Author's Notes:

Okay, a few things. One: sorry for the slight wait, prom was yesterday, and I was TOO busy and tired to update. Two: things are going to start bouncing around, it'll still make sense, but I just wanted you all to know. Also, for those that haven't guessed yet, there's multiple story arches that tie in with the main story. That's why you'll see more than just the twins' struggles. Three: thank you for all the love and support, it really means a lot, and it helps more than you guys know.

-Till Next Time. (which is now going to be TNT.)

High Moon Ch. 19:

The Elements of Defiance

In Canterlot, news of the mysterious unicorn, the walking puppet, and of Dusk fusing some of his magic with two of the elements of harmony had reached the ears of Celestia as she called for a department meeting to discuss what should become of the new element and it’s barer.

“I say we take the collar away from him,” Major Endive started, not liking the sound of a dragon and diamond dog hybrid walking around with something that could be consider stronger than the actual elements. “If its just that than-”

Obsidian’s hand slamming on the marvel table, gaining the attention of his superiors. “An alpha’s collar isn’t just ‘that’ and don’t dare finish that sentence,” he threatened, not caring if the pony knew what the collar really was meant to represent for every dog, or for the trouble that he could get in from speaking out of turn. “At any rate, we can’t simply take the collar away from him, one: it is illegal, two: it goes against every tradition every diamond dog stands for, and three: I won’t allow it.”

“Why you disrespectful m-”

“Major.” Endive stopped at the sound of Celestia’s commanding voice, knowing that anything else she had to say would be bad for her. “As improper as Sargent Obsidian pointed out, we can not just take what rightfully belongs to him, and besides I think I have a plan that will suit everyone.” All five department-heads awaited patiently for Celestia to speak her plan to them. “I propose that the halfbreed known as Dusk Flare become a part of the elements of harmony and be here out treated as one if he choose so.”

The room became deathly silent, all considering the actually grand idea of a halfbreed as powerful as Dusk fighting on their sides, but all were broken when Obsidian let out a small chuckle. “Princess,” he started before anyone could chew him out for laughing at Celestia’s idea. “I fully agree with your plan, a diamond dog with dragon magic fighting for us sound too good to be true, but I doubt that he would want to fight under the name of ‘elements of harmony.’”

Celestia raised an eyebrow towards Obsidian, as she didn’t know what the citizens of the republics think about the elements of harmony. “Please tell me Sargent, why wouldn’t Dusk Flare want to fight with that name?”

Obsidian let out another chuckle, leaning back in his seat, and holding up one finger. “For one, by the reports this kid is from the Lunar Republics right?” Celestia nodded her head as the letter from Twilight detailed the situation and profile of Dusk and his two mares. “Well I don’t mean any harm, however, in the republics the name ‘elements of harmony’ is...poked fun of numerous of times, and I doubt that he wants to be the butt of the joke.”

While everyone was expecting Obsidian to be chewed to bits, Celestia started to softly laugh. “Yes, my sisters have made me quite aware of the joke that floats around in their lands. So Obsidian, do you have an ideas what we should call this new type of element?”

“Nope,” Obsidian quickly answered laying his hand down on the table with a chuckle. “But I do know that this half-blood would know something to call it. Also, on those line, I wanted to see if there’s a way that I could somehow speak with him. If you’ll let me.”

Celestia closed her eyes to think upon Obsidian’s request, it would make much more sense if one dog approached the other, and it could make Dusk more willing to cooperate with anything she needed him to do. On top of that, there still was the suit of heavy armor to deal with, and Obsidian’s team was comprised of several well-train researchers that could further investigate the suit for any traces of the unicorn’s magical signature.

“Very well, I and several of your researchers will company you to Ponyville where you will talk with Dusk Flare.” Obsidian nodded his head, already listing off three of his top researchers in his head while Celestia continued. “Now that that is settled I think we should be discussing just how Dusk was able to absorb some of the element of honesty’s and generosity’s magic.”

While musing over how a halfbreed was able to absorb some of the element’s magic without it causing harm to him, Obsidian could feel the other department heads’ eyes on him, which made him slightly uncomfortable. “What, is there still pieces of pork in my teeth?”

“Well, we were thinking,” A large while earth pony, decked out in light-golden armor with a golden and blue mane comb back started. Obsidian and everyone else knows the pony as Lance Force, the general commander of the Solar guard, and head of the armory department. “Since you seem to know so much about dragons, much more than most of us here, I figured that you would know.”

