian," Mica said, "the incoming Umbrals have stopped; I don't like this.  At all." 

That's when she felt it: One of the Elements had fallen. 

Almost immediately after that sensation, a massive burst of purple energy domed out from the center of Ponyville, and threw off arcs of violet lightning as whatever was happening there intensified.

BY THE DARKNESS FROM THE DEEPEST PITS OF TARTARUS! 

"Something... s-something has happened to Princess Twilight and the Element Bearers!" Obsidian shouted, not caring if she caused a panic or not - all she knew was that something very, very bad was going on and they had to help somehow!

"Stalwart Stance! We need your help, here and now, so tell me about even the smallest scratch..."  She lowered her horn - perhaps she could transfer some of this energy to her?  She had to do something, and QUICKLY!

Wart, seeing the energy dome in Ponyville, rallied herself and s-l-o-w-l-y got to her hooves. "I... c-cannot... rest, until... all are... safe..." The mare had multiple small cuts, bruises and a few open wounds - and was apparently missing a tooth.  However, none of these wounds would be any trouble for Obsidian - especially now that she had a humongous charge in the amulet!

She cast a healing spell... no, she cast THE Healing Spell - the mother of all healing spells, hoping to take care of all Wart's minor wounds in one single shot.  Time was of the essence, and there was no telling how much they had left.

There was a flash as bright as the sun... and in its' wake, Stalwart Stance was completely unharmed.

What in the wide, wide world of Equestria was THAT!? 
By the blades on my cutie mark...
Incredible... a historic moment, for certain!
HOLY SCHPAMOLI!!!!! 

Stalwart looked down at herself, shocked, then back up at Obsidian.  

"Your Majesty... I..." Her eyes narrowed and her jaw set firmly.  "I feel like I could take on the entire Umbral armada!" 

"Well, you'll get your wish, if we don't get-" 


>BA-BOOOOOM!<
 

The first of Pinkie Pie's fireworks suddenly swooshed off the rooftop of Twilight's palace and burst loudly in the sky; even in daylight, they made one heckuva show! 

"Siddy," Cupcake spoke anxiously, "I think we might need to join Clap - we may actually be needed!"

"Yes!  Quickly!"  She didn't dart towards the center of Ponyville alone, though - she kept up with her friends, and they began to run together.  Especially as the formation had plenty of strategical advantages, and they would cover her back as she would cover theirs, and they wouldn't be overwhelmed easily.  The five friends charged across the bridge and made their way toward Ponyville. 

When they finally arrived, the small village was... not doing well. 

Houses and buildings were ruined; whole walls taken down, rooftops caved in, fires in some of the debris, broken plumbing shooting water into the air... 

And there were bodies.  Not scores of them, thankfully - but there were enough to turn even Cupcake's muzzle sour as they passed them.  Each one looked either shredded, pulled apart or just plain broken - the Umbrals were vicious; that much was certain. 

Reaching near the center, they all began to hear desperate screaming coming from the town square... 

"RRRRRRAAAAGGGHHH!!!!!"  Princess Twilight stood there, generating the massive field while also throwing wicked purple magical bolts at the amassed Umbrals.  There were even more undead bodies here than there were at the bridge!  

Behind them, the town hall stood firmly, windows shuttered and boarded... although, inside, Obsidian could see the townsponies watching the carnage, scared to death that what was out there would get in here.  She could also make out the forms of Professor Fluttershy and Rarity, trying their best to keep the others safe and calm... even as they both looked extremely distressed.

Twilight Sparkle was holding a shield, directing her bolts of damage... and shedding a river of tears.

If it was Rainbow Dash... then Thunderclap would be devastated. Were it Applejack, then poor Butter Churn.  Pinkie was in the castle, so it couldn't have been her.  Rarity and Fluttershy were with the townsponies.  And Princess Twilight was right in front of them.

Whatever happened, whoever had fallen - Obsidian was more than eager to avenge the death, and make these damnable Umbrals pay!  Especially as she still hadn't seen Thunderclap yet...  

Her horn flashed as she started to cast her explosive Light Missiles, to get the monsters' attention.  "Tight formation around me!  Cover the sides!  If something attacks from another angle, I will cast shields!"  She tried to formulate a plan and give some proper orders, albeit a bit nervously.  "Stalwart, do you see any strategically advantageous position for you?"

Stalwart nodded with a grimace of determination.  "Indeed, Lady Obsidian - THE FRONT!!!" 

Wart charged out only far enough to be at the limit of Twilight's shield dome, drawing her sword as she did, and became a pony whirling dervish; Umbrals, here by the droves, fell like so much detrius as she made short work of the ones around her, then began to move along the edge of the dome, slaughtering Umbrals left and right as she made her way around, clearing the borders. 

Cupcake and Mica flanked her easily, covering the sides like professionals... but Gypsy leapt up and literally dove into the ground!  The moment he vanished under the dirt, she could see him burrowing with lightning quickness towards the Umbral hordes...

An undead thing who was among the masses suddenly sank down into the ground, and became encased in dirt from the waist down.  A clawed forepaw shoved its' way through from beneath, impaling the head on sharp, earth-rending claws before pulling the whole undead corpse beneath the surface.  As she watched, it happened again... and again... and yet again.

It was almost terrifying how efficient her friends were in a fight!  With Obsidian as their center, they were able to push forward - and bring plenty of damage to the invading army.  Just how many of these disgusting creatures did her sister bring forth from that Black Pool?  It already felt as if they'd wrecked a million or two... yet they just kept coming!  Obsidian put some shields around Stalwart, to keep her sides safe from attack, while she led the rest to advance. 

There was no strategical advantage in staying away from Princess Twilight - especially as she would be the most likely one to know where Thunderclap was.  Also, if they could possibly combine their shields and magical missiles... well, these rotten Umbrals would have one Tartarus of a time, that was for sure!

"Momma..."  The voice was soft, wavery and wracked with pain. 

Behind Twilight, down in the dirt, was Butter Churn... who was kneeling over a limp orange pony, unmoving on the ground. 

"... oh, momma..." Churn's mighty figure looked like it was trying to melt off of her; she was inconsolable, her hooves holding up her mother's head as she stared down at her in abject misery.  And there, next to Churn and holding her tightly in both forelegs was Thunderclap Dash. 

Applejack's eyes were closed, and she showed no signs of breathing.  Of life.  There was a single, bloody hole in the side of her barrel, and what looked like a shard of black bone was jutting out at an angle.

The Element of Honesty had fallen.

As her daughter was crying over her corpse, Princess Twilight Sparkle raged at the Umbrals for taking her dear friend from her.  Meanwhile, Clap was doing her best, amidst her own tears, to console the poor Apple.

"Churnie, I wish I could've stopped 'em!  I tried, I really, really-" 

"Ah know, s-sugarcube," Butter intoned morosely, "ah know.  Momma just... j-just..." 

"She saved our lives, that's what she did!  If she hadn't been there when I swooped down to rescue you-" 

"Oh, momma..."  Butter Churn's voice was heartbreaking... And OH, could Obsidian feel it!  PAIN in her heart, unlike anything she'd ever experienced before!  The poor mare was devastated... and to the Light-empowered Obsidian, the residual empathy felt as though someone was trying to rip her own heart out through her ribcage while she was still alive.

The longer the fighting continued, the less Obsidian wanted to keep her stupid, moronic sister alive; not only she was too incompetent to defeat Equestria with a single strike, because she managed to lose her greatest strategical advantages, but also she was killing ponies Obsidian liked! 

The death of Applejack was both a mistake and a sin - and for that, Onyx had to pay.  

That pain could have brought so much Dark Magic... but she was unable to do it!  All because it had been stolen from her by her stupid, stupid, stuuuuupid sister, and replaced with something entirely different.  So Obsidian just had to grit her teeth and keep pushing forward - the sooner this place was cleared of the Umbral threat, the more quickly they could confront Onyx... hopefully before they lost any more good ponies.

Twilight Sparkle, on the other hoof... 

Her stance was one of sheer aggression; with each lash of sparking, powerful energy at the Umbral forces, her eyes flashed with power.  Her muzzle was a rictus of pure RAGE, and her tears and screams of anger kept coming again and again. 

However, what Obsidian noticed most was the growing red glow that was beginning to come into her energy aura, and the red mist that was beginning to seep out from the edges of her eyes. 

I'LL DESTROY YOU ALL!  EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!  THEN I'LL DESTROY YOUR CONTROLLER!  YOUR NATION!  YOUR HISTORY!  I'LL LAY WASTE TO EVERYTHING YOU EVER KNEW! 

If those were Twilight's thoughts... well, let's just say that Obsidian had an exquisitely personal knowledge of what could happen here.

On the one hoof, it would be interesting to see Dark Magic cast by an alicorn - it could possibly solve all of their problems quite quickly and efficiently!  Twilight could simply destroy all Umbrals in a span of mere minutes, capture Onyx, punish her and who knows - maybe she would even be willing to learn some necromancy! 

However, there was the small detail that Obsidian herself would be considered a part of Umbral history - considering her connections to them and to their last ruler.  Besides, Dark Queen Twilight probably wouldn't be too... well... Harmonious.  And of course, there was always the rather high chance that she would forego fighting the slippery slope of darkness, and leap of her own free will into the abyss. 

Obsidian herself could request a hug from Cupcake to calm her when she was feeling the pull of Dark Magic's siren call - did Princess Twilight perhaps have a husband?  A child?  Anyone? 

"Princess!  Calm thyself, or you run the risk of becoming like my father!"  Where were Celestia and Luna?  At this point, she would even accept Discord!  Why was this murderous crisis in the heart of Equestria happening to begin with?

Twilight turned to face Obsidian, seething with anger. "YOU DARE COMPARE ME TO HIM!?" 

"Well yeah!  LOOK at ya!"  Clap yelled from where she was holding Butter Churn, who was still crying.  "Ya LOOK like you're gonna EXPLODE!" 

Twilight's eyes went wide as those words broke through her fury, and she shuddered as she visibly made an effort to rein herself in.  

But the moment she did so... down came the dome. 

Umbrals from every angle surged in the very millisecond that the dome vanished; Obsidian lost sight of Wart almost immediately, and the fighting on both sides of her began in earnest.  By Darkness, they were EVERYWHERE!  Magic flashed, blades swung, hooves struck... yet for every one that fell, three more took their place - they would be overrun if this continued!

They would all die!  Civilians!  The Princess!  Her friends!  The remaining Element Bearers!  

And they couldn't waste any more time, if they wanted to find and defeat Onyx before she got another stupid plan in mind, or possibly even escape! 

Spells to combat the undead, eh?  Well, whatever had been discovered, it was Obsidian's best bet right now - so she tried to cast one of the spells found by Gypsy earlier, putting into it as much power as she could possibly muster. 

She was the avatar of light - Lux Invicta - phos epiphanes! 






AND LIGHT!  IS NOT!  AFRAID!  OF DARKNESS!


The ripple of pure white energy that rolled out from Obsidian's hooves passed harmlessly over her, her friends and the rest as it sent the ring of light outward, a halo of power that seemed to roll all the way out of Ponyville! 

But the Umbrals... 

As each Umbral corpse was touched by the ring, it simply dissipated into ashes, falling to the ground with a small cloud of dust in its' wake to mark the passing.  In mere seconds, the horde that had been threatening to crush them underhoof was now so much dust and ash on the ground. 

Then, it was quiet... except for the sniffles of Butter Churn. "Was... w-was that it?"  Cupcake asked. 

The malevolent chuckle that filled the air said otherwise. 


"Obssssssssidian..."
 

It was the voice of Onyx... and she sounded as though she had found her own Royal Canterlot Voice.

"I... didn't know I could... c-could DO that..."  She truly hadn't - if she had, she would have done it immediately, so as to save as many lives as she could... possibly including poor Applejack, had she gotten here in time. She wouldn't have had to walk into this madness to save the lives of her friends.

But - first things first. 

Onyx.  Right now she was the most important and pressing issue.  Later on, perhaps... well, anything goes, right?  Maybe she could try healing mortal wounds or missing limbs?  Raise the dead?  

Well, not exactly right now, obviously - if she failed, it would make her quite gloomy, dampening her fighting abilities and spirit.  That was the last thing they needed right now, honestly. 

"Does anyone else hear where that came from?"  Obsidian had very little patience for her most stupid sister right now.

"Hear what, exactly?"  Mica asked. Was it possible that nobody had heard Onyx except Obsidian? 

Cupcake looked her in the eye.  "Siddy... did you hear somethi-" 

Onyx's words drowned out any and all sound around her as that voice, that oily voice, rang in her head. 


"You mussssssst be congratulated; I've never KNOWN so much power, and it ALL came from you!  And to think, I'd believed that I needed YOU here by my side!  If I'd have known it was THIS easy, I'd have done it sooner!"
 

"...an't hear you, Cup.  She seems to be focused on something el-" 


"If you wish to end thisssssss... then, by all meansssssss, come to me.  You can even bring your little 'pals'.  I DO feel a bit peckish..."
 

"...ight it, Siddy!  Don't let her control your act-" 


"And wouldn't it be lovely to have a Cupcake for dessert!?  HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!"
 

"...ack to us, Siddy!  Come back to me!"

... that was maddening, truly - just how stupid was Onyx?  Truly, it seemed a small miracle she was able to walk and breathe at the same time!  And to think Tourmaline and Amethyst had such high opinions of her - it was sad, really.  They apparently hadn't spent enough time with their most honourable father if they thought that Onyx was worth anything besides contempt. 

"... so, shall we meet in the Everfree, Onyx?"  She was determined to find her and end this stupidity, once and for all.


"I believe the slaves call it 'The Palace of the Two Sisters... appropriate, don't you think sssssssssssso?'"
 

"...ant to hold you forever!  You can't leave me!  I just disco-" 


"As I said, feel free to bring your toysssssssssss with you; bring anyone more, and I PROMISSSSSSSSSSE you, you'll find out why I was Father's favorite!"
 

"... ove you, and I wanna make foals with yo-" 


"Now... allow me to send a SECOND wave as incentive!"
  

All of those had only been a single wave!?  How many WERE there!? 

"...eeeeeease come back to meeeee, Siddy!!!"

What did Cupcake say about... foals? NO, NO, NO, NO, not now!  What was Cupcake saying while she was talking with that stupid sister of hers - she went into the closet to talk with him privately FOR A REASON!

"Then our father had the single flaw of having very bad taste," she growled as she tried to focus on Cupcake's voice - even if she did it so she could be certain he didn't say TOO much about their newfound relationship. 

"Cupcake?  Gypsy?  Princess Twilight? ...hello?"

"SIDDYYYYY!!!"  Cupcake crushed her in a hug that was similar to the one she'd given him earlier... he was even crying a bit. "Obsidian, what happened?  Your eyes went pitch black, and you were speaking that Crystallian stuff!"  

Twilight Sparkle seemed to have gathered herself under the given situation, and though the Light Princess could still feel her pain, she was now controlling herself the way an alicorn properly should.  Of course, her break was understandable; if Siddy had lost, say, Gypsy to the Umbrals... or Cupcake... or Wart... 

"Cup!  Stand down, dude!"  Clap said, standing up from Butter Churn's side and coming over, most likely to jerk the stallion away from her.

GAAK!  Was he trying to kill her?  Did he become an Umbral agent while she was chatting with her lovely sister?  It wasn't just a hug - it was a direct frontal assault! 

"We... don't... talk about... foals... before... the fifth date... understood?"  She managed to squeeze the words out of her embrace-crushed throat, desperate to address this very important issue. "Onyx... in the Castle of... Two Sisters... second wave... incoming..."

Cup let go of her, blushing hotly, while Princess Twilight grew a determined look. "Then she has to be dealt with - right now.  I'll gather my..." she struggled to choke back a sob, "... friends... and we'll head for it right away; I know EXACTLY where that is!" 

"Yo, Princess!"  Clap broke in.  "This is SIDDY'S evil sister, y'know?  Might be a better idea to let her handle it?" 

"No," Twilight stubbornly shook her head, "this is my kingdom, and I won't have anyone step in to do my job as protector for me!" 

"With all due respect, Princess," Mica said flatly, "I think your job would be more towards protecting the ponies inside the town hall.  They're your subjects, right?" 

"But-" 

"P-p-p-princess... they n-need you, far m-m-more th-than WE do, at the m-moment." 

She glanced over at Gypsy.  "You don't under-" 

"Your Royal Highness, we most certainly DO understand... which is why we are offering to deal with this particular quest in your stead!"  Wart stood proud, backing Obsidian's play. 

"You too, Stalwart?" 

"Princess Twilight," Cupcake said earnestly, "if it were Uncle Shiny who was corrupt, but Celestia was still in charge... how would you feel?" 

She sighed, then after a moment, she looked at Obsidian as she spoke. "Very well... Obsidian, you have chosen your friends wisely, and as long as they stand behind you on this, then you have my permission - and my prayers for luck - to accompany you to the castle.  Do you know wher-" 

"Bet your fur I do!"  Clap said. 

"Very well," she sighed, "but please, be cautious - Onyx is nopony to be underestimated."

Well, the option to allow Twilight and her friends to deal with this whole mess wouldn't be so bad... if they were complete. However, there was now a breach in their ranks.  Obsidian might try to find a way to bring Applejack, Ruby and potentially the rest of the fallen ponies back... but until then, the Element Bearers might not be the best choice for this mission.

"Please, Princess... stay here with your citizens.  If you wish, I can provide some magic to help restore the dome before the next assault arrives.  And I will not underestimate my sister."  She was stupid, of course - but it didn't change the fact she was still quite dangerous. 

"I'll bring her justice - in any capacity I can,"  Even if it meant destroying her forever.

Twilight reluctantly nodded, then slowly made her way over to Butter Churn.  With infinite care, she gently lifted the orange mare's body with her magic, placing her upon her own back as she moved to put a hoof around Butter's neck. "Come on, Butter.  Let's take her inside; she wouldn't want us to be out here when they come back." 

Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, had just lost one of her best friends... but she was trying to be strong for Butter.  Her strength, however, couldn't hide her own tears.  They ambled over to the town hall and opened the door. With one last look back at Obsidian and her group, she went inside and shut the doors. 

"... rrrrrRRRRRRRAAAAGH!"  Clap kicked at a fallen chunk of rooftop, sending it flying.  "If I hadn't gone after Butter, Mama AJ would still be ALIVE!" 

"And Butter would be dead.  I think you did the right thing,"  Mica looked at her solemnly. 

Clap glared at him.  "Yeah, well... tell that to my aching heart.  I knew Mama AJ all my life!  So did you!" 

Mica sighed.  "Yes... and it does hurt.  But Clap, she died protecting those she loved - and I'm certain Mama AJ would tan your flank if she heard you talking like that." 

Clap looked down, tears standing in her eyes. "Maybe... but she's dead, so it doesn't matter anymore."

With that, Mica also looked down.  Clap buried her muzzle in her hooves and began to cry... which was when Mica simply walked to her and held her while she sobbed.  Mica's eyes weren't exactly dry, either. 

Cupcake let his own tears fall, yet he kept himself standing straight and true.  "C'mon - we need to get to the Palace of the Two Sisters.  We'll have time for memorials later, I promise... okay?" 

Clap, still held by Mica, nodded and backed up, wiping her eyes. "Yeah... yeah.  We need to go and flush that pile of manure.  For Mama AJ." 

Wart added, "For Equestria," as she sidled up to Obsidian, taking up the opposite side as Cupcake. 

Cup looked at the Light Princess.  "For Siddy." 

Gypsy made his way over, covered in dirt.  "F-f-f-for Siddy." 

Wart nodded.  "For Lady Obsidian too." 

Mica looked over at them.  "For Siddy," he agreed. 

Looking at her, even with pain in her eyes, Clap gave one of her best smirks.  "Yeah.  For Siddy."

Onyx's sadism was hurting far too many ponies and diminishing her chances for victory.  When their father ruled, did he unleash hordes of zombies against the Crystal Empire?  No - he turned it into a tool to further his own goals and magic. 

Onyx was wasteful.  The Umbrals were wasteful.  Even if Obsidian was on their side, she would have been disgusted by the sheer lack of efficiency, especially as she was certain it would be possible to take over Ponyville without destroying more than half of it. 

Well, it seemed that the ruined floor in the Applejack Suite wasn't going to be as much of an urgent problem anymore. 

"For minimalising losses and bringing justice," she offered as her own addition.  "So, how we get there without running into entire waves of Umbrals?  I'm not sure if I can repeat the trick with turning them all into ash, I'm afraid..."

Mica gave her a pondering look.  "Well... can you teleport?" 

"WHOA!  Nah nah NAH NAH NAH nah!  Nooooooo way!"  Clap vehemently shook her head and waved her forelegs in front of her in a negative manner.  "I've done that before with Aunt Twilight, and it makes me sick every single time!" 

"Well, then are you gonna fly all of us there?"  Cup questioned.  Clap went to say something, even opening her mouth to speak... then just sighed and shook her head, pouting. 

"Okay, I suppose it's up to whether or not Obsidian feels she can do it."  Mica looked at her.  "You wanna try, or no?  Either way, it's okay."

"Well... my father didn't exactly like the idea of teaching me anything that would, er... let me leave the palace so easily, I'm afraid," Obsidian admitted hesitantly.

Mica shrugged.  "Well, then I suppose we'd best get to wal-" 

"Wait - I have an idea.  And it's something that Momma can help with!  Quick, to the palace!"  And with that, Cup turned and sped off towards Twilight's Palace, pausing long enough only to yell out over his flank, "C'MON!" 

Wart glanced at Obsidian.  "Why does that make me feel... apprehensive?" 


-={+}=-


The airship sliced through the sky like a hot knife through cottony butter, and tufts of cloud went wafting away from the bow as they sailed the sky over the Everfree Forest, searching for the ruins of what remained of Celestia and Luna's ancestral home. 

Mica paced the floor, trying to come up with possible strategies or backup plans, just in case.  Clap alternated from flying along with the airship and scouting around below, looking for the proper path in case they had to land.  Cupcake spent much of his time speaking with (and sneakily snuggling) Obsidian.  Wart, who apparently wasn't fond of heights, stayed well away from the side rails, much more focused on cleaning her armor and blades. Gypsy simply had stuck his head out of the side, his tongue flapping in the breeze while his tail wagged happily.

Truth be told, Obsidian was behaving mostly like Wart; doing her best to stay away from any side rails, objects that could move suddenly and so on.  She didn't know that she wouldn't like flying - at least, flying on an artificial machine that could... could... ugh. 

At least Cupcake was doing his best to divert her attention from the fact that they could fall out of the sky and die at any moment.

To be fair, why didn't she see any of these airships before - especially now?  They could be used as a moving weapon platform, or at least a scouting vessel!  Did these Equestrians want to die, that they weren't using any of the supposed technological or strategical advantages that they could? 

"... couldn't we just bomb this castle from the air as soon as we get there?" she muttered.

Cup chuckled at her.  "That'd make it a lot easier... but no, I don't think we have enough fireworks to even damage the place, let alone bring it down." 

However, as they brought the airship around toward the southern end of the forest, Obsidian could see distant, broken spires that jutted up from the forest canopy.  She could also see what looked like creeks and rivers of Umbral undead, all flowing from the castle ruins. 

Mica looked down over the side.  "Clap!"  he yelled to her as she passed, "Can you go get a peek and see how bad it is, and if there's a way in that doesn't involve Umbrals?"  Clap saluted, then sped down and dove through the canopy, vanishing from sight. 

A few tense moments later, she spiraled up out of the forest, and touched down on the airship's side railing.  "I think I saw a cave, but there's NO way we're getting through the palace's ground floors - they're swamped with Umbrals.  Smells dis-GUS-ting!"

Explosives. Explosives were an answer to everything. "Cave?"  Obsidian asked aloud, "Does anypony possibly know what's in this cave?"  Ugh, maybe singular Umbrals were rather weak soldiers, but Onyx was compensating with sheer numbers. 

Just how many of these creatures were there?  Was the whole Everfree forest some kind of ancient graveyard for them?  It may have been sizable, but it STILL didn't seem possible to fit so many Umbral bodies in the place where Obsidian first met Onyx!

"C-c-c-cave?"  Gypsy's ears perked up, and he turned to address the group. "If th-there's a cave, then it must be the one set up by Luna as a d-d-defense mechanism, back when she and h-her sister used to live here; rumour has it th-that she was prankish in her younger years, a-a-and she used it in conjunction with other devices and such t-to make all sorts of jests and such." 

"That sounds a lot like, 'this place is booby-trapped'."  Clap sighed.  "Please tell me it isn't." 

Gypsy shrugged.  Clap sighed louder.

"Booby-trapped sounds better than Umbral-filled, methinks."  Obsidian wondered if she could turn herself into a shadow or something like that - was there any Light Magic spell to increase her mobility?  She'd have to check that out later...

Cupcake nodded and made his way to the steering wheel; it was his mother's airship, so of course he was the one who knew how to fly to it.  He brought them down carefully, along the edge of the ruins, so as to block sight of them from the undead hordes.  They disembarked and walked only a short distance, and Obsidian was very appreciative for the ride.

When they reached their destination, it was a small cave set back into the rock at such an angle as to look invisible from the ground; Clap was the one to show everyone where it was.  They shuffled in, one by one, until they all got themselves inside. 

The cavern was big - though nowhere near as big as the one Obsidian had seen - but along the walls and ceiling, there were small veins of dark crystals that seemed to widen as the cave progressed downward and onward.

So... that's it, eh?  The path for the final fight, the ultimate trial, light versus darkness - and due to the whim of fate or the stupidity of Onyx, Obsidian was standing on quite a different side she would have first imagined.  She trotted closer to the vein of dark crysssssstals; were they connected to the ones in Onyx's lair?  She tried to analyze them, to learn something more.  If only she still had any of her Dark Magic...

There were a number of little cracks in these crystals, which may have meant they were unstable; they weren't useless, because they could vary in power and ability, but they were a luck-of-the-draw variety, and one would have to search for days before finding enough to make any significant difference. 

And yet... 

There was a familiarity to the feel of their magical pressure; it made her think of blood and smoke, but not in such a way as to choke her.  On the contrary, it was a scent she was well-familiar with, during time in training.  Oddly soothing, with everything else happening around her. 

Which is why she felt the interloper before he spoke... but only seconds before. 

"... and SO... here you are." Tourmaline's icy voice sent a shiver down her spine; now that she was 'filled with Light', he sounded... more sinister.  More vile. 

Instantly, her friends tightened up around her, save for Wart and Clap, the latter taking to the air.  Gypsy began to growl softly in the back of his throat; it was a delightfully threatening rumble that would be worthy of a warhound.  Cupcake's horn flashed its' sprinkly-white aura.  Mica stood back coolly and yet his eyes were taut and alert, tracking every movement within his sight range.  Thunderclap hovered above, looking ready to knock some sense into a pony.  Wart took her defensive stance, standing about four meters out, sword at the ready. 

She couldn't see Tourmaline, but ohhhhhh, she could sense him. 

"I'm actually glad you came, believe it or not... I didn't want it to be over that easily." She could almost hear him smirking.

Ah, so the loving family reunion was about to begin.  Obsidian didn't wait - she immediately put up shields around the entire gang.  Considering his love for crushed bones, it was better to be safe than sorry with her sibling.

"I'm happy to hear you, little brother; I was afraid you were already discarded by Onyx.  Don't worry, your sister is not angry that you tried to kill her - especially as I obviously wasn't in danger," she welcomed him in the most friendly, family-like and cheerful manner she could.  

Which, in this specific case, was not actually too family-like or cheerful, but hey - she was doing her best! It's not her fault her experiences with family issues were rather poor! 

"Are you here to surrender? It would be very wise of you to leave our dim older sister, I daresay."

There was a great, big sigh from the unicorn stallion.  "I am... weary... of all this, to be honest," Tourmaline huffed, "it's just another day under Father's plan.  As the day before.  And before that.  And before that.  It makes me sick; waiting all this time, and now?  I don't even get a front seat to the carnage." 

He merely stepped out from the shadows, looking as tired of the whole event as he sounded. "I don't want to go with you, 'dear sister'... but I'm sick and tired of her.  Besides... she won't let me kill Amethyst, and hasn't allowed it for years - and that was one of my FAV-o-RITE PAST times!" 

A ripple of black energy rolled across his form... yet he just sighed and gave Obsidian and her friends a disinterested look.  

"If you really want to come at me, then do so - far be it for me to deny you a death - but I would much rather ignore you and your little friends," he singsonged, "and focus on doing what I want to do.  For once."

Now what was that?  "So... Instead of wasting your time with us you just want to... go to the city and entertain yourself with all these guards, Umbrals and the rest?"  Honestly, she didn't really expect that... or that he would say he was sick of Onyx.  

"And what was that about killing sister Amethyst being a past-time?  Perhaps do you mean wounding her mortally, healing the wound and repeating the process, just with different spells?"  Lovely family.

He leveled a flat stare at her.  "I mean to create an existence where she no longer lives and breathes.  This existence, hopefully." 

Wart glowered at him.  "I would not trust this situation for even a moment; he would backstab you in a hoofbeat, Your Majesty." 

"However," Mica added, "it would be one less problem to deal with; possibly two less problems, if he goes after your other sister."

Well, he could enjoy it for far longer with healing magic; after all, why just kill somepony once if you can make them suffer for hours or days at a time?  

Uh, n-not that Obsidian would be interested in that, of course.  Totally not.  Nope.

"Do you happen to know where Amethyst is?"  Obsidian was considering the option... and it was a HARD choice.

His smile grew, and he chuckled.  "Why, looking for you, of course!  She was upset that she wasn't able to kill you... but she did seem to be a bit surprised about Ruby's fate.  Did you know, we felt her die?  Frankly, I didn't really care," he waved a hoof dismissedly, "but Onyx gave her the fifth degree over it.  Something about an amulet..." 

He shrugged, then looked at her group with disinterest. "So, are your little toys wanting a fight, or are we done here?" 

"I'll toy you, ya lunkhead," Clap muttered.

Obsidian chuckled. Ah, yes... the amulet. HA!  Foolish, stupid sisters!  And to think, Onyx just had to say a word or two about their plans and Obsidian would be standing in the palace this very instant, smiling wickedly above the cooling body of Princess Twilight Sparkle... 

"Well, I talked with Ruby two or three hours ago - she died, but she then got better."  Obsidian was telling the complete truth, right?  "I'd love to help you and bond over the hunt for Amethyst, but I'm in a bit of a hurry.  By all means, go get her... and try not to get hurt, okay?"

Tourmaline looked at her with uncertainty for a moment, then simply shrugged. "No fur off my back - I'd rather hunt a sister I hate then one who just irks me.  Just stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours... for as long as I feel like it, anyway." 

With that, her brother slipped back into the shadows, and blended with them easily. 

"I do not like this," Wart said with thick apprehension, "it leaves an enemy behind us - one with power - and he even claimed he might still come after you!  I do not think that was a wise decision," she sighed, "however, I shall not question royalty; I shall follow orders." 

"Yeah, Siddy," Clap added, lighting on the ground once more, "that jerk ambushed you once already... who says he won't do it again?" 

Cupcake cleared his throat.  "Right, because she totally plans to put him completely out of her mind and never suspect anything from him, ever again."  He rolled his eyes. "Of course she expects him back - but this way, we can save up our strength until we need it, instead of getting worn down before we reach Onyx.  C'mon - give Siddy a little faith!" 

"My faith, she has," Mica chimed in, "it's Tourmaline I don't trust."

"Ruby said she believes in him, so I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Besides, we ARE in a hurry, right?"  Hopefully, it wouldn't be a mistake; Obsidian figured that it might buy them some time and keep her murderous siblings occupied - long enough for her to finish this 'game' with Onyx, and possibly give her a chance to get between Amethyst and Tourmaline... mayhaps even try to help them see the other side of things? 

"The quicker we stop the Umbral assault on Ponyville, the better - if we win, Tourmaline won't be much of a concern with all of Equestria behind us.  Now, let us go."

They continued down the tunnel, all the more apprehensive for the encounter with the very strange Tourmaline.  Though he'd seemed to be a staunch enemy, he simply turned out to be bored with her. 

Or... was it something else?  Maybe he really did care about Obsidian, under his exterior of madness?  Maybe he really did want to be an older brother to her?  Maybe... 

Naaaaah, couldn't be.  But at least he wasn't a problem right now. 

The tunnels began to grow cold; the temperature sunk as they progressed, to the point where Gypsy tightened his hood around his head, keeping his ears warm.  The crystals grew in number, but their size wasn't much bigger.  It was almost as if they'd been harvested... 

"Th-th-this one smells m-m-more Umbrals ahead," the diamond dog spoke softly. 

"Well, they'll just have to be ready to get turned into ash, 'cuz Siddy is on her way to crash that party, Gypper!"  Clap grinned with a wild gleam in her eye. 

The tunnel narrowed, all the way down to a single door, set into the cavern itself.  It appeared to have chunks of Dark Crysssssstals all over it, as if it had been chiseled free from the growth.  Had this doorway been hiding under the crystals, and if so, how long had it been there? 

"Ohhhh... th-those are pre-dated Equestrian runic g-glyphs!"  Gypsy pointed out some strange-looking symbols etched into the door itself.  "They're sigils of... w-warning, and... containment.  Most likely, this has b-b-been here for millennia - at least, if this one is a-aging it correctly." 

"If it's containing something, should we be opening it?"  Mica asked.

"Wasn't it supposed to be a part of some sort of defense mechanism, you said?"  Obsidian really hoped it would be an escape tunnel - and that's all.  Of course, things always had to be more complicated. "We haven't seen any other possible path inside, have we?"

Cupcake shrugged.  "I can try to open it up!"   He whipped out his Party Cannon again.  "It'd be a BLAST!!!" 

"Wait!"  Gypsy threw his paws up.  "This one m-m-might be able to read the glyphs, if you g-g-give him long en-n-nough!" 

Clap groaned.  "UGH!  Why can't we just kick some flank, already!?"

"Because we want to be sure that our flanks won't be kicked first, Clap."  Mica, of course, being the level-headed one.  "We've saved some time avoiding the fight with Tourmaline, so I'd say you can spend a few minutes on these glyphs, Gypsy." 

The diamond dog's tail wagging happily, he made his way over to the door and began looking at all the different symbols there, studying them intently while Thunderclap rolled her eyes and sat down in a huff. 

"Fine.  Guess we could just sit on our butts while Auntie Twi and company hold off the Umbral hordes and stuff.  Not like time is of the essence or anything like that..." 

"Clap, don't pout - act your age."  Mica admonished.  Clap simply stuck her tongue out at him in response. 

Wart began pacing a patrol while Gypsy decoded.  While that happened, Cup reached into whatever pocket he was pulling things from and brought out a plate of cupcakes, all coated with sprinkles.  "Here - in case anyone's hungry!" 

"Cup... where do you put all this stuff?"  Clap asked curiously. 

He grinned impishly.  "Momma's secret place; she taught me when I was a foal how to do the kinda stuff she does.  That's what makes me the one most like her!" 

Thunderclap chuckled.  "Yeah, peas in a pod, you two."

But no, really, where was he keeping it?  Was it even hygenic to eat them?  Strange, really - and to think that his mother could do it as well; she wasn't even a unicorn!  Obsidian could easily accept, as a fact, that a unicorn could be able to create small pocket reality to stash things there... but an earth pony? 

No, enough - she had to focus.  Light magic, her awesome lance, five friends... and Onyx with her Umbral armada standing against them.  She'd probably have a few thousand Umbral bodyguards, as well as the entirety of Obsidian's Dark Magic... the filthy thief!  

And to think that she could have simply ASKED - it wouldn't even have been difficult: 'Cupcake, can you check if there are any sweets on my desk?  And Miss Obsidian, I think I have a book that would interest you...' 

A few minutes after that, Obsidian would have simply joined them as a sibling, but noooooooo... Onyx had to try to kill her.  Foolish, idiotic, STUUUUUPID sister!

It took roughly fifteen minutes, but when Gypsy let out a yip of excited glee, it was clear he most certainly could decode in a relatively short amount of time.  He jumped up and with his tail threatening to wag itself right off his backside, he began to relate what he'd discovered. 