Again Obsidian let out a small chuckle, he should have guessed since he was from the only lands that had dragons freely moving about without them being the dominant race. “Well...I have heard of stories, more like small rumors around the dragon parts of the republics, but,” Obsidian paused to gather his memory of the whispers he would hear in his days wandering the republics. “But, there are moments, small rare moments, where a dragon can absorb any sources of magic around them when their own magic is low.” He paused again, this time his expression went from renascent to grim. “In fact, I may have ‘witnessed’ something like this without ever realizing it.”

“And by that you mean…” Corporal Tempest lead on, wanting to know what the dog was talking about.

Obsidian took in a deep breath, which was let out as a weak, and fake chuckle. “Nothing leaves this room right?” Everyone cocked their heads at the dog’s questioning of one of the most basic rules of the meetings; don’t leak out information. Slowly, Corporal nodded his head, but still unsure where the dog was going. Obsidian sat back in his chair, and started to do something none of the department head and Celestia have ever seen him do; taking off his hand-bindings.

At the first snap of the arm-greaves, obvious black smoke--that of volcanic ash--spewed from the open spots, and faded at the first sign of light in the room. Celestia’s eyes widened when they all were given the first sight of Obsidian’s bare hands. Markings looking to belong to dragons crawled over a large portion of his arms, ending right before his forearms, and in the dead center, a skull shaped of a dragon’s burned with a low sliver-red light.

Before anyone dare speak a word, Obsidian broke their thoughts, and answered their questions with one sentence. “I used to be a Fallen Saint contractor back in the republics.” Endive and two other department head shot up from their seats in shock at the sudden revelation as Fallen Saints were known to be high-risk bounty-hunters throughout the republics. “Eight years I’ve thought of this to be a curse for my foolish ambitions, a punishment for betraying one of my closest friends, but now I see. Now I finally see that this was just a blessing from another Fallen Saint. Funny, I’ve feared it all this time for nothing.”

Obsidian started to put on his arm-greaves again, the last sign from the dragon markings was a thin tail of smoke. “Freakily, I can live without them, and I’ll continue to do so. Anyways, I believe what happen to me was the same thing that happen with Dusk, just in reverse.” Celestia, who had mostly recovered from the shocking new from Obsidian, slowly nodded her head.

“Alright, that was rather...informative.” Obsidian could hear the conflict in Celestia’s voice, it’ll take time, but soon everypony in the room will soon understand why he became a Fallen Saint. “Now for the final order of business, that mysterious unicorn with the ‘shadow-magic’ that was depicted in the report.” All of the department heads pulled themselves out of their thoughts of understanding how a Fallen Saint was right underneath their noses for four years to listen to the remaining portion of Celestia’s report. “It seems that whoever this pony is, he is looking for some kind of filly with ‘odd’ magic, and is now to be considered a threat along with any that are associated with him.”

“Something tells me there’s more,” Lance started, knowing Celestia’s thinking longer than any other department member. “Could we get a description of what we should look for?”

Celestia nodded her head in acknowledgment to the commander’s request. “While the pony’s face had yet to be seen, the most noticeable thing was the robes he wore. Pure jet black with silver ruins going along the edges. Be on the close lookout for anything like this.” Every department head nodded their heads, knowing that it must have now been some occultists group out planning some kind of scheme. “If there are no more question, I want all of you to remain on standby until I have further orders, Sargent I want you and your team of researchers ready by the hour. You are all dismissed.”

Each soldier started to file out of the room to leave to their respective department. Once out the door, Endive used her magic to create a sword to point at the back of Obsidian’s head. One glance of the halls told Obsidian that he was free to speak without the rest of the guard finding out about his past. “Major E, what is it? I’ve got a team of researchers to put together in less than twenty minutes.”

“Tell me mutt, you said those ‘marking’ are because of your own foolish ambitions.” Obsidian turned his head back to find that none of the department heads had moved from their spots outside of the meeting door. All gazing straight at him as if he wasn’t even the same dog as he was hours before. He couldn’t resent them for their sudden caution. While Fallen Saints are sometimes revered as heroes or fools in the republics, in Equestria, the practice of bounty-hunting is frowned upon as must believe it takes away the need for the Solar guard.

“What were your true intentions?”

Obsidian closed his eyes and turned his head back around, just remembering how he acted, and viewed the world in his youth frightened him slightly. His cold treatment of others around, only act out of self-gain, and did anything possible to reach his goals. “At first...I had ill-intentions, only sought out for power, but that got me in a mess of trouble I don’t want to relive.” After a few more tense moments, Endive put away her sword, and started to walk past Obsidian.

“Then you better never give me a reason to start looking in your past, Fallen Saint,” she whisper into his ear before walking down the hall to her own department’s barracks.

Obsidian again turned his head with a blank stare back to the other department heads. “I can only assume the rest of you feel the same way,” he said flatly before walking off to get everything situated for the trip to Ponyville. Obsidian walked through the halls, not believing how the other department heads are dealing with his past, but pushed the petty conflicts aside to get everything ready. Obsidian pressed a finger to his communicator earpiece to speak with Gizmo about getting the researchers ready. “Gizmo.”

’Yeah boss-dog, what is it?’

“Have Trace, Notary, and Zela get ready for some work in Ponyville. And tell them I want it done two hours ago.”

’Sure thing boss-dog, I’m on it.’

The flight to Ponyville was brief as Obsidian instructed the two unicorns, one mare the other stallion, and zebra mare what their assignments were. In order to find out just where the unicorn that attacked Ponyville fled to, they needed to find a trace of magical signature, and the sooner the better.

The three magical researchers were guided towards town hall where Armamollia’s body still lay embedded in the broken wall, and was now acting as a support beam, making their job slightly more dangerous than they first thought.

Celestia and Obsidian were lead to the Golden Heart hospital where they met up with the elements and was lead to Dusk’s room as he was getting ready to leave the hospital only after a few short hours of being their.

Once outside of his door, Celestia told the element that Obsidian alone will speak with Dusk and his two marefriends about the matter while they caught up on other important matters. As the mares left the hospital, Obsidian opened the door to find that Dusk to be a purple teenaged diamond dog dragon hybrid just like the reports stated. Along with his two marefriends Sketchy and Jinx.

“I can assume that you’re Dusk Flare,” Obsidian opened up as he walked into the halfbreed’s room. Dusk looked away from the small number of paperwork that had to been read and signed for him to leave the hospital without any troubles. “Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Master Sergeant Obsidian, I am the head of the engineering department of the Solar guard, and if you want to keep your collar,” Obsidian pointed to the purple collar around Dusk’s neck. “I’m your new best friend.”

Dusk sighed as he thought there would be more papers to sign or something nit picky like that. “Okay Obsidian, well what do you need of me?”

Obsidian took a chair from out of the corner and seat down in a slight sigh. “It isn’t what I need of you. It is what the Solar crown needs, or better put, request of you.” Dusk sat up in the bed, now more concerned about the situation. “You see, someponies here in Equestria would freak if they heard someone like you was walking around with power like you hold now.”

“And by someponies you must mean the nobles of Canterlot,” Sketchy cut in, surprising Obsidian at how quickly she was able to figure out his wording. “I fail to see how they can have any say what Dusk does with his element.”

“Actually,” Obsidian started, not sure how the halfbreed will react to what he’ll tell him. “The elements of harmony are symbols of the Solar crown and basically everything Celestia tries to stand for. The nobles try following the same lead to make themselves look good.” Dusk was going to question what Obsidian meant by all of this when he was stopped by the dog raising a hand. “So, it won’t be long before nobles start ‘offering’ you things, and soon become a problem for you and your pack here.”

Dusk sighed and looked over to both of his sides to see the worried looks on Jinx’s and Sketchy’s faces. “Okay, what should I do?” The last thing he wanted is for both of his mares to be caught in the mess of nobles pushing their ways into their lives.

“Good, now I’m going to give you three options, and I need all of you to stay calm until I explain every single one. Understood,” Obsidian asked, getting a firm nod from each individual in the room. “Okay, your first option, give up your collar to the crown, and live a completely normal life.” Dusk started to growl a little at the mere thought of giving up something his mother worked so hard to make specially for him but was able to remain calm with Jinx taking his hand. “Option two, become a part of the elements of harmony, and be called whenever Equestria needs you.” This time, Sketchy wasn’t the one to like the idea very much, and it showed in the glare she was giving Obsidian. “Finally, option three, you start your own band of elements, and you call the shots.”