"This is IT!!!  This is where the final resting place of the Umbral beings is!  The glyphs speak of holding b-b-back the dark things within, and it claims to keep them contained... but we know that isn't true, as we've seen th-them firstpaw!  Er," he smiled, "this o-one means, firsthoof, if y-you please." 

Clap made a gesture for him to go on, and Gypsy nodded before continuing. "B-but if this is meant to contain, b-b-b-but it doesn't, then that means th-they had to find another way around it s-somehow; if they g-g-got around it, then we can t-too!" 

Mica mused on the thought.  "Or, accordingly, if they aren't using this entrance, then they wouldn't expect us from this direction, would they?" 

Clap sighed heavily.  "Go around, go through... can we just decide on something already?"

It would be a waste of time to just decode this entire thing, then decide that their best option was to walk around.  Umbrals were already crawling all around Equestria, so using any way they were using was probably going to be far more dangerous.

"I say we go through - if there are any entrances the Umbrals are actually using, then I'd prefer to avoid them.  I don't want to accidentially stumble upon a few million zombies, even after that stunt I've pulled back in Ponyville.  So, Cupcake, you've mentioned your artillery, right...?"

Cupcake's grin redoubled, and turned the teensyest bit vicious-looking. "Oh-ho-ho-HOOOO, yeah!" 

Once more, the cupcake cannon came out, and he flattened the barrel against the doorway as Gypsy's eyes widened and he dove into the ground, making a little foxhole before poking his head up to watch the proceedings.  Wart and Mica both stood a respectable distance back, eyeballing the cannon suspiciously.  Thunderclap simply covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. 

Oooooh, EXPLOSIVES!  Explosions always work; it's like a law of nature - if you don't know what to do during a war, blow something up!  Walls, bridges, ancient mysterious paths towards the final showdown - it worked for everything, and always seemed to drastically change a situation!  Hopefully, in their own favour...

Cupcake jumped onto his cupcake cannon and, with a wild whoop, grabbed the firing cord in his mouth and gave a firm yank, his eyes manic and wild with excitement. "Fuhr en duf HOOOOOOLF!"  he muttered through his clenched teeth. 


>Ska-DOOM!!!!<
 

The cannon flew backwards, taking a laughing Cupcake with it as it smacked into the opposite wall and sent the stallion onboard flying!  He curled up into a little ball and ricocheted from wall to wall, little bursts of sprinkles spraying out from every place he bounced off of!

The door, though smoking and blackened, was still in place... until Cup struck it, when it simply gave way and broke into chunks as he smashed right through it like it was glass!  

On the other side, the tunnel Obsidian saw looked almost exactly like the one she'd been in before... it even smelled the same. 

"Well... that's one way to do it, I guess," Clap said, impressed, as she started through the entrance after Cupcake.  Gypsy followed, curiously looking about as Mica accompanied him.  

Wart looked over to Obsidian and gave a grin, gesturing lightly. "Royalty first, Lady Obsidian," she offered.

What in Tartarus happened just now?  For a moment, Obsidian thought that her request to blow up the doors just killed the poor unicorn, but instead he... he... 

Obsidian didn't even know she could open her eyes THAT wide... or keep them open for so long.  In fact, they started to dry out before Wart forced her to shake off her utter and complete shock. Trying to look at least somewhat diginified, as if she hadn't just experienced a short circuit in her brain, Obsidian entered the dark tunnel.
> Thirty One: A Stabbing Pain (In The Neck)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sure enough, the walls were exactly as she recalled them to be; covered with crystals - dark, foreboding, yada yada yada... 

Well, now she knew where she'd been... and frankly, it was a bit anti-climactic to have the final battle here, after she'd already seen it once. Though, now that it came to mind, wasn't Onyx most likely going to be in the room with the Black Pool, where the Umbrals had originally been summoned from?  

That... might not be good. 

Mica kept staring at the crystal formations on the walls.  "Fascinating.  Mother would be stuck here, going on about the quality and formations... but all I have to relate is that these crystals hold magic - probably Dark Magic - and you should probably not touch them." 

Clap looked at the wall, then moved herself closer to the center of the path, giving a slight shudder. "Siddy," she said, trying to get her mind elsewhere, "when we find Onitwit, what're we gonna do?  I mean, you got a plan or something?  If so, it'd help to know what it is..."

"Well, er... unfortunately everything depends on what she is doing right now.  She apparently chose this place for the upcoming battle, which isn't exactly a good sign for us.  After all, she could be trying to raise herself another army of Umbrals for the occasion, or perhaps she's simply building her power.  But, as far as I'm concerned, the greatest danger comes from her amulet; it's the counterpart of the one I'm currently wearing.  Our main goal will quite probably be provoking a direct struggle between our respective magical abilities." 

"Ruby said that the amulet with the greater power stored inside should win - and considering that she's currently using it to power her entire Umbral army, then it stands to reason that without it, she should be far less dangerous.  If she loses her amulet's power, then we need to take her down quickly; I will block her Dark Magic, then if Cupcake has some ropes in his secret hiding place, we tie her up and promptly deliver her to Princess Twilight." 

"If I lose with my amulet... well, we either evacuate very quickly and try to find better place to live than an Umbral-infested Equestria... or try to do it in the old-fashioned and time-honored Equestrian way - and count on our friendship."  She shrugged slightly.  

Too bad the Bearers of Elements of Harmony were effectively neutralized.

"Hey, don't knock the power of friendship," Cupcake pointed out, "Momma told me about the kind of stuff it was capable of, back in her day - and lemme tell you, it was a doozy!"  He grinned.  "Why, Twilight Sparkle didn't even have any friends when she was first sent to Ponyville; she made 'em while she was there, and then they all came together to deal with a BIIIIIG problem, and they blasted Nightmare Moon with RAINBOWS!" 

Mica gave a smirk.  "That's... close enough to the truth, actually." 

"And then, there was chocolate rain!" The Pie smiled broadly.

Clap chuckled this time.  "Cuppie, don't you ever change, you hear me?  You're a riot!" 

Cup looked over quizzically at Gypsy and Wart.  "I thought I was a stallion?" 

The diamond dog and the little mare both fought to contain their laughter, while Clap just rolled her eyes and Mica kept looking at the walls. 

The caverns bent and twisted for a while, but eventually led to a pathway that brought her and her friends around a severely sharp corner, and eventually to... 

"By Howler's claws and maws!"  Gypsy exclaimed in a whisper as they came into the library well that Obsidian recalled from when she'd first shown up here.  The books were still shelved all the way to the ceiling, so far above them.  Gypsy was practically drooling over the amount of knowledge here, and Mica was scanning book titles rapidly as he walked alongside the shelves. 

"Lady Obsidian," Wart asked, her voice uncertain, "all this knowledge... do you believe your sister had time to actually read all of these?  Because if so, we might be in for a far more difficult fight than I thought..." She suddenly puffed out her little chest.  "N-not that I will be incapable of dealing with any threat we encounter!  I am merely... uh, concerned, for the possible situation ahead."

"Yes, I do believe so. I assume she is at least as fast of a reader as I am, and she had plenty of time to gather all this knowledge... Gypsy, don't get too excited; some of these books were too gross even for me, and I only checked a few random novels - I assure you that there are things that should be forever forgotten by the world."  

Nightmare Moon with rainbows, eh?  Well, her magic of Light could be split into rainbows, all right - she just needed a prism.  Though she doubted it was literal.  "Oh, and if she starts talking about, er... eating or skinning you just... uh... try to ignore it, ok?"

The diamond dog had been fascinated by the seemingly endless bookshelves, yet at her comment, his ears darted up and he looked right at her.  "Wh-what?" However, as he turned to look at her, Obsidian saw the shelf behind him shudder slightly, then begin to tilt outward from the wall - it was going to fall on him!

Damnation!  Her horn lit up quickly to try to hold the shelf in place.  "Get out of there, Gypsy!  Cupcake, help!"   Just how cruel was Onyx, using bookshelves as traps?

The shelf was heavy, but she held it well enough... the books, however... 

Gypsy was struck by a few, but Clap zipped through and grabbed him out of the way before the rain of tomes could really come down with any real threat... but he was only saved by inches.  With this, now other shelves all around them began to rock and topple, sending an avalanche of books down toward them all.  

Wart held her own magic above her, acting as an umbrella while protecting Obsidian, Mica and Cupcake as well as herself.  Clap and Gypsy now could find no respite, as the pegasus kept having to dart around collapsing shelves and heavy books pounding down among them. 

Above the sounds of the shelves creaking and the books slamming into the ground, there was a distinctive, high-pitched laughter that echoed from all around them, acting almost as a twisted metronome to the beat of the falling novels. 

Amethyst had found them.

Maybe she really should have cast a shield first?  Obsidian did exactly that now, if only to relieve Stalwart a bit, and darted to Gypsy to check his wounds.  If he needed any healing, she had to deliver it as soon as possible.  And it seemed that Tourmaline either completely missed Amethyst, or was trying to get out with other goals in mind. Too bad; the fight between them might have been fun to watch.

"Amethyst!  Did our father forget to teach you to RESPECT THE BOOKS?!" she bellowed, trying to be heard above the cavalcade of falling tomes.

Gypsy rubbed at his noggin.  "Th-th-this one is b-b-bumped, but not damaged... th-thank you f-f-for your c-c-concern."  He smiled at Obsidian warmly... a warmth that turned to cold fear as Amethyst spoke up, her voice echoing through the entire library/well. 

"I was taught that books are TOOLS, and when they are USED as such, one can do marvelous things!" 

A greenish glow began enveloping different books on the floor... different, large books... and when one darted off the floor and attempted to hit Obsidian, the others began to try to follow suit. 

Cupcake suddenly jumped in front of her, wearing a simple white robe with a black belt; he began to slap each book away as it approached her, making nonsense "WA-TAH!" and "Hoo-WAH!" sounds as he did.  His muzzle looked dead serious, but mockingly so, as if purposely deadpanning to make it funnier. 

How was Cupcake doing that?

Maybe they could just leave him here after asking him nicely to get rid of Onyx and Amethyst, and wait for his inevitable victory?  It seemed that he had more aces up his sleeve (and right now he actually had sleeves!) than Obsidian would ever guess.  And they got snuggly-wuggly and kissy-kissy before this mission... no doubt, it was going to be a very interesting relationship... 

There was an annoyed growl, then the shelves themselves began to smash into wooden shards... which were then telekinetically hurled at Obsidian and her friends!

Obsidian rose a second shield so she wouldn't have to deal with the shards (heheheh, SHARDS) very much, and pulled Gypsy closer to keep their defenses more centered. "Amethyst, the last time we met, I had to be very careful to not kick your horn off your skull - why won't you just lie down on your back, expose your belly and surrender?" 

Where WAS she at?  There had to be a way to feel her Dark Magic - even though this whole place was positively reeking with it.  "Gypsy, can you possibly catch her scent, perchance?"

"Why don't YOU just roll over and betray your so-called 'friends', already!  With your blood, we all know it's going to happen, before long!  Besides," the voice teased, "Onyx is... busy.  She wants ME to deal with you, and she even said I could have my pick of your toys to play with!" 

The venomous laughter that echoed through the library/well/deathtrap was spine-tingling. "Oh!  Except for the cupcake - she wants to eat him personally!" 

Cupcake grinned haughtily.  "Well, tell her to bring it; this cupcake ain't so sweet when it comes to handling sour mares like her!" He turned to give Obsidian a wink... and was almost instantly covered as a large pile of gathered books landed on him all at once. 

"Awwww... did I mash your little pastry into-" 

The books suddenly flew off to the sides as Cupcake rose from the pile, now wearing a yellow tank top that said 'CUPAMANIA' across it in red letters.  Cupcake himself now wore a red headband with a blond handlebar mustache, and he flexed like a bodybuilder. 

"The question you should be asking yourself, sister, is whatcha gonna do when these big, bad guns come for you!" With that, he then reached up and, taking his shirt into his hooves, tore it open across his barrel, flinging it off to the side as he assumed a wrestling pose. 

"Cupamania's runnin' WILD tonight!"  he proclaimed, posing and flexing with a determined smile on his face. The idea of leaving Cupcake here and just hoping he would emerge victorious without a single wound (and with Onyx's head in his hooves) was getting more and more feasible with each passing second.

"Why can you not simply die already!?" Now chunks of the wall began to break off and sling downward at the group!  

Mica gritted his teeth as a piece glanced off his left side ribs, while Clap nearly fell out of the air when her wing was assaulted.  Stalwart Stance kept her attention focused, trying to generate a shield whenever she saw another chunk coming their way. Gypsy, looking towards Obsidian, pointed to his nose, then to one of the far shelves that was still attatched to the wall, indicating the very top of the lowest shelf.

Obsidian gritted her teeth when her friends were getting hit with more stuff thrown at them by her less stupid sister.  "I'll keep her attention - healing all around for everyone afterwards, but first..."  

She gripped her lance more firmly with her magic, shielded herself - and darted straight to the shelf pointed out by Gypsy. The very top, eh?  It was a good thing she had some reach with her weapon, then!

"GRRRRRAGGHHH!!!!" As she was almost at the shelf, Amethyst suddenly appeared out of nowhere (right where Gypsy had pointed her out) and leapt across the gap, her hooves slamming into Obsidian's shield and flashing with sparks of green flame. Her hooves had been enchanted! 

"Worthless cur!  I was supposed to be the one to take that STUPID amulet from Ruby when she was gone!  But YOUUUUUU!!!!!"  Amethyst may have been a little upset at Obsidian. 

The crazed mare began sending blast after blast of green energy against Obsidian's shield, trying with all her might to smash her way through it.  And, with the force she was using, she would succeed quickly... if it hadn't been for her friends, all pitching in to attack Amethyst.

Thunderclap had repositioned herself over the fight, and was bucking downward toward the now-visible Amethyst's muzzle, attempting to strike her with those powerful back hooves.  Mica was throwing his own hooves at her from the left, while Wart slashed with her sword at her right.  Cupcake eventually reached out and grabbed Amethyst about the neck and, with a mighty roar, attempted to bodyslam her into the floor... 

She caught herself with her magic, and took hold of both of Cup's forelegs... and started to pull them apart like a wishbone!  However, when the floor opened up and a clawed paw reached up and grabbed the crazed mare by the tail, it jerked her downward hard enough for her to crack her jaw on the stone floor. She howled in anger, struggling to keep the diamond dog underneath her from dragging her underground.  

Her horn flashed, and she burst up out of the floor, now hovering and surrounded by an aura of green energy, purple mist issuing from the corners of her eyes. 

"I'LL END EVERY ONE OF YOU MYSELF!"  She threw her forelegs to the sides, and the books surrounding them began to swirl and spiral through the air, coming together into what looked like a book-built giant mace, complete with a spiked ball on the end!

Obsidian had been under the impression that, without her dagger, Amethyst would be less dangerous.  However, it seemed that her power levels had been boosted (possibly by Onyx)  for the occasion.  She was now far more dangerous than she was in the gym, where she'd failed to defeat Obsidian - despite having the numerical advantage with the use of the Slave Helmets. 

It also seemed as though she'd had herself a few telekinesis lessons too... 

And while it seemed that Obsidian's initial idea of pinning Amethyst with a few feet of pointy, sharp steel failed, her friends had once again saved her - by distracting her crazed sister and dealing her a bit of damage.  This mace, however, looked dangerous... but at the same time, Amethyst looked vulnerable right now.  So Obsidian made a very quick decision and hurled her lance with magic, straight at her.

The lance sailed through the air, right at Amethyst's barrel... but as it almost connected, it was surrounded by green energy and stopped in mid-air.  The mare glared at it as if it were actively insulting her, then turned to them all as she held it in the air, hovering right in front of her. "Don't tell me you expected this puny throw to actually hit me?" 

"Actually," Mica deadpanned, "the throw doesn't have to." 

And with that, Mica Chip simply seemed to run up to her and turn a backflip... which resulted in his hooves stepping onto the pommel of the lance, where he pushed off... and sent the lance just far enough out of the magical grip to pierce her chest!  The mace fell apart with the sound of a book-rain slapping the stone floor beneath her.

Amethyst didn't make a sound; her eyes slowly and crazily slid down until they looked at the lance sticking out of her.  Then they looked back up at Obsidian. 

"... oh... NO... you didn't..." 

With a flare, Amethyst's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull as she suddenly GRIPPED the lance in her own magic and began to pull with a force unlike her previous strength - it was like Obsidian was suddenly playing tug-o-war with an elephant!  No... more like multiple elephants!

It was almost the perfect outcome - but almost didn't seem to distract Amethyst as much as Obsidian had hoped; she was also far stronger than before and well... Obsidian didn't really want to kill her, but with the lance piercing her chest, it was the most probable outcome right now.  

The (former) Dark Princess huffed and sweated as she started to struggle against Amethyst's magic.  Why couldn't she just break her focus, fall to the ground and just let Obsidian turn off her magic and heal her wounds? 

"Dis... tract... her..."  Damnation - they'd come too far to stop now! "Sister, give up!  I don't want to be forced to kill you!"

The ragged voice that answered her sounded more like a dragon's snarl than Amethyst's own. 

"I WANT TO SUCKLE THE FLUID FROM YOUR EYEBALLS AS I CRUSH YOUR SPINAL COLUMN INTO CHALK DUST, YOU LOATHSOME WASTE!  I WANT TO LICK YOUR STILL-COOLING BLOOD FROM MY HOOVES AS YOUR ESSENCE FADES AWAY INTO NOTHING!  I WANT TO DANCE IN YOUR CORPSE'S RIBCAGE!  I WANT TO BATHE IN YOUR ENTRAILS AS I SHATTER YOUR SKULL!  I WANT-" 

With that, Stalwart Stance reared up and slammed her hooves into Amethyst's head with enough force to bounce it off the wall; the blow broke the grip on the lance, yet forced the mare's body backwards, pulling the length of the steel pole out of her.  Though it hadn't gone deep enough to hit an organ, her chest was now seeping lifeblood at a steady rate. 

Amethyst growled like an animal, wounded and angry.  "I WANT TO WEAR YOUR SKIN AS A RAINCOAT!" 

"Ewwwww!  You're a sick, sick puppy!  Siddy, end this feeb!"  Clap called out. 

"NO.  I SHALL END YOUUUUUUU..." 

Now, in front of her, green magical energy began to form into the familiar shape of a curved dagger... eighteen of them, to be exact!  "ONYX WAS RIGHT - YOU ARE EXPENDABLE!" Those daggers would be fully-formed in mere moments; there were only a few seconds to react.

It wasn't really a choice - just a reaction - as Obsidian once again plunged her lance forward.  This time, far more desperately than before.  It was only to be expected - she already saw, far too closely, what even a single one of these daggers could do.

The lance jutted forward... and connected.  With Amethyst's own shield.  And bent. 

The mare let out a jagged, crazed giggling that sounded like the complete antithesis of 'laughter', and her daggers formed completely.  They gleamed in the wan light, each one glowing that diseased green color as they began to wave back and forth, like before... but where a single blade looked like a cobra about to strike, the group amassed before them looked more like a small wave on the ocean, movements rolling down the line, copied by each blade in turn. 

"NO.  YOU WILL... NOT... WIN... THAT WAY..." 

Each dagger suddenly twitched into place, all of them poised to strike and going stock still as Amethyst's eyes widened.  They were the eyes of a mare who no longer had anything to do with the concept of sanity. "YOU... YOUUUUUUUU..." She stopped, staring at Obsidian with clear, unadulterated hatred in her eyes for the Light Princess. 

"... PAIN... HATE... ANGER... SLASH!  DESTROY!  KILLLLLLLLLL YOUUUUUUU!!!!!"

All eighteen daggers flew right at her... and flew straight into the barrel of a cupcake-shaped cannon that was suddenly held out in front of the group. 

"Ooops!  Looks like I got some junk in my cannon!"  Cupcake said with a smirk as he lowered the contraption, then turned it to face Amethyst. "Let's clear the barrel, shall we?" 

When he yanked the cord, the eighteen daggers rocketed out of the device and straight towards Amethyst... but when they connected, they didn't penetrate; they made little 'boing' sounds and bounced harmlessly off her coat.  

As she stared, Cup smiled. "What, you think I'd stoop to your level?  Naaaaaaaaaah... not my style." 

Amethyst stared... then began to roar and charge, but Cup just chuckled and pulled the cord a second time. The large pie that flew out of the cannon hit the crazed mare with the force of a battering ram, and she slammed into the wall behind her, plastered to it with whipped cream and pie crust. 

Dazed, she merely hung there a moment.  Cup looked back to Obsidian and motioned to her sister. "She's kinda stunned... now's your chance to... uh, do... whatever..." he shrugged.

By Darkness, she couldn't have a family and foals with him; if there was even the slightest chance that they would inherit powers of Darkness from Obsidian's father, powers of Light from her and powers of just plain crazy from Cupcake?  They would be unstoppable!  They would probably turn into eldritch abominations by the age of ten!

But still, Cupcake had saved her... AND defeated Amethyst (again, couldn't they just leave him here and wait for him to wreck Onyx's plans, self-respect and sanity?) 

"Yes," Obsidian said as she charged her horn - and for the first time, she tried to use the Dark Magic sealing spell she'd gotten from Gypsy.

Amethyst's horn began to sparkle, and as they watched, a shell of stone began to roll down from the tip, encasing it in a shell of rock. 

"... wha..? No. No! NOOBSIDIANIWILLNOTALLOWITNOTALLOWITNOTALLOW-" 

Her magic aura began to try to flare up again, but Obsidian had her in place, and the spell was tough, but she had enough concentration to finish the incantation. 

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" With a small >clink!<, the spell finished its' magic, and Amethyst simply stared at Obsidian as she slid down the wall and sat on the floor. 

"You... you... you've killed me." 

The mare simply sat there as tears began to pour out of her eyes; no sobs, she had more dignity than that... but the look on her muzzle said it all.  She was finished, and wouldn't be a viable threat any longer.  

On her head, her horn was completely covered in stone, and the stone had turned completely black, moulding to fit the shape of the horn until it just looked as though she had a black horn, naturally.  However, Obsidian couldn't feel even the slightest spark of magic coming from her sister.

Amethyst stared incredulously at her. "H... h-h-h... h-how?  HOW do you know the sealing spell?  How?  Not even Onyx knows that spell... d-did you... h-h-h-how?"

'You've killed me'?  What a whiny mare Amethyst actually was!  It was just a small sealing off spell!  Good grief, grow up! 

"I had a lot of magical training with my father... and then I've got friends, which can be very surprising when it comes to research.  Now, hold still..." 

Obsidian's horn flashed once again as she healed the wound on Amethyst's chest.  "Now, anyone else have any serious injuries?  Mica, what about your ribs?  Also, we'll also need to, er, 'take care' of Amethyst.  I was fine with idea of Tourmaline hunting her - it would have been like torturing two slaves with a single lash, but considering we found her first, I'd prefer to keep her alive."

"Uh, Obsidian?"  Mica offered.  "Maybe you shouldn't use anything about 'torture' to explain things in the future?  It's a bit... creepy, to anyone who doesn't know you." 

Clap shrugged.  "Heck, it's kinda creepy to me - and I DO know you!  Not that you're creepy; just some of the stuff you say, sometimes." 

Amethyst looked up at her as she healed the wound.  "You... why are you doing that?  I want you flayed and in agony; you're healing me." She now got a worried, almost scared look on her muzzle as she looked around at Obsidian's friends. "In Father's glorious name, what have these ponies done to you?"

"Terrible, horrible things, dear Amethyst... and you know what?  The same will happen to you; I will see to it personally,"  

Obsidian lowered her voice as if she was threatening her. "You will be laughing while basking in the light of the Sun, playing with your friends.  Every single thought about hurting others will perish from your mind, replaced with dreams of long, happy days, filled with personal development and important friendship lessons.  The only knife you'll ever want to touch will be to cut alfalfa - and I will look at it and laugh, Amethyst." 

From the look on Amethyst's muzzle, what Obsidian promised her was the worst possible punishment that anypony had ever cursed her with... and she was visibly shaken as Siddy went on to describe what her future would be like. By the time she'd finished describing, there were tears of horror in her sister's eyes.

Obsidian straightened up. "After all, you are my sister... and I want you to be happy.  And I will be happy to see you happy," she turned head to look at her friends. "Now, does anypony have any idea where we should put her to keep her safe until our glorious, victorious return?"

However, when she asked her question, she got a few different answers: 

"Um, how about a safe?"  Clap suggested. 

"I am certain there is a cell in Princess Twilight's dungeon that would have ample room for her," Wart smirked. 

"Another t-t-tunnel, except t-t-t-t-tie her t-t-tail to a root, to k-keep her there," Gypsy glowered at Amethyst. 

"Maybe we could shove her into my cannon..." Cup said thoughtfully. 

"Can you seal her legs up, like you did her horn?"  Mica asked.

"I can't seal her legs, I'm afraid... and I don't think we have a safe nearby. A cell is too far away as well.  Hmmmmmmm... well, the side tunnel or even the cannon doesn't sound too bad... Cuppy, do you have a rope somewhere, perchance?"

Cupcake smiled and reached into his... whatever it was... and brought out a bright red rope that looked thick and sturdy. "Will this do, Siddy dear?"  He offered her the rope as he winked at Amethyst, making her shudder in revulsion.  "I promise, it's 'one size fits all'!" 

Wart, without even a signal from Obsidian, grabbed it and ran a whirlwind around Amethyst until she was wrapped from chin to flank in rope.

"Whoa... new hogtie record, Warty!  Good go!"  Clap cheered, and the usually stoic Wart smiled and bowed to her appreciative audience. 

"Without my magic," Amethyst said distantly, "I am dead.  Utterly dead.  You've killed me." 

"Lighten up, buttercup," Clap said, "you're alive and in the hooves of the good guys; you got off easy on this one, Thystie - trust me on that!" 

Mica motioned to the doorway at the far end... the one Obsidian herself had used, only a few hours or so ago, yet it was like a lifetime ago. "Is that where we're headed?" he asked.

Obsidian nodded. "Don't worry Amy; we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Tourmy went another way, so he shouldn't be a problem... and you'll have your magic returned as soon as you start behaving properly.  See you later, sis!" 
Obsidian hugged her, then quickly stepped back. 

When she embraced her, Amethyst shuddered and shrieked unintelligibly; she was having none of whatever Obsidian was giving her, and wasn't giving up without a fight... as hopeless as it was.

"Ok,"  Obsidian remarked as she turned back to the group, "that's all for now.  Any wounds I need to take care of?  Any last confessions before reaching Onyx's chambers?  If not, then we can go straight there."

Sigh... bye-bye, lovely lance; apparently, you weren't meant to be turned into a magical artifact that would be forever remembered in history, after all.

It didn't seem like anyone had any wounds, but when she mentioned confessions... the group sort of listed about a moment, looking awkward and embarrassed, until Mica sighed and spoke up. 

"Yes, I do - I love Thunderclap Dash, and have since she got me out of my shell.  I can think of no other mare for me, and I don't want to.  She's perfect, to me." 

The others stared - and Clap looked thunderstruck - but that wasn't all... 

"This... th-th-this o-one ch-ch-cheated to g-g-g-get into the F-Fr-Friendship S-S-School," Gypsy said ashamedly, then quickly added, "b-b-but d-diamond d-d-d-dogs don't r-r-really know h-h-how t-to m-m-m-make f-fr-f-fr-friends!  He w-w-wanted in s-so b-b-b-b-badly!" 

"I... like Siddy.  I mean, really like her... as in, 'like-like' her.  I mean, as in, I can see us married and... a-and stuff."  Cupcake smiled at the Light Princess.  "And I guess she counts as my first... uhh, marefriend.  Which is okie dokie lokie by me." 

"Um, Cuppie?" Clap spoke as if she were ashamed to.  "... I did it.  Me.  I'M the one that bit the wheel of your cannon.  It just, I mean - it looked so tasty!  I couldn't h-help myself!  I just saw how MAD you got about it, and I didn't wanna disappoint you, so... I just... y'know... kept it q-quiet.  And stuff." 

Wart looked at them all.  "What?  I've done nothing salacious; don't expect any confessions from me, Lady Obsidian!"

Wow, they really treated this 'last confessions' stuff seriously!  Obsidian didn't mean it to be treated that way - she just said it in an out-of-hoof way, and yet they went full-in, charging through it as if they'd seen a defenseless party of limbless Umbrals! 

Well... perhaps it WAS the best time for this kind of stuff?  After all, nopony could tell if they would all survive the upcoming meeting with Onyx. 

And who would have thought that Mica would start first?  Hah, Clap looked as shocked as when he kissed her back at the castle!  Then it was Obsidian's own turn to be a bit embarrassed when Cupcake mentioned marriage - especially considering that they'd just met...what, the day before yesterday?  These Equestrians moved FAST; they didn't even ask her father for permission!  

Though, admittedly, in Obsidian's case it would be a bit difficult - wait, Equestrian's didn't have arranged marriages, so that part probably wasn't important.  

And eventually Obsidian really couldn't help herself but start to giggle when Thunderclap mentioned biting Cupcake's wheel - HA!  And here, she thought it was Cup himself! Considering how serious all the other confessions were, the Light Princess just had to notice how terribly humorous was Clap's mention in contrast to the others. 

"D-Don't worry, Stalwart. I'm sure that with us, sooner or later, you'll start doing salacious things too!"  She barely squeezed out the words between giggles.  "And I'm really glad you cheated, then, Gypsy. And, as for me... well, I've taken Cupcake into the closet in Twilight's Palace to test this kissing thing... and I liked it!  I believe that's the only confession I can think about at the moment..." 

She still couldn't stop giggling, even in the face of the adversity to come.  "L-Let's show my sister that using zombies, fooling Equestria and being STUPID is a bad idea, shall we?"

The others all looked at her, and nodded as one. 

"Yes.  It's time to put this to rest." 
"A-a-and bring in a n-new day's d-d-dawn." 
"And bring peace and protection to all of Equestria, royal and civilian alike." 
"And throw Onyx a huge 'going-away party'!" 
"And kick some flank!" 

They were ready.  Her friends took up positions on all sides of her, and she could feel her own energy roaring inside; strong, potent and powerful.  Onyx would have no chance in Tartarus to win.  Not while Obsidian had her friends. 

It was time to put that mare in her place.

"Fine... now, with power on our side, it is time to finish this."  And by Darkness AND Light, she was eager to show Onyx that her stupid, easy-to-avoid mistakes were going to bite her right in the flank.  Hard.

The doors to the library/well banged open, and Obsidian and her friends made their way out into the area she'd seen before.  However... 

There were no walls of crystal anymore; they were replaced with a thick, wet blackness that seemed oily and oozing, even dripping in a few places.  On closer inspection, it actually turned out to be Umbral corpses, all running together like threads of snot, forming over the lovely crystals that had blessed the wall before. 

The black water was now a constantly roiling surface that seemed to crank out an endless amount of undead... but not a one of them were headed towards Obsidian or her group; they seemed preoccupied with making their way out through a glowing red portal that stood at the far end of the chamber. 

The dias and throne were still in place, but now they had an unmistakable aura of vileness about them, and they looked as though they were seeping drips of black ichor too.  And seated on the throne, of course, was the mare they had all come to see... and she wasn't angry, irritated, surprised or even miffed... 

She was smiling.

Aaaaaaah, this felt like home, but moreso - even during magical training with her most honourable father, Obsidian never knew so much power and Dark Magic - and the reason was obvious, wasn't it?  She would love to spend her time here, researching every spell used by Onyx, trying to figure out the meanings of the Umbrals covering the walls... maybe there would even be something more in the books. 

Assuming, of course, that she'd survive the upcoming battle. 

"Hello, dear sister - we really need to stop bumping into each other in such circumstances, don't you think?  I'm starting to worry that you're a bit of a workaholic."  To be fair, during each one of their meetings, Onyx was working.  All. The. Time.  

She cast a shield around her friends and herself - better safe than sorry, in case magical bolts began to fly.  Then, she touched her own amulet with a hoof; if only Ruby was here to see this moment...

With Obsidian's words, Onyx simply grinned wider.

She stood up and, looking at the lot of them together, she lifted her hooves... and the entire chamber began to glow a dull, ember-like red.  Obsidian could feel the Dark Magic all around her, under her, over her... even through her, though she had not even the slightest bit of control of it. 

The red energies all pulsed around the room, then slowly drifted towards Onyx, who simply chuckled as the red light swirled about her, then traveled to her muzzle and entered her throat, her ears, her nostrils... even her eyes!  

"NOT... good," Mica understated.

It continued to flow into her until she thrust her hooves to the sides, the aura in front of her dissipating instantly. She looked at the group of friends, all ready to fight and possibly die for each other, and said a single word that would spell doom for them all... 

"... SLEEP..."

"Oh, no... no, not like this... n-not..."  >THUD<  Mica. 

"Aw, you gotta be... k-kiddin'... me..."  >THUD<  Thunderclap. 

"Oh n-n-n-n-n... n... n..."  >THUD<  Gypsy. 

"No, NO!  NOT... not when we... were so... c-c..."  >THUD<  Stalwart. 

"Siddy!"  Cupcake turned to her.  "Siddy!  You... gotta... gotta ruuunnn..."  >THUD<  Cupcake. 

And the last thing Obsidian saw before she passed out was her sister, waving to her.

>THUD<
> Thirty Two: The Nightmare Spell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The collar around Obsidian's neck was heavy and cold.

The chains around her limbs were even heavier and colder. 

But the smile on Onyx's muzzle was the heaviest, coldest thing in the entire room. 

Obsidian was collared, chained and locked in a cell that was covered with runes against magic.  There was a single, high window, and only a dull, red glare came through it - there was no other light in the room, save for Onyx's glowing red eyes, and the matching glow from the amulet on her chest. 

"Wakey-wakey, dear sister.  Aren't you eager to see where you'll be spending the rest of your existence?"  She smiled smugly. "And don't give me that look; I'd say I did an excellent job of improvising so much since you stepped into play; I daresay I deserve a medal, when this is done.  But that shall be at Father's discretion - if he wants to, then he will, and if not, he shall not.  I was not created for praise, after all..." 

Onyx wore a resplendent royal robe of inky black and red velvet, with a set of jet-black steel boots to accent the sharp angles of the outfit.  She also looked as if she were... taller, somehow?  Bigger?  She most certainly looked more substantial at any rate, seated on the cushy chair outside of Siddy's cell. 

Well, that wasn't good. 

Obsidian really didn't like getting her firepower reduced again - unsurprisingly, after meeting for the second time with Onyx. But who would think that she would prepare so strong a spell, that she would just avoid all of their defenses and knock them ALL down with a single strike?  Obsidian surely hadn't thought that - otherwise, she would have been a bit better prepared, and would've been dancing on Onyx's grave by now!

It was especially annoying as her sister didn't even use her amulet...

"But I admit, I'm curious to see what he has in store for you, dear sister - I'm certain it'll be rather interesting!  After all, you operated perfectly according to my plans - I'm almost disappointed you didn't deviate in the slightest." She chuckled.  "Now, do you care to guess why I was so happy to see you again?"

She gave Onyx a deadpan look. "It's just a guess, but... you needed a second shard of Darkheart, filled with light... and I brought it straight to you.  Is that the reason?  Or did you have something more sadistic in mind?"

Onyx clapped her hooves together gleefully.  "Oh, I'm so glad to see you're a smart cookie!  Yes, my dear - that is exactly what I needed!" 

She stood up, walking close to the bars as she began to speak. "You see, the spell Father wanted to use for his ressurrection wasn't a Dark Magic spell OR a Light Magic spell - it was Grey Magic, which spans the gap between the two.  In order for any significant effort to return to be successful, he needed to ensure that it couldn't be countered by either kind of magic... therefore, to activate it, there had to be shards charged from each side of the magical spectrum, used in conjunction with the right Grey Magic rituals, to perform the act." 

"The act," she smirked, "which I shall be performing tonight, in that painfully bright and happy little town these foolish Equestrians seem to love so much!  Ponyville will act as the stage I set... then, I'll use this amulet AND its' counterpart - which BOTH are operating at peak efficiency, thanks to you - and perform the ritual that will mark our glorious Father's return!  Oh, I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for the favor of doing SO much of Ruby's dirty work for me!"

"She'd been useful, but too quick to trust whatever I told her... including about that other Darkheart shard!  She told you it would be 'the way to stop wicked, naughty Onyx', I'll bet!  Oh, that mare would buy oceanfront property in the Everfree, if you asked her!" Onyx's laugh was jeering and cruel... but when she finished, she knelt down to look at Obsidian on an even level. 

Obsidian shook her head; so she'd been right about that one, eh?  And Ruby, apparently unknowingly, had convinced her to bring this little artifact of doom straight into Onyx's hooves. To be completely fair, Obsidian was actually relieved to hear that Ruby didn't know anything about it and was just manipulated... like she herself had been.  

"But you... you, Obsidian, performed exactly as I'd planned for you to.  You even brought me dinner!  How thoughtful; I'll be sure to feast on them tonight, after Father returns.  With everything I need finally in my hooves after so long of watching, waiting and planning... oh, it feels so wonderful, being this close to finishing my long-lasting mission!" 

She stood up again.  "Now, I have a moment or two... if you want to beg for your or your friends' lives, I have a minute to listen to you plead.  Or, if you would rather throw more useless bravado at me, I'll be happy to tell Father all about it over dinner tonight..." 

She grinned wickedly.  "Maybe we'll share a Cupcake over it!"

"I'll admit," Obsidian said dispiritedly, "it was clever. I had no idea about this whole 'Grey Magic' thing, so I was furious since I learned about the Light Amulet that you'd risked our most honourable Father's entire plan for - only because you didn't care about reaching out to me earlier. Now everything makes sense, though - antagonizing me was a far quicker way of gathering Light Magic than waiting for Ruby to accomplish the deed." 

She rubbed her chin (unfortunately, her chains were making rubbing her temples difficult) and thought for a moment before speaking again. "How is Amethyst, by the way?  She was complaining rather loudly that by taking away her magic, I was killing her.  Is she alright?"  

The look on Amy's face when Obsidian threatened her with friendship was priceless... she could almost giggle at the memory.

Almost.

Onyx chuckled.  "Amethyst?  Oh, she'll be fine, I'm certain... of course, with no magic at all anymore, she's probably useless to Father; most likely, she'll end up as another slave.  But such is the way of things, don't you know?" 

She leaned forward, pressing her cheeks to the bars. "You know, plotting everything out at a moment's notice was SO difficult to do; if we'd have stuck to my original plan, you wouldn't have been free for another decade, at least.  Ruby would have eventually been the 'good sister' to take and charge the Light amulet, and I would have 'recruited' you to get it back.  So you see?  If Twilight Sparkle hadn't stumbled across you, you would have been eagerly dispatching with Ruby, right before Father's triumphant return!" 

She sighed. "Though I have to admit... you're smarter than Tourmaline, more calm and collected than Amethyst, and not as naive as Ruby; you were a sister I could've possibly learned to get along with... maybe even liked, one day.  More's the pity." 

She now stood back from the bars.  "Ah, well - no use crying over spilt blood, right?"

Obsidian shrugged. "Probably.  I'd like to re-re-REstate that things might have been different if you'd just reached out to me in the first place... but I suppose I'm on the wrong side of bars to criticize your plans."

So... what now?  Father returns, probably gets rather angry over many things - unfortunately, plenty of them done by Obsidian herself - and wreaks havoc on all of Equestria?  It was surprising to learn that Onyx herself didn't know how to reverse the sealing off of Amy's Dark Magic - one could think that she'd already found a way to counteract it. 

Well... at least Amethyst wasn't dying, not yet.  Now she had to wonder if Onyx's sadistic talking was just a part of her plot as well - at the beginning, she needed it to get more Dark Magic from Obsidian... now, it was just plain mean-spirited.  "Well, all I can is hope for is that our most honourable Father will return in a good mood."  She shrugged slightly again with resignation.

Onyx lifted an eyebrow... then simply scoffed. "You've grown to be no fun anymore.  No tears, no anger, no begging... how disappointing."  She shrugged.  "But at least soon, I won't even have to worry about you at all.  You'll be stuck here for the rest of your life, knowing you brought about the end of Equestria, of your friends, of your 'sweetheart' sister... ALL of it." 

She turned and opened the steel door behind her, stepping through and taking one last glance back at her. "Honestly?  Familiarity breeds contempt - I'm glad we didn't get to bond.  And now, I'll never have to.  Au revoir, mon petite morte." 

With that, she slid out of the steel door, its' shutting being a thunderous, final boom... then nothing but her chains, her cell... and herself.  

Obsidian smirked - tears?  Begging?  It was far too obvious that Onyx would enjoy that far too much, and it would give Siddy literally nothing in return.  Anger, though?  Now that was something she would gladly use - but couldn't, due to her complete lack of Dark Magic. 

Luckily, she was taught to be pretty calm when she had to; none of the threats used by Onyx were new enough or harsh enough to get under her skin.  At best, Obsidian could despair... but she would be damned if she would do it in front of her sister, even (or, maybe, 'especially') if she wasn't as brain-dead as Obsidian had initially thought.

"... about time that cow shut up!" 

Who was that?  She started to look around. Outside... or maybe hidden?  Invisible?

"Yo, genius... down here." 

In Obsidian's lap was a tiny, willowy-looking pony with large, butterfly-like wings and weird little antennae.  She had tiny black and red stripes, and a very long and luxurious tail; her mane, however, was short and neat, almost a crewcut.  She looked at Obsidian with an annoyed expression. 

"Yeah, hi.  How ya doin'?  Okay stupid, you ready to get the heck outta here already?  Or you want another minute or two to pretend Onyx didn't just piss in your oats?" 

Wow.  This tiny pony was rude.

Obsidian lowered her head, dumbfounded.  It wasn't a snack, was it?  No wait - it was apparently her rescue.  Too bad; for a moment, she was curious to see if eating other living creatures was as satisfying as Onyx seemed to imply. "Er... y-yes - I'm ready to get out of here now, please."

The tiny pony flew up to the collar around her neck, and now Obsidian couldn't see her at all.  However, she could feel movement and shifting around of the restraint she wore, so it may have been safe to assume that the tiny rude pone was doing something useful. 

"Couldn't have just let the Royal Guard take care of things, couldja?  Or the Princess of Friendship?  FEH!  Even your pals could've done the job without you - but nooooooOOOOOOOOooooooo... you just HAD to face her directly, didn't ya?  HAD to try to overpower her, because 'Light is stronger than the Dark', hunh?" 

Her tiny head momentarily appeared within sight, scowling at her.  "How's THAT workin' out for ya, ya idiot!?" 

"Well, the guards were quite busy, and the Princess of Friendship was thoroughly shaken by death of Miss Applejack.  Based on our data, we thought that this amulet was the only weapon that could defeat Onyx," Obsidian admitted.  Honestly, it was a clever ruse, really - there had been no single mention in any of their texts that Dark and Light magic could work together in any meaningful way.

She dipped back below Obsidian's sight line.  "Well, regardless... we don't have a lot of time, if you wanna save your stupid friends.  You DO want to save 'em, right?"

"Of course I want I want to svae them!  There are better uses for Cupcake than turning him into a meal - even a royal meal!"

The jostling below her jawline got more active. "Well then... unf... that means... hnnnnng... that we gotta... rrrgh... get... MO-VING... hnnnnnng..." 

>clink!<  Something gave way, and the heavy collar fell off and into Obsidian's lap. "THERE!  Turd-buckin' thing!  Okay, now to get to the other chains..." 

With that, the little rude pony flitted over to her left hind leg and began to work at it.  Obsidian watched as the little winged pony put her tiny hooves into the lock and began moving them around. 

"Okay, so - first, do you know where you are; second, are you ready to look into other ponies' heads... and third..." 

She suddenly stopped, frowning at Obsidian.  "Never mind - you'll probably just make fun of me for asking." 

Going back to moving her hooves around, she gave Obsidian a glare.  "So, answer the first two and we can go from there, pit-for-brains."

It wasn't Cupcake's sister, Blue Raspberry, turned into an itty-bitty flying creature, was it?  Obsidian had no idea if ponies could be transformed in this manner, but there had to be a finite reservoir of rudeness in the world - so it would make sense. 

"No. Yes. And go ahead and ask this third question; compared to other Equestrian ponies, I'm practically devoid of 'fun' to make."  She encouraged little creature to continue. And ohhhh, it felt so good to have this heavy collar off her neck.  Onyx would regret not sealing off Obsidian's magic in a more permament way!

The little mare stared at her for a minute, then sighed and spoke as she continued to reach around inside the lock. "You're in the Dream Realm, but you're in a version that Luna can't reach; it's a section that's been pulled out of the collective consciousness and given its' own power and existence.  You should be flattered - this is one of Onyx's signature creations; you just fell victim to the Nightmare Spell!  Well... you and your five other feeb friends." 

The lock on her hind leg popped open, and the tiny rude pone moved on to the right rear leg. "I swear, casting a spell like that just for the six of you?  Yeah, you must scare her; she normally only casts a spell like that for when BIG mistakes were made - and not for anyone else; maybe you and your little glee club are onto something, here." 

She glanced up at Obsidian again, then looked back behind her, sighed, and turned to look at Obsidian with a skeptical pout on her muzzle. "You laugh, and I'll leave you here to rot, you got me?  But..." 

She sighed.  "... does my tail look okay?  And don't you lie to me!"

Tail?  Obsidian locked her eyes on it; where had she heard somepony asking her something similar..? 

"Yes, it looks okay, in my humble opinion - very well-cared for.  So, if I may ask, if we are trapped in a nightmare, then who are you?  A construct of our minds, perhaps?" 

So they were just in a dream - well, more like they were stuck inside a prolonged nightmare; trapped inside their own minds.  In fact, they were most likely still in the same place where they'd fallen, she was willing to bet.  Obsidian wondered how differently time flowed between this nightmare world and the real one.  A 'signature' spell, eh?  A nice trick... especially if the caster of said spell already knew the greatest fears of their victims.  If only Obsidian could know more about how to use it against its' caster... 

But first things first - she had to gather her friends and wake up.

The rude pony scoffed loudly. "HA!  Like your useless imaginations could fathom something as complicated as me!  Don't make me laugh, you big stupe!  Construct of YOUR mind?" She leveled a look at Obsidian. "It's me, stupid - Ruby.  Who'd you think it was, hunh?  I mean, you might think I'm nothing but smiles, sunshine and rainbow farts, but did it ever occur to you that there actually IS a mean side to everyone?" 

>clink!< 

"Yeah.  See, I knew Onyx was keeping stuff from me, and I did NOT like it - not one bit.  So, instead of freaking out and making a dumb mistake like bringing my magic to allow her to charge an amulet or confronting my sister with a fully charged one... I just shunted my Dark Magic side into the hoof mirror I kept in my saddlebags." 

She glanced at Obsidian again as she began working on the next lock.  "At least you weren't stupid enough to break the mirror; that would have really been a loss for you, because you'd be up Piranha Creek without a paddle right now without me!" 

"But yeah - what you saw... um, die... was my Light Side.  And yeah, before you even ask, I can't exist outside of this dream realm - and I don't have long, goofball - without it.  So hey, consider this as getting to meet the side of your sister you never knew, 'kay?" 

>clink!< 

"Now, while I get this last one, you care to tell me which one of your dumb friends you wanna find first?  I mean, it's up to you - it'll be YOU going through their worst nightmares to free 'em, so where would you rather get started?"

Oh. That... well, that kind of made sense.  And to be fair, it was far better than thinking that a dream version of Blue had somehow saved her skin. "To be fair though, you were the one who told me about using this amulet to counter her own, or about gathering as much power as possible to do it."  

Even though she was exceedingly glad for the help, Obsidian just had to mention it. 

She stood up, enjoying her newly-restored freedom of movement. "Cupcake Sprinkles, of course - that's where we should begin."  It should be the easiest of her friends to shake out of his nightmare, and then he would be quite useful with dealing with the rest of the group... that is, assuming he wouldn't just wake up immediately.

The tiny pony flew up in front of Obsidian's muzzle, looking annoyed. "Look, unless you want me going over every single mistake you've made since you woke up, I'll thank you to keep in mind that I'M the Snarkmaster, here - I already told you I knew something was wrong, just not what - are you grateful for me being here, or what?" 

"Oh, I am very grateful; I'd hug you to show how much, but it could be... eh, fatal."  With their size differences, she could easily kill her... or at least heavily dream-damage her, if such a term even existed.

She flitted over to the window, looked, then returned.  "Okay, then we're gonna have to find where the passage to his doorway is; because you dopes share a bond of friendship or some junk like that, you're all connected somehow - but because of her shenanigans, those portals won't be easy to find.  Most likely, they're either hidden in difficult places, or hidden somewhere innocuous..." 

"But simple enough: find the door, enter the dream, find 'em, wake 'em up... hopefully, in a way that they don't end up all depressed and junk.  Y'know... umm... like, not smack 'em in the head or such... I think.  Either way, she's trying to break their spirits, and you gotta make sure that doesn't happen... got it, dinky?" 






Little rude Ruby rolled her tiny eyes.  "Always gotta be told everything..."


"Yes, I get it. I'll be three times more cheerful, friendly and Equestrian than I am normally, just to keep their minds in a preferred state.  Are you going with me in?  Do you want to see their worst nightmares as well?" 

Work, work, work... a somewhat difficult task for a mare who'd learned that something like 'empathy' existed only yesterday.  Finding the doors wouldn't be too hard, hopefully - especially after she got more helpers.  

"Thank you, Ruby - for everything."  Because she most certainly WAS grateful... and knew it would probably be best to acknowledge that fact.

The little pony pouted for a moment... then grumbled. "Yeah, you'd better thank me... if I hadn't been so smart, you'd be screwed right now.  But... yeah.  Okay.  Fine." She flitted over to the cell door and, with her hooves in the lock, began working it like the others. 

"And the super-happy crappy?  Yyyyyeeeeaaaahhhh... how about you just be, y'know, yourself?  I mean, after all, did they only start being on your side because you were being nice?  Or did they start with that stuff before your nicey-wicey act?" 

"You got an advantage right now, Obzy; you don't have Light OR Dark in you... but you could have 'em.  BOTH of 'em!  But it's up to you, how you refill your reserves; Light, Dark, whatever... but you get to decide.  What's more, that flexibility will end up being your greatest strength, dipwad... so, with all this wisdom pouring out of me, you'd probably do well to pay attention and stuff, y'know?" 

With a grunt, the door's lock gave, and the cell door creaked slowly open. "Now, I can appear in these other dreams, yeah - but only in a limited capacity, or you'll run my spiritual batteries dead within the hour!  And trust me, once I'm drained, BAM!, no more Ruby, period." 

"But I can see inside your head, and the head of whoever you're looking into... so there's that.  And once you gather the entire Losers Club, I can make that last push to get you out of your stupid heads and back to reality."

"Honestly?"  Obsidian pondered, "I have not a single clue why they started being on my side... but I suppose you're right."  Well, a joke or two about torture and her friends would surely relax... like, what do you call a slave after a long torture session?  A three-dimensional puzzle!  Yup, that would certainly remind them why they liked Obsidian so much!

Being able to use both kinds of magic?  Frankly, she had been enjoying her Light Magic antics... but it was worth a try. 

"Then please, Ruby - don't overburden yourself.  You happen to be my favourite sister, and I don't want you to dissapear," she said while she lowered her voice. "Granted, the rest of our sisters aren't really able to rival with you for the 'favourite' title, of course... but you get the idea, right?" 

Obsidian stepped out of cell and immediately started to look around.  Doors, doors... hidden doors...

Ruby just groaned, "Yeah, yeah - whatever you gotta tell yourself to move yer fat flank.  Just get to it, toots - Equestria's not gonna save itself this time!" 

The room outside of the jail cell was as drab and bland as the inside of the cell was.  Featureless and boring, the only thing that stuck out in this place was the desk in the far corner... and it looked just as dull as the rest of the room. 

"Well?  You expect a hidden door to just jump out and say, 'hey, lookit me, here I be'?  I swear, the brains ran downhill after me..." 

The desk had a single, non-swiveling chair and three drawers. In the opposite corner from it, there was the single door that Onyx had left through; she hadn't seen what was on the other side, so there was no way to know. There was also the window, back in her cell with her chains and collar on the floor.

"I'm looking, dear sister of mine, I'm looking..."  Obsidian trotted to the desk to check the drawers; just how well could hidden doors be hidden?  Did they have to be literal doors in this strange place?  She didn't seem to have many options in that regard.

Inside the desk drawers were a pencil, a rubber band (broken), three push pins... and a colorful flyer for the Flim Flam Brothers Circus, 'the greatest show on Equus'.  

Standing out like a sore hoof, the flyer's colors were nothing like the rest of the place; they were warm, bright and happy.  The flyer showed lions, tigers, an elephant, clowns, trained monkeys... 

And, toward the back of the picture, there was a very familiar-looking cannon... with donut wheels. And a single bite missing from one of them.

Could this be...?  

She reached for the flyer and picked it up.  It was solid in her hooves... but she could feel it almost vibrating in her grasp; it felt alive, and it filled her with feelings of mirth and merriment. 

"... what, you expect it to just whisk you away, like some mare's advertisement for mane shampoo?  No dummy, you have to think of the pony you're looking to find!  Think about... I dunno, his stupid face, or his... whaddyacallit?... charm, or some manure like that?" She had to think of Cupcake? 

"Sometime this year, beets-for-brains!"  Ruby impatiently grumbled.

Ruby could be pretty interesting, even without removing her dark side and placing it in the mirror. Of course, it would probably have ruined her cover as Looking Glass.  In fact, it was really hard to think of her as dead when she was so insistant on chatting with her so often.

And so, Obsidian focused on thoughts of Cupcake Sprinkles... more specifically on the memory of their second day - when he slowly began to realize that they were quite different... he'd made such a face when he thought that she was a changeling only pretending to be Obsidian, and how the mention of her mane made her GLARE at him...

The world around her suddenly just seemed to... melt away...
> Thirty Three: Cupcake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn't the circus. 

What she saw, instead, was a Ponyville... defeated.  

Houses all around her were either on fire, blasted to splinters or boarded up and graffiti'd over.  Not a single green thing grew anywhere within sight, and a cold wind sent random garbage blowing down the main street. Once alive with activity, it was now dull and lifeless.  

Not a single pony (or anybeing else, for that matter) was in attendance, and Obsidian even saw the occasional equine skull or ribcage, some half-buried in the dirt, as if whatever had caused this had happened ages ago. 

From where she was standing, the most prominent building was Sugarcube Corner... but it didn't look right.  The paint was bland, peeling and colorless, the windows were all boarded over, and the smokestack collapsed.  In fact, the only thing about the place that stood out now was the fact that the front door was lying on the ground, well off its' hinges, and there was a wavery light that seemed to be coming from inside it. 

Ruby, unfortunately, was nowhere to be seen... nor heard, as her attitude would have helped Obsidian to find her; just follow the insults, right?

Yup, it certainly was a nightmare... and considering the main focus, it was most assuredly Cupcake's.  A ruined Ponyville, vulgarized houses, the defiled sweets shop... a truly terrible vision, though Obsidian had no doubt that Onyx would probably be able to do something even worse to this place. 

She went straight to Sugarcube Corner - though very carefully, just in case something inside would be hostile, hungry... or possibly even both.

Inside was no better; the walls, shelves and even the kitchen had been systematically stripped of anything that might be used to cook or make merriment with... almost. Towards the counter where sales had been made, the books and stuff that had been on the shelves next to the register were gone... but there was still a lone cookie jar, sitting with a layer of dust on it, which remained untouched out of everything else here.

Okay, either Cupcake wasn't even here, or he was shackled somewhere inside.  Otherwise, this cookie jar wouldn't have any chance to get so covered in dust.  Obsidian trotted deeper, looking around for any clues; maybe she could find him in the underground basement... but... how should she get there without the books?  Maybe touching this jar would do the trick, or at least do something?

When she touched the jar, it tipped in a familiar way... and with a rusty grinding sound, she saw a square section of floor slide away, revealing the slide-tunnel to the underground area.  The tunnel itself seemed to have its' colors a bit washed out also, as if the gloom above had been seeping into the ground over time.  How much time, however, wasn't stated nor revealed - it simply seemed as though the tunnel itself had been abandoned.

Except for the wan amount of light that seemed to be coming from the bottom of it.

There was something down there, and Obsidian was fairly certain that it would be her best chance to get to Cupcake.  Thus, no matter how much she disliked the idea of this tunnel... she decided to slide on down anyway.

The tunnel seemed about the same... until the halfway point, where she slid face-first through a mass of cobwebs that felt like sticky silk across her muzzle and barrel.  However, the spiders that had made them were long gone, so when she reached the bottom, she didn't have any new mane accessories, so to speak. 

Thankfully, the ball pit was still there; if it hadn't been, this would have been a very tragic rescue attempt.

The shelves that had once held rows and rows of party supplies were now empty and barren, and spotted with rust here and there.  There was a single cannon wheel in one corner, but its' spokes were cracked and a section of the wheel itself was missing.

The dim light was originating from the back room, where she'd tended to a not-so-injured Pinkie Pie, not too long ago.  The room itself had no door - it was separated with an old blanket, now moth-eaten and ragged.  There was a smell, like rotten cotton candy and stale popcorn, that seemed to permeate every corner of this area.

Cupcake really should clean his nightmares more often.  Even if these cobwebs weren't real, Obsidian was rather unhappy about getting her muzzle - as well as the rest of her body - cobwebby and messy.  But at least she'd almost reached the source of the light!

The whole place looked as gloomy as the rest of the landscape, so Obsidian wasn't paying too much attention to it - though there was a cannon wheel, even if it wasn't a donut, so she felt as though she was on the right track, which was the important part.  She trotted straight through the rotten curtain, unsure of what she was going to find there... but hoping it would be Cupcake.

The back room.  Before, it had looked a bit like a makeshift lounge paired with an office; it had been somewhat tight, due to the boxes and presents that had covered almost every inch of flooring, but it had felt... comfortable.  Like it would have been okay to hide back here if you just needed a moment to yourself. 

Now, it was rather empty without all the presents there.  There was a chill in the air, even though there was a fireplace that had a fire going quite well in it.  She could see the stains of wear and water on the walls, and there was only a half-rotten old couch, a small pile of meager sticks to fuel the fire, and a foul-smelling bucket at the other end on the floor. 

Sitting on that couch was a stallion so old, Obsidian thought he might turn to dust if she breathed too hard on him.  His mane was sparse and thin and his tail was languid and limp; both were completely stark white.  There were so many wrinkles on his muzzle that he looked more like he was wearing a pile of soggy pancakes on top of his neck.  His body looked frail, worn and rail-thin, and he shook with some sort of palsy.  One of his eyes was completely blind, the eerie milky film inside it reminding Obsidian of spoiled cream. 

The other eye, though, was a vivid emerald green. This was Cupcake? 

He simply sat there, his gaze distant and detatched from his surroundings. "Worthless.  Useless.  Meaningless." He said with a creaky and haggard voice as he sat there shivering in a ratty excuse for a shirt, as bereft of color as the rest of Ponyville.

Well, Onyx most certainly wasn't playing around with this Nightmare Spell, was she?  Cupcake was barely recognizable in this state!  Obsidian tried to figure it out: Was he afraid of getting old?  Afraid of being useless?  All of it, mixed into a single, powerful nightmare - possibly one of the worst, if not THE worst, of his life? 

At least there weren't any horrific monsters, mutilated bodies of family members laying around - nothing like that. 

As an outside observer, it wasn't too scary - which was a very good thing, as she would be better able to simply focus on her target.  Obsidian trotted closer, to look Cup straight in his one healthy eye. 

"Cup?  Cuppy?  Are you there?" she asked softly, looking around for something to cover his shivering form with. Nightmare or not, he was definitely cold. The search mostly fruitless, her horn flashed as she started to gather sticks to at least build up the current fire.

"Worthless.  Useless.  Meaningless,"  he repeated, his eye still not focusing on her - or anything at all, for that matter. 

"HEY!"  One of the sticks cried out as she lifted it with her magic.  "Put me down, carrot-brain!  It's ME!" The stick, upon closer examination, had a long and rather fetching trail of ivy hanging from the back (?) of it, and had little black and red stripes along its' surface. 

"About time!  I swear, if I have to listen to this jerk repeat those same three frickin' words much more, I'm gonna stick it to him, alright!  FEH!  What a chump!" 

"Worthless.  Useless.  Meaningless." 

"Yeah yeah, go soak yer head, ya corpsicle!"  Stick Ruby yelled.

"Ruby, you really shouldn't waste your energy by yelling at him like that... but I'm glad you're here, dear sister of mine."  Well, at least the rest of sticks should be fine enough to use for making the small fire a bit bigger.  It seemed as though the direct approach wasn't reaching him at all; what could she do?

She reached out and gently touched his hoof - if he couldn't see or hear her, then maybe he could at least feel her?

He gave a slight start, taking in a quick breath... but not a single sign of recognition, even having been touched, was in his single eye.  His gaze was almost as if he were seeing something beyond what anyone else could... and it was causing his mind to wither away.

"Okay, I'm no expert at 'chatting with friends' - especially 'cause I didn't really have any - but if you wanna get through to them, you're gonna have to let 'em know what they mean to you, dummy.  Onyx's spell is affecting their very thoughts, their souls... and connecting with 'em, actually letting them know how much they mean to you, is probably your best chance at saving 'em!" 

The stick huffed.  "I still say we should just cut out of here and go grab the pegasus and the midget first; at least THEY can fight back well enough."  As an afterthought, "Maybe the pup, too." 

"Worthless.  Useless.  Meaningless." 

The Ruby Stick groaned.  "Look, just please shut him up, okay?  Even if you gotta stick some of that nasty blanket in his mouth to gag him - I honestly think it'd be a favor, at this point!"

Stupid Onyx.  How dare she send her friends through this sort of agony!  Obsidian would gladly trap her in a nightmare herself and force her to relive the worst moments of her own meaningless, artificial life for all eternity! 

Or... well, at least for a day or two, maybe - just to show her that her sister was NOT happy with her recent behaviour. 

Talking to Cupcake in this state didn't seem to be much of a good idea, at least in Obsidian's opinion - after all, he was completely ignoring her attempts to reach him.  She sat down next to him anyway and took his hoof in her own, detrmined to try again.  

She noted the feel of the grimy couch beneath her - she just had to keep telling herself it was just a nightmare, that layer of nasty on it was just in her mind.

Oh, but there would be a thorough bathing when she woke up, if she had any say in it!

"Cupcake, you are not worthless, useless or - Darkness forbid - meaningless.  You have a wonderful family, a group of loyal friends and plenty of skills and traits that help make the world around you better.  And you are most certainly not meaningless to me, especially with these 'crush' things we have on each other!  Do you remember that?"

Stalwart... Thunderclap... Mica... Gypsy... she'd get them back - ALL of them... but she HAD to start with him.

"Worthless.  Use... less..." He blinked, once.  

The look on his muzzle slowly became one of concentration. "... they came.  They took... everything.  Everything.  They took the princesses... they took the stallions and mares... they took the foals... they took it all... but... they left... me... behind." 

Now, the one green eye slowly turned in its' socket to meet hers, though it still looked more like he was looking through her than at her. "Took them all... except me... said I... I was... worthless.  Useless.  Meaningless." 

"NO!  Good grief, not that again!"  Stick Ruby wailed helplessly.

"They... they wanted... s-slaves... they said... I was... was..." 

"If he says it one more time, so help me Sombra..!"

Oh, by Darkness... enough of this!

Obsidian kissed him, squarely on the lips; effectively it was shock therapy, plus Ruby wouldn't explode with Dark Magic for perhaps a little bit longer.

It was like kissing sandpaper... at first. As she held the liplock, she heard a groan... then a questioning murmur... then a soft, relieved sigh as he began to put the slightest of pressure against her lips in return.  A pressure that started to grow, and the feeling of kissing a dry rock began to change into something softer, warmer, and all together more involved.  

The old stallion began to glow with a strange aura; it looked like a dappled bright blue and an inky jet black, rolling with each other in harmony as she continued... and when she finally pulled back from the kiss, it wasn't the elderly stallion on the couch, but Cupcake - her Cupcake - who sat there, his eyes bright and merry, his smile broad and a bit sheepish, and his being returned to the lovable stallion she remembered. 

"Siddy, I... Sweet Luna's Plot, that was scary!  It felt like I was trapped inside my own skin, and I couldn't get out!  I was even trying to reach you, but," he grinned, "I guess you found a quicker way, hunh?" 

He threw his forelegs around her and squeezed her tightly.  "Thank you, Siddy... I..." He kissed her lips again, then smiled at her brightly.  "I love you." 

The stick made a sharp gagging sound, but Cup didn't even seem to take notice.

If she had any idea it would have been that easy, she would have gone for that move to begin with!  Too bad it probably wouldn't work on the rest of the group... though if she rounded up Thunderclap before she found Mica, it would possibly be the right idea to ask her to get this kind of snuggly with him.  Cupcake always rather liked getting physical, and this time was most certainly not an exception. 

Obsidian still had only the haziest of knowledge about relationships, hugs, kisses and so on... but she knew he was hers right now - even his own mother had said such - so she had to get used to it, she supposed.

Not that it was a bad thing, of course.  

"I love you too, Cuppy."  She graciously nuzzled him.  "It's good to see you a hundred years younger once more!  Now, let's show the world we are not worthless, useless or meaningless, and save the rest of our gang, shall we?"

"Yeah," he smiled, "then after that... you and I have a date to plan, once this whole thing is dealt with!  I'm thinkin', what, dinner?  Whatever you feel would be a good meal, I'm sure I can make it!" 

Cupcake then got up off the couch, then strolled over towards the blanket that sectioned off this room from the rest.  Pushing it aside and looking out into the storeroom, he gave a low whistle. "Wow.  I guess momma was right; you never really realize how much something means to you 'til it's gone.  All that stuff that was in here?  I don't think I've ever given it a second thought... until I see it like this, all bare and empty." 

He looked back at her.  "I am SO glad you saved me from being like everything else here."  He then looked around a bit.  "So, like... are we waiting for the next place to form up around us, or..?"

"Dinner sounds nice, but first things first - we have to stop Onyx."  After all of this madness and chaos, it'd probably take a moment before life around them would return to any semblance of a normal state... including one where any places would be available where ponies could eat at - though Cupcake's cooking would be just as good as anyplace available.

She idly hoped the school wouldn't be in too bad of a shape after this. 

"... and no, we need to look for figurative 'doors'; the path to you was a rather simple flyer for a circus - it was sticking out as the only colorful thing in the entire room.  And it could literally be anywhere..." 

She picked up Stick Ruby and put her behind her right ear, to keep her sister close. "But friendship, bonds and such things should help us make the discovery.  Ruby, can these doors to the nightmares be found in another's nighmares, or must we go back to the place with that awful cell?"

"Eww, do you even wash back here!?"  Stick Ruby admonished, but she still answered the question, "but like I said before, the lot of you have one of those sappy little bonds together; because of that, there are connections between all of 'em, so no, you don't have to go back to Blandsville to reach the next dream, dummy!  You should just have to start thinking about who you're looking for next, and keep that in mind while you search." 

Cupcake looked at her quizzically.  "You're talking to Ruby?  Is she here?  I thought she was... well, you know?  Is she invisible, or..?"  He looked at her for a moment, then said with a grin.  "You've got a little stick in your mane; here, let me get it..." 

"Don't you let him touch me!  He'll throw me in the fire!"

"No, Ruby is the stick; don't question it.  She was far more cute in her previous form as a very small pony with a rather nice tail... but in this version, she's fairly easy to move around." 

So, thinking... thinking... thinking... 

"I say we should look for Thunderclap next - it would be nice to have air support for our search."  She remembered their first meeting, when she proposed 'racing', took off ahead of them so that Mica used the opportunity to chat with Obsidian for a bit without interruption...

Cup looked at her flatly.  "The stick.  Behind your ear.  Is Ruby." 

He looked as if he was about to question her sanity... yet instead, he smiled and nodded.  "Okie dokie lokie - if you say it's Ruby, then I'll take your word for it.  I don't know everything, so I'll just fall back on the faith that you know what's going on better than I do!" 

"At least he's trusting," Stick Ruby muttered. 

Cupcake began looking about the place, though he actively avoided the rusted bucket at the end of the couch... and even draped a corner of the ratty blanket over it.  To cover the awful smell, no doubt, but probably to cover the sight of it, too.  The stallion looked under the couch, out in the storage area and around the blanket.  

Then, looking back to her, he shrugged. "I don't see any doors... in fact, I don't see much of anything, aside from all this stuff that REALLY needs a good cleaning... or replacing.  My vote's for the replacing." 

"Think, stupid!" came from behind her ear, "what sort of stuff do you remember most about Blunderfat?  Did she have a dumb walk?  Was she a drooler?  Did she need to have her name written on her hoof, so she wouldn't forget it?" 

Stick Ruby was being a jerk... but maybe she had a point; what were things Obsidian remembered about Clap?

Well... she was surprisingly into shopping.  Very, very much into it - Obsidian didn't even know half of the terms that she had used, or what reasons she had for caring about it so thoroughly.  Without her, Obsidian would just buy the first clothing around and leave the shop as quickly as possible!  Though 'as quick as possible' still wouldn't have been as quick as Thunderclap was... 

Obsidian still regretted that she didn't get to jog with her, because of Tourmaline's sneak attack. It wasn't exactly surprising how athletic she was, though - Clap wanted to make one of those 'Sonic Rainboom' things all on her own, and had even acted as a bait for the Umbrals. She had to be fast!  There was also that absolutely priceless look on her muzzle when Mica kissed her...

That's when she saw it, sitting over next to the fireplace; it had been overlooked because the fire's light had been bright, and it had been so close to it that it almost looked a bit burnt, at least on the side she could see. It was a saddlebag.  An expensive one, from the look of it.  And it looked exactly like the one Clap had given her, off her own flank. 

Cup was still looking around out in the storage area.  "Hey, Siddy... d'you think it would be in the ball pit?"

Aaaah, yes - good ol' Clap!  Obsidian didn't have a lot of opportunity to walk around with these saddlebags lately because, well, zombie invasions and so on... so she'd almost forgotten about them. 

"Cup, it's here - I found it!  Get in here quickly!"  She trotted closer, anticipation building up inside her; it was Thunderclap Rescuing Time!

Cup made his way back into the room, then balked when he saw the saddlebag. "That wasn't there earlier!  How could I have missed THAT!?" 

"Okay, look - confession time," Stick Ruby piped up, "Your guy over there?  He is NOT a bright bulb, is he?  I mean, yeah - he's a hunka hunka burnin' hotness - but I'm pretty sure you're gonna have to make all the smart decisions in the relationship.  He's-" 

"Of course," Cup continued, "maybe it just shows up for you, y'know?  Like Ruby the Stick; maybe it's only for you to find?" 

Ruby Stick pouted.  "... I still say he's a stupe..." 

Reaching out and taking up the saddlebag, Cup brought it to her.  "Okay, we got the thing.  Are we... um, supposed to, uh, get inside it?" He looked at it quizzically, turning it over curiously.

Cup couldn't hear Ruby, eh? Even if he would ignore her insults, calling him 'hotness' surely would have gotten a reaction out of him.  "Nope - we just take it and think about Clap as hard as we possibly can." 

Obsidian touched saddlebag herself.  Thunderclap was actually quite brave, like when she volunteered to bait the Umbrals away from Sugarcube Corner - it had been a lot for her to give of herself...

The world around them melted away like before.
> Thirty Four: Thunderclap
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now, they were on a cloud... no really, they were actually on a cloud!!! 

Around them was what could only be assumed was the famed city of Cloudsdale... but it wasn't the bright and pleasant place it should have been; the colors and sense of freedom here were dull and listless, and felt like only a sham of what was supposed to be.  It was as if something had sucked every single bit of warmth and life from this world... much like Ponyville in Cupcake's nightmare.  

Obsidian got the feeling this was going to be a recurring theme.