“My own elements? How would that even work,” Dusk asked, having no idea what that would mean for him, or his mares.

Obsidian started to chuckle slightly, the situation was odd for all involved, but so is this true for everything that is new. “So as long you follow the laws of the land, whatever you want.” The three lovers blankly blinked several times before Obsidian continued. “Look, not even Celestia knows what’s going on right now, and I have a good feeling that you don’t want to be a part of the elements. So, there’s literally nothing stopping you from forming your own band of elements with your own beliefs behind them.”

Dusk lay his head back against the head of the head of the hospital bed. His mind worked hard to figure out what he was going to do, the first option wasn’t even an option, the second one...not gonna happen, but the third? Were do he begin? “My own elements and beliefs, huh?”

“Anything will do really,” Obsidian started, wanting to help Dusk out as much as he could, and didn’t want him to feel like he was being shoved into the dark alone. “Something you came up with yourself, teachings from home, family, friends, loved ones. Anything really.”

Dusk closed his eyes to focus mainly on everything he stands for. Never giving up, not backing down from any challenge no matter how big it was, but knowing when you needed help and when you could stand on you own.

His father spoke of the same words to him and his siblings, the elder salamander’s words--as blunt and sometimes mean as they were--always held truth in his heart. One word in particular was his father’s favorite to call him: “Defiance.” Dusk lifted his right hand as the door opened to Celestia and the elements. “The elements of defiance; resolve.” The purple and white gem in the center of Dusk’s collar started to shine a bright purple light before the metal gauntlet encased his right arm. Dusk chuckled a little, he would have never thought that his father’s many insults would one day prove to be something worth wild. Maybe he’ll send a thank you note explaining everything.

“The elements of defiance, starting with resolve,” Obsidian mused with a slight chuckle of his own. “Alright works for me and if the rest of Equestria don’t like it, then tough.” Obsidian and Dusk shared a laugh while the soldier set the chair back into the corner. “Just remember, this doesn’t change a single thing. You and your marefriends are still under the law, just like the rest of us, and if you ever think you can help out, you’re free to do so.”

Dusk returned the nod from Obsidian while his gauntlet went back into the gem in his collar. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks, for you know, letting me keep my collar.” Dusk touched the purple leather collar as it served to constantly remind him of his home and loving mother. No matter how many times she nearly cave his face in. “It means a lot to me.”

Obsidian recognized the look in Dusk’s eyes as he been through it for fourteen years. “To any dog it would. Stay safe half-blood, be smart, and protect your own. Till we met again,” he started the traditional diamond dog farewells, which Dusk quickly returned.

“In the Winds of Time.”

Obsidian nodded towards Dusk and started out of the room, briefly locking eye with Celestia, before heading out to check up on the research team. “Well Dusk Flare,” she started, walking in the room, and waving off the three lovers’ bows. “I must stay that is a very big step you’ve took here today. I want you to know that you have the support of the crown as well the other elements.”

Dusk looked over to the bright faces of the elements, who all waved back to him. “That’s awesome princess, thank you, but if its anything, can I please get out of here now. I really, really, really don’t like hospitals.”

Sketchy rolled her eyes and swatted Dusk’s face with the small stack of paperwork in her hand “Oh quit your whining already, we’re almost done with the paperwork,” she said with a flat attitude but still sounding caring to the other two. “Now where were we?”

“Well I guess we’ll leave you all to it,” Celestia said walking out of the room with the elements following her out with a wave of the hands. Once all the mares were outside and started for town hall to met up with Obsidian, Twilight began telling everyone that Spike and Quill both showed up to the library the other day, and that they’ve been training for these last two months for reasons neither would tell.

However, while all the others showed their joy, Celestia remained silent, but still paid much attention. Sooner, than she would have though, all six of them were standing in front of the suit of armor that Twilight said Dusk insisted to be called by name; Armamollia. None of the elements could figure out why Dusk was so passionate with having the suit called by name but Celestia knew that it had to do with a diamond dog’s respect of fallen adversaries.

Celestia eyes carefully examine the former walking puppet, pieces of its armor were melted to near unrecognizable levels, while the armor had cold off it still was now fused to town hall, and now was the only thing holding up the building. Two unicorn moved about the suit with caution, lest they a cause a sudden collapse with the weakened structure. Obsidian himself was speaking with a zebra mare, most likely getting a full report on what they had so far.