At any rate, there was an exception to this rule in this particular case, as she saw it across the ground: The crimson stain of blood, bright and wickedly red, was in little droplets that were spattered and flecked, and there was a small drag-trail leading off in the direction of a large structure which was indentified by a nearby sign: Cloudsdale Coliseum. 

Cupcake, however, took one single look at the trail and visibly blanched. "Oh no.  No no no no no... if these are nightmares, and this is what we're seeing here, and this is Thunderclap's nightmare, then... ohmigosh!  Obsidian, we need to FIND her!  Fast!" 

What exactly was this place?  A city in the clouds, it seemed - it looked like quite the perfect place for pegasi, obviously.  And a trail of red droplets in these otherwise bland surroundings was obviously the best way to track down Thunderclap that they could possibly find.  Hopefully she was okay - or at least alive; this much blood loss could be a concern.  In fact, what would possibly happen if you did die in a dream? 

Cup charged forward and began to gallop after the trail on the ground.  "It would have to be that!  It'd be the one thing that I would figure would haunt her dreams..."  Cup seemed to be muttering to himself, but the look of worry on his muzzle looked severe and scared.

She darted after Cupcake; what could possibly be in this nightmare that had him so worried?  Perhaps a memory of Applejack's unfortunate fate..?

Cupcake made a distinct beeline for his destination, as if he already knew where he was going.  How could a unicorn like him know his way around a pegasi city in the clouds?  It wasn't like he would have had wings to be able to visit the place frequently enough... unless that was more of his strange Pie magic, perhaps?  With everything she'd seen come from him so far, she wasn't certain if such an idea could actually be put completely out of hoof for the stallion...

Regardless, they rounded a corner and the grisly trail led right up to a group of clouds outside of the Coliseum, arranged like decorative hedges in a park-like cloud garden of sorts.  There were a number of clouds here that were painstakingly shaped rather artistically, and even with a lack of color, it still seemed like a nice place to while away one's time. 

Then, she heard the tiny sniffle. 

Behind one of the larger 'hedges', the trail of blood circled and apparently stopped, as there was no trail leading out.  Somewhere behind that cloud, someone was crying their eyes out.  Cup darted around the hedge, then began speaking rapidly. 

"Thunderclap!  Listen to me, it's not-... oh, by Celestia's Tears, no!" 

Then, she heard Cup himself start to cry.  "Those... THOSE ANIMALS!  They actually DID it, this time!  Oh, Clap, I wish I could... c-could... uhh, C-clap?"  He came out from behind the cloud as Obsidian got close; he had been crying, but he now wore a look of stunned shock. 

"I don't think she can even see me, Siddy... how can I help her if she can't even see that I'm here?"

Animals?  What animals?  And what had they done?  "It's just a dream, remember; you couldn't see me at first either, Cup," Obsidian reminded him as she stepped around the cloud-hedge herself.

The sight was not one she was expecting; on the ground was a rather small and quite young Thunderclap Dash.  

She had her mane done up in little golden braids that made her multicolored roots look like adorable rainbows braided in, and her tail was neatly trimmed and short.  She was very small and very thin; she looked almost nothing like the Clap that Obsidian knew. 

This Clap looked exceedingly vulnerable and tiny, like someone who might blow away in a fierce wind.  This Clap was wearing a pretty sundress, though it was smeared and stained with blood, and a cute little necklace with a picture of a parasprite carved onto the pendant. 

This Clap also had two wingless stumps sticking out of her back, dripping blood all over the place and flexing weakly.  She was surrounded by feathers, but the remainder of her proud wings were nowhere to be seen. 

"When she was still really little," Cup spoke softly into Obsidian's ear, "Clap got a LOT of teasing; it was why she became a great big bully for a while, later on.  But this moment's like one of the ones she told me about, where some other pegasi were jealous of her and of who her mother was, so they attempted to... to..." 

He choked back tears.  "... so, of course, it'd be the biggest, most terrifying thing she could ever see in her nightmares; if they'd succeeded.  Oh, poor Clap-" 

"Hey!  Heeeeyyyyy!  Down here, dummy!" One of the feathers on the ground was far removed from Clap's color scheme; it was a feather with red and black stripes, and it was actually a rather pretty feather. "If I hear one joke about being any sort of 'birdbrain', you're on your own, got it?" 

"Poor Clap," Cupcake looked at her, his heart breaking, "losing her wings would be like losing herself."

And right now, Obsidian was currently reminding herself that feeling some very murderous intentions was able to feel quite nice - especially as it was followed with the knowledge that she was more than powerful enough to go through with it.  Of course, most ponies would probably disagree with the idea that craving murderous revenge was a good thing... but for Obsidian, it felt quite natural. 

She calmly scooped up the Ruby Feather from the ground and stuck it behind her ear, just like she did with the Ruby Twig.  It would be far easier to just stick (pun not intented) to a single form, but as she tended to take a nearby example and inhabit it, it was probably something about energy conservation.  

But being in the mindset and the right mood for killing anyone was a bad idea, though... especially when there were no ponies to kill around, and someone had to be cheered up.  It may have been just a dream, but Obsidian's blood was boiling, nonetheless. 

"Well?"  The Ruby Feather groaned, "You gonna do that 'comforting' thing again or what?"

And thus, at Ruby's suggestion, she trotted over to poor Thunderclap to make an attempt to heal these stumps and give her a strong, comforting hug.  Honestly, after all they'd been through as of late, they both needed one.

The little pegasus jumped when she was first touched... but her little barrel hitched, her eyes watered anew, and she threw her forelegs around Obsidian and began to wail with all the fury and anguish of a child's broken heart.

Cupcake came over to join the both of them, encircling the two with his own embrace; she could see the tears tracking down his cheeks, and his jaw working not to just let go with his own sobbing.  He was being strong... which was helping Obsidian to feel strong as well, as she felt an influx of anger at those who would do such a thing (Dark), to the infinite love for the devastated little filly who bawled with her head in her lap (Light).

Tiny Clap looked up into her eyes - her fear, misery and loss being slowly being replaced by a careful look of hope. "How can I ever follow mommy if I can't fly after her?"

A soft blue glow began to roll across the filly's body, coming to settle at the base of her horribly mutilated wings.  There was a soft, yet audible crackling sound, and the bone began to grow rapidly from the twisted stub, reforming from nothing more than the sheer POWER inside Obsidian. 

She winced cutely as the healing energy began to knit sinew and flesh, recreating her lost wings bit by bit, before the feathers began to sprout along the length of the pinkish, shiny wing skin.

Though it was just a dream, Obsidian really hadn't expected this interesting effect; healing magic looked rather strange and uncanny when it was restoring lost limbs right in front of her eyes.  She had felt similarly when her Light Magic was straightening her horn; after all, bones and flesh were simply not meant to react that way... 

"You don't need wings to be awesome, Thunderclap. Even on the ground you are quite fast, and even if you wouldn't be able to move at all, you would still be awesome... because you are a loyal, trustworthy and generous friend," Obsidian patted that cute little head as she spoke softly to her, "... and besides, you're already getting your wings back... see?"

The little pegasus mare looked back, then at Obsidian directly with those big purple eyes of hers, made all the more adorable by her tiny visage. "When I thought nobody wanted to be my friend, and that anyone who did was tryin'a trick me, I figgered I could be as mean as they was, 'cuz I was fulla mean stuff too... but... but it wuzza bad thing.  But it was Mica who stayed nice ta me, even when I wazzunt nice ta him at first." 

She then sniffled, and grinned up at Obsidian.  "You make me wanna be nicer, 'Sidian."

"Oh, good grief, I forgot how gushy this stuff was!" Ruby complained, "Just get it over with, okay?"

Her body began to glow as well as her wings fluffed out, proud and strong and once again fully grown.  

In fact... when the glow finally faded away, the filly that had been there on the ground was now a fully-grown Thunderclap, lying there with her head in Obsidian's chest fur, smiling as she held her tightly. 

"Heya, Siddy... I just knew you'd come for me, I knew it.  Oh!"  She suddenly sat up.  "Hiya, Cuppie!  When did you get here?" 

Cup's mouth dropped open, but he gave her a tight hug anyway, his muzzle all smiles.  Clap stood up and shook herself thoroughly, her wings fluffing and settling into place as she did.  All in all, she really was quite a memorable sight to see; maybe not classically attractive, but with a charm and charisma all her very own. 

"So, now that we managed that little bit of Tartarus, I'd say we should be good-to-go for anything else that might get thrown our way!  Okay, then," she smiled, "care to fill me in on what the fig is going on around here?"

It was kind of easy, Obsidian thought; the Darkness was once again defeated with a kiss and a firm hug.  BAH, Onyx couldn't even trap them in nightmares that would twist their minds far enough!  If Obsidian was the one trapping ponies in their dreams, they would be begging for the sweet release of death after only a few scant seconds... 

N-not that she wanted to trap ponies, no - she was simply certain that she could do it better, was all.

"Onyx trapped us in our nightmares, and we are working on gathering our entire group together, moving from dream to dream to do so, Clap.  And now, I say we should look for Mica next; we need to focus on thinking about him and look for something that would pertain to him... after which, we shall search for Stalwart, and then finally we will rescue Gypsy." 

Considering that their diamond dog companion was terribly scared of Jinx, Obsidian really didn't think it would be a safe idea to rescue him without a lot of firepower behind her.  Just in case.

Cup and Clap began looking around, both thinking things over as they did... which, interestingly enough, led to Miss Dash blushing hotly. 

"Uh, guys," she asked hesitantly, "do you... really think that... y'know... me and Mica... well... y'know... would make a good, uhhh..." 

"Couple?" Cupcake filled in. Clap's blush deepened, but she smiled.  

"Y-yeah, that." Cup nodded vigorously.  

"I think so, yeah - you two are always together anyway; might as well stick with the pony you know, right?  And you two know each other pretty well, I'd say!" That got an even deeper blush.  "N-not like that!" Cupcake hastily amended.

"Yes, I concur. Such a pairing would leave only Stalwart and Gypsy in our group without a mate... well, maybe we should get them together as well?"  Obsidian mused.

Cupcake pondered, "A diamond dog and a Shetland warrior?  Would that even work?" 

"Hey," Clap shrugged, "you never know - look at me and Mikey, yo."

Well, it would at least leave no romantic deficiencies in their group... and what was this 'Shetland' that cup mentioned?  She may have to ask the little mare about that particular detail herself. 

But, as always, first things first. 

Mica. The only pony in their group wise enough to leave Obsidian's company behind and not even bother with her when she was still seeing them as useful tools, or at the very least as a shrill and unwanted nuisance.  He also managed to see that her apologies were as honest as water was dry, at that time.  All in all, he was a pretty sharp guy... Obsidian wondered what could possibly be happening in his nightmares.

A small slip of paper, from the looks of it, was caught up in the fluff of a nearby cloud hedge, simply sitting there.  Upon closer inspection, it looked as though it may have had some sort of picture on the other side of it. Cup and Clap were busy looking over everyplace except where the paper was.

Was there some kind of curse that made it to where they couldn't see anything like that?  Or was it just an accident that Cup couldn't find anything twice, each time looking in all the wrong places?  Obsidian levitated the slip of paper down, closer to herself.

It wasn't just a paper - it was a photograph... and on the other side was- 

Darkness preserve! 

It was a picture of Thunderclap Dash, wearing a fetching and rather revealing swimsuit of high fashion that made her appear sultry, even with her grand size!  It was undeniably racy, and in the photo, Clap was tossing a wink casually at the camera. She may have been a bit bigger than average, but with the right clothes and style, Clap was quite a looker! 

"See anything?"  Cup asked over his flank, searching the cloud hedges on the other side.

But it puzzled her a bit - why would ponies ever wear swimsuits in the first place?  Wearing something when it was cold, now that made some sense.  Wearing official uniforms made sense.  Wearing armor made a lot of sense. 

Wearing something that couldn't even truly make you less wet while you were swimming?  Now that made no sense whatsoever to the Dark Princess.  Modern ponies were weird.

"Yes, here, uhhhh... well now.  Cup, Clap, come here, please; I believe I have made the proper discovery... um, I think."  

Cupcake made his way over, a look of curiosity writ large over his muzzle. "Did you find something?  Oh!  Looks like you did!"  He trotted up, looking.  "What did-" 

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.  "WHOA!  Now that is a photo!" 

"What's a photo?"  Clap said as she made her way over to them as well. 

"This!"  And Cup showed her. 

Thunderclap's expression went from curious to extremely embarrassed in the space of a single second. "Where did you get that oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh I'm gonna KILL him he was NEVER supposed to show that to ANYONE it was for Spring FOOLS Day but I swear I'm gonna knock his fool HEAD off!" 

Cupcake just started laughing uproariously.

Obsidian could only blink, not understanding in even the slightest way what was happening.  So, what was the purpose of this photo?  Why she was wearing such an outfit in the first place?  Why was she reacting this way, and why was Cupcake laughing about it?  And, for the love of Darkness, what was this Spring Fools' Day? 

"Well, he didn't exactly show that to us, per se.  Considering that only you and he know about this, er... this picture, it can be safely assumed that it took this form because of your own shared memories," she said with a completely straight face.

Clap eyeballed them both for a moment.  "Yeah, well - whatever this spell is, it needs to stop doing that!!!" 

Cupcake smiled.  "Oh, I dunno, Clap - you look way hot in that outfit!  Totally not kidding, either - it looks good on you!" 

Clap's blush dimmed a moment.  "Y'think so?  I mean, yeah, it's a bit racy, I guess, but the suit's made to accent curves and such; I just figured that it- HEY!" she suddenly bristled, "Don't go staring at me like that in my swimsuit, Cup!" 

"And why not?" he teased with a salacious grin. 

"'Cause," she motioned to Obsidian, "you've got a special somepony already!  And it ain't me!" 

With that, Cup began to give quite a blush, and Clap started laughing at him.

Obsidian blinked, looked at the picture, looked at Cup, looked at Clap... "So, is this perhaps some kind of... uhm, tradition of sorts?"

The world around them melted away (with good timing, too)...
> Thirty Five: Mica
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This time, Obsidian found her and her two friends in what appeared to be a big city.

Around them was a bit of a fog that seemed to obscure the rest of the place... except for the building directly in front of them.  It seemed to have floors upon floors, and soared high enough to where the top was obscured by cloud cover.  A sign outside gave the building a proper label:


[ Library of Information: Equestrian Services, Inc. ]


Obsidian looked at Cupcake, then at Thunderclap.  "Er... does anything here make any sense to either one of you?" she asked, hoping they would be able to properly explain to her what they were seeing in front of them.

Cupcake shook his head, and Thunderclap simply shrugged.  "I guess if we wanna know," she said, "we'll have to go inside this weird place to find out, right?"

As it seemed there wasn't exactly much they would be able to do just standing in the middle of the empty street, Obsidian sighed and moved towards the strange building, her friends right behind her.

The doors opened automatically, and they made their way inside.  There was no front desk, no reception area, no one waiting to greet them; it was just an entranceway into what appeared to be an office workfloor, filled with cubicles and workstations.  

The atmosphere here was one that had more in common with Sombra's slave pits than any Equestrian businesses; all around them were ponies that all looked exactly the same; even their washed-out coat colors and drab suits and dresses all seemed to blend into each other when they passed in the hall.  

However, the biggest (and creepiest) detail was that each and every one of them had loudspeaker boxes attatched to the front of their muzzles, where their mouths should have been.  They were like watching ants, making their way from one area to another, showing each other not even a single, solitary hint of emotion or acknowledgement in their routine paths.

How in the wide, wide world of Equestria was this supposed to be a nightmare for the stoic Mica?  This didn't make much sense to Obsidian; maybe he was afraid of a drab workplace?  Pondering the thought - and coming up mentally emptyhooved - she looked over the desks and cubicles, hoping for a sign of their earth pony friend among the professionally boring masses.

It didn't take long to find whom they were looking for, fortunately.

Over in the far corner, at the very back of the office space, was a single cubicle where there were mounds of paperwork that were piled higher than the walls, and a small hill of even more papers surrounding the solitary desk.  Due to the gry cubicle walls anound the worker inside, much couldn't be made out properly... but the posture and hairstyle of Mica Chip could be seen from behind.  From the motions he was making, he seemed to be working at a snail's pace, and his movements were listless and tedious, as if he was mostly working in a daze.

As they watched, one of the speaker-headed professionals made his way over, dropped a large load of papers into the 'INBOX' tray on the desk (which was already overflowing) and shouted at him in an ear-splitting volume: 

"Princess Celestia set on taking the throne back from an ineffective Twilight Sparkle!  Make sure it reaches the headlines!  No pony uninformed!" 

With those words spoken (well, more BLARED) to him, the speaker-head turned and walked away, leaving a still-slow-moving Mica to do... well, whatever it was that he was doing.

What in Tartarus was Mica nightmaring about?  Was Mica afraid of, uh... boring paperwork?  About working as a news-pony? 
About Celestia returning to the throne to possibly resume her solar tyranny? 

"Do you think perhaps the situation would allow him to get better if we just burned all these papers?"  Obsidian asked curiously as she stared at the ocean of forms the surrounded the desk and the stallion seated within.  Many of them were stamped so many times, they were impossible to read.

Cup scratched at his chin.  "Hmmmmm... well, what sort of stuff do we know about Mica, and what could something like this mean for him?" 

Thunderclap, as non-chalant as ever, just made her way over to the pony in question and leaned against the wall, making it teeter precariously.  "Hey, Mica," she stared amicably enough, "what's shakin', hay... ba-... con..?"

When he turned to glance back at them, Obsidian saw what had made Thunderclap stop. 

There he was, his muzzle looking sallow and gaunt, his eyes distant and drained... and, where his mouth once was, there was now a knot of stitches and sutures, along with what looked like seared flesh, moulded together.  Over this, someone had stamped the word [VOID] in blaringly red ink.

Mica's mouth had been completely sealed, in what had to be the creepiest way Obsidian had ever seen... and she'd seen her most honourable father do some rather horrible things before.

Another speaker-head, oblivious to the three's arrival, walked past them as if they weren't even standing there and dumped another batch of papers into the wretched 'INBOX', then turned to face the mutilated Mica and blared:

"The foul usurper Obsidian surrenders in shame to the great and powerful Onyx; execution carried out last night!  No pony uninformed!" 

As the speaker-head tottered off, Clap looked over at Mica and frowned. "Yeah, that makes sense - Mica can't stand when anyone lies - he's always believed in the truth... no matter how bad it hurts.  But a world where he's not just unable to speak that truth, but he's being forced to peddle lies?" 

She stepped close to him and reached out to caress his mane.  "Oh, Mica... I'm..."  And her hoof went right through him, as if the pegasus mare was a ghost.  "Wait... why can't I touch him?" 

Cup shrugged.  "From what I've seen from your nightmare, the only one who can interact with us when we're like this is Siddy, 'til she rouses us from our state.  It's a plot-device thing." 

"What?" Clap looked at him with a quirked eyebrow.  "A plot device?  What are you talking about, Cuppers?"

"Never mind," Cup said sheepishly as Mica just seemed to sigh heavily, then turn back to the massive reams of paperwork and write as lethargically as he could, his expression completely devoid of any true sign of consciousness.

Obsidian was still fairly certain that setting fire to everything that was here would be a fine plan... besides, sewing someone's mouth solidly shut was such an awful idea - any given slave subjected to such treatment would simply starve to death sooner or later... and just performing the surgery alone would take a good bit of time and effort.  Meanwhile, merely putting a muzzle on them would work just as well, as it could be re-used for different slaves and... 

Well, it didn't matter at all in these modern, slaveless times, right?  It was just a small mental exercise; she didn't actually think about it for very long.  Still, the sheer wastefulness of it...  

Too bad that Thunderclap couldn't solve this problem; it seemed as though Obsidian's perfect plan to just get her free, then sit back and relax while the pegasus would easily rescue Mica wouldn't work.  Oh, well - it had been a good plan too, she thought.

The Dark Princess trotted right over to Mica herself, and put a hoof on his shoulder to get his attention, and hopefully break him out of his monotonous workload through a simple touch. 

"Onyx is going to have her stupid plot handed to her, and Obsidian and friends will celebrate her downfall with a delicious feast; no pony uninformed, Mica."

She leaned forward a bit to analyze his mouth, perhaps to discover if she could mayhaps free his mouth without hurting him.  Maybe it was just a dream, but she didn't want to accidentially wake him up right in the middle of their small dream quest... especially under the current mental duress he must have been experiencing.

His soulless eyes saw nothing as he turned to look at her - no, through her - then he turned back towards his work...

And paused.  

Slowly, achingly slowly, he turned back to look at Obsidian again.  And those eyes, which had been bland and empty, now held the first ribbons of a question, as if he was just starting to wake up.  His gaze drifted to the hoof on his shoulder, then squinted as he was apparently having an actual, real thought for what must have felt like the first time in ages. 

"You're reaching him, Sids!  Keep it up!"  Clap cheered her on, her concern clearly visible on her nervous, yet hopeful muzzle.

"Yeah!" Cup added with enthusiasm. "Yank him right out of his bad-dream-having state!"

"And you know what?" she continued, "I just so happen to have with me a beautiful pegasus mare that would surely love to have a great deal of fun with you - in a rather racy swimsuit, no less!  And she would perhaps even wish to have foals with you or, uh, do the whole, um... the whole nine yards thing!" 

Thunderclap mentioned something like that before - so it sounded like it was possibly a good way to reach her friend right now.  She still had no clue what a yard had to do with anything in this particular context - let alone NINE of them - but if it reached Mica, she was willing to give it a try.

Mica blinked at her. He then gave himself a look-over, slowly - as if moving in molasses - and then returned his gaze to her, uncomprehension in his eyes as he apparently was trying to figure out what was going on with himself. Cupcake stood close, his muzzle a portrait of suspense, while Clap kept chanting 'c'mon, Mikey,' under her breath.

Again he blinked, then started to go back to his paperwork... and once more, he stopped, looking confused.

"Is it working?  Is it WORKING?" Clap stared at Mica intently. "Dangit, even if they DID see that stupid photo, don't give up, Chippie!  You can do this!  FIGHT IT!" 

Mica make a weird, muffled sound, then reached up and felt around his mouth... after which, his eyes went to Obsidian, seeking understanding... or at least an explanation.

Well, it WAS a bit more of a delicate operation than she was usually used to doing, but she had to try - especially as this was just a dream, after all, and she probably didn't have to worry about things like permament facial scars... or other kinds of damage. 

So, stepping lightly to his side, she started to both heal Mica's mouth and, at the same time, carefully undo the numerous ties and strings that were making it impossible for him to speak.  As the energies rolled out of her, she could feel a definite sense of Light coming from the very center of her soul, awashing her friend in its' protective glow.  Slowly, the scars and stitches vanished, and as she watched, Mica started to regain his (admittedly subdued) color. 

"Uhhhhh... uhb... s-sidd... eee... uhnnn?"  Mica said blearily as his mouth was finally free to open once more.  It sounded as if he was trying to speak through a tub of jelly, his voice thick and murky.

Successful, she smiled as she lightly patted his head.  "I would have never thought I'd be so happy to hear your voice, Mica!  Do you feel better now?  Are you ready to burn every last one of these papers and go do something far more interesting and engaging with us?"

Mica stood up slowly and looked around a bit, rubbing his head as he gradually took on the form she already knew so well, the drab suit he had been sporting fading like mist as he regained himself.  After looking at her for a moment, he glanced over her flank to see who was accompanying her. 

"Cup?  Well, I have to say I'm glad to see you're- THUNDERCLAP!" 

"No, I'm just me," Cupcake answered, with a smirk. 

Mica leapt up with a grand smile and threw his forelegs around Clap, and she followed suit, squeezing him tightly without even so much as a tiny pop from the earth pony's back.  The two hugged each other for a solid minute, then Mica turned to look at Obsidian as he took on his neutral expression once more. 

"Allow me to take a guess; we've all been cast into a deep sleep and divided up mentally due to a spell from Onyx, and you're gradually working to bring us all back together, am I right?  And I assume Cupcake and Thunderclap were your first stops?" 

"HA!  Good to see there's no dust on your brain-pan, Chipperino!"  Clap smiled. 

"So," he looked to Obsidian again, "if you would be so kind as to indulge me, what are the details of our current situation?"

It was wonderful that this had worked out so well; thankfully, it seemed as if the rescuing of her friends wasn't going to be very difficult... well not physically, anyway; some of these scenes she was seeing were a bit mentally off-putting, to be fairly honest.

"We are trapped within our nightmares; in order to have a chance to remove ourselves from this situation, we need to gather together.  If you would assist, Mica, it would help move our plight forward if you could start thinking about Stalwart... at least until something connected in some way to her appears, allowing us direct passage into her nightmare to rescue her, if at all possible.  Then, we repeat the entire process in order to locate and liberate Gypsy."

She nodded firmly to herself.  "Once we manage to locate everyone in our group and make our remarkable fellowship whole again, we can try to return to the waking world once more... and prove to Onyx that mistreating one's younger siblings is often a very bad idea." 

Hmmm... how very strange; it was the first dream without Ruby's presence among them; a bit concerning.  Well, hopefully she was still nearby and merely trying to conserve some of her energy.  The alternative could be unpleasant to consider.

Mica nodded.  "Thank you; I can't even begin to explain the personal horror I was experiencing at having myself stuck in a nightmare of this caliber."  

He then began to glance around.  "Right, so I suppose the next question would be, where would a load of speaker-faced liars keep their armory?  If indeed this is a dream, then it stands to reason that we can control things to a degree." 

"Wait," Clap asked, "you're saying WE are the ones choosing what's in our dreams?  Like, Nyxie's just reaching into our skulls and pulling out what's there?" 

Cup shrugged.  "Kinda-sorta?  I think the nightmares might possibly be projections of our inner psyche, an abstract idea of what haunting fears may have fermented within our own subconsciousness..." 

Clap and Mica stared at him for a moment, taken aback.  Cup looked between them. "What?  I'm not allowed to be a smarty-smart sometimes, too?"

"But... why are you searching for their armory?" Obsidian asked, a bit surprised.  Did Mica want to kill all these liars with his own two hooves?  She'd never suspected him of being so bloodthirsty!  However, contrary to Clap and Mica, she wasn't surprised by Cupcake's sudden busrt of intellectualism; after all she'd seen of him, if she was still so prone to being surprised by his actions, she wouldn't have time for much of anything else.

Mica looked at Obsidian and lifted an eyebrow. "Where else would one find a sword or a shield, both things that would lead to Stalwart, I would think." 

Clap nodded.  "Yeah, I'll say - that little mare's a heckuva fighter!  Okay, Mikey - that makes sense!  So... if I were a sword... where would I be hiding..?" 

Cup began searching around.  "Heeeeeeere, swordy, swordy, swordy, swordy..."

"Well, considering that I found the particular objects leading to you and Thunderclap in places where they really shouldn't have been... especially the one that brought us to you, Mica... I would say that we may have to search odd places where we wouldn't suspect them to be." 

Obsidian rubbed her temple; in a way Mica was making perfect sense, but she was sure that they would just as likely trip over a suspiciously displayed full set of extra-small Royal Guard armor.  She should at least try to focus on Stalwart... like when she was staunchly defending the bridge to Twilight's Palace, or standing against Tourmaline and kicking his mewling flank, that time when he tried to ambush her.  Or maybe even the time when she was standing her ground and not fighting those bullying griffons...

And sure enough, there it was - and it wasn't some big, brash suit of armor, or a sword, or even a helmet; it was a recruiting poster for the Equestrian Royal Guard. 


[Do you feel the need to PROTECT your fellow Equestrians?  JOIN THE EQUESTRIAN ROYAL GUARD!]


[There is always room for those who believe in JUSTICE!]
 

It was half-buried under a mound of paperwork on Mica's desk, and it was the only thing there that held any color to it at all.

"Hey, I found it, here it is," she said as she carefully took the recruitment poster out from the mound of backlogged announcements.  Ha, she was right again - they didn't even need any armory at all!

Cup pouted.  "You're too good at this; I haven't even found a single one!" 

Mica nodded to him.  "As long as it gets found at all, that's what matters; who finds it isn't as important.  Go ahead, Siddy - do whatever it is that you do." 

Clap chuckled, "Maybe you'll find the next one, Cuppers.  Chin up, okay?"

Obsidian grabbed the poster and continued to think deeply about Stalwart - their group's cute little weapon of mass destruction who, despite her small size, was able to wreck numerous Umbrals, headbutt her brother into next week or stand stoically against a few pushy griffons.  A really great friend, overall - though they'd most certainly have to work better on her integration into a bit more of a... peaceful life, as soon as this whole crisis was over, mayhaps?

The drab office cubicles and the disturbing speaker-heads around them melted away into grey blobs once again.
> Thirty Six: Stalwart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"!dezilaer ew naht regnorts s'tI  !saw ti thguoht ew tahw T'NSI sihT  !ooooononoN"
 

Was that... Ruby's voice? 

When things faded back in again, they were standing on a street corner, looking at rows upon rows upon rows of little cottages, all looking exactly the same - all drab and grey. Each one had a stallion outside, pushing a lawnmower and smoking a pipe, walking in step with ALL the other stallions.  

At each residence's front stoop was a mailbox, and all those boxes had names on them; they were the only thing here that was different from everything else. The stallions even wore the same clothing... 

Mica looked around, puzzled, while Cup began scanning the area and Clap took to the skies to get a better view.

There had to have been some sort of problem, but whatever Ruby was trying to tell them, Obsidian had no idea what it meant.  She could recognize her voice, but the words themselves were merely a mumbled sort-of babbling. 

And this place surely couldn't be Stalwart's nightmare. Obsidian would suspect her of... well, nightmares about her size, or maybe about lack of acceptance in royal guard, or anything connected to her militant dreams - not this Tartarus of uniformity. 

"Please tell me that Stalwart is secretly terrified of society," Obsidian groaned, hoping it wasn't another trick.  There had to be something here to point them in the right direction; maybe the mailboxes were arranged alphabetically?  She trotted closer to check her theory.

Sure enough, they were arranged alphabetically... and they were already in the 's' section!  Indeed, about three mailboxes down, there was one that said, very plainly: 


{Dream Smasher & Stalwart Stance}
 

The stallion (supposedly Dream) who was working outside seemed no different than any of the others; all smiling soullessly, all mowing their lawns, all smoking their pipes, all waving to each other as they passed. The stallion didn't even flinch as they came close.

Obsidian looked to the left, then to the right.  "So, guys... do any of you actually know this stallion?" she asked the rest of her group.

Cup shrugged.  "No idea; never seen him before in my life." 

Clap shook her head.  "Nuh-uh - not a clue." 

Mica looked at the stallion a moment, then at the mailbox.  "Well, if the name is anything to go by, then I'd say he more represents what's wrong here, rather than actually existing.  I mean, would you want anything to do with anypony by that name?" 

"But," Clap asked, "how does a stallion like this smash anyone's dreams?" 

A look of understanding fell across Mica's muzzle, and he looked toward the house.  "I think... we should knock."

So here goes the hope that this guy represented somepony real.  Too bad - it could give them something to work with instead of dealing with a mysterious representation of Stalwart's internal terrors.  Was he supposed to be somepony from her family?  Or maybe one of the leaders of the Equestrian Royal Guard? 

They didn't have too many other options, so she followed Mica's advice - and made her way closer to the house.

When she knocked on the door, a harried and anxious Wart answered from inside. "Oh manure, something else to handle!  Please come inside, I have my hooves full!" 

Mica nodded, as if his suspicions were playing out like he'd imagined.  Clap just looked at him, but he motioned to enter the house anyway.

"By Darkness, don't tell me that her greatest fear is being a slave!"  

Mica mumbled, "Not exactly..."

Obsidian opened the doors to invade the house - whatever had happened to poor Stalwart, she had to rescue her!

Inside, the house was decorated sparsely yet tastefully... however, not a bit of it was anywhere near the realm of decorative, as much of it was in rather shoddy condition; there were little hoofprints everywhere, stains on the walls from who-knew-what, cracks on the floors, and a few utensils stuck into the ceiling. 

And everywhere, there were foals, foals, foals! 

Obsidian lost count after fifteen... because they wouldn't stay still long enough to be counted!  Each and every foal, filly and colt were all running about, yelling and screaming, kicking and fighting, playing and crying - there was no escape! 

And at the center of it all, with two young foals in twin bassinets across her flanks, was a very tired and worn-out looking Stalwart Stance.  She looked as though she hadn't slept in weeks, had another colt riding her back, two fillies hanging from her rear legs, and was massively pregnant with what looked to be at least two more. 

The tiny, belly-swollen and exhausted mare looked up at them with zero recognition.  "Please, I do apologize for the state of the house, b-but if you give me just a few moments, I'll join you in the living room, okay?"  On her flank, her cutie mark of the twin swords crossed behind a shield was gone; in its' place, a single word scribed across her back end: {BREEDER} 

Clap and Cup just stared, blown away by it all... while Mica nodded sagely. "I was right," he said with grim satisfaction.

Obsidian didn't know the word 'octane', but if she knew, she would call this dream high-octane nightmare fuel, pure enough to make practically anypony wake up in a middle of the night, screaming endlessly!  It seemed as if Onyx had focused on poor Stalwart... which was why Cup, Clap and Mica got off so easy. 

"I never thought I'd be so terrified by a group of foals," she muttered.

Mica, meanwhile, began to explain.  "It's fairly simple, really; as Wart is obsessed with becoming a Royal Guardpony, she possibly believes that if she should fail, then a life such as this one will be the only future she has to look forward to - giving birth and keeping house.  Both of which are about as far from her personality as I can think." 

"Er, pregnant with foals?" Considering that Obsidian's current knowledge about making foals was limited to 'when daddy really wants a child, he crafts a crystal and infuses it with his  own soul', and at best she was aware that a mare normally needs a stallion to have children; she didn't get as much from the horror around her as the rest of the group was seeing, apparently. 

Which didn't change the fact that it was still the most traumatic of all the nightmares she had seen up to this point. 

"Please, just another minute and I'll be there!"  Came the exasperated call from the kitchen, followed by, "Sid!  Get off the countertop!  Cups, stop antagonizing her!" The crying from the kitchen doubled in volume, and another call came back, "Just another few minutes, please wait!  I do so miss company!" 

Clap shook her head.  "Poor Warty."

"But she could do so much with her skills!"  Obsidian stated, "Like... become a mercenary!  Or found a fighting school and train others!  Maybe even gather a group of supporters, conquer some place, declare herself to be its' queen, enslave the citizens and study Dark Magic!" 

She paused, then looked at her friends.  "Well... it worked for my most honourable father; it would work for her too, I'm sure."  She shook her head... of course, Stalwart in a royal cape might look rather strange, but as long as she would be able to carry two swords at the same time, she would be able to do whatever she wanted. 

"Okay, let's disregard that last option, but GAH, why she couldn't have nightmares about, I don't know, planting carrots or something?  I'm really creeped out by this... and why she is so fat?"

Mica lifted an eyebrow.  "She's pregnant with even more foals, of course.  What better way to top off the nightmare than to be constantly making more work for yourself?  Of course, I'm sure that the Dream Smasher outside has done his part as well.  Appropriate name; it's what gave away what the circumstances might be, to me." 

Wart waddled into the living room, now with three foals riding her back, and trying to gently kick away the one filly still gripping her right rear leg.  She was looking straight at Obsidian, but recognition seemed to be nowhere in her features. 

"Now, hello!  Oh, I do hope you're here to give me a presentation or such; I would love to have a sit down!" 

At that moment, the doorway opened wide, and Dream Smasher came strolling into the living room. "Ah, there you are, darling wife!  I've finished up the lawn, so if you'd be so kind as to go upstairs, it's time to make more foals!" 

Tears begin to pour down her cheeks.  "Oh, Dream, please... I h-h-have comp-" 

"Now, now, wife - no stalling your stallion, isn't that right, dearie?" 

She shuddered... then sighed and looked down at the cracked, cheap floor.  "Yes, dear." 

"Alrighty then!  I shall be awaiting you upstairs, ready to go!  Let your company out, and I will meet you at the top of the stairs, honey!  Those foals won't make themselves, ha ha!" With that, he jauntily pranced his way up the stairwell, while Wart gave Obsidian a heart-breaking look. 

"I'm... so sorry, miss... but I'm afraid I have my..." she winced, "... duties to perform.  Please excuse me..." 

She turned and began to waddle towards the stairs, still being a ride for her bratty children, who were now all chanting how 'mommy was gonna take another pony ride with daddy'. 

"She can't see us, Siddy - don't let her go up those stairs!" Cup cried out.

Her horn flashed as she grabbed Stalwart with her magic.  "Okay, guys, you can explain this 'pregnant' thing later. Cupcake, considering your mysterious magical powers inherited from your mother, could you perhaps give me a sword?"

Cupcake reached back behind him and pulled out... a bicycle. 

Then a hat rack.  

Followed by a bag of turnips.  

Next came a hammock.  

After that, an emu, who darted off out the door as soon as it could.  

Then a hockey stick.  

Then, a spare tire. 

No matter what he tried, a sword was something he couldn't produce.  He looked to Obsidian and shrugged.  "It's never done that before," he said with surprise.

Well, if things went sour, Obsidian was fairly certain she would be able to attack using the hockey stick - not that she knew anything about hockey, of course. 

She focused herself and tried to cast... well, essentially a Sword Spell - a beautiful and razor-sharp crystal sword with a black blade... she'd never tried anything like it before, but right now she had plenty of horror around to fuel her Dark Magic, so she hoped the concept would work.

Slowly, to her surprise (and with a touch of a burn between her eyes), the sword began to form in front of her.  

Held fast, Wart began to sob hysterically as she fought Obsidian's pulling, trying to pull herself up the stairwell!  "P-please!  I must serve my husband!  If I miss a breeding, he will not allow me to have my ten minutes of sitting tonight!  PLEASE!  It's the only rest I ever get - I beg of you!" 

The crystal hilt formed first, with swirls of Light and sharp tines of Darkness.  The blade itself grew from the hilt, smoothly and with wicked barbs that formed across the ends.  It was as dark as her namesake, and smooth enough to look like still water.  In the pommel, a small shard of a milky, cloudy, colorless gem with sharply-cut facets. 

"PLEASE!!!" Wart begged.

Obsidian would have ZERO mercy - or rather, in this particular case, her act of holding Stalwart in place was merciful - letting her go upstairs would be a cruelty.  Obsidian started to pull little mare closer to her. 

"Stalwart, this is not your destiny; it's not the only life you will be able to have!  You are a warrior who stood against hordes of Umbrals and forced my foolish brother to escape."

She trotted forward, displaying the sword to her.  "You. Are. A.  WARRIOR.  You don't beg for anything... you TAKE it!  You crush every creature that threatens you, your friends or your liege.  Wake up from this foul nightmare, Stalwart... because your princess, your country, and your friends need you!  And we need you NOW, more than ever before!"

Wart looked at her through tired, harrowed eyes. "B-but... my country doesn't want me," she whimpered.  She had stopped trying to pull herself upstairs... yet she was still holding onto the guardrail. 

"We need you, the one who does the protecting!"  Mica shouted at her. 

"You're worth SOOOO much more than this!"  Clap followed suit. 

"The yelly-ones are RIGHT, Stalwart!"  Cup screamed. 

There was a flicker of doubt behind those green eyes; she was trying to get free!

"You said you wanted to protect me... you swore that victory was assured, Stalwart!  Are you going to follow your own words?"  Obsidian didn't stop in her mental assault; she levitated the beautiful sword closer to her. 

"Here, take this sword - we need you, our dear friend and protector; we cannot save the world without you."

Wart's eyes darted back and forth between the sword and Obsidian's determined gaze. "I... I'm... I'm..." 

"Yer our RIDE, horsey!" came in unison from two of the foals riding on her back, "now, giddyup!!!" 

"...I'm..." 

"Oh, wiiiiiiiife!  I'm expecting yooooouuuuu!" 

"... I'M..." 

"You're a TAX-i!  You're a TAX-i!" 

"... I AM A WARRIOR!!!!!" 

She threw her hooves forward and grabbed up the sword, and there was a flash of light around her entire body; when the glow faded, there stood Stalwart Stance - the one Obsidian knew and, yes, loved - with a confident expression and without foals or a pregnant belly. 

"... and I have some friends that need me, even if my country does not." 

"YA-HOOOOO!!!"  Clap grabbed up the tiny mare up in a hug and swung her around in a circle.  "THERE she is!" 

Cupcake just threw his forelegs around Obsidian and bounced up and down in place.  "That was awesome!  Where did that sword come from?  Did YOU do that!?  WOWWEE!" 

Mica smiled.  "Now that is a rescue."

When Thunderclap finally put her down, she smiled to the others, then turned and locked eyes with Obsidian. 

"Your Majesty..."  Wart slowly took a knee in front of her.  "I apologize that I was fooled by such trickery; I shall NOT fall to such folly again, I swear it.  And my gratitude... I shall never be able to repay my debt to you - I am unworthy of such a friend." 

She stood and gave Obsidian a Royal Canterlot Guard Salute.  "You make my honor greater with your own, milady." 

Clap, who was wiping her eyes on her sleeve, suddenly gave a silent start, then began to look around rapidly, as if trying to locate something that could run away at any moment.

Uh oh, what was it now?  Obsidian stepped closer to Clap and started to look around as well - it was a shame, as she would prefer to properly enjoy the return of Stalwart to normalcy, but if their pegasus friend sensed something awry... well, Obsidian knew that she didn't want to get ambushed again.

"Guys," Clap said as she searched, "where's the thing?" 

Cup jumped like he'd been bitten.  "The THING!  I'm gonna find it first, this time!" 

Wart looked around in confusion, then to Obsidian.  "The... thing?  What thing?"

The thing? OH... The Thing; the item that would take them to their final destination!  

"... you scared me, Clap!  For a moment, I was sure you thought we were going to be attacked," Obsidian huffed, both relieved and annoyed.  "Stalwart, to get into the last nightmare - Gypsy's - we need to think about him. Something that reminds us of him will appear, allowing us to reach him." 

To be fair, she hadn't even thought about getting to their diamond dog friend yet - she was concerned why they never came across Ruby.  Her sister did try to say something before, after all.  She got the gut feeling that she may have been right to be worried... but there was, as of yet, no hard evidence of anything amiss.  Save, of course, for the subtle absence of Dark Ruby, that was. Which gnawed at her, terribly. 

"I'll bet it's an ice cream,'cause he LOOOOVES ice cream!"  Cup shouted as he searched, the game being afoot.  "Something related to that, right?" 

"Maybe something about his markers?  OH!  Look for colors, remember?"  Clap was into the hunt as well, looking in the higher places while hovering. 

Mica and Wart, however, were looking at Obsidian. "What's up?"  Mica inquired.

"I met Ruby in my cell... and I've also met her in Cup's and Clap's nightmares, but... she's gone quiet now; I'm worried." 
Maybe she was somewhere on the first floor... she really wished she knew more about the Nightmare Spell; there would be a better chance of her figuring out what could be wrong here...

Cup stopped looking, and his attention went straight to Obsidian.  "Ruby with the what now?  She's missing?  That... can't be good." 

"Ruby?"  Mica lifted an eyebrow.  "Your, uhm... 'good' sister?" Darkness bless him, he didn't want to say her dead sister; how thoughtful. 

Cupcake nodded vigorously as he made his way back over.  "Uh-huh, Siddy told me she saw her at first, and was talking to her at some points... but y'know, I haven't seen you do that for a bit.  That's... kinda ominous and stuff." 

Clap's voice interrupted.  "Found i- wait, no, no... just a foal's toy.  Never mind."  

Mica glanced over towards Clap, then looked back at the rest of the group.  "Well, what do we know for certain so far?  Siddy," he gestured to her, "would you kindly run down the basics as you understand them, seeing as how you were the one to reach all of us?"  

They all watched her expectantly; it was not a sensation she was used to... but not a bad one, either.

Ruby's disappearance couldn't be good; an entity that had intitially led them through these wretched nightmares had stopped speaking to them.  Considering that Onyx eventually turned out to be less brain-dead than Obsidian had originally thought (though, let's be honest, she had never heard about mixing Light and Dark magic before), it was a very bad sign.  Maybe Ruby was busy putting up additional safety measures?

"Alright - we are trapped in our nightmares, put here by my older sister. She got the Light amulet, and wants to mix its' power with its' Dark counterpart to bring back our dear father.  Ruby helped me escape from the place I was kept, and instructed me on how to save you all - the power of friendship and so on - so we could feasibly return to the real world. Normally, she appeared as something related to the dream to save her strength, as first a stick, then a feather... however, Ruby has not spoken up since Mica's nightmare, the one before we came here."

Mica pondered.  "So you had a guide, but now you don't.  Worrisome." 

"Ya think?"  Clap snorted.  "I mean, maybe she just left early to go get stuff set up..?" 

But Mica was already shaking his head.  "If she was going to do that, she'd have said something to Siddy; I say it's safe to assume that she's otherwise occupied... but is it absolutely necessary for us to leave just yet?  If not, then we should try to find her - if so, we should go on, but keep our eyes open for any signs of her." 

"Won't do any good," Cup chimed in, "I haven't seen or heard her yet - I think only Siddy can."

"She was saying something in the last dream, right before we arrived here... but it sounded like pure babble, and I didn't get anything from it," Obsidian admitted. "maybe we could all quickly check around this location for a moment - sticking together, no going solo - to see if there is a sign of either of them; if we come across The Thing, then we shall simply go and retrieve Gypsy, as Mica suggested."

"Yeah - staying together at this point sounds like a reeeeeeally good idea," Cup said, "especially if we DO find The Thing; I wouldn't want anyone left behind!" 

Wart shuddered at that thought, glancing around at her surroundings.  "I would much rather be out of here, as soon as we possibly can." 

Cupcake, Thunderclap, Stalwart and Mica all began looking around for any single trace of anything that reminded them of Gypsy... but the four were having zero luck at such. What would represent Gypsy Rover?

Origami, of course, Obsidian thought - a folded piece of origami.  That was one of the more original parts of their canine friend, after all.  Perhaps a history book, to represent his love for the subject... but more likely, it would be origami; after all, he had even made an origami of her most honourable father.

... and just like that - there it was. 

The little folded unicorn with cloak and crown, colored appropriately, was simply sitting there out in the open with all four of the others just completely overlooking it.  No... they really didn't see it; they were walking around, over and past it, but not once did their eyes lock onto the little conqueror horse.  Maybe that was why no one else could find the items - it had to be her, for some reason?  Regardless, the little paper horse simply sat there, waiting for her to step forward and claim it.

Was it because Ruby had boosted her senses somehow?  Or maybe because Obsidian was Onyx's sibling?  Perhaps because she was the only Dark Magic practicioner here?  

"Guys... it's here; I found it."  They all turned to look at her.  

"Where!?  Dangit, I wanted to be the one who found it!" 

"Awww, don't be a spoilsport, Clap!  Siddy's just reeeeeally good at this game!" 

"Or, possibly, she's the only one capable of finding it." 

"Lame."  

"Yeah, that's no fun!" 

"Lady Siddy, I... cannot see it."

Lady Siddy?  Now that was an interesting way of putting it; quite original. After all, up to this point Stalwart had only used her full name or title. 

"How about rest of you; can anyone aside from myself see it?"  She pointed directly at the little origami horse.

Cup got down on his belly on the floor, his muzzle almost right in the origami horse's mane... but his eyes didn't focus on it at all. "Right here?  You're sure?  I mean, I don't see a thing..." 

That's when it occurred to her that she was the link; the only thing all five of her friends here had as a connection was HER; they connected to each other in different ways, but all of them together didn't really make connections all around - until Obsidian came into the picture. Maybe that was it?  Maybe she was the lynchpin that held it all together? That... sounded right.  But, why did it still feel like something was wrong?

"Cup, you saw each linking item before, right?"

Cup nodded.  "Yeah.  I mean, I certainly remember that photo..." 

"Tartarus NO you don't," Clap glared. 

"And the saddlebags, the recruitment poster... but I can't see THIS one.  Why?" 

Obsidian got an ominous feeling of worry and doubt. 

"If something has changed," Mica stated, "we have no way of knowing from this side of the nightmare; we have to get out of here." 

"Well, Siddy," Clap shrugged, "since you're the only one who can see it, I guess it's up to you to grab it."

It felt wrong. Really wrong. It also didn't help that Obsidian had proved before that she was paranoid when she should be trusting, and naive when she should be very cautious.  "Cup... what did I call you during our very first meeting?" 

By Darkness, she wasn't going crazy, right?

Cupcake looked at her for a moment, then intoned slowly. "You... asked me and Churn if we were your liaisons.  In fact, you chose me... though I recall you seeming to regret it within minutes." He gave a slight grin.  "And I thought your horn was cute."

"And I called you something. You reacted rather poorly to it..."  Right now, she was having none of this little love-talk; she was seriously worried.

With that mention, his ears drooped a bit. "Oh.  That.  You... you called me a meanie, because I was being a butthead."

"Okay," she sighed with relief, "you are real; I started to worry for a moment there..." 

She looked at the origami; it didn't seem that there was anything else they could do, right?  She simply hoped that Ruby was alright, in whatever situation she'd gotten herself into.  She carefully reached out a hoof to touch the little paper Sombra.

The world around them faded away once more...
> Thirty Seven: Gypsy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"!uoy sah llits ehS  !uoy sah llits xynO  !LAER TON S'TI  !laer ton s'tI" 

When their surroundings faded into view, the five of them were in a voluminous cavern, but not one that Obsidian recognized.  And from the expressions on her friends' muzzles, neither did they.  

It was an open area with a number of strangely decorated wood, stone and mortar buildings all around them, fixed into every square inch of side space; even on the walls and the ceiling!  There were posts sticking out of the ground, and there seemed to be... strings?... that ran between them, and even a squat well in the center of town.

Once again, Ruby spoke up between dream-worlds... and again, she couldn't understand a single, solitary word she was saying!  RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!  Annoying!  Worrisome!  Mind-numbing!  

By Darkness, why had Fate seen fit to curse her with this family of hers!?  She should either be lazily spending her time in Ponyville while being annoyingly herself to her gang of friends and still not actually caring about pursuing Dark and Light Magic (at least not too much)... or she could be cackling maniacally while collaring Equestrian slaves in Twilight's palace!

And there was only one pony guilty of making this entire damned day much too stressful and exciting for poor Obsidian... oh, the taste of her revenge would be so exquisitely sweet!

The entire cave-town around them was completely devoid of any signs of life... except for a single individual who was huddled over next to a small bonfire, the single source of light barely keeping the shadows at bay. 

And when they spoke up, they spoke up. 

"Such an ADORABLE little bitty PUP-py!  Oh, father would ab-so-LUTE-ly love to have you FOR DINNER!"  

A large, grotesquely exaggerated version of Jynx was flying loops around the kneeling form of Gypsy, who seemed to give a shudder at her words.  The mock draconequus laughed with a gurgling quality, before swimming through the air and back into the darkness. But she was no sooner gone than replaced by... 

"NOD IMPORTUNDT!  Yu think diamond dogs not GOOD ENUFF for liddle GYPSY?  You think you need dis 'FREMSHIP' stoopid thing?  YU KNOWS NUFFING!" 

This one was a rough-looking, over-muscled and angry diamond dog, just like him, that seemed to cause him to shudder again, just as Jynx did. "Stoopids will be pud OUD!  No more FAMULY!  Gon FOREVURRRR!" 

The form on the floor shuddered, but said nothing as the huge & horrific entity slid back into the shadows.  Strangely, he hadn't even looked up from the dirt-cave floor at any of the ghastly sights.

And then... "Nyah nyah nyah!  Big bruvver luvs his paypurz!  He LUUUUUUVS demz - an I'mma EET demz!" 

Another diamond dog, this one quite small, but looking cruel and sinister, covered in scars and dirt. "Gunna nom emz all upz, cuz big bruvver is big dum STOOPUDZ!"  The dog on the floor shuddered again, but said nothing as the spirit vanished back into the shadows, the jeering laughter fading with its' presence.

"Alright - enough of this; I'm going in."  Obsidian began to go to him, as the rest waited in the wings.  "I'll simply explain to Gypsy that he is going to become great one day, and we shall be there to support him."  As long as Onyx didn't eat him, of course.

As she moved towards the diamond dog, a familiar voice came from the darkness around the tiny bonfire. "Although you may consider my most honourable father tyrannical, your conclusions are flawed!  Mean?  Nice?  Enjoyment?  Love?" 

Out of the darkness came an exaggerated version of Obsidian, her coat dark, her horn big and glowing crimson, and her eyes ravenous and enraged. 

"Those are but empty words, merely masquerading self-indulgence, a perspective that there is something more important than duty. There is NOT!"  Again, the diamond dog shuddered, but did not speak. 

Mica leaned forward, "Don't let that get to you, Siddy; just go get him out of there."

The enraged eyes didn't seem all that bad, but she always preferred to have her anger more focused and cold.  She wasn't able to always have such a tight lid on it, but that was more the fault of her new surroundings and situation than her own shortcomings. 

Had she strayed too far from her initial path?  Of course it did feel rather good to actually have friends, care about them, have them care about her in return... but in the long run, it could possibly ruin the strict discipline that her father had painstakingly taught her.  

At least she didn't have to worry that she had betrayed her father - after all, it was Onyx's actions that forced her onto the Equestrian's side! 

She hesitantly had to admit it, though; it was bothering her a bit that her appearance was there among the other diamond dogs and a creature whom Gypsy feared so much that he almost soiled himself.  But this was a version of herself who hadn't understood how important these things were to others yet - and now, she at least had an inkling.  

She trotted straight to him.

The apparition of Obsidian faded to the background as the others had as she approached him.  When she got close enough, she could now see a gathering of tiny little scraps of paper in front of him; they were shaped weirdly, and though they looked like random paper chunks, Gypsy was picking them up, examining them and putting them down with a slow but steady pace and ease. When she got to his side, he looked up at her... 

The diamond dog that was sitting there couldn't have been Gypsy Rover - the look on it's muzzle spoke of countless years of stupidity.  It had Gypsy's features, but quite noticably had none of his intellect; she might as well have come to free a rock! 

He glanced up as she got close. He said not a word; the string of drool racing down his jawline said volumes, though.

Damnation!  With this look on his muzzle, it was clear that the lights upstairs were out.  In this current state, he wouldn't even be a proper slave...

Obsidian once again glanced at her friends and shook her head slightly.  This entire fiasco was getting tiresome, and it certainly didn't help that she was still worried sick about Onyx's plans, and what she may have already done to them while they were sleeping!  All the nonsense they'd been through should be easier; in the history books she picked up on her first day here, there'd been nothing written about any undead-army-raising enemy of Equestria who was possibly as diffcult and frustrating as Siddy's sister! 

"Gypsy.  Come now, don't look at me like that - YOU are one of the cleverest creatures I've ever met.  Even in your worst nightmares, you should still be aware of that."

His eyes blinked... off-beat.  The drool continued to roll from his lips, and he nodded dumbly and went right back to examining the paper pieces of... 

In his paws was a small wooden model of a brain; it was incomplete, and he was shuffling through the pieces and locating stuff that fit together properly.  The diamond dog seemed to be rather taken with his brain teaser, and even held it out towards Siddy in dumb pride.

When did she last have a nice, proper sleep?  A thousand years ago, maybe?  Since awakening in this modern world, she first slept with her face on a desk... then fell asleep after a rather shameful meltdown, after she had learned about her true functions - and since then she had been forced to fight, learn, rescue her friends, require rescuing herself and so on. 

She just wanted to kick Onyx's stupid flank and get back to the palace!  

"Let's see..." Obsidian's horn flashed as she tried to move a few of the pieces of paper closer - then took a close look at the strange 'brain-teaser'.  Mayhaps she could finish it herself?

The brain teaser was... a brain.  What the diamond dog held in his paws was a complex-looking three-dimensional puzzle of a cerebellum; the rest of the paper chunks on the ground were parts of it as well, but they were flat paper as opposed to the model.  

The big, dopey grin across Gypsy's features was surreal, as it almost looked like he was a different dog altogether. Again, he held it up with a foal's sense of pride, grinning like a fool as he showed Obsidian his incomplete work. 

Behind them, an enormous griffon of unrecognizable origins flew into view and just howled a cackling, jeering mockery of a dog's howl... and, as if on cue, Gypsy flinched.  He wasn't doing it out of fear - he never had been; he was simply reacting to the 'fears' by giving them the reaction they apparently wanted from him. 

Seemingly brainless, yet still smart enough to pick up on such a thing as that!

Oh, how wonderful... Gypsy got his brain literally removed, apparently, and turned into a puzzle!  And to think, Obsidian believed that beating Onyx would be the biggest challenge... 

First things first. 

She had to analyze this thing; examine the details of how the rest of papers fit into it... mayhaps she really could finish it!  And while she was at it, some support for her friend wouldn't be a bad idea either.

"Gypsy, you have no reason to listen to these shadows - you are not a target, not a pariah, and NOT a big, dumb stupids."  She was almost deadly serious, even as she continued to look at the unfinished and somewhat sparse model.  "You have friends that truly appreciate you for everything you represent within your very presence; shy charm, good humour and kindness to spare. You are our friend... and we would wish to have you back."

When she spoke to him, there wasn't even a glimmer of recognition.  However, she felt that something in his eyes was still there... a spark of hope, mayhaps?

The puzzle was... weird.  The pieces were made of paper, but when one was placed into the brain model correctly, the piece became some strange form of wood, and seemingly locked into place.  All the pieces might have been here, but it was hard to really tell if they had them all.  There were just so many pieces, and they were only two-dimensional!

Gypsy simply smiled at her in that nobody's-home way, and drooled a bit more-... oh Darkness preserve... he was chewing on a piece!  Even using her magic to pry it out of the dog's mouth, she could almost feel that nasty drool, and gave an involuntary shudder.  However, he didn't put up a fight, and the piece came to her easily enough.  Dripping, but she got it all the same.

"ALWAYS the observer!  NEVER the observed!" 

Great; another apparition. "This one is worthless!  He has abandoned his family!  His home!  His life among his own kind!  This one is a failure!  A laughingstock failure!" 

EEE-yuck.  At least she could use magic to grab the piece, and didn't have to cover her hooves with diamond-dog-drool.  With this piece gathered, putting the entire puzzle together should be easier... a-at least a bit?  Hopefully she wouldn't have to take any more pieces from him... 

And apparently, Gypsy himself had come forward as a part of this neverending theatre of shadows.  Was it a projection of his self-doubt? Then again, mayhaps it was his true self, raging against his lack of self-confidence represented by this drooling and sorry excuse for their canine friend?  Still, she wasn't about to allow those words to go unchallenged.

"This one joined friends that have come to truly appreciate his worth. This one is also a grand pupil, well liked by many of the teachers in Friendship School.  And perhaps this one left for a reason; I wonder - perhaps because he was not properly appreciated there?"

Sure enough, the apparition that floated into view was Gypsy, though a grotesquely malformed version of himself.  It had a fang-filled maw and long, gangly arms that ended in a mass of claws.

The spectre glared at Obsidian evenly. "This one was never as the rest were!  He is an anomaly!  He must be stopped before he believes there is more than the life of a diamond dog ahead of him!  Why should he care for the world of ponies?"

She continued to play with the unusual puzzle as she replied, "Because the world of ponies is awesome, of course... and apparently, the life of a diamond dog could use some more variety."

"Diamond dogs need no variety!  We have been living our lives for centuries without other ponies butting in, and we can continue to d-do the same!" 

... did it just stutter? 

"There is NOTHING worthwhile enough t-to throw away one's family!  You speak of how he is seen by teachers - but what of the other p-p-ponies!?" 

Gypsy's dumbfounded body continued to paw at the puzzle, trying pieces and failing, trying and failing, trying and succeeding - which brought another shift from paper to wood - then back to trying and failing.  Even in his stupidity state, he was still trying to beat this!

"Well, I personally think Gypsy is wonderful; I didn't even know about origami before meeting him, or anything about diamond dogs at all!  And he is a grand researcher who has probably saved my life already at least once with his dilligence.  When his family realizes that too and apologizes for being jerks, I'm sure he'll forgive them."

To be fair, even in his current state he wasn't much worse than Obsidian herself with this brain-thing.  

"The rest of our group surely thinks highly of him as well.  We'll have to find him a nice pairing though; since we already have two pairs, it's only logical we should matchmake the rest."  Maybe with Stalwart...?  Everything would stay within the gang that way!

The apparition balked visibly, almost looking as though Obsidian had bitten it. "LIES!  The pony world is for PONIES!  There is no p-place for a diamond dog among you!" 

"Buhhhhh..."  The dumb-Gypsy was trying to speak!  "Tuh.  Heeeeeeeeed." 

The spectre bristled.  "THIS ONE is worthless to himself!  He c-c-cannot-" 

"B-b-b-buht.  Hed.  Buhthed."  The puzzle was now coming together nicely... and was becoming more complete as they both worked on it. 

"This one has NO DEFENSE!  There is n-n-nothing it can say to justify th-this behavior!   Inexcusable!  Useless!" 

"Shuu-uup.  Buhthed."  The spectre looked ready to have a heart attack from pure rage.

"There are griffons, changelings, even dragons and moving, talking artificial ponies made of crystal shards; I think that diamond dogs would fit in too," she smirked, looking on with wry amusement at the 'discussion' between the two Gypsies. "And yes, he has his own defenses - have you ever seen him fight?  And even if he couldn't, he has friends willing to stand up for him."

"N-n-n-NO!  This one h-h-has i-issues!  He has p-pr-p-problems!  He h-h-h-" 

"Haz uh c-cloo.  B-b-b-big wun."  The dumb-Gypsy now was sitting upright, and had wiped his mouth free of spittle.  He still looked... wrong... but that was changing before Obsidian's eyes. 

"There are MATTERS that y-y-you do NOT underst-st-stand!  They s-say they c-c-c-care, but th-th-they d-d-do not!  They... th-they..." 

"Dey... THEY care.  About th-this one." Now the puzzle was mostly complete, with only a few pieces missing, and the face of the apparition began to take on the dumb-Gypsy look, even as Gypsy himself became more... well, himself.

"NO!  NOH!  Dis... i-i-is wrong!  Dis is... i-i-i-is a NOH!" 

"Why?  B-b-because you have been t-t-told that it's h-how it is supp-p-posed to be?  That diamond d-d-d-dogs belong at h-home?  No.  Only other d-d-diamond dogs have said this.  N-not ponies." 

"NOH!  BAAAAAAD!" 

"This one agrees.  VERY bad.  F-for you." 

The ghost, wailing in agony and stupidity, faded from view in front of her, leaving only Gypsy Rover, complete at last, smiling at her. "This one is g-g-glad you are his f-friend.  Th-thank you.  Now," he casually tossed the brain teaser over his shoulder, where it vanished into nothing, "what is our n-n-next g-goal?"

The others all rejoiced over their reunion with Gypsy, and the diamond dog's tail was wagging fiercely enough to knock an Umbral over!  There were hugs and exclamations all around, and they simply felt good to be together again. And it felt right inside Obsidian - it felt whole and complete, as if it was always meant to be this way.

It went better than she thought it would; luckily they weren't exposed to the horrors of Discord's and Jinx's crimes against the entire race of caninekind and instead just had to deal with Gypsy's sense of self-worth.  Nothing really mind-blowing, insanity-inducing or anything like that - just a few personal issues. 

Let's say that Obsidian was very relieved. 

"Now..." she looked around, "we really should seek out Ruby."  Maybe thinking about her would work, similar to how she located the rest of the group?  She tried to recollect their first meeting, in Headmare's Starlight's room...

Gypsy gave a questioning glance.  "I-is she n-not... n-n-n-not..." 

Mica stopped him.  "It's a loooooong story, but the short version is that an aspect of Ruby has been helping us escape, and now we may have to go find her." 

"Oh."  Gypsy seemed concerned, but he just put on a smiling muzzle.  "Well, as l-l-long as we h-ha-h-have each other, w-w-we should b-be f-f-f-fine, yes?" 

Cupcake pondered, "Now, If I were a Ruby... where would I hide?" 

Thunderclap began searching around... the stopped and crossed her forelegs.  "Uh-uh.   I ain't getting fooled again with that trick.  Only Siddy can see 'em, remember?" 

Mica shrugged.  "Well, you're welcome to think that, but I still think it'd be better to look anyway." 

Cup grinned.  "Maybe we're supposed to be thinking about her?"

"Well, at least some of you surely knew Looking Glass, right?  And Mica and Clap heard our discussion in the library..." 

Of course, Thunderclap did a bit more than just 'hear' the chat, but that was a sore point.  And it was the past, which should stay in the past... at least until Obsidian got irked at her again. 

It wasn't a matter of 'where was Ruby hiding' - the Dark Princess really doubted that her 'good' sister would avoid them without a very good reason, like being held as a prisoner by Onyx or something like that.  However Clap was right that only she might be able to see Ruby, especially after nopony had seen Gypsy's Sombra origami.

"...SLATSSSSSSSSSSSSSYRC" 

"!PUTES A S'TI  !diputs ,em retfa emoc t'noD  !potS" 

There was that voice again... but that first one was... NOT Ruby.  Not by a LONG shot. 

"We didn't know Ruby very well, Siddy," Clap said softly.

"But wait - we knew Looking Glass, right?"  There were some sparse acknowledgements all around at Cup's question.  The stallion was undaunted. "So... what about Looking Glass?" 

Clap gave a small grin.  "Heh, her mane.  It didn't matter what she was doing, she always made sure her mane was good." 

Mica nodded.  "Yes, she was pretty proud of it." 

"Th-th-this one," Gypsy added, "rec-c-c-calls how she a-always smelled of manespray and c-ca-c-ca-candy." 

Wart rolled her eyes.  "She was kind, yes... but her obsession with her mane was, by and far, severe."

Then, Ruby's voice came to her... 

"...part a part a part a part A... -rt a... a trap!  Obsidian, it's a trap!" 

Oh, manure.
> Thirty Eight: Dream Warriors
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The world melted away... but this time, it didn't fade any new world in.  

Instead, Obsidian found herself back in the jail cell in Blandsville, still chained... and Onyx herself still sitting there, smiling broadly until Obsidian fully came to. 

"Oh, that was wonderful!"  The mare lightly applauded.  "I suppose you honestly thought it was going to be that easy, hmmmmm?  Oh, I'd hoped you would; it's SO much fun to watch you work to get your friends back... only to fail all over again!  And that is why this is YOUR nightmare; you'll get free, then just when you get all your precious little toys back, you'll end up right back here, to do it all over again!" 

Her head rocked back, and her cruel laughter echoed throughout the cell. "Oh, but don't think your friends are excepted, here - they will all remember the event as well... which will serve to drive them even further away from rescue, each time you do it!  Oh, this was such a fun plan!  I feel that we will see plenty of each oth-..." 

A look crossed her features for a moment, but she simply shrugged. "Bah, half a shard is as foolish as her entire shard was - if Ruby wants to try to help you again, I see no reason why I should care... it's not as if she was much help the first time around, and all she's doing is draining the last bit of energy she has away.  And the sooner she's finished, the sooner we can-" 

The blast that caved in the far wall was loud enough to deafen the dead!  Onyx coughed and sputtered, and picked herself off the floor as she gawked at the new arrival. 

"Y'know, you're just such a butt, you can probably guess what all that hot air coming out of you is, can't you?"

Standing there was Cupcake... but more.  He was wearing a sharp-looking bright yellow suit and hat, and his muzzle was... green?  He had a bigger, more manic smile on his face than Obsidian had ever seen before, and his eyes held a glint of mischief as he nodded back towards his smouldering cannon. "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS-SMOKIN'!"  he grinned. 

Behind her, Obsidian felt her chains drop, and a tiny Breezie with a long, luxurious tail was panting as she dropped a metal key to the floor. 

"... hey... stupid..." she panted, "... since you... were supposed to... come back here... I just... let the... others out... first, this time..." 

Onyx's muzzle blackened with disbelief and anger.  "You... did... WHAT!?" 

Dark Ruby smiled.  "I pissed... in your... Corn Flakes... bitch."

It made sense that Onyx had prepared something for Obsidian, of course... but she'd really hoped that Ruby's interference was enough to break it in the first place, or that there were other variables (i.e. her own nature as a shard) that could render their older sister's plotting null and void.  Unfortunately, it seemed that Onyx once again turned out to be more powerful and/or clever than Obsidian hoped for and was prepared for that.  Well, perhaps it was time to just give up... 

But as soon as Onyx started to REALLY rub the salt into the wound, something happened. Something really unexpected. Something... 

Considering the nature of Cupcake, was it really unexpected, though?  She could always count on the fact that he'd do something strange; if unexpected things were expected, then were they truly unexpected?  Now Obsidian had a philosophical question to ponder upon for at least a week... 

But first things first. 

Obsidian didn't want to waste time being surprised, or for wondering if THIS was a part of her nightmare also, as another cruel teasing of hope - she just grabbed Ruby, put her on her head and darted towards Cupcake, to join her friend at his side.  They had to kick this mare's shiny dark flank together!

Onyx scowled at them.  "You... honestly believe you have a chance like this?  Only the two of you?" 

The ground suddenly tore open, and the form of an armored diamond dog leapt up out of the hole, landing next to Cupcake.  The armor he wore was small and efficient-looking, but appeared to be made for hard labor; there were tool pouches, bandoliers, belts and many other pockets that looked full of stuff.  The strange helmet had a visor that looked more like three slits than a full-plate visor, and seemed to glow with some sort of energy. 

"Th-three," Gypsy said. 

The wall behind them suddenly grew a single crack that spiderwebbed out until the entire wall was covered with cracks.  With a slight rumble, it came tumbling down... and standing behind it, dressed in a bright orange gi, was a stallion with a hoof extended; he'd apparently just tapped the wall, and it fell into rubble!  With calm and collected confidence, he stepped forward to stand beside Obsidian. 

"Four," Mica casually spoke. 

The door shattered into chunks, spraying the floor (and Onyx) with splinters.  Stepping into the room came a proud, tall Knight of Equestria, complete with flowing cloak and twin greatswords floating next to her, a bright tower shield on her back, and a look of fierce determination on her muzzle. 

"Five," declared Wart. 

And that was when the entire roof came flying off as a black-clad Wonderbolt flew straight up, taking the crumbled and broken chunks of masonry with her before spiraling and sending the shards flying.  She then came straight down and landed with a powerful >THUD!<, right behind Obsidian and Ruby.

"Give it up, Onyx," Thunderclap smirked, "you can mess with us, and you can hurt us... but you can't take us down!  You made the mistake of not keeping us separate, ya moron!  And now..." 

"... we're here to kick flank and chew bubble gum,"  Mica nodded, taking a fighting stance as he flexed and a glow began to form around him, his mane turning a bright golden color. 

"And I believe our reserves of gum happen to be empty." Wart stood tall, and along with her greatswords were a score of daggers, four shortswords and two morningstars, swinging in tandem. 

"Give.  Up.  Now."  Gypsy pulled out a strange-looking weapon that seemed to revolve around the base before locking into place, bringing up three small dots on Onyx's forehead. 

Cupcake simply reached into the inner pockets of his coat and brought out several crossbow launchers, each one loaded with pies... but NOT standard pies: one with a sizzling bomb fuse in it, one with a concrete block in it, two or three with visible knives sticking out, one filled with nails, and one that had wires attached to it and arcing sparks. 

"Go ahead," Cup said with a giggle, "make our day."

Ah, it seemed that they were truly a stubborn bunch!  Maybe it wasn't too familial, too kind or anything of the sort, but Obsidian was rather satisfied with this opportunity to show Onyx that treating her own family members like mere tools - to use and discard at her own whims - was a very, very bad idea.  Especially if one of the said family members was Obsidian herself! 

Even if they didn't win, they would be an enomous pain in Onyx's flank... and it didn't matter if it was a real world or a realm of nightmares!

Though to be fair, right now Obsidian herself was the least impressive pony in the whole room, considering the various outfits of her friends. Too bad; she'd love to be an alicorn, or at least Queen Obsidian.  But she could at least power up her horn with Dark Magic, fueled by all the negative emotions she had towards Onyx... and, experimentally, with Light Magic as well, fueled by her friendships. 