“Sargent Obsidian,” Celestia called out, gaining the attention of both Obsidian and his zebra subordinate. The two gave a quick respectful bow before walking to met her. “What’s the situation so far?”

“Zela.” Obsidian waved over to the zebra mare as she adjusted her red-glasses and had a strictly business aura about her with her black and white mane tied back into a bun. “You want to handle this?”

“Of course Sargent,” Zela said again adjusting her glasses. “Yes well, from what we actually can pick up that doesn’t belong to the halfbreed is quite odd.” Celestia raised an eyebrow, not liking the vague tone in Zela’s voice. “It seems that there are massive amounts of black magic at play here, along with that dragon magic, however there’s a third type of magic that we can’t seem to understand.”

Celestia crossed her arms to think about what was found out about Armamollia’s artificial life. To not only find dragon magic within the suit, also black magic, that alone is enough to raise grim concerns, but what had Celestia truly worried was the unknown magic found.

“Notary is working on comparing different types of magic but she can only do so much out here without all the necessary equipment. Trace is still trying to pick up on whoever created the artificial soul magic that was used to bring the suit, known as Armamollia, to life. But, just like Notary, he is having troubles.”

Celestia nodded her head, there was only so much that they could do with the limited resources available at the time. “Very well, continue what you can, and…”

Obsidian blinked several times, he could still see the princess and everyone else talking, but no sound would come from their mouths. Obsidian. His eyes started to wander around so as to not cause concern, he could have sworn that he heard a voice. A voice that he hadn’t heard in eight years. Obsidian, we need to talk.

“What the-” Suddenly, Obsidian’s vision went dark, and he started to collapse to the ground. Zela and Celestia tried to catch him before he fell backwards onto the ground, caught completely off-guard by his sudden fall.

Celestia knelt down trying to wake Obsidian up, even using her magic to see what became of him, but nothing was working. “Sargent, Sargent wake up, Obsidian!” Nothing. No response in any type of way. Soon Trace and Notary abandon their post to go see what was wrong with the dog they both equally respected. Celestia wiped her head towards the two unicorn, forcing them to stop when they saw signs of tears in her eyes.

“What the hell are you two waiting for? Go inform the hospital, that’s an order!” Ignoring the fact that Celestia completely destroyed their thoughts of Celestia never using foul language, the two unicorns bolted straight for the Golden Heart hospital. “Obsidian please hang on, you have too much here. Sid!”

“Wake up mutt.” Obsidian started to groan at the sound of a very gruff and scratchy voice and tried to go back to sleep when it spoke again. “Sid if you don’t get up, I’ll light your tail on fire again.” This time, Obsidian’s eyes snapped open as he finally fully remembered who the voice belonged to, and started to struggle to his feet.

Obsidian quickly took in his surrounding, a blank and grayish--almost completely black--plane, and turned to the source of the voice. “So mutt,” A red and silver salamander dragon started, wearing nothing but a pair of black shorts, and sitting in front of a small bonfire with two tall bottles of some kind of alcohol. “How’s living been? I hope you’ve enjoy these last eight years of yours.”

“Gargoyle,” Obsidian started, still not believing the drake to be sitting right in front of him with a happy smile. “W-what...how, how did this happen?” Just meeting the salamander in his volcanic-red eyes brought a wave on noxious sickness to Obsidian’s stomach. “Y-you’re dead, I saw it with my own eyes!” Gargoyle started to chuckle at Obsidian’s predicted reaction, eight years and the dog still haven’t changed much. “Gargoyle stop laughing this isn’t-”

“Sid would you just calm down already,” Gargoyle asked in a calm manner that went fully against the last moments the dog had with the drake. “I’ll tell you everything over a drink, you’re old enough now right?” Obsidian sighed, he knew better than anyone could have that the salamander wasn’t going to do anything else until he got his way. “Come on mutt, we don’t have all day.”

“Fine,” Obsidian again sighed before taking a seat across from his old, and very dead, friend. Gargoyle past one of the beers to Obsidian, who pop the cap off with his claw into the bonfire, and took a sip. Gargoyle followed suit and both sighed when the put their drinks down.

Neither one broke the crackling sounds from the bonfire lighting their small spot in the dark plane. Gargoyle allowed Obsidian these moments of silence, he knew the dog was still trying to understand everything that happen just now, and was far ill-prepared to meet a ghost from his dark past.