"You've made a grave mistake, Onyx..." They had to tear their way out of this nightmare and get back to the waking world. "Taste friendship."

But when she powered up her horn... 

Twin threads of jet black and bright white swirled out of it, spiraling around her and encasing her in a sphere of darkness and light that pulsed for a moment before shattering like glass. Standing there was Obsidian, wearing plate armor that was a solid silver color, but with stripes of white and black accenting it.  There was a burst of energy from behind her, and large black and red wings unfurled from the armor, large enough to dwarf even a dragon's wingspan!  On her head, sitting at a jaunty angle, was a crown that was black stone on one side and pure white wood on the other. 

The others there all turned to look, as Obsidian was now radiating magic energy, of both kinds. The friends all flexed and posed as Obsidian could feel some sort of... build up... going on between them all. 

The howl of anger that clawed its' way out of Onyx's throat was unidentifiable as anything natural, or even anything equine... and her body ruptured open, spilling out no less than seven hydra heads, all with her vicious eyes and venomous ichor dripping from their maws. 

"Well," Mica spoke, "that's different." 

"I shall taste friendship... as I crunch your feeble bones into dust!!!" 

They stood there, facing off; the massive Onyx-hydra on one side, the gathered friends on the other.  The tension was thick enough to cut with a blade.

Now that was epic.... sometimes nightmares can have a really nice angle, it seemed.  She just had to remember to perhaps not insult Onyx too much, even in her own thoughts - it bit her in the flank already a few times. 

One head for each of them, eh?  Including Ruby, of course - though in this case, she will probably cede this privilege to somepony else, considering her size.  Obsidian just blasted down a beam of energy at the floor below Onyx's new legs.

The second she fired at the floor... all Tartarus broke loose. 

The shot Obsidian fired was a bolt of twining black and white energy beams, and they pulverized the floor under that leg, as well as the floor underneath the rest of her!  Hydronyx fell into the floor, but was far too big now to vanish below; instead, she was now stuck fast, right where she was! 

Gypsy began firing his weapon rapidly, beams of light sizzling and scoring the hydra's thick grey hide and making small patterns there, as if he was trying to weaken the flesh there.  

Clap took to the air, and began flying circles around the various heads, keeping them occupied as much as she could. 

As Hydronyx began to roar and lash out at Clap and Gypsy, Mica began to hover in mid-air, and his glow grew brighter as he darted in close to the creature, subjected it to a number of hard strikes, and zipped back to avoid a head chomping down on him. 

Stalwart didn't hesitate, didn't stall and didn't pause - she charged at the thing and began swinging ALL her weapons at it, coming from various angles and even flanking attacks! 

Cupcake launched all his pies at the thing, then laughed like a lunatic as he began running circles around it, a strand of red licorice issuing from a pocket as he began to tie up the Hydronyx's body, making his way up to wrapping those necks together. 

Onyx, meanwhile, wasn't in the mood to play.  She snapped at Clap, and stomped great holes in the ground around Gypsy.  Once Mica had started attacking, at least two heads were dedicated to keeping him from doing too much damage. Most of the rest of the heads were just barely keeping Wart from slashing the thing to pieces... but one head spoke up, addressing Obsidian. 

"This is MADNESS!  You already know I'm going to win, yet you keep on coming!"

And now Obsidian had Onyx right where she wanted her - in a very, very big hole.  Now she just had to fill it with manure!  Ah, what a beautiful sight it was; a group of good friends slaughtering a beast together!  A truly heartwarming sight. 

For the moment, Obsidian was mostly trying to keep Gypsy safe - it seemed his weapon was well designed for tasks such as this, so she carefully covered him with a magical shield and was doing her best to knock a few teeth or scales from each head stupid enough to get too close. 

"We are very stubborn group of friends, Onyx. Even if we won't save Equestria, at least we'll go down together - and give you seven headaches at once in the process!"

"YOU'RE ALREADY WORTH SEVEN HEADACHES!"  There was a sparkle from Hydronyx's eyes, and suddenly one of the heads reared back and >FOOOOOOSH!< green fire poured out of her mouth, bathing the ground where Gypsy had been standing with flames! 

HAD been standing, if it hadn't been for Thunderclap Dash streaking in and snatching him up at the last second, setting him down before returning to the distraction act she'd been pulling. 

"Too fast for ya, too hot for ya, too good for ya!" Clap taunted as she kept flying in between and around the dangerous heads. 

Gypsy, meanwhile, turned to Obsidian. "If we c-can keep her where she is, w-we have a chance to t-try to seal her up here!  Then, if we ret-t-turn to the waking world, she may still b-be asleep!" He turned his focus and began firing at other places in the floor, trying to weaken the structure a bit more.

It would be much easier if this particular hydra couldn't use fire against her enemies but, well... nightmares shouldn't be too easy to conquer, right?  But as far as Obsidian was concerned, they weren't doing badly - none of them was even scratched at the moment, while Onyx herself was taking a lot of damage and was already stuck in the floor, limiting her movements. 

And, if Gypsy was correct (and she had no reason to not believe him; maybe he wasn't able to use magic but he WAS a great researcher), then Onyx truly made an exceedingly stupid mistake this time and decided to actually enter into this dream herself, possibly making her quite vulnerable.

Up to this point, Obsidian thought that they were merely fighting for a way out - but if they could, as an added bonus, defeat Onyx HERE... 

She focused entire stockpile of anger and hate she felt towards her stupid older sister: her fury at being used and then subsequently rejected, her memories of the damages in Ponyville done by her Umbral army, the sight of Ruby's dead body, the various threats against her friends... she pooled all of that rage to cast some powerful shots, directed at the places pointed out to her by Gypsy. 

Trapping Onyx in a dream... that was a beautiful vision!

The focused shots into the flooring from Obsidian's horn were FAR more damaging than the weapon Gypsy had, and there was a creaking, groaning sound that was coming from the structure itself, sounding as if the integrity of this Blandsville prison wasn't going to hold for long.  Granted, thanks to Clap, there was no ceiling, but the walls still could fall in.  Parts of the flooring began to buckle under the weight of Hydronyx, and the creaks and groans became grinding, splintering sounds.

"This is naught but a dream!  I have endless power here!" Hydronyx screamed from three different heads. 

Mica's brow furrowed.  "Unfortunately for you, the same goes for us." He then concentrated harder, and with another bright flash, Mica's mane and tail went from golden to a vibrant, glowing blue!  He then lifted a hoof and pointed it at the Hydronyx, sending a beam of dazzling energy directly at her. 

The blast struck, and Hydronyx howled in both anger and pain, the section of flesh scorching and cracking.  The heads lashed around, and now the fire-breathing head was joined by one breathing lightning, one breathing tar, and one breathing a thick, greenish vapor that frankly dissolved the walls it came into contact with. Mica dodged and counter-dodged, making it almost impossible for him to be struck.  

Wart, in the meantime, continued to press her advantage, all the while with a constant barrage of strikes from her varied weaponry; she'd made holes and cuts that were bleeding, but none of them seemed to have enough effect to bother Hydronyx. 

"It is too large!" she yelled to Obsidian, "we need to free her heads from their sockets!" 

A sudden >BOOM!<, and one of the heads exploded into blood and bone chunks!  Laughter issued from Cupcake, who was already reloading his Party Cannon with what looked like silverware.  He still had the green face, but now he wore an outfit that looked like a storybook pirate; he even had an eye patch! "Avast, mateys!  Thar be plenty o' chances ta take out this scalliwag!  Focus on the heads, ya bilge-rats!"

It seemed that even though it was 'just a dream', Onyx could still feel pain - and with Obsidian and the gang more-or-less freed from the shackles of their nightmares, they had plenty of power to torment this mad mare.  Despite all of her feelings for her family, even the fact that she spared Amethyst and (in a way) Tourmaline, Obsidian was rather settled with the idea of making Onyx suffer for every pain she'd brought them - especially as she could merely give up at any time. 

It was only her fault they had to hurt her, right?  BAH, she was getting too many ideas of her own!

Obsidian focused, trying to gather as much negative feedback from her emotions as possible; with that, she cast a spell that brought forth beautiful, shining and sharp crystals around the partially-trapped hydra - all of them aimed towards her multiple throats!  Let's see if her dream powers would allow her to continue fighting with her windpipes punctured...

Meanwhile a banner appeared in her hoof - a dark piece of fabric, with a unicorn horn within a crystal shard background. A fitting rendition of Sombra's banner... but the horn pictured wasn't exactly his; Obsidian had dreamed herself into alicornhood here, right?  Why not think big?

Each shard was a beautiful and unique crystal in its' own right, looking as though it were made of naturally fused obsidian and quartz, specked and striped with both white AND black.  And more to the point, each shard found its' mark, and slammed into the Hydronyx's many throats, opening some and merely piercing others... but each was a hit, and the horrid form shuddered as they struck. 

Obsidian could see veins of both black and white forming where the shards were lodged into Hydronyx's flesh; apparently they worked as some sort of poison to the offending sister.  Good to know. 

A wounded head rose up and began to breathe lightning, but was stopped mid-breath as Clap zoomed straight at it and turned swiftly, giving the creature a skull-smashing buck to the face.  

"You're... going... DOWN!" she yelled as her hooves connected.  

The head burst in a spray of blood, gore and sparks. Two down. Of the remaining heads, two more were struck down and didn't rise up again.  To these, Wart swiftly moved and used her various bladed implements to begin ensuring the head was useless; she stabbed at the eyes, nostrils and ears, attempting to further cripple them. 

Now Mica brought his hooves in close, and placing them near each other, a small ball of light began to form between them, growing in intensity as he began to speak. "KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..." The ball was growing brighter, and even Obsidian could feel the power growing in that one single spot.

Hopefully Onyx fully appreciated how much her dear sister wanted to hurt her right now, or how much power they could put into their attack in this dark place.  Four heads out of seven were down; even if it was just a part of nightmare, putting these crystals through those throats was a truly satisfying experience!  In fact... 

Obsidian spread her wings and attempted to fly - both to see what it felt like (even if it wasn't real) and to see Mica's powerful shot from a better angle.  There were only three heads now - and none of them was even bothering to talk.  It was a good sign, hopefully.

The wings flapped seemingly very little, and she was instantly airborne.  It was magnificent, and the freedom she felt was intoxicating!  She looked majestic and regal, dressed in such fine armor and with such a power coursing through her... she NOW felt as though she were in the form that she needed to be to best her erstwhile sister. 

The three remaining heads kept trying to harass Wart and Clap, only to have seemingly forgotten about the stallion charging his power up. 

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA..." The ball of energy was now letting off arcs of electricity; the sheer, raw POWER in the blast was beginning to make the other magics in the room feel... outshined. 

Cupcake's cannon roared... and suddenly, there he was, standing on a cannonball as it flew towards Hydronyx.
"CHAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGE!" he screamed as he flew right at her, bound for her midsection.  He rode atop that cannonball as if he was Discord himself, his face green as a pea. 

The head not busy with Wart or Clap quickly snapped at the shot, and Cupcake vanished into its' gaping maw with a rather hard clack of teeth.

Obsidian hadn't the slightest idea what Cupcake was planning when he decided to ride a cannonball, nor why he decided it was a good idea or... for that matter, how did he manage to get onto the cannonball in the first place?  However, she was pretty sure that, while the rules of wild dreams could make it possible for him (let's be honest, he was able to do impossible things even outside of dreams), being swallowed by Onyx was not a good thing!  

Who would think that her crazy sister would eventually eat poor Cupcake, just as she said? 

However, Obsidian was having none of it.  To be fair, she didn't have to dive at Onyx herself - she could just use her magical alicorn dream powers to rip the offending head straight off of its' neck, without getting into any danger.  Unfortunately, at the moment she was practically blinded by rage that she felt at the sight of Cup being swallowed.  So she did just that - she dived, aiming at the neck, with her whole body practically bursting with Dark Magic.  She wanted to rip, tear and maim Onyx, make her suffer - and to free Cupcake; nothing else mattered much at the moment.

She flew directly at Hydronyx, her wings trailing Dark Magical energy behind her as black mist rolled from her eyes, which were now glowing an intense red color.  She reached the head that had swallowed him, and- 

>SPLAT!< 

Before she could react, the head itself exploded with a sickening wet pop, and on the remainder of the stump stood a bloody, but unharmed Cupcake (with Party Cannon smoking), who rode the falling neck down to the ground, turned a backflip to land on his hooves, and a wicked grin that plastered itself to his face. 

"HOO-AH!  Somebody STOP me!" He was now dressed in all black, with a large white pony skull emblazoned on the front of his outfit.  He held up more crossbows, this time loaded with multiple bolts, and began firing them rapidly at Hydronyx and her remaining heads.

Cupcake was impossible... and the more dreamlike this place was getting, the more impossible he was!  It seemed that he was fine, which was most certainly good news - but unfortunately, Obsidian still had plenty of magical energy stored. 
Everything that she planned to use to tear Onyx apart was still there waiting for a release.

"...MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..." The ball of light between Mica's hooves was now disturbingly bright, and radiated magic that rivaled an alicorn's; if he EVER let that thing go, it would possibly destroy not just Hydronyx, but perhaps even this entire dream realm itself! 

Wart charged in and sent all her weapons at once into the place where the necks met the bloated body.  Blood went everywhere as she turned into a whirling dervish of sharp steel, severing a number of stumps from the whole. 

Clap, meanwhile, kept it's remaining heads occupied - which, as each head fell, was becoming easier to do.  She even got in another buck to one, blackening its' eye. 

Gypsy had stopped firing, and had dove headfirst into the ground; he was leaving a raised hill of flooring and stone behind him as he circled the border of the room, weakening the floor directly in front of the remaining walls. "Th-the walls!  Obsidian, c-collapse the walls!  Aim for the floor in front of th-th-them!" 

Clap laughed.  "You kiddin'?  C'mon Sids - let's blow this thing so we can go home!  Aim for the heads!" 

"NAY!"  Wart spoke up, "I have opened a hole in its' wretched body!  BLAST HERE!"

What a wonderful thing that she got not one, but THREE plans to work with - but it was a very quick decision; she never regretted listening to Gypsy before, and hopefully it wasn't going to be the first time.  She aimed for the floor, to bring the walls down on her poor, unfortunate sister... while diving to collect her friends, to keep them out of the way of the rubble.

As her bolts struck the flooring, the walls began to waver and teeter above them.  Gypsy's tunnels made short work of any sort of support for them, and they began to tilt inward, towards Hydronyx. The diamond dog had already made his way to safety; Obsidian grabbed up Wart as she flew by, the once-tiny mare being a bit heavier in their dreams.  Though she seemed disappointed that her idea wasn't used, she still was smiling as if she'd just seen Queen Chrysalis wet herself in fear. 

Clap snagged up Cupcake, who flipped around her barrel and landed on her back, riding her as they surged away from the battle.  

"Thunderclap, HO!" he yelled triumphantly. 

"Watch what you call me!" she yelled back. 

Now there was only Hydronyx, thrashing and shifting to get free of the hole she was stuck fast in... and the hovering form of Mica, who was now smiling ear to ear as the blindingly bright orb in his hooves flashed. 

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" 

The blast from the Earth Pony's hooves was bigger around than one of Hydronyx's necks.  It blackened the floor under it as it flew towards its' target, then connected with a massive explosion that sent wet and rubbery chunks of hydra in every direction. 

And such a concussive blast was all that was needed to bring those walls crashing down on top of the beast, burying it in rubble.  There was a massive cloud of dust, and blood and flesh gobbets all over the place...  

"Whoa, Mica," Cupcake looked sideways at his friend, "I didn't know you had it in you!  Where in the wide, wide world of Equestria did THAT come from?" 

Mica shrugged.  "T.V." he said plainly.

Well, whatever this TV was, Obsidian certainly didn't want to mess with it!  She also hoped that Hydronyx was still in good enough shape to get trapped here instead of returning back to her real body with a nasty headache.  Obsidian felt a bit unsatisfied by the fact that the biggest explosion here was done by an earth pony, not by an alicorn - even if she was one only temporarily, until the dream's end. 

"Now, with that done... Ruby, how do we escape this place?"

Ruby... didn't look so good. The tiny Breezie looked faded and washed-out, as if her bright colors were being drained from her.  She didn't even have the strength to stand; she simply lie there in Obsidian's mane, somewhat panting for breath. "This is a... a dream realm... based on a spell by... oh, crud... by Onyx.  So, if you... all... concentrate, you might... maybe... be able to... counteract and end the sp-... the spell..." It looked like just speaking was taking a toll on the tiny Dark Ruby; she hadn't even called anyone a name. "Just...concentrate... on each other."

Obsidian really didn't want to see Ruby die once again. She very, very carefully took her out of her mane and hugged her tiny form gently. "Even if the rest of our siblings didn't consist mainly of murderous psychopaths, you would still be my favourite sister, Ruby." 

All of negative thoughts aimed at Onyx perished from her mind, and she fully focused on her most dear sister.  "Guys... get closer, please; you heard the best sister ever..."

Ruby looked up at her, at all of them, and gave a tiny, pained look of curiosity. "But... I'm the... bad one... why would... would you-" 

"Because you helped us, even in your Dark state," Mica said gently.  "You've done so much for Obsidian, and all of us - both sides of you are great, not just your Light side." 

"Yeah, you got her to us fast, which might've taken years to do without help," Clap chimed in.  "You didn't have to, but you DID." 

"What's m-m-more," Gypsy continued, "you have a k-kind heart, e-even in your D-D-D-Dark form.  That sp-s-speaks volumes ab-b-bout your personal ch-character."  

"Besides," Cup smiled sadly, "if you hadn't come and got all of us when Siddy needed us most, she probably would've just given up at that point!  So you saved HER by saving US!" 

"None here will argue," Wart spoke up, "that your efforts to our cause were not only key to our victory, but they were essential to our survival.  We owe you a debt of thanks, Ruby." 

She looked at them all, and gave a tiny, sad smile. "Heh... yeah, I...  I'm g-glad I got to... finally... m-meet all of you... ya morons..." 

Tiny Dark Ruby shuddered, her tiny muzzle a tiny picture of great pain. "Just... win, okay?  P-prove my sac-... prove this was... worthwhile... for me... make it c-c-count..." She coughed, and the color in her became barely visible to their eyes; she may as well have been black and white at this point. 

"H-hey, stupid..." she wheezed with a grin, "is... i-is my tail okay?"

It seemed that no last-minute-miracles were going to save Ruby from her fate, but at least Obsidian could finally say how much she appreciated her... and her friends followed suit. Even if it was just a piece of her fallen sister, and a dark one to a boot, it felt good to do so for her.  She should know their hearts... even if it wouldn't be very useful to her soon. 

"Yes Ruby - it's perfect.  I think it's impossible for you to have a frumpy mane OR tail."  Obsidian was struggling to keep her tears from falling and kept trying to speak calmly.

The little Breezie smiled. "Well... then I g-guess... this... i-is... g-good..." 

"NOT.  SO.  FAST." 

The rubble pile began to heave and shudder, and Onyx's voice issued forth from every angle, it seemed. "If you cannot be tortured... then I suppose I shall just have to leave you here!" 

Swirls of energy began to rise up from the pile, slithering out to taint the very air they floated in with a sickly greenish hue.  From the pile, a gathering of rubble stirred, then rolled away from the hole as Onyx herself, whole and unharmed, came floating out. 

"I can simply leave the spell's effect - and leave you all here while I KILL you in the waking world!" She began to laugh triumphantly as she began to fade from existence... well, from existing here, at any rate. 

Tiny Dark Ruby squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating even in the midst of death. 

"Make it... count, Obsidian - bring... Onyx... DOWN."

>POP!<
> Thirty Nine: Awakenings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obsidian awoke to a feeling of dread. 

She was still in the underground cavern, but she was trussed up in some sort of hardened ichor that was brittle and snapped the moment she put pressure on it. She wasn't alone, either. 

"I just... don't... GET it.  HOW did YOU get FREE!?" 

On the wall next to her was none other than Tourmaline, sealed in a similar ichor-like stuff - except his looked sturdy and solid. "She's used that spell on us over and over, and we never got free until she wanted us to!  HOW did you DO it!?" 

The others, unfortunately, were not here.

One day, Obsidian's altruism would kill her, really.  Wasting time for comforting an already dead pony during a fight for the fate of Equestria - well, it certainly wasn't the brightest idea she'd ever had, and the fact that it felt good and correct meant nothing.  BAH, she had spent only a few days in this cursed modern land and she was already softened up to the point of being outright suicidal!  Or at least suicidally stupid, it seemed. 

And apparently even a mortally wounded Onyx was still strong enough to get out of the dream realm on her own - too bad. 
So it seemed that they truly HAD lost and... 

... huh.  What did Tourmaline do to deserve such a fate?  Did he try to rebel... or maybe he actually killed Amethyst for real? He surely wasn't placed here as a guardian - otherwise he wouldn't be trapped. 

"I am strong, stubborn and have the strength of a group of very dear friends... of which, have you seen them, perchance?" 
She started to look around, perhaps a bit frantically - there had to be doors or tunnels leading to them; she had to save them!  "And... why are you trapped here as well?"

Tourmaline scoffed.  "You honestly believe, after all that back there, that I am still under the pretense of getting to live a life of freedom?  BAH!  If Onyx is the one father wanted to use for his plans, then I would much rather be somewhere where she isn't.  And the nag could sense that in me.  So, she dragged me in here and gooped me up.  With YOU." 

His irritation was evident, and he glared at Obsidian as she asked about the others. "My reason for caring about them is smaller than Onyx's capacity for mercy; she has them, all of them, at her stage in the center of Ponyville..." 

He suddenly smiled.  "Oh!  And if you're expecting the remaining Elements of Harmony to save you, don't bother," he rolled his eyes, "Amethyst has already done her job, and they now work for Onyx.  ALL of them." 

He struggled in his bonds.  "I'd ask you to get me down... but I'm fairly certain you would laugh at me for asking."

All of them? Uh-oh... hopefully there was still only ONE dead Element of Harmony at the moment - everything would be far, far easier if the rest were merely mind controlled, not murdered and zombified like an Umbral.  

So Obsidian just had to get back into Ponyville without stumbling into any Umbral armada along the way, save her friends, save the Elements of Harmony and cruelly murder Onyx... 

At least ONCE it would be very, very nice to have something SIMPLE and not SUICIDAL as a quest! 

Maybe she should try to escape, just as Tourmaline tried?  She wasn't really sure how she was still able to walk and breathe at the same time, considering how many stupid choices she'd made lately.  Her horn flashed as she targeted the solid ichor trapping her brother. 

"I'm FAR beyond the point of laughing, brother - QUITE far!  Now, escape... I'll keep Onyx entertained for a moment or two, until she gets bored with torturing me, so you should have plenty of time to make a hasty retreat."  Now, where was the exit..?

The blast smashed the hardened ichor... but the blast itself was an interesting thing.  Dreams often didn't exist in reality, because they were, well, dreams.  Flights of fancy borne upon the sleeping mind.  It was foolish to believe that anything that happened in a dream was to exist in the real, waking world.  And yet, the blast that popped Toumaline free was a twin rope of black and white energy, twined together like the one she'd used in the dream realm! 

Tourmy fell from the wall, then popped up in shock.  "That... that... where did you learn that!?  Grey Magic?  But that doesn't EXIST anymore!"

"Honestly, I really hope Onyx underestimates me as much as you do, dear brother of mine," Obsidian said with a straight face... though honestly, she was just as surprised as he was - though she was hiding it better.  It was a nice bonus, though she would prefer to just keep the Light amulet and go straight to Ponyville, glowing with an ungodly amount of energy and blasting darkness right and left. 

Being able to control both sides of power was nice - but at the moment she'd prefer quality over quantity.  It felt exceedingly satisfying to just evaporate an entire Umbral horde at once, after all.  "You should be fine. Now, which way do I go to get quickly to Ponyville?"

Tourmaline stared at her for a moment. "You... really aren't like the rest of us, are you?  Ruby kept saying you were 'different', but I had no clue how different... until now, that is." He looked as though he were sizing her up for the first time, honestly gauging her as she was, instead of what he'd believed her to be. 

"... South," he eventually said, "Ponyville is to the south from here.  And don't worry about the Umbrals - when Amethyst finally got Twilight Sparkle, she rerouted all of them to her location; this place should be clear of them." 

He stepped towards the door, then looked back at her again.  "If... are you going to take over?  I mean, if you defeat Onyx somehow... what then?  Will you take her place?  Turn everything back over to the Equestrians?  What will you do?"

Obviously, Obsidian was different from them, especially from Onyx - she was at the moment victorious, while Obsidian herself seemed to be suffering failure after failure. Honestly, if her dear sister wouldn't make threatening her friends a habit, Siddy could just give up at the moment... but noooooo; apparently her the oldest sister was too stupid to just kill her or simply live and let her live, without giving her any new reasons to stand against her!  It was almost as if Onyx really, really wanted to be sure that Obsidian wouldn't get bored of fighting with her! 

"Oh, so Amethyst got free of my magical blockade?  Interesting, Onyx seemed to imply that without magic she is useless." Hopefully Obsidian wouldn't have to go out of her way to spare her AGAIN. 

Apparently, Tourmaline believed more in Obsidian than she herself did - at least it seemed he assumed she could win this fight. 

"I liked the Light amulet of mine, so I'll probably try to get it for myself in a more permanent manner; I won't take her place, that's for sure - I consider all of her last actions quite ineffective and wasteful, and her goal of bringing back the rotted Umbrals is rather unsavory as well.  At the moment, I just want to be sure she won't use another creature as a tool - ever again."

He nodded, as if he expected something like that. "Yes, well... were you considering taking over, I might have joined your cause, sister... but I am no creature of Light.  There is far too much darkness inside me to ever bear being a 'goody-goody', such as YOU apparently are." 

He turned back to face the doorway.  "Still... I actually, honestly hope you find what you seek, Obsidian.  And I also hope it's worth all the time and effort you've put into it.  Go, face your destiny.  And I... shall face mine."  With that, he walked out, leaving her there alone in this cavern to do as she pleased.  Eventually, the sound of his hooves on stone faded away.

Truthfully speaking, she was still too inexperienced to take over, but she was sure that Light didn't always have to be used for good.  There had to be a way to turn Equestria into a kingdom basking in her glorious light, right? 

Not that she really planned to do it. It was just a random thought, a reaction to being called 'goody-goody'.  She just wanted to make a big, painful imprint of her hoof on Onyx's flank, get back everypony alive and then get some well-deserved sleep! It wasn't 'good'!  If anything, it was practically selfish!  The nerve of him... 'goody-goody', indeed; she wasn't a 'goody-goody'!  Rrrrrgh...

First things first. She can be annoyed about that later. 

South, south... now she just had to figure out which direction south was, preferably with the use of magic to do it as quickly as possible - and then start running.

It actually wasn't difficult to locate, once she got outside... the ominous black clouds over Ponyville were a dead giveaway.  At a gallop, it took her about five minutes to reach the borders of the little village, and another two to reach the town center.  

Upon arrival, she got a much better idea of how bad things had gotten; the 'stage' in the middle of town had completely flattened the pretty fountain that had once been there.  It rose in layers, like the stone dias in the cavern, and was splashed with black ichor and red blood. In a cage next to it, Obsidian saw the tied-up forms of her friends; both Cupcake and Thunderclap had gags in their mouths, but the rest were simply exchanging worried looks as they seemed to have all formed a barrier around Gypsy, tight enough to where no one could see him.  Hopefully, he was okay... 

Onstage was an enormous Dark Crystal shard, and guess who was standing close by, holding both the Light and Dark amulets in her hooves? 

"... and I beseech the power within to grant my wish, heed my calling, and return Sombra from the grave he so woefully was forced into... bring Life back to the conqueror who ruled an Empire with his black hoof... lead him to arise!  Arise!  ARISE!" 

Standing off to one side was a very subdued and cowed Amethyst, who watched with a mixture of excitement and personal horror at what was unfolding in front of her, her horn notably free of the sealing spell Obsidian had put on her. Surrounding the entire affair was a circle of Umbrals, standing shoulder to shoulder, about seven deep - a barrier wall of undeath, prepared to fight anything that wasn't aligned with their Mistress. Onyx continued to chant and gesture with the necklaces.

Oh, great - Obsidian was in a wonderful place to admire the end of Equestria, decapitated with a single, decisive strike into its heart, with its' government in the hooves of the conqueror, its' defenders shackled... and with said conqueror summoning an even bigger fish, just to be sure that Equestria wouldn't have a single chance to get up after all these kicks it received lately. 

Really, there should be walls around Ponyville... and far more soldiers. A barracks worth or two... even three. Placing a ruling princess's palace in an undefended village was a bad idea... but where was Discord? Celestia and Luna? Reinforcements from Crystal Empire, ruled by the usurper?  Did nopony want to stop Onyx? 

Now, could she just... sneak closer to the cage with her friends inside?

As she snuck closer, she got the feeling she was being watched... but fortunately, that feeling was correct due to the fact that her friends saw her! The looks of relief and hope passed between them as they all looked over to her... well, except the diamond dog; she still couldn't see him.  But it was obvious they were overjoyed to see her. 

Get us out, mouthed Mica. 

Stop Onyx, mouthed Wart. 

Meanwhile, though none of the Umbrals made any motion towards Obsidian, Amethyst's head suddenly jerked around as she began looking pointedly in Obsidian's direction; she hadn't seen her yet, but she could obviously sense her, at least somewhat. 

Obsidian managed to get around to the side of the circle closest to her friends... but there were still several layers of undead between her and them at the moment.

Obviously, Obsidian was going to listen to Stalwart, and the best way to stop Onyx would be... ding, ding, ding, correct answer!  Rescuing her friends! 

How to do it, however, was a completely different issue. The current strategical position of the Equestrians and their allies was somewhat lackluster.  The most important ponies here were already defeated and/or caged, there was an undead armada between Obsidian and the captured, and even despite the fact that Onyx was busy with her little chanting there was still the matter of Amethyst, who had a few reasons to dislike her younger sister and was most likely still sore about it. Wonderful. 

Maybe there was some lamp oil in one of the nearby houses, and she could-... no, it would take too much time.  Too bad she couldn't just use the lovely Light amulet to destroy the entire zombie army at once - but considering what little she had to work with, it was her best option at the moment.  So she started to cast the undead-destroying spell, hoping it would be enough.

Before, Obsidian had the Light amulet around her neck, and had been emptied of all darkness... which meant the spell had been supercharged when it was cast before, and had decimated the Umbrals almost instantly. 

This was not the same circumstance. 

It was difficult at first; she had to work to get the first sparks of the spell going, due to the fact that she was no longer a paragon of Light... however, sure enough, she felt the spell building up and gaining strength as she concentrated. 

"Return from beyond the veil, o Sombra!  Return and bring forth your mighty power to RULE all of Equus!  Bring back the darkness!  Bring us into your fold!" Onyx kept chanting, still gesturing with the amulets and practically begging Father to come back to them.  Amethyst was there onstage, pacing nervously as she both admired and feared her sister. "The covenant of Harmony is over!  There shall be no saviors for Equestria this time!  The Elements of Harmony have been broken, and there shall be none to stand in your way!  Come home to us, and let us bask in your glory once again!" 

The spell was almost complete... but it was still nowhere near the power level she would need to take out the whole wall of them; she might, however, be able to at least clear a path to her friends. 

"... and you can come out now; I know you're here..." 

DAMNATION!  How did she always seem to know when- 

"... draconequus." 

Oh?  What was this? 

Slowly, the serpentine form of Jynx faded into view, coiled atop one of the nearby buildings... and she looked terrified; she still stood defiantly and glared at Onyx. 

"You... took my father!  I couldn't j-just stand here and do NOTHING!" Her voice sounded somewhere between an angry scream and a cowardly whine.

"You mean," Onyx smiled wickedly, "other than wetting yourself in fear?" 

Jynx's glower grew harder, and she began to blush. "THAT was a coincidence, nothing more!  I'd had a lot to drink, and I was, uh, coughing!  Yeah, COUGHING!" 

Onyx chuckled wryly.  "Your power is sealed; I fear you not."

BY HARMONY-DAMNED DARKNESS, how Onyx could defeat a DRACONEQUUS?  For that matter, two of them?  And in the process, making one of them wet herself?  Considering that poor Gypsy almost suffered the same fate when Jynx appeared near them, Obsidian could hardly feel any empathy towards her. 

However, she was a nice distraction - Obsidian was truly grateful for that. Bah, Onyx had even stopped chanting!  If she only had, say, a longbow, she could just snipe Onyx and it would all be done with. 

Well, here goes nothing, Obsidian thought as she threw the prepared spell at the zombies - and braced herself to charge into the opening to reach the cage.

The blast was... different... than before. The wave of energy that came from her was both black and white in color; the white energy seemed to sap away the Umbrals' power, while the black energy ripped them apart!  No, it wasn't as complete a destruction as the last time she'd cast it... but the path between herself and the cage was now clear. 

Onyx's head snapped to face Obsidian as if it were spring-loaded.  "OBSIDIAN!" 

And that was when the draconequus launched herself at Onyx.  However, before she could reach the dias, Amethyst's horn flashed, and a larger version of a Slave Helmet appeared over Jynx's head, and attempted to fasten itself down onto her. 

Onyx turned to face her sister, and completely ignored the draconequus as she focused on what she perceived to be the greater threat. "Are you seriously trying to outfox me?  Truly?"  She began to walk slowly and calmly towards Obsidian, her own horn and eyes glowing with dark, pulsing red energy. "You utterly foolish idiot - you could have merely left here, walked away... and yet, here you are, no doubt trying to-" 

"NYAAAAAHHHHH!!  SHUT UP!"  Jynx said, struggling to keep the helmet off her head, and snapped her claws. 

Onyx smiled broadly.  "I told you, you cannot affect me - I've had Chaos Magic sealed against me, thanks to your slave of a father.  Stop.  Trying." 

"I can't... affect... YOU..." Jynx groaned as she struggled, "... but... I can affect... other things!" She snapped again, and the humongous Dark Crystal shattered into slivers. 

Onyx's glare turned deathly cold.  "You... overgrown... worm..." 

A bolt of pure red hatred blasted from her horn and hit the draconequus full-on in the chest.  Granted, it wasn't enough to kill the creature... but it was enough for the Slave Helmet to finally lock into place; Jynx went limp. Onyx's smile was like rock-solid ice, and her eyes were the North Winds.

Wonderful; on one hoof, her plan had certainly worked somewhat... yet on the other, she was obviously noticed. And on the third hoof, Jynx turned out to be a bit more useful than Obsidian thought by shattering the big crystal shard - which, as Obsidian assumed, was a very good thing that could delay Onyx's plans a bit longer. Of course, on the fourth hoof, Jynx was now turned into Amethyst's puppet. 

Now that Obsidian was out of hooves, she could at the very least dash towards the cage while charging her horn to shatter the doors to her friends' prison in the simplest possible way.

The blast from her horn, black entwined with white, smashed the front door of the cage into splinters.  Her friends stood up, all five of them slipping their ropes off; so THAT was why they'd been backed against Gypsy - he'd freed them all from their ropes with his sharp digging claws! 

In a moment, all five of her friends were beside her.  Clap, Gypsy, Mica, Wart and Cup.  All together again.  With their close proximity and the swell of their emotions, Siddy could feel that tingling in her horn again - even though she wasn't wearing the amulet! 

Onyx, however, simply laughed mockingly. "Truly?  I have to say, this is the BEST joke I've dealt with all day... Amethyst, if you please?" 

Amethyst squeezed her eyes shut, and Slave Helmets appeared over Obsidian and all her companions. 

"Now, I wonder who I'll have 'volunteer' to be eaten first?" Onyx cooed with obvious relish in her voice.

The helmets dropped... but all five of them were holding them back; physically holding the helmets as far away from themselves as they could, they all struggled and fought against them.  Amethyst was sweating profusely, concentrating with all her might to bring those capture caps down on all their heads...  

Until Tourmaline tackled her from behind, when all the helmets vanished.

It was actually a well-thought plan on Onyx's part to both throw her friends into a cage and tie them up - after all, it surely decreased their chances to free themselves... but even though it eventually failed, it was still a decent idea.  It was also a novel idea to have a pony able to enslave others at her side.  Plus, the zombie horde was a good measure.  

Well, let's be honest, here - Onyx was crazy-prepared, while Obsidian had nothing but her luck and the 'fairy magic' of Friendship, and was making rather rash decisions that, if the world would be fair, should have already killed her. 

Luckily, it seemed that the universe was amused by her antics. 

But now, she didn't have too many options; she had her friends, and she could use magic, and she knew a few spells... she just hoped it would be enough.  She focused on the tingling in her horn - trying to charge enough power to cast a spell that could possibly block Onyx's Dark Magic.

Onyx gave her a look.  "Wait... are you trying to actually win???"  She laughed uproariously... then, the red magic around her horn began to billow out around her, until she simply began walking on the cloud of red energy, making her way into the air for about a meter of two before stopping and smiling at her with wickedly sharp teeth. 

"Well then, little froggy... let's see you jump!" 

"HO-KAAAAY!"  Cupcake yelled before whipping out his party cannon and firing it directly at her.  A shotgun-blast of red bricks flew out and pelted the unicorn, making her cry out in surprise and anger... and maybe even a little pain, too. 

"I will have your head for that!" she screamed at Cup. 

"Why do you want it; 'cause yours is so far up your flank, you need a replacement!?" he retorted. 

Multiple beams of angry red energy shot out of Onyx's horn, aimed for the lot of them... and smacked into Obsidian's shield, dissipating harmlessly. 

The mare roared in rage.  "NO!  You had none of this power earlier!  What did you DO!?" 

Clap smirked.  "She got friends, ya blowhard!"

Onyx now sent a torrent of beams their way, rapid-fire, and every one of them smashed on the shield that protected them all, doing no damage to them whatsoever.  The shield, with each impact, manifested as an orb that was white with black waves rolling up the sides, and the red bolts made black ripples... but no holes. 

"Way to go, Obsidian!"  Mica piped up. However, the assault Onyx was making was draining Obsidan's magic; she couldn't keep the shield up forever.

Well now, her Friendship-powered shield turned out to be far more durable than Obsidian thought - and it seemed that protecting others with these things really was her specialty.  However, no battle was ever won by defense alone, especially when enemy had so much magic in reserve.

"Gypsy... could you somehow collapse the stage?" Obsidian struggled to mutter while upholding her shield.  They had to attack, and if Gypsy was going to succeed, they should distract Onyx, right?  Or, er... distract her even more? 

"Hey, Onyx, how does it feel to be the ugliest mare in the family?"  Okay, maybe that was a bit lame.

Gypsy nodded vigorously, then grinned like a shark as he dove directly into the ground below him, leaving a hole where he went underground.  Onyx continued the assault, but gave Obsidian a look that told her the jibe was ineffective.  

However, Clap came to her rescue. "Naw, Siddy, like this:  Hey Onyx, with a face like yours, you should style your tail and walk backwards - it'd be an improvement!"

It was good to have an underground fighter able to suddenly attack from each side and turn the soil itself against their  enemies.  Considering the entire situation, it was a wonderful strategic addition. 

"No wonder you couldn't summon back our Father - it's obvious he would prefer the serenity of death to seeing the failure named Onyx!"  At first Obsidian was going to just say that death was preferable to looking at her ugly muzzle - but in the current situation, it would sound a bit too grim for Siddy and her friends.

"I am NOT a FAILURE!!!"  Onyx screeched before she sent a HUGE wave of blasts at Obsidian; the shield buckled, but still held strong. 

"That's the way, girl!"  Clap proudly proclaimed.  "Make her feel like the manure she is!" 

"How DARE you!  As much as I've done, as hard as I've been working, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DECLARE ANYTHING ABOUT ME!" Apparently, Obsidian's insult had touched a nerve - in a BIG way.

"Oh, I have all the right! I've been crafted to look like Father's best friend - but you were crafted to be an eyesore!  You are just an ineffective prototype!  A lesson for our father to avoid repeating the same mistakes as he made with you!" 

Hopefully Gypsy would deal some serious damage to the stage's physical stability before Obsidian would completely ruin Onyx's mental stability and kill them all in the process, as it seemed that Onyx was taking it rather personally.

"Prototype?  PROTOTYPE!?  All YOU are is a desperate shot at wish-fulfilment because Father wanted her back!  I was the first!  The greatest!  The most intelligent and powerful!" 

"What you are is one of the biggest windbags I've ever seen!"  Clap spoke up louder.  "Is your plan to talk us to death?  'Cause, with that case of Halitosis you're nursing, it just might work!  Might do you some good to stop feeding yourself your own manure!" 

There was a dull rumble, and the dias settled slightly to one side... then seemed to be sinking into the dirt slowly, with Onyx still atop it. 

"You are a disgrace to our family!  A disgrace to our Father!  A disgrace to those stupid slaves of yours!" Onyx howled as the rage settled into place on her muzzle, making her ignore the tilt of the dias beneath her.

There was a yell, and the struggling forms of Tourmaline and Amethyst both rolled into view, both of them slinging hooves, biting, spitting on and otherwise being exceedingly unfriendly towards one another.  They slammed each other into the floor, rolling on the ground like puppies at play. Harsh play. 

"WILL you two stop!?"  Onyx yelled at them both, but their fight continued.  The mare pointed a hoof at them, turning to Obsidian.  "Even these two are still worth more to me than you ever were!" 

To prove her point, she turned and blasted them both, sending each one sprawling across the dirt, Amethyst on her back and gasping for air, and Tourmaline face down and shuddering in pain. "... and if I'll do that to them... imagine what I have in store for all of YOUUUUUUU!!!" 

Then, with a muffled crack, the entire dias shifted to the left, sinking into the dirt a few meters on that side.  So tilted, Onyx stumbled and fell from the dias... only to catch herself with the red magic, and lift up into the air with pure murder on her muzzle. 

"You shall not live to see another day!"

That threat wasn't anything new, actually - considering that Onyx once tried to imprison her in an eternal nightmare, where she would have rescure her friends again and again, a mere death threat was an improvement.  But there was still a chance she could make good on it; Onyx, just like always, was being the most stupid sister and boss ever, and hopefully it was going to bite her in the flank once again. 

"Company - to the side!" Obsidian yelled, moving with her shield towards her two fallen siblings.  One of them was - more or less - friendly after all, while Amy was... uh... well, they shared blood right?  So Siddy should care about her too... at least a bit.  Luckily they were both hurt by Onyx, so they might not be in the mood to backstab them.

The group moved as one, keeping close to Siddy while she scooted her way over to her siblings.  They reached Amethyst first... and found her with a rictus of agony on her muzzle.  Behind her, just below where her stomach would be, was a black steel dagger, sticking out of her back in almost the exact same place she'd stabbed Ruby at.  Her pain was visible as they got near, and Mica stepped towards her. 

"This way," he said, "I have some first aid training; I can try to see to her... if that's what you want, Siddy." Gypsy, meanwhile, popped out of the ground behind her and kept his head down as the others stood nearby.

Well, well, well... wasn't that some ironic yet poetic justice?  To be fair, Obsidian briefly thought about just leaving the blade in place, or maybe even shoving it in a wee bit deeper - but alas, she was fully aware that Amethyst wasn't guilty of killing Ruby.  No, that was only Onyx's fault - blaming Amethyst was just about as logical as blaming the blade itself. 

Besides, Obsidian still wanted to see her words come true, with Amethyst surrounded by friendship, laughter and happiness... even if there was that tiiiiiiiny bit of malice that was making Siddy second guess it. 

"Yes please, Mica - I'd do it myself, but..." she gestured towards the shield.  Now she had something to look forward to, something so ironic that she couldn't possibly ever repeat it - the hateful dagger stuck in her older sister.  Hopefully non-lethally, but well... accidents DID happen, yes? 

"We don't have to be afraid of you, Onyx! You are just a damnable thief - stealing books, stealing amulets, stealing the lives of ponies better than your worthless, sorry hide!  But don't you worry, sister - just give up and I promise to be lenient!"

At the moment, her shield was working quite well, and the angrier Onyx was getting, the more mistakes she would make... hopefully. 

"Gypsy, is there any chance you could get to Jynx, perhaps?  And where is Princess Twilight?" Obsidian asked, gritting her teeth to keep the shield powerful enough to withstand whatever came next.

Onyx's cheeks flushed crimson. "Stealing lives!?"  She suddenly grinned sweetly.  "Thank you for reminding me..." She threw her head back and bellowed, "DESTROY THEM!" 

The remaining Umbrals now moved as a wall of undead, crowding in on all sides and pushing the shield to its' limits.  Obsidian could feel herself sweating; this can't hold for much longer! 

Mica moved to Amethyst and, despite her feeble protests, he began to check her over and do what he could - which, admittedly, wasn't much without at least bandages.  He could possibly try to heal her... but she had no idea if he even knew how to heal others with magic; he WAS an earth pony, after all. 

"Lady Siddy!" Wart called out, "allow me to leave the shield, and I shall carve us a path!" 

"Are you nuts?" Clap said in response, "you're good, but not THAT good!  Let ME out, Sids; I'll make short work of that worthless nag!"

Well, Obsidian didn't really think about the Umbrals; after all, they didn't exactly have any life to steal - they were merely animated bodies and so on.  Too bad Onyx was too stupid to undertand what her younger sister said.  Unfortunately, it also meant that they couldn't get to Jynx, and she still didn't know where the princess was!  If only she could give the task of shield upkeep to another pony... 

There were so many things Obsidian could do - heal Amethyst, cast her anti-undead spell and so on - but instead, she was stuck there on defense, and forced into a corner.  

"No!  No trading lives, no splitting up the group!  We are together, whilst she is alone!  Cupcake, do you think you could help me with the shield?"

Cupcake looked at her with a nervous glance, which was quite different than she was used to seeing from him. "Ummmm... I can t-t-try?" 

His horn lit up with that weird 'white with sprinkles' energy, and Obsidian instantly felt some relief as the burden of the shield was shared with Cup.  "A-am I doing it right?" 

Meanwhile, both Wart and Clap seemed a bit disappointed that they weren't given any leeway to kick some undead flank, but both nodded at her explanation, and neither of them argued the point - they trusted Siddy with their lives. 

As the Umbrals continued to rally around them, they shuffled their way over to Tourmaline... who was groaning and bleeding from his mouth and left ear as they got close enough for Mica to check him over. "... don't... touch... m-me..." 

"Quiet, you," Mica muttered, "I'm only here because Obsidian wishes it; if it were up to me, you'd just keep lying there.  Now, hold still..." 

Onyx looked like the poster child for Unadulterated RAGE... and then, the necklaces around her throat began to glow. 

"... wait... it worked... IT WORKED!"  She began to laugh, sounding more like utter relief than madness.  "Father is returning to us!  He heard my call, oh it worked!" 

The unicorn mare actually locked eyes with Obsidian... and surprisingly enough, she was so excited that she didn't even seem to bother hating her; she was just so happy that her actions had worked that she didn't even seem to care who it was she shared the moment with. Sadly, it was a fleeting glimpse of what might have been, if Onyx hadn't been so vile. "Oh, he's coming!  I can feel it!"

Obsidian's problems were about to get much, much bigger - in fact, it was a problem for the entire realm of Equestria!  Just a mere day ago, she would have been thrilled to see her father once again... but today?  In this very specific set of circumstances?  After seeing that her sister was a stupid flankface?  Well, her enthusiasm was somewhat diminished... 

But she wasn't going to suffer this parody of a mare winning! 

So, with all the desperation from their situation, with her anger at Onyx for being an awful sister and leader, her extreme desire to erase that smile from her muzzle, the hope that she could ever defeat her older sister, and the connection she felt to her friends... she once again powered up her horn, to shoot a magic blast straight at Onyx. 

Chances of one in million work in nine cases out of ten, right?

The shot fired out from Obsidian's horn and went straight at Onyx... and was split in two, and sucked into the amulets evenly. 

Onyx gave an actual, fillyish giggle at that.  "Obsidian... we've WON!  Don't you see it?  Father is... he's coming BACK!  It's what we've always wanted!  He'll return, and he'll set things as they should be, and you and I - we'll BOTH be sitting by his sides!  No more disasterous mishaps or Equestrian meddling..." 

She stepped back, both pendants glowing brightly - one blue, one red - and the necklaces floated up from around her neck, orbiting her head for a moment before they both gave up an orb of energy that floated around lazily. 

"Siddy!  What the Tartarus is THAT!?" Clap asked in bewilderment. 

The orbs pulsed and sang with a keening vibration.  They floated in lazy circles around Onyx's head for a moment before they both shot like bullets into her barrel.  She gasped, then held her chest for a moment. 

"Oh..." She gave a small grin.  "Oooh, that kind of tick-" 

>BLORTCH!< 

Onyx exploded like a water balloon filled with blood, stuck with a pin.  Blood and vile gore went in every direction, coating Siddy and her friends in a layer of... well, a layer of Onyx. And standing there, right where she had been... 

"YESSSSSSSSSSSssssssss..." 

Was King Sombra, The Slave Lord of the Crystal Empire. 

"... oh manure," said Cupcake.
> Forty: Sombra
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The alarming dissonance in Onyx's behaviour was striking - just a moment ago, she was screaming madly about Obsidian's incoming cruel punishment and was treating their other two siblings like dirt... and yet, she was now speaking as if they would all join him; in all honesty, she would have saved herself a LOT of trouble if she would have behaved that way since the beginning, and wouldn't have given Obsidian all the reasons she accumulated to dislike her - from Ruby's fate to trapping her in the Nightmare Spell. 

Obsidian really had no idea if she would even want to continue fighting if Onyx would simply apologize for using her and show her even the smallest sign of gratitude for helping... unknowingly or not.  It would surely also help if the eldest of Sombra's spawns wouldn't threaten to eat or wear all of Siddy's friends!  Luckily, Obsidian never had an opportunity to test her real allegiances and whether she would choose her friends over her family... 

But right now it didn't matter - they had lost. 

Completely and utterly lost, and no matter how much Obsidian was getting desperate, angry, furious or just plain frustrated that Onyx won ONCE AGAIN, she could - at best - hope that her older sister would retain that good mood for a long time... 

Sadly, that good mood had only lasted until her rather messy and explosive end; at least she died happy. 

Meanwhile her poor, surviving sibling was left seriously traumatized by that unexpected turn of events.  Obsidian had expected a number of possible things - that their Father would use Onyx's body as his own, that the remnants of the Dark Crystal destroyed by Jynx would form a new body for him... Tartarus, she wouldn't have been too surprised if Tourmaline, maybe Amethyst (though she was rather heavily wounded) or even Obsidian herself would suddenly find their minds completely suppressed by their parent.

She most certainly didn't expect such a gruesome end of Onyx's life, especially in her finest hour!

Obsidian started to feverishly clean herself of her sister's remains - though she stopped when she heard the VOICE.  It seemed that they had all woken up from one nightmare into yet another one.  This one, however, was quite real; would her father even recognize her?  She looked a bit different than she used to, courtesy of the amulet of Light.  However, this could turn out in her favour - after all, she was sculpted to look like a pony her most honourable father once knew... 

Obsidian did the very first thing that instincts told her - she bowed.

The mighty monarch's eyes swept the entire area, and eventually focused on Obsidian and her friends.  He stared for only a moment before he spoke again. 

"Chains," was all he said, and his horn gave off an eerie purple glow. From the ground erupted manacles and chains that instantly locked around the necks and limbs of her five companions, and they were all jerked to the floor, all forced to bow before him as Obsidian was doing of her own accord. 

She heard Clap and Wart struggling to pull themselves up, but to no avail.  Gypsy began to whimper softly.  Mica was silent, staring at Sombra intensely.  Cupcake's eyes were wide, and he also stared... but not at Sombra. He was staring at Obsidian, the question in his eyes being 'will you let this happen?' 

Now, with the interlopers captured, the tyrant finally turned to look at her, his gaze being heavier and more powerful than she had even remembered. "You.  You are the one named Obsidian."  He looked around, then returned his eyes to her.  "Explain this situation we have returned into."

Truthfully, her friends really should stop struggling so much; it wasn't as though Onyx was more, uhm... 'defeatable'; as far as Obsidian was concerned, her Father was the most powerful pony in the known world.  There was little point in resisting in such an undignified way.  Would it hurt their pride so much to bow, as she had?  At least he had recognized her in an instant.  

"Most of my siblings are lost, my most honourable Father; Tourmaline, Amethyst and myself are the only known ones to have survived. The current leadership of Equestria has apparently been soundly defeated by Onyx, but their whereabouts are unknown to me. She also raised an army of undead Umbrals for you."

She stopped for a moment. "I've been fighting with her, but I could only prolong the battle, at best.  Was... w-was her death an expected outcome, my most honourable Father?"  She dared to question him and his actions - what a fool she was!

He strode forward, his eyes rolling over her friends as she spoke, seeming to take them in and judge them silently. Why did that make her feel... tight inside? When she was done speaking, he looked back at her.  "Of course; tools are made to be expendable; it matters not which one performed the act - the outcome was to be the same." 

He stopped at the diamond dog, staring.  "These... Equestrians..."  He said it as if it were a distasteful word.  "Why are they here?  What purpose are these, that they are not with the rest of our slaves already?"

Ah, so she was just a tool to him - that was good to know.  When Onyx had been insinuating that, Obsidian had been furious - they were supposed to be siblings... maybe not so much as equals, but at least they should have shared a similar position.  However, King Sombra had made them himself; it was his right to use them as he pleased, was it not? 

So... why Obsidian was starting to feel it was wrong of him to say such?  It would mean that he killed Onyx only for his own gains... killing a real, sentient pony merely to restore himself.  And it was just blind luck that Obsidian wasn't in her situation. Maybe he created them, but... how much power over them all did it actually give him?

It was a heretical thought - her father was supposed to be perfect - thus, his choices and ideas were supposed to be perfect as well. "They are with me; they are my friends, my most honourable Father."  

His head swiveled to face her, quick as lightning.

"NEVER use that word!  NEVER!  Friendship is a word of Equestria - a word of those who DETHRONED us!  A word-" 

He stared at Obsidian c-l-o-s-e-l-y for a moment... then frowned. "A word that YOUR appearance brings forward.  But we do not want this word used... EVER... in our presence.  Friends are NOT to be tolerated; they shall be slaves, and nothing more... as they SHOULD be." 

With that, his horn began to glow again, and green eldrich fire began to roll up from the ground through the chains.  When that fire reached her friends, they all screamed in agony. 

"They will be conditioned.  They will OBEY," he spoke grimly. 

Their screams grated on her ears, and felt as though they were tearing at her heart. 

"They will be worthy slaves, and you will put them to work for us.  We now assume control of ALL we survey here, and we care not for the supposed welfare of anything we own - including YOU - to speak of any form or sort of 'friendship' they may be under the delusion that they possess." 

As she watched, the eyes of her friends began to take on the same greenish glow that their chains were putting off.  Along with this, Obsidian could feel another tingle in her... but this tingle was not nice or empowering; it hurt.  It hurt horribly, as if every single terrible thing she'd experienced previously was mere peanuts compared to what was happening right in front of her. 

Clap's eyes suddenly flashed green... and she stopped struggling.  Slowly, she lowered herself to the floor, bowing deeply and staying stock still.  Like a good and proper slave... and completely unlike Thunderclap Dash. 

And with that occurrence, something inside Obsidian howled in helpless anger.

He seemed somewhat more lenient than Obsidian remembered him to be... but maybe it was because her most prominent memories were about her lessons - and, by Darkness, King Sombra expressed such hatred with any failings while teaching her magic.  However, by modern standards, even a more lenient King Sombra was still somewhat tyrannical... 

And he was hurting her friends. Her friends!  They weren't tools or slaves, and it would be a waste to use them in that manner! 

"... a-and then what will happen, Father?  Equestria is yours - and I assume that the Crystal Empire will be next to witness your return, correct?  What then shall be next?  What is your ultimate goal?"

"EVERYTHING," he growled, "is our goal!  Our new kingdom shall span as far as exists!  It shall ALL be under our hoof, to crush and use as we please..." He swept a hoof out, indicating everything around him. "And we SHALL crush a number of them - as they believe we are no threat to them!  There shall be examples to be made, yesssssss... and once it all comes into our control, we shall be known as MASTER to one and all, and we shall rule however we wish to." 

At this point, there was another flash from behind them, and now Gypsy Rover's eyes began to glow as the diamond dog slowly bowed and acquiesced to Sombra's control. Two down, three to go. 

"You... seem to have many questions," he frowned.  "Are you so ignorant of our rule, or... do you DARE to have something other than our complete control on your mind?" Her head told her to be wary of how she answered him, even as her heart wanted to scream at him to stop hurting her friends.

Just... the utter conquest of everything?  Conquest for the sake of conquest?  No further goals but complete control over the entire world?  It was hardly a worthy ending - there had to be something else... something more worthy of her most hon-... of her Father.  After all, merely ruling over everything in sight with no other goals would just be a terrible headache. 

"You've crafted me as a sentient creature, my most... honourable... Father, so I'm doing my best to observe, learn and understand - in this particular case, I am merely hoping to understand what wisdom lies behind your motives and your life." 

Poor, poor Gypsy.

A bolt of energy lashed out of his horn, red as blood, and slashed across her barrel leaving no mark, but causing her searing pain.  "You are a TOOL, and nothing more!  You are not supposed to UNDERSTAND - merely OBEY.  And we now charge you to OBEY us, and cease your questions - they serve no purpose, and we do not CARE if a tool understands its' place!" 

He glowered at her a moment, then turned back to look at her (remaining) friends. "When we control ALL, there will no longer BE any questions... only OBEDIENCE from our SLAVES, our PROPERTY, our RIGHTFUL tools!" 

As if to illustrate the point, a flash went off in Mica's eyes, and he slowly lowered himself into a bowing position, no longer fighting against control. 

"Lady Obsidian!!!!" Wart cried out in pure agony. 

Sombra turned to look at the tiny mare.  "And what is this?  This slave refers to you as royalty?  Why?  You were NEVER royalty - ONLY OUR TOOL.  As you should be.  This one is obviously deluded, or you have lied well." 

His horn glowed brighter, and Wart let out a scream of pure pain. "It matters not.  This slave's mind will be broken, and they will join the rest." 

Cupcake's stare never wavered; he kept looking at Obsidian, as if waiting for her to stand up for them, to rescue them... even if he thought it impossible, he still seemed to have faith that she would stand up to her father. Was he mistaken?

Being told by your Father that you are just a tool, twice in a row, followed by a rather painful punishment was not a nice experience - especially considering that Obsidian, in a rather twisted way, had honestly loved him, and was craving his recognition and appreciation. 

However, everything she had learned during few past days was clashing with the entire life she had experienced before. And no matter how much she was thinking about it, everything that her father was saying just seemed wrong - and his actions were even louder than his words. 

Could a perfect being be mistaken? Could Obsidian get angry enough to stand against her Father, especially as it seemed that she had nothing to lose but her own chains?  

Considering that she powered up her horn to slash at the chains holding her friends, the answer was, surprisingly, 'yes'.  

She tried to cast a shield as well - her powers were obviously on a completely different level than her Father's... but she would like to at least enjoy her righteous anger for a moment. 

"NOW I understand, dear Father; your reasons are so petty that I shouldn't even bother trying to learn them!  Did you treat Radiant Hope in this manner as well?  It must have been a very moving friendship..." 

He'd killed her sibling.  He'd hurt her friends.  And it was WRONG.

If surprise was water, Sombra would have been soaked clean to the bone; he gawked as she slashed at the chains... 

... and they shattered like glass under a lance of Dark and Light energy! 

But he wasn't taken aback for long, oh no...  The glow from his eyes and horn doubled and REdoubled again, and he hovered into the air, surrounded by violent Dark Magic. "YOU DARE!?  You are our TOOL... and YOU DARE!?" 

A ball of pure, black hate formed over his head, and he pointed a single hoof at Obsidian.  The orb streaked forward and connected with her shield.  The shield tore apart, but she'd been protected.  However, it was all she could muster; she couldn't block another shot like that one - it was too powerful to withstand a second assault. 

"Then we suppose YOU must learn your folly as well, tool!  Allow us to SHOW you what you MEAN to US!!!" 

A second blast came much too quickly for her to form even the smallest of shields... but, as it turned out, she didn't have to; Cupcake had leapt up, and thrust his party cannon right into the line of fire, between the two of them.

The blast slammed into the cannon's barrel... and blew it to pieces.  

Cupcake landed next to Obsidian, and smiled at her.  "I knew you wouldn't let him win.   I just knew it!  He's nothing but a big ol' MEANIE... and I'm glad you finally see it." 

Sombra roared in anger, but Cup didn't even cower in the slightest; he had Siddy next to him, and that was all he needed to stand bravely against the coming storm. 

"Slave Lord Sombra..." came the strong and sure voice of Stalwart Stance, "thou art craven and manipulative, lending nothing more to your legacy than tyranny and shame... yet WE stand defiant against thee!  There is no spell, no chain and no darkness that can stand against the light of our fellowship, and thou art a FOOL for thinking thou hath bested us.  And so standing, we STRIKE at thee, and aim to send thee back to the realm of dead things, where you fully belong!"  She came and stood next to Obsidian and Cupcake, looking as mighty as the warrior she was, regardless of height. 

"Nothing you put forward into this world," came the voice of Mica Chip, "has proven to be of any true value - save for Obsidian, and SHE is worth far more than YOU ever were, regardless of your callous teachings and in spite of your grip of control.  She knows the TRUTH of you now, and she will no longer abide it."  He moved next to them, actually grinning at her as he did.

“The history you have left behind is wrought only with pain and forced obedience, and is marked only by the fear you have caused,” Gypsy Rover’s voice sounded confident and stern… and, she noticed, was also stutter-free, “and the only worthwhile thing you ever brought into existence is now FULLY aware of what you truly are… and she defies you, you wicked tyrant!” 

“And y’know,” Thunderclap Dash added as she flapped over to them, hovering just over Siddy’s head, “you SUCK, Sombrero.  Your goals suck, your ideals suck, your attitude sucks, and you personally have to be the suckiest flankface I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.  You have NO idea what Siddy’s capable of now, because she doesn’t have YOU holding her back!”  

The lot of them stood there, all six together, and now Obsidian felt that tingle again… but it was far more than a tingle - it was a surge of power that filled her like the light from the rising sun; power beyond even what she’d known with the amulet, with her father, with anything else she’d ever seen or experienced up to now. 

And now, she knew that power’s name - it was the Power of Friendship, and it was flowing through her like water, strengthened by the fierce loyalty and love of her friends surrounding her, backing her as she made the toughest choice of her life - to stand against her Father, who she now realized was far from honourable. 

“Have at you, vile fiend!”  Wart growled. 

Sombra howled in rage, and a MASSIVE blast of dark energy shot forth from him, as big around as a full-grown dragon!  As she hastily cast up another shield, the blast surged forward, intent on turning the lot of them to cinders… 

Yet Obsidian’s new shield not only held it at bay… but the shot felt as weak as a simple gust of wind!

Truth to be told, Obsidian was surprised that her previous shield had managed to counter that first strike at all... and she was even more surprised that she survived the second strike - the time for mourning Cup's fallen cannon would come later.  

The entire situation was getting even more surprising with each passing second, as not only all her friends came to help her, not only the third blow from her father turned out to be practically harmless... but Gypsy had stopped stuttering - in the face of the greatest Dark Magic user in known history!  Just how could something like that be possible? 

Not that she completely agreed with everything her friends were talking about; despite everything she just heard and witnessed, she still hadn't quite passed the point where she would aim to send him back to the other side, like Stalwart said (though far more eloquently).

The feeling of power surging within her was incredible... she doubted that her Father, in his quest for domination, magic and control, had ever felt anything like that! 

"You are merely a slave to your own desires and Dark Magic, dearest Father of mine. You tried to dominate a world ruled by Harmony using nothing but Darkness, and failed twice already - and right now, it will be my pleasure to grant you your third loss!  All you saw was a reflection of the stars in a pond, and thought they were real - but it's just your own foolish blindess." 

Yes, she could be sophisticated as Tartarus too, if she wanted - and this particular moment was a perfect opportunity for that... especially as her shield was protecting her from any possible side-effects of badmouthing him. 

She shortly nodded towards Tourmaline and Amethyst, casting a healing spell on them as they lay there stunned, their wounds beginning to heal and close. 

"I WILL open your eyes, dear Father!  I will force you to acknowledge us, I shall make you remember Radiant Hope..."  

She actually smirked. "And when I beat you, I can get all your titles and belongings as the rightful heir, right?" Yes, even a touch of humour at this moment felt right.

"Well, my dear father... FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC."  Her horn flashed - but she didn't have to kill him; after all, she knew a spell that would do just the trick nicely.

The glow that came from around her only cemented the fact of her own friendships being her power source, as each of her friends' cutie marks - and Gypsy's eyes - began to glow with magic. 

"NO!  It is IMPOSSIBLE!  It cannot BE!  You are a TOOL!  NOTHING MORE!" 

Tourmaline and Amethyst began to glow, and their wounds sealed up, the >Clank!< of the dagger falling from Amethyst's back being the true indicator of the healing effect.  The two of them sat up and, the current scene becoming evident to them, both stared dumbfoundedly at the sight. 

"NO!" 

"Yes," said Mica. 
"Yeah," said Clap. 
"Eeyup!" said Cup. 
"Of course," said Gypsy. 
"Indeed," said Wart. 

Obsidian's spell went off.  

The effect was immediate, as twin beams of Light and Dark fired out from Obsidian's horn and enveloped the Slave King, whirling about his form as she watched his magics all being shut down; his eyes stopped misting, his horn's glow subsided, and he fell to the ground, unsupported by his magic. 

The final sign was clear, as the whirlwind of Light and Dark energy coalesced onto his horn and, before her very eyes, turned it a solid black color.  She could no longer feel even the slightest iota of magic from him.  

And just like that, King Sombra was defeated, his magic sealed, his tyranny at an end at long last. 

He staggered a bit where he stood.  "... you... this... kill you... you... you cannot..." 

Clap laughed.  "I think she just did." 

With that, Sombra pitched forward and passed out, hitting the ground like a sack of potatoes - out cold.

Now how was she supposed to be able to brag about her victory when he was unconscious?  She couldn't!  She'd have to wake him up and then force him to listen to her rant that she was better than him!  After all, it took her only three days (and the personal Tartarus that Onyx had put her through) to best him, and his mastery of only Dark Magic had rendered him basically useless in the face of an opponent that could counter it... but no, he just HAD to pass out! 

He had no idea how lucky he was. 

"Well, my friends... I think that was possibly the worst family reunion ever - especially considering that we are still covered in Onyx's remains."  

She thought for a moment. "Either her grave will have to be empty, or there will be a lot of very careful scrubbing involved.  I still can't believe how smoothly you were speaking at the end, Gypsy!  I hope you keep it up!"  

Poor Onyx.  To die in her moment of triumph... of course, Obsidian had been doing her best to rob her of that triumph - and had she succeeded, her sister might be still alive.  

She looked around; there would be plenty of work to repair Ponyville, it seemed.

"We have to locate and gather the rest of ponies, and put my dear Father in a cell or something..."  There was also the chance they'd need a cell for Tourmaline and Amethyst as well... though it was more probable for her sister - she didn't seem to show even a hint of remorse for her actions earlier, after all. 

There was also the case of Jynx and her father... and was the magic of friendship able to resurrect dead ponies?  Butter Churn was probably still quite upset about her mother's demise. 

There were also still Umbrals hanging around; she could possibly learn how to control them, but did she truly want to?  They turned out to be rather lousy soldiers, considering that a bunch of teenagers was able to wreck their army and force their way out and into the village... and just how in Tartarus were Obsidian and the gang still able to stand?  It had been quite a while since they had rested or ate properly...

"But first... perhaps it would be time for a well-earned group victory hug?"

She was suddenly covered in her friends, all hugging her and laughing, crying, or both. 

"Siddy, you were AMAZING!  When you did the BOOM, and then the WHAMMO, followed by the BA-DINGGG!  It was all, like, WOWEE!  Family reunion or not, you were the belle of the ball, so to speak!  YOWZA!"  Cupcake was animated as he described her actions with sound effects rather than words. 

"And that surprised you, Cuppers?  Heh, it didn't surprise me, not for a minute - that's our Siddy!" Clap gave a grand laugh and then gave Obsidian a hearty pat on her back. 

"This one... thanks you, Obsidian.  You're our friend, and you've proven it beyond all d-doubt.  We love you - all of us."  Gypsy blushed, but meant every word he'd said. 

"I admit," Mica began, "I wondered if this would be the point where you turned... but I'll say I was glad to see that you didn't.  And somewhere inside, I think I knew you'd stay by us all along.  Thank you for proving my earlier suspicions wrong."  Mica wiped away a single tear, his face now more expressive than she'd ever seen it before. 

"Lady Obsidian," Wart declared in her strong manner, "we are all greater for having you in our lives, as I hope we enrich your own.  I have never served a royal more regal, more honourable than yourself.  I salute you... my friend." 

"Hey," Clap joked, "our friend, y'little dynamo!" 

That's when Obsidian noticed three things: 

The army of Umbrals were simply standing there, unmoving... looking at Obsidian.  Every last one. 

Amethyst and Tourmaline were looking at each other as if they were trying to decide to continue to attempt to kill one another or not. 

And, one by one, the sound of slave helmets snapping in half repeated over and over again, echoing throughout all of Ponyville.  Following this, a number of ponies (and other races) began to slowly issue from City Hall, all looking around curiously.

Obsidian pointed her hoof at Amethyst and Tourmaline. "If you so much as even TRY to kill each other, or anypony else, I'll do everything I can to turn your lives into a Tartarus of friendship, so much so that you will start each day with a song about how the whole world is beautiful, and you hold nothing but love for everyone," she threatened them, though with a rather tired voice.

Her two siblings both went wide-eyed at her threat, and they immediately scooted back from each other and rose to their hooves, pointedly looking at anything but Obsidian, obviously embarrassed at being put in their place... but not arguing one whit.

"And I love you too, guys; rest assured, Mica - I was very concerned about your well-being... I just hoped I could at least try to talk my dear Father into something less... you know, magical and deadly.  Especially as apparently I look just like his only true friend." 

No matter how much she thought about it, being crafted to look almost exactly like a dead mare sounded creepy to her... in fact, was Hope dead?  Maybe she was still living in the Crystal Empire somewhere... 

Obsidian looked at the Umbrals, unsure of what to do with them. "Drop dead, please," she asked them nicely as she started to power-up her anti-undead spell, just in case.

As soon as she spoke her command, every last one of them simply crumpled where they stood, becoming piles of dead flesh and muck.  Ew.  But at least they were no longer a threat... though maybe she should have asked them to return to the black waters and drop dead.  Well, what's done was done, and they were no longer a threat.

Her friends all stared at the lot of the undead horde dropping like flies.  "Uh, Sids?"  Clap spoke up.  "You... did that?" 

"Are you all alright?" Twilight Sparkle, cut and bruised, but alive, made her way over to the lot of them, looking them over.  "How... how?  What happened?" 

Cupcake smiled.  "Friendship happened, DUH!"

"I... I didn't know they would listen!  I wanted to turn them into dust, just like I did before..."  Obsidian was somewhat embarrassed by this small accident. She didn't want to cast that spell without being at least a little bit snarky, but it seemed that she didn't have to tire her horn any further.  

"Good evening, princess.  Onyx won and brought back our father - who is right here," she pointed a hoof to the unconscious form of the former king. "We've friendshipped the Tartarus out of him and took away his magic; I suppose it means I am his main heir now... unless my erstwhile siblings would like to contest that?" 

Let's be fair - Obsidian liked her appearance as an avatar of Light, or as an alicorn with her own version of her Father's banner.  Maybe her claim was pointless, as her father didn't really have anything interesting to inherit from him... but she'd have some PRIDE about it!

Tourmaline and Amethyst actively didn't protest diddly-squat; they were making sure they didn't anger their sister at all. 