The silence spanned over the eight years Gargoyle had met his end during a job the two of them took together. No matter how much he wanted to forget the horrid memory of a dragon-hunter pricing Gargoyle’s chest with a sword fused with another dragon’s scales, Obsidian couldn’t. Not with the markings on his hands always reminding him of his past ambitions to prove himself as his own dog.

Obsidian couldn’t forget the burning rage towards the unicorn dragon-hunter or towards himself for getting the one being he trusted killed. How could he? It was that day he learned what the sounds of crushing skulls, ripping flesh, and ponies coughing on their own blood sounded like. It was the day he finally realized that power wasn’t all that it was meant to be. It was the day he truly learned the cost of power was.

Every day, after Obsidian had to bury the salamander with his own hands, Obsidian would go completely out of his way to help others. Not for the recognition, or the words of thanks from others, but as a means of repenting for his sins.

He knew nothing he could do would ever repay the debt or guilt that hunted him, not like he deserved it anyways. Obsidian looked up from the ground, only to find Gargoyle’s eyes still deadlocked on him, and with that same smile on his face. “Eight years, its been eight years. Why aren’t you trying to kill me, Gargoyle?”

“Because,” The salamander started, taking another swig of the strong dragon-made alcohol. “You’ve made it. You reached our dreams. A life of peace, happiness, and love that’s returned. Why would I try to end that?”

Obsidian dropped his head again, staring into the ruby liquid. “It isn’t my life to live, I should have been the one to die that day. Not you,” he answered, looking back up expecting Gargoyle to be angry with him, but only got the same smile on his face. “Why have you brought me here, of all times, you picked a pretty bad one.”

“Well you always said I have poor timing,” Gargoyle joked, sharing a laugh with an old close friend. “Anyways, I’ve brought you here to tell you this: stop fighting it.” Obsidian’s body tensed up, already knowing what the talk was going to be about. “Sid, you shouldn’t run from your past, or hide the choices that you’ve made. There’s no honor in that.” Obsidian turned his head down to the ground in shame, ever since he gotten to Equestria, he all but spoke of his true past.

In fact, only Celestia, the other department heads, Gizmo, and Sky knew of the markings on his hands also of his past as a Fallen Saint. Of the many souls he and Gargoyle ended for money and other self-gain. The only think he hadn’t spoken of was the last time he seen his old friend amongst the living.

“You can’t keep running forever Sid, you’ll run your life away if you do that, and from what I have seen, you got far too much to allow that to happen.” Obsidian slowly raised his head towards Gargoyle, the same soft friendly smile, the only one that he knew him to have unless they were on a job. “I’m telling you this as a friend, only cowards run from the truth, and I know you’re not some coward.” Obsidian nodded his head, knowing arguing with a ghost that not only was right, but was speaking from his hollowed heart wasn’t smart. “So stop running from it and just embrace my legacy I’ve gave you. Put my fire and earth-magic to use already.”

Obsidian looked down to his black work gloves, which were being lighted by the markings on his hands, and nodded his head. “Alright, I’ll try, but there’s just something's that I need to do on my own.” Gargoyle nodded his head, knowing that Obsidian was talking about the secret project he’s been working on for the last five years. “But I still got to ask, why now? Why, after eight years of pure silence, you choose now to speak with me?”

“Because,” Gargoyle started, his voice growing dark, and the smile changing into the same harden look from their old Fallen Saint days. “There’s a change in the winds Obsidian, the scent of foul intentions, and those of pleading ones, are flowing around you. I wanted you to be aware of this, all of you should. Old shadows will fall upon your home, ready yourself Sid, and embrace who you are.”

Obsidian started to chuckle, not at Gargoyle’s words, but the fact it took a ghost for him to understand something so basic. “Okay, thank you old friend. I promise, I won’t waste this last moment together.” Gargoyle and Obsidian raised there drinks high in the air, Obsidian didn’t know why, but it felt like this was the final time he’ll ever see the salamander again.

That’s okay.

“Cheers, old friend.”

Gargoyle smiled again, though it looked weak, but still pushed on. “Goodbye Obsidian, stay true to your word, and never go back on it.” The two shared one last drink before the bonfire in front of the both of them went out, ending the small light in the plane.