Twilight Sparkle looked at the unconscious form of Sombra on the ground, then back up at Obsidian and her friends... and smiled. "Obsidian, you have saved all of Equestria from an insidious threat that could have spelled the end of us all.  As far as I am concerned, you are a full-fledged citizen of Equestria, and are eligible for all the rights that includes.  Even if you don't make a home here, you're always welcome as one of us." 

"Now," she turned, looking about, "we have messes to clean up, homes to fix, and..." she swallowed back a lump in her throat, "funerals to arrange.  It is time to rebuild, and personally, I would like for everyone to be a part of it." 

She turned her smile on the young mare.  "Especially you, Obsidian.  And, if it's okay with you, I'd like to ask you about and study your Grey Magic; there hasn't been the like of anything in modern Equestrian history about it - and I'd like to add your knowledge to our Royal Library," she smiled, "and the position of Royal Librarian, by the way, has very recently become available, in case you're interested?"

So there probably wasn't some magical, friendship-y way to bring back the dead... Butter wouldn't be happy.  Obsidian herself certainly wasn't happy about Ruby, though the shock was somewhat softened by the fact that she had barely known her, and spent far more time with her after her demise. 

Too bad that the Light amulet was destroyed; it was the last remains of Ruby's will, after all.  Her mirror surely stopped storing her darker personality as well, considering the amounts of energy she used. 

"I... I think I am interested, princess - at least as long as it won't collide with my studying."  It felt somewhat surreal, to be surrounded by a decaying mass of Umbrals, to have her defeated father nearby and to talk about studies and work...

Cupcake suddenly popped up in front of her and kissed her solidly, right on the lips! "I get the feeling," he grinned, "that things are gonna be okay; maybe not the best, hopefully not the worst... but okay."

"And that is... okay?" Wart questioned. 

"It's fine and dandy!"  Clap laughed. 

"Absolutely."  Mica grinned. 

"G-good to hear it."  Gypsy added.
> Forty One: Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey," Cupcake nudged Obsidian from her dream, nuzzling her cheek to gently wake her up.  "Hey, Siddy... time to wake up.  Today's the day, and we have to meet with the others before we head to the show tonight!" 

It had been two whole weeks since the events of that fateful day.

When she finally awoke, it was in the bed that she now shared with Cupcake; the Pie family had gladly accepted her, but it had taken only one week for them BOTH to tire of Pinkie's constant spying, so they'd moved into a house of their very own, using Cupcake's savings.  Now, she got to wake up every day to Cup's snuggles - it was a paradise she hadn't expected. 

"C'mon, sleepyhead," he teased gently, "if we don't make it on time, they're gonna be disappointed."

Could be worse... could be far worse.  She was learning a lot, very quickly, and could only hope she'd catch up with the insanity called 'a normal modern life'.  It didn't help that she had decided to have a crush on a pony who was basically the antithesis of her entire past life and, believe it or not, was one of the most normal ponies in his own family!  At least she was cured of her phobias about being touched; if she'd still suffered from that, her life would have been completely, utterly insufferable. 

"Yes, yes, I'm moving," she muttered, getting out of the bed and stretching.  Maybe she should follow her habits from the good old days and spend some time fasting, training and doing anything she could to maintain physical and mental fitness?

Downstairs in the kitchen, the table was set with a number of Cup's culinary delights, all hoofmade - and one or two dishes made just for her, of course. 

At the sink, Amethyst grumbled as she washed the dishes and pans, a rag in her hoof as the mare scrubbed them down.  The grey horn on her head didn't even spark once; the ring she'd been ordered to wear meant her magic had been locked away until she 'redeemed herself', however long it would take. 

"This would be so much easier if I had my magic, y'know," she groused. 

Cup just grinned.  "I'm sure... but you know you have to earn that right back.  Auntie Twily's decision, don't you know?  Just make sure you get it done before the ceremony - you are invited, you know." 

"Yeah, I know," she growled, "don't rub it in."  As she went on with her dishwashing, she gave Obsidian a slight look as she entered.  "Did you get yesterday's homework assignment?  'Cause I have no clue what a 'crush' is, and I don't think I'll be able to write about the one in that miserable storybook until I figure it out!  Why does this always happen to me?" 

Cup grinned at Siddy.  To be fair, the fact that Amethyst had access to their culinary utensils was making Obsidian somewhat worried - tool or not, she proved herself to be rather deadly with knives, didn't she?  Luckily without her magic, and with a constant threat of being so brainwashed that she'd be hugging even trees and houses, she seemed to be somewhat less dangerous. 

Obsidian shrugged slightly. "Ask Tourmy first, Amy - I'm really interested what he'd answer for that one." 

What could she say, 'a crush means that you can live through hugs even if you hated it before, and there was also this lips thing too'?

Her muzzle soured.  "I'd rather ask that one jackass outside of town to discuss Equestrian politics," she grumbled. 

"Hey, don't slander Cranky," Cup spoke up, "he's momma's friend." 

Amethyst waved a forehoof at him and resumed washing dishes.  Of her two siblings, Amy had been having the rougher time of things; Tourmaline, strangely, had adapted to Ponyville life fairly quickly, and had even made a single friend - Gunther Gadfly, the griffon.  The two of them spent a lot of time talking about everything under the sun. 

Amy still didn't have any friends; she had a long way to go, but she still might one day finally let go of her own past.  Until then, she lived in their attic and did her schoolwork and chores like she was told.  Most of her free time was still seemingly dedicated to herself... but hopefully, it wouldn't last forever. 

Breakfast was, as always, delicious.  She ate her fill, as did Cupcake and even her sister, and after clean up, Cup insisted that she get ready for tonight's big night. 

And what a night it was going to be. 

Once she was ready, Cupcake smiled at her.  "Okay, we have to go by Sugarcube Corner and gather Mica up, then we go by the school and fetch Gypsy from his studies.  After that, it should be close to time for the presentation - then the show!" He gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek.  "You ready?"

To be fair, all things considered, Amy could ask Cranky - not about politics, but about this crush thing, considering what she'd heard about him.  The fact that he ended up with a wife seemed to indicate he understood this topic pretty well, or at least much better than Obsidian and, of course, Amethyst. 

"I was crafted ready, Cupcake," Obsidian said with a calm voice.  Yes, that fasting idea should be pretty good. She already looked much fatter than before, courtesy of the Light amulet making up for her malnourishment.  At this pace, she would look like a shameless, obese hedonist soon!  The amount of food that modern ponies were eating was insane, at least in comparision to the meals she used to eat in the Empire...

The two of them headed for the doorway, though before they could get through it, that door opened and Tourmaline himself walked in, talking over his flank. 

"... and then she tackled me!  I mean, sure, points fr bravery, but- OH!"  He stopped short of bumping into Cupcake.  "I didn't know you were heading out - my apologies." 

"Hey-o," Gunther waved from behind Tourmaline, "you kids doin' okay?" 

"Of course they are!"  Tourmy grinned.  "They have help indoors fom my charming sister-" 

"Oh, HA HA," from the kitchen. 

"... and outdoors help from yours truly; what more could they ask for?" 

Gunther laughed.  "Prolly some peace an' quiet, I'll bet!" 

Tourmy rolled his eyes and smirked.  Since his own change of heart, he'd become more and more sociable; it gave Obsidian something to smile about, and had led to some interesting and eye-opening conversations between the two.  Honestly, he was beginning to turn out to be the big brother she'd hoped he'd be - it was actually nice to chat with him. And he NEVER spoke THIS way ANYmore. 

"Tonight's the night, correct?"  Cup answered with a vigorous nodding, and her brother chuckled merrily.  "Well then, I'll just grab a bath, and I'll be along with Amy later on." 

"Yeah, right," from the kitchen again.

Did Tourmaline got into a fight?  Wait... maybe he was talking about his altercation with Wart?  It seemed that, eventually, Ruby turned out to be correct; Tourmaline, as soon as he stopped trying to crush her bones, seemed to integrate fairly well. And he even didn't want to try to kill Amy anymore.  And he'd made a friend!  To be fair, considering how merrily he was spending his time here, Obsidian could suspect he was integrating better than she herself had. Too bad Onyx wouldn't ever see it. 

"If she wouldn't like to go, be gentle; sedatives instead of violence, and so on."

Tourmy waved a hoof at her and rolled his eyes playfully.  "Yes, yes - I know.  Her choice, of course."

Even though his own horn had been ringed as well, he seemed to miss it far less than Amy did.  He'd gotten to working in the small yard they had, and he was beginning to show some muscle.  In fact, it was a fair bet that if he continued doing as he was, he'd have the eye of a few mares on him, sooner or later. 

"Okay, T-Line," Gunther said, "I gotta get home an' get ready myself - don't think I'm missin' this fer the world!" 

"Fine and dandy, my friend," Tourmaline retorted, "I'll see you there - save me a seat!" 

"You betcha!" The griffon said as he took off.  Tourmy gave them both a slight wave and headed downstairs to his room. 

The walk through town was actually rather pleasant; the repairs had been going so smoothly, it was hard to tell that less than a month ago, the place had been besieged by an undead horde.  

Cupcake skipped merrily along, talking rapid-fire about his cooking, his mother's promised gift of a new party cannon for his birthday, Obsidian's test scores (which, coincidentally, were quite high), and anything else he could jabber on about. To be honest, even if he was babbling, just the sound of his voice warmed Obsidian's heart. 

They reached Sugarcube Corner, where Maud, Mudbriar and Mica all were busily sweeping the shop out. 

"Oh, it's you guys," Maud said in her typical monotone, "hey." 

"Yes, hello there," Mudbriar followed.  Mica's father was... kind of boring... but nice enough, in his own way. 

"Hey, Siddy," Mica said, giving a small nod.  "Mom, may I..?" 

"Sure," she said, totally deadpan, "you kids have fun.  Oh, Boulder says hi." 

Cupcake smiled, "Tell him I said HI right back!"  Maud nodded, and Mica moved to join the two as they walked along. 

"Big night tonight, right?"  Mica seemed the tiniest bit more animated than usual; which, in his family, meant he was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

Everypony was thrilled about tonight, right?  At least Mica would remember to put this on his calendar and avoid unnecessary asking.  But at least Cupcake was going to get a new cannon; his combat competence should increase after that.  Of course, no undead armies had been spotted lately, but it would be far better to be armed than not. "Yes. Gypsy now, I assume?"

Cup nodded.  "Yeah - he's probably in the library.  Again."  Mica rolled his eyes and nodded, but with a tiny smile to accent his expression.

As they walked along, Obsidian realized that tonight would also mark the two week anniversary of Mica declaring his heart to Thunderclap... and her later declaration of her own heart to him.  They'd been seriously dating ever since then, and she'd even seen them exchange a kiss - when Clap though no one was looking, of course. 

Cup and Mica made most of the small talk until they reached the School of Friendship; it was a place of learning, but more than that, it was a place of friendship - something Siddy had considerably more interest in since two weeks prior.  The surge of power she'd felt back then had yet to manifest as boldly again, but she'd grown to understand that her power was now sourced in it. Which, of course, meant she'd studied it quite a bit now.  

In fact, it was rapidly becoming a favored subject, though she still had much to learn.  One thing she could certainly say about it - it wasn't nearly as boring as she'd thought it would be. 

Sure enough, they found the diamond dog with his snout in a book, with a small stack nearby, reading and taking notes.  When they approached, his ears perked up and when he looked, his tail began wagging happily. "Salut-t-tations, friends.  This one guesses you're here t-to gather him up for tonight, c-correct?"

Considering that Thunderclap and Mica had known each other for quite a while, Mica had withheld his crush on her for a long time.  Yet they were much more estabilished in Ponyville than Obsidian herself, and the fact that they were only kissing each other from time to time and dating a bit (though they were dating 'seriously', whatever that meant in this context) was making her think that maybe that living with Cupcake in the same house was perhaps a bit too... rushed? Add to this the fact that her ideas of 'family love' were still somewhat confused by the idea that she still somewhat craved the attention of her weak, yet cruel father, certainly didn't help. 

"Yes, hello Gypsy.  I see that being a part of history didn't sate your hunger for it," she said bemusedly.  Maybe defeating another Sombra-class villain would cure Gypsy's stuttering for good?  She wondered sometimes if his biggest dream was still about him being a lecturer; it most certainly wouldn't hurt his chances if he could get over this one little obstacle... but he was as he was, and frankly, she accepted him anyway.

He smiled.  "This one is uncertain i-if history would r-remember him... but he still wishes to know, and it shall n-not escape his s-searching eyes!  This one will know it ALL!" 

Mica gave a light chuckle.  "If it were anyone else, I'd be skeptical - for you, however... I'd say you have a chance." 

Gypsy gathered his varied books and stored them in his knapsack, joining them as they exited the library.  As they made their way through the hallowed halls, they passed Headmare Starlight and Councilor Trixie, who waved to them all in passing. 

"They've come a long way, don't you think?"  Trixie asked the Headmare. 

Starlight Glimmer smiled.  "I think she's the one who's come the farthest.  Good on her for it, too." 

Trixie turned to her friend.  "'Farthest?'  Is that even a real word?" 

The group of the four of them now made their way through the other side of town, headed towards Twilight's Palace for the ceremony in question.  In fact, there were a number of folks headed that way; it was supposed to be a large ceremony lead by the Princess herself, followed afterwards by a show from the Wonderbolts. Clap had raved about the famed pegasus team enough to pique Obsidian's curiosity; stunt flying sounded intriguing.  She'd find out soon enough, she supposed. 

As they walked along, Mica and Cup began to chat again.  Meanwhile, Gypsy fell back next to Obsidian.  

"This one w-was thinking of you last night, and made you a p-present." He reached into the floppy sleeve of his hoodie, and brought out an origami alicorn, which the diamond dog had colored to resemble her from their shared 'nightmare'; it was clearly Obsidian, and it was just as clear that he'd spent a great deal of time coloring it properly. He handed it over to her.  "For you, friend," he grinned.

That actually managed to make Obsidian chuckle a bit as she thanked him for it.  In a sudden fit of fantasy (or perhaps mild insanity), she actually put it on her head, next to the ear, even using a bit of magic to keep it in place and not lose it by accident.  Sadly, at the moment Obsidian herself could only fold paper into... well, wasted paper, but sooner or later she'd catch up... ooooor get bored with her attempts.  Of course she had plenty of other things to do, so she couldn't practice it too often... 

Cup, Mica, Gypsy, Obsidian... and Wart and Clap surely would be waiting for them at the castle.

Twilight's Castle was already bustling with activity when they arrived, and they followed the crowd until they reached the great hall, where the ceremony was to take place.  As they shuffled in and got to their seats, a few of the Royal Library regulars waved to Obsidian; taking the job as Royal Librarian for Twilight Sparkle had been more work than she'd imagined; how could a single mare have so many books!?  But she'd adjusted fairly enough, and was even seen as a boon to the regular library-goers, due to her knowledge of where things were, and her totally awesome method of sorting, which had gained some minor fame for her.

They shuffled down the rows to their seats, and took them as the ceremony began. Princess Twilight Sparkle stepped out onto the stage, looking regal in her tiara and a gown of great beauty and style; in the wings were Miss Rarity and Eloquence, her son - both looking proud as could be.  Eloquence was even sharing his mother's hankercheif to wipe his eyes with. 

"My little ponies," she began, "I come to you tonight with the hope of tomorrow held high, making ourselves safer and more secure than ever before." 

"Recently, there was quite a stir here in Equestria, and we have done our utmost best to rebuild and recover from those events.  Though we lost some dear, dear friends," she took a deep, steadying breath before continuing, "we made even more." 

With this, her eyes moved to look at Obsidian and her crew, and she smiled. 

"And now, this batch of Royal Guard hopefuls have finished their preliminary training, and are here to dedicate themselves to not only myself, but to all of Equestria in their service to defend and serve each of us as they strive to become full-fledged Knights." 

"I will now introduce to you one of my greatest trainers, Lemon Custard, who will commence the sworn oath ceremony.  Lemon, if you please?" 

Lemon Custard, dressed impeccably with medals in full view, proudly marched onstage and came to the podium as Princess Twilight retreated into the wings, looking on beside Rarity and Eloquence.  He brought a list from his inner coat pocket, and began to look it over as he lifted his voice to speak loudly enough to fill the room.

"Steeleye Grimshaw..." A strong and capable-looking stallion made his way onstage, marching his way over to the podium before standing at attention next to it, his newly-minted armor gleaming.

"Pillar O'Strength..." A mare, muscular and sure, followed suit, her armor polished and shining.

Lemon continued to name names, and soldiers continued to step out onstage and stand for all of Equestria to see.  Though Cupcake made snoring noises (softly), Mica nudged him and Gypsy occupied himself, folding soldiers to match the ones onstage. 

The list continued for fifteen minutes, until a long line of Guards-In-Training had amassed upon the stage.  Lemon then claered his throat and spoke up again.  "And last, but hardly least, Stalwart Stance." 

The tiny mare came strolling out from behind the curtain, bedecked in her own Royal Guard armor, made specifically to her size dimensions.  She marched perfectly towards the line and took her place, standing at full attention... 

... but wore an enormous smile, and had tears running down her cheeks as she stood as tall and proud as her little form would let her. 

"YAAAAY, WARTY!!!"  Cupcake cheered, which brought forth a few chuckles from the rest of the audience, and a redoubling of Wart's grin... and a glare from Lemon. Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly.  

Lemon adjusted his spectacles, then gave a subdued smile as he spoke once more.  "May I present the latest class of Royal Guard Trainees; may their honor and duty serve Equestria well, and may they grow to become the Knights they aspire to be."  The audience cheered, their applause rattling the rafters.

Truth be told, to Obsidian that smile on Wart's muzzle was almost bigger than she was... which, taken literally, would break laws of the universe - but of course, she meant it figuratively.  But it was a well-deserverd reward; after all, how many guards could say that they were as useful?  Or that they had single-hoofely defended a bridge from an incoming Umbral horde?  Or that they helped to take down King Sombra himself?  Not too many. 

To be honest, probably the only other guardian that could say that last thing was Prince Shining Armor himself, so the bar was set pretty high.  Hopefully, Wart's newfound duties wouldn't be a problem for their little gang of friends.  Obsidian joined in the raucous cheers... in her own, rather subdued way. Of course, in comparision to Cupcake, everypony was subdued, as he howled and stomped with fervor for their little friend.

The ceremony went on, where Lemon made them all swear their loyalty and fealty to Equestria and its' rulers, but that part of the ceremony went slowly... another hour, and it was finally over and done. When everything was finished, Wart came from behind the curtain and went to the seats to greet her friends.  

When she arrived, she accepted hugs from each of them, and gave them in return. When she reached Siddy, she bowed deeply.  

"Lady Siddy... were it not for you, I would never have been noticed by Lemon Custard; his testimony alone made today a reality for me.  I thank you with ALL of my heart!" Then, she leapt up and hugged Siddy tightly, whispering, "you are my best friend, ever," in Siddy's ear.

Compared to the Stalwart that Obsidian met two weeks ago, the change was striking. From a very obedient mare that had been lying to herself that one day her dream will come true... she had become a (still) very obedient, yet far more friendly mare who had achieved that dream.  

The world was insane, truly; without a zombie invasion and King Sombra's return, Wart just wouldn't have had any opportunity to prove to the whole of Equestria that she was a serious fighting machine - just a bit compressed.  And it seemed that compressing those fighting skills of hers was a good idea. 

"Oh?" Obsidian replied with a smirk, "Then perhaps will you join myself and Thunderclap during our upcoming Spa visit?" She still had no idea what was so interesting in other ponies taking care of your fur and so on, but she DID promise she'd try it, right?  "And without you, Equestria would be in chains - so I guess we're even, yes?"

Wart gave a chuckle.  "As you wish, Lady Siddy - far be it for me to miss a chance to protect you from the evils that a spa may or may not have!" 

"Speaking of which," Mica said with a grin, "if we're going to catch my Clappie flying with the 'Bolts tonight, we should make our way to the Royal Gardens here, right away; I'm certain she'll be stoked to see us all." 

"What're we waiting for?"  Cupcake asked, "Let's shake a leg or four!" 

They issued out of the rear doors, as everyone else had, and made their way to Twilight's Royal Gardens in the back.  The plants there were tall and well-kept, and her flower gardens rivaled even the ones in Canterlot.  As they made their way through, they did make a single stop, for Obsidian. 

Her Father's statue was still where Twilight had placed him; facing the sunrise, looking stoic and proud, refusing to be turned to stone in any sort of cowardly pose.  Though he was sealed in stone and his magic locked away beyond that, he still looked menacing.  Powerful.  Tyrannical. 

"You, uh, want a moment alone with him, or..?"  Cup allowed his words to trail off.

"For what, Cup?  To talk with a pillar of cold stone?  Do I look crazed enough for that?"  Obsidian shrugged, though rather bitterly. Her Father had lost his magic - or, to be more precise, his youngest daughter had locked it away.  

Still, placing him here as a statue felt pointless - or worse, possibly damaging.  There were so many things they could do to him... that Obsidian could do.  For the moment, he'd just barely escaped her grasp; as far as she was concerned, Princess Twilight had gone surprisingly soft on him, and prevented anypony from learning more about him, his plans or his past.  He moved from being a menacing, terrifying villain straight into the position of being a menacing, terrifying statue. What a shame.  

But Obsidian was more or less sure that she could find a way to bring him back... if she'd ever actually want to.  After all, as history had shown, the position of a librarian was perfect for plotting.

Mica stepped close to her.  "You know... someday, we might actually be able to reach him.  After all, he never had to be an evil ruler, if he so chose.  Maybe one day, he'll be ready to understand."

Obsidian was less interested in his understanding than in his utter submission to her power. His compliance. She had shown him the power she held, and had used it to take away his prized Dark Magic. She had triumphed!  But she still didn't understand why he was seemingly rewarded by turning him into a piece of art. 

"But for now, he really does make a pretty decorative pigeon-toilet," Cup chuckled.

They walked onward, headed towards the area prepared for the show. There were bleachers that had been moved in for this occasion, all enchanted to ensure they did no damage to the grounds or the foliage here; each one floated mere inches off the dirt, ensuring no unsightly marks left behind. The bleachers were mostly packed already (it almost seemed as if there were more in attendance here than there were at the ceremony), but Siddy and her friends found a spot where they could sit together, and took it. 

Things seemed to settle in, but after a few moments, a pegasus wearing a 'Security' shirt flew over the crowd and seemed to search for a moment before zeroing in on Obsidian and flew over to her. 

"Obsidian, right?"  he said, "Your presence is requested backstage - alone, if you please.  Miss Dash requires you for something, and NO I don't know what, but I was sent to fetch you.  You comin'?"

The last time anypony asked her to come alone, she was ambushed by Tourmaline and almost killed after learning that underestimating an opponent is always a bad idea, and that her shields were not as powerful as she once thought. However, the last two weeks had been rather peaceful - and there was no pony around that could supposedly endanger her.  To risk fighting with a mare that had saved Equestria?  HA! 

So, Obsidian just nodded and followed the security stallion.

Her other friends looked a bit curious (especially Mica), but she didn't have to wave them away as she followed the pegasus. She was led to an area sectioned off for Wonderbolt use, or so the signs said, and he brought her to a single door.  The stallion gestured, knocked, then flew off to go do his job. 

The door opened, and there was Thunderclap Dash, wearing a Wonderbolts training outfit... and a VERY worried expression on her muzzle. "SIDDY!  Get your flank in here, girl!"

The muscular pegasus reached out and yanked her into the room, shutting the door behind her.  She simply stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, before turning and looking at her with fear in her eyes. 

"Siddy, I... I don't know if I can DO this!" She began to pace as she talked.  "I mean, I've been trying to train for this, like, all my life, and what if I still can't pull it off!?  I mean, it's a freaking Sonic Rainboom!  I'm the one who should be completely stoked to do this, but... I mean, LOOK at me!  I'm a... a-a FREAK!  How in Tartarus am I supposed to be able to pull this off, Sids?" 

Deja vu...

Whew, Obsidian heard Clap's full name so rarely that she practically forgot that term "Miss Dash" could mean her friend as well. It could have been worse, really - after all, they were using her nickname so often that Obsidian could possibly forget her name at all. 

There was also another issue - Clap had some problems with trusting her skills and spirit, and instead of calling her  coltfriend (yes, Obsidian finally got to learn this term and what it implied) to support her, or maybe a constantly cheerful Cupcake... she asked specifically for Obsidian?  

"Well, Clap, I had wings only for a few minutes, and it was a dream at that... but I'd say, fly very, very fast." 

Technically it was a correct answer, right? 

"Imagine that one of the distant clouds is my Father's muzzle, and remind yourself about how much you'd like to hit him hard enough to rattle his bones; the rest will be just a matter of working up the proper momentum." Obsidian patted Thunderclap on the back, though with nowhere near the same enthusiasm as she did to her friends - mostly because she wasn't that physically strong.  

"Besides, you are not a freak; you are a mare that's going to achieve her dreams today, just like Stalwart did moments before, and your performance shall give Gypsy another thing to write about in the future book he shall doubtless write about our glorious adventures.  We believe in you, girl." 

Obsidian had learned a lot about friendship speeches and such in the past few weeks; faith and believing in yourself, you are not alone, et cetera.  Truly, it was like a game of throwing darts - she just had to strike upon the proper combinations.

"You're... you're sure?" She seemed skeptical still, and looked toward the door anxiously. "Well, I mean... I don't know, but..." 

She looked over at Obsidian.  "Y'know, I had a dream like this once... that's kinda why I called you here instead of any of the others.  I just, well, it felt right, and I figured you would have a way to put it that could work for me." 

She paced a bit as she pondered her friend's advice.  "Hmmmmm... Sombra's muzzle, eh?"  She chuckled.  "You've come a heckuva long way since that first day, Sids... and I'm glad you did.  You're one great friend, y'know that?" 

She came over and gave Obsidian a hug that lifted her off the ground, then set her down and huffed a sigh of resignation. "HO-kay!  I guess I'm gonna do this, yeah?  Make sure Gypsy gets something to write on ready, 'cuz this mare's about to make history!" 

She opened the door for Obsidian, but before she could leave, Clap said, "Thanks, Obsidian - love ya, girl!  Now go get a good seat - this is gonna be awesome!"

Hopefully, Clap would manage to do the Sonic Rainboom correctly - it would be quite embarrassing if she would fail because she called the wrong pony, all because the famed Princess of the Night decided to engage in a dream tour with the daughter of her greatest enemy. 

"You can do it and you will do it, Clap.  And don't forget to have fun," Obsidian said with her calm voice, as soon as her internal organs got better after the hug (group hugs with Thunderclap were fine, but as soon as she had an opportunity to lift someony in the air... there just had to be some internal damage).  

Now she just had to get to a good seat - and by 'good seat' she meant 'a seat with her friends'. Truly, it would be nice of Equestrians to keep prepared places for them - after all, they were heroes and royalty, even if her own Father had discarded that claim.  Luckily, she didn't have to pay any heed to fallen, villainous ponies.  It didn't matter what her father meant; she was his daughter and, as such, she was as royal as he was.  So there.

She got back to her friends just as the announcer's voice kicked in through the loudspeakers.

{Fillies and gentlecolts!  Welcome to the Wonderbolts Air Show!  If you'll look to the east, you'll see our beloved flyers coming in right now!} 

Sure enough, streaks of blue and gold shot by the bleachers so impressively fast that they nearly took Obsidian's little paper Siddy with them! They banked, they rolled, they made some very impressive maneuvers in mid-air, often coming dangerously close to hitting each other... but like the professionals they were, they had not a single flaw or mishap. 

{And presenting, as part of a special request performance, the talented daughter of our Wonderbolts' leader - 'Bolt In Training, THUNDERCLAP DAAAAAAAAASH!!!!!} 

The cheers went up as Clap strolled out to the center field like she owned it, a microphone in her hoof.  She didn't wave (though she did drop a wink toward her friends), she simply put her goggles on.  She seemed to take a moment to decide what she was going to say - perhaps something bold and brash - but instead, she closed her eyes and when she spoke, the speakers allowed her voice to reach everyone present. 

"This is dedicated to the memory of Applejack," she said with great gravitas. 

With that, she dropped the microphone and shot straight up into the air.  As the Wonderbolts began to fly an orbit around her, she started heading off towards the distance, presumably to get room to gather speed.

While she did, Obsidian saw Tourmy and Gunther in a closer row... and Amy, surpisingly, on the other side of the bleachers, forelegs crossed but still watching with interest.  

The crowd could now make out the sight of the Wonderbolts circling around a single speck that began to outpace them, and they fell behind as that speck picked up more and more speed, until- 


>>>>>sssssSSSSSSS-BOOOOOOOOOM!<<<<<


It... was... beautiful... 

The ring that travelled outward was a bit different than Obsidian had seen in her dreams; this one was a ring of pure, bright gold, with trails of rainbow colors blasting outward behind it.  It was most certainly something that only Thunderclap would have been able to achieve; it reminded her of the pegasus' hair, golden blonde with colored roots.  Totally Clap.

It was really a shame that the Magic of Friendship hadn't been powerful enough to bring back the deceased, otherwise they wouldn't have had to do anything 'in memory of Applejack'.  Clap had given herself no other option but to succeed - trying to make a Sonic Rainboom to honor a fallen mare and failing would be worthy of writing into history books, but not in any positive sense.

As Obsidian looked on, something caught her eye; at the back of the stage, there was a ghostly image in pink - a unicorn mare with a lovely mane and tail, and a smile on her muzzle.  And next to her, pouting morosely, was another spectre... another unicorn, this one with a slight purple hue - but she wore a scowl, and had her forelegs crossed over her barrel.  The pink ghost waved, and wrapped a forehoof around the purple one, who rolled her eyes before they both vanished.

Obsidian balked mentally; was... was that Ruby?  And Onyx?  But... b-but HOW!?  How had they appeared like this?  What was the meaning of this?  She blinked and looked at where they were... but there was no evidence of them having been there at all - but she knew she'd seen them!

Could there possibly be a way to find the fallen some new bodies?  Her father had apparently sculpted living ponies from crystal and had infused them with his own soul - would it be logical to repeat the entire process and use portions of deceased spirits, like the ones she'd just seen?  Obsidian had no idea how it would work with things like their memories and so on, but the idea was promising.

The Dark Princess (or, considering that she had beaten down Sombra, QUEEN) was thinking about the possibilities so deeply that she almost forgot about cheering on Thunderclap.

But the pegasus mare had done it - she truly managed to fly very, very fast.  It looked wonderful.

So, she had to find out more about crystals, as she doubted that merely any crystal would work for the situation. Maybe there was something among Onyx's books she could learn... but to properly research them safely, she'd have to find a calm place.  Unfortunately, her home was 'Cupcaked', so it was not exactly calm. 

There were also her other two siblings, as well - the living ones. They probably couldn't help too much, as Onyx seemed to use them only as dumb muscle, but she could certainly investigate to see if there was more to them than that. 

Maybe the answer would be to work overtime in her librarian position?  Nopony seemed to complain that she worked hard.  She could only wonder if Onyx's more personal books were in the library at all. If the legends about the fabled Mirror Pool were at least partially true, she could probably use it to copy them and place the originals back.  Alas, some of the titles she owned were probably her private property, at least assuming Princess Twilight wasn't interested in claiming them for her vaults. Obsidian wasn't interested in the gorier ones, true, but she needed knowledge... 

And of course, probably Dark Magic.  Perhaps Light Magic, too.  And cryssssstalssssss...
> Forty Two: Random Access (Credits +)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


This is where I thank the folks who helped me bring this story to you all.



An eternal waterfall of heartfelt thank yous to my partner-in-crime, the amazing Wungiel, for bringing Obsidian into the world, and allowing me to build a world around her; she's such a fascinating and rich character that I just HAD to write out a roleplay for her... which eventually became the story you just read!  Without you, Wungi, I never would have accomplished this hefty task.  My humble thanks.

To Illiad Easle, for the fun we had in A Cultural Exchange, and for editing and presenting the first roleplay I did with him; his putting our RP onto this site in story-format was the catalyst for me believing I could do the same.  Good buddy, you are one in a million, and I'm so grateful to have you as a friend.  Thank you for being a mentor/hero to me.  }:)

Next, I feel obligated to thank my friend who created the cover artwork, Valtasar; the work was a gift for my birthday, and it was ultimately what REALLY got me hyped about doing the whole story.  Actually SEEING characters I created come to life like that was SUPERB, and actually brought tears to my eyes when it was done.  Oh, and if you didn't notice, I have now put up the finished version of the cover, to match with the finished story.  Thank you, Valty - you are awesomeness personified.

Then, I have to address the amazing talent and skill of Rutkotka, the artist who brings to life some very Don Bluth-style artwork, and is so very gifted with how she can make expressions tell so much of the story.  Kudos, you incredible artist you!  'Broken Glass' wouldn't have been the same without your heart-wrenching scene!

Next, I go to my other various artists for this project: thank you to each and every one of you who brought your talent to my humble story, and I would be honored to direct others to your shoppes and queues, for the purpose of helping such great artists to continue what they do.  Naiya The Brony, Ariida-Chi, NoKkun... thank you.  

And especially to all of you fine readers who kept me going.  I am an entertainer at heart, and each and every upvote and comment brought a smile to my face... and occasionally, happy tears to my eyes.  This work was for two people to enjoy roleplaying... but I felt it should be shared.  And each and every one of you were TOTALLY worth the work.  Excelsior, True Believers... and thank you ever so kindly for your time and interest.  One is glad to be of service.  *bows humbly*




But... IS Obsidian's story done with?  HA!  Not by a LONG shot!

The next arc in this story gets a bit longer, a bit lengthier... and a bit grimmer.  But the unfolding story has ALREADY been roleplayed out... and I plan to bring it to YOU FINE FOLKS, now that the first arc is complete!

For those of you who've been wondering about Siddy's 'lost' siblings... worry no longer!  The next arc introduces the rest of them - ALL of them - and brings the story of Obsidian and her friends even deeper into the mystery and history that was merely hinted at in this one... and also, there will be a number of cameo appearances by some canon characters, since I felt like I had to focus on the newer ones first.

Ah, but I'll bet you want something to whet your Whistle with first, eh?  Very well, friends and colleagues... have a taste a things to come:




[A preview of the next story in the arc:]
[Obsidian: Shards Of Sombra]


She quickly checked over the diary, to see if there were any pictures - maybe Onyx, somehow, managed to get some sort of artwork of her siblings...

In the back of the notebook, after the pages ran blank due to Onyx's untimely demise, there was a single square of what looked like wax paper... and inside the carefully folded paper was... 

A drawing?

Yes, it was a drawing, and an old one at that.  The drawing consisted of what appeared to be headshots of a number of different ponies - ten of them, to be exact.  Each one was a unicorn, and each one bore at least a passing resemblance to Sombra, in some shape or form. 

None of them were labeled... but Obsidian saw Ruby's smiling muzzle and picked it out almost instantly.  Further along the parchment, there was Tourmaline, looking haughty and sullen... Amethyst, with her teeth bared in a glare... Onyx herself, wearing a self-important smile... 

... and among them, a rather studious-looking stallion.  Wearing spectacles.  

Obsidian herself wasn't in the drawing, but with her sepatation from her siblings, it wasn't hard to determine why.  Who had done such an artwork?  There was no signature, but the level of detail was plain as day; the drawing was exquisitely done, and the faces looked so alive, she almost expected them to start moving!

Hopefully they WOULDN'T start moving - otherwise Obsidian would freak out juuuuust a little bit.  A little, tiny bit.  Yeah. 

So... hello there, Mister Peridot.  

She had to make a copy. She really had to. After all, it was the closest thing to 'family photo' she had. Hm, maybe Tourmaline will know who made this picture?  To be fair, Obsidian already had to make a copy of photo she had with Clap and Wart, after their visit to the spa - she could slash two enemies with a single sword and get copies of both photo and this picture. 

But first things first - The Delvar Libratorium... perhaps she could find more information about it's whereabouts...



Interest piqued yet?  Then please, stay tuned for the further adventures of the Dark Princess from the past, as she gathers steam while heading towards the future of Equestria... and what lies in store for our heroine as well!  

Excelsior, fine readers!