Sounds of hospital monitors, keeping Obsidian’s steady heartbeat in close check, slowly reached his ears as his eyes started to open. He wasn’t surprised to find the first thing he saw was the white ceiling or that Luna and Nightmare had already risen the moon and stars.

Memories of the ‘dream’ he had of speaking with an old friend started to slowly flow back into his head. A soft smile stretched across his lips, eight long years of blaming himself for what happened, and all of it was for nothing. Gargoyle didn’t hold any malice towards his own mistakes all those years ago. Be it a mere dream, or hopeful wish, Obsidian didn’t care.

Just knowing that Gargoyle’s spirit wasn’t angry was enough for Obsidian. There wasn’t a need to go knocking on the tardis gates to go looking for the salamander just to hear the same thing.

Obsidian started to sit up in the bed and move his hand to his face. Soon after that, the door opened up to Celestia and his three department members. Each one quickly filed into the dimly lit room, none breaking eye contact on the dog as he took a moment to gather his bearings. Celestia soon placed a hand on Obsidian’s shoulder to get his attention. “Obsidian?”

Her word seemed to be enough to get Obsidian to look at her, slightly displeased that she was in half of the state she was when the twins went missing two months ago. “Princess,” Obsidian started with a chuckle as he started to undo the straps to his gloves. “You shouldn’t worry yourself over me that much. I was just sharing one last drink with an old friend, that’s all.” Obsidian removed the gloves, shocking his three subordinates of the dragon markings on his hands, but remained quiet as the all knew of the hard life Obsidian lived.

Celestia couldn’t help but closely examine the thin lines that wrapped around his hands, going into a sharp and jagged spiral until the reached the center of the back of his hand where they from a dragon’s skull. The lines and the beeping of Obsidian’s heart monitor were in perfect synth with one another as the markings pulsed with a sliver-red light.

Obsidian looked towards the window next to his bed to confirm that it was indeed nighttime as pale-blue moonlight entered through the window. “Seems that I was out for quite sometime wasn’t I,” Obsidian joked despite the worried expressions on the ponies’ faces.

Celestia moved her hand from Obsidian’s shoulder and took a seat in the chair next to him. However, Obsidian didn’t met her gaze as he kept his eyes on the markings glowing on his hands. “Obsidian, are you okay?”

“Yes,” Obsidian started raising his right hand to gaze the dragon’s skull symbol on the back of it. “In fact, I haven’t felt this good in years. Well menus a few moments, but still, I’m fine.”

“You sure Sargent,” Trace questioned, not really knowing much about Obsidian, but still was concerned for him. “From what the doc told us, you have magic...overtaking your body, and for unicorns that’s dangerous. Who knows what it can do to a diamond dog.”

Obsidian moved his hand to his shaggy black hair to run his fingers through it. “Then its time I learned how to use it. I can’t keep running from my past, or the choices that I’ve made, and I don’t have any plans to any more.” Obsidian pulled the bed covers off and started to leave the hospital when Celestia stopped him.

“That’s all great Obsidian, but you do have to stay the night here until you’re released.” Sighing, Obsidian sat back in the bed, and shared Dusk’s dislike of hospitals. “Then if everything is truly alright, I suppose we’ll take our live, and be back by tomorrow morning.” Obsidian gave Celestia a slight wave of the hand with a nod.

“Notary, tell Gizmo that-”

“Already did Sargent,” The dark-blue mare started with a smug attitude. “Just get some rest, we still got some work to do tomorrow, and this time you’re not getting out of it by passing out.” Obsidian rolled his eyes waving the three off so he could speak with Celestia in private. The three gave a final salute before stepping out of the room to get ready to head back to Canterlot.

Obsidian waited for a moment, making sure that the three researchers were out of earshot before starting. “Princess, have you ever thought that someone long to be dead, hated you?” Celestia glanced into he unreadable look in Obsidian’s glowing silver night-vision, she had an answer, but she didn’t want to admit it. “Eight years, I’ve thought dead friend of mine heated me even into the grave, but I’m wrong. I don’t rightfully understand why, anyone in his position as the right to hold a garage, but he didn’t.”

“Obsidian,” Celestia started after taking in a slow breath. “I’ve lived for generations, I’ve seen far too many fall before me, and I know that not all of them were...happy with the choices I’ve made.” Celestia sat next to Obsidian, just being next to the dog was enough to push most of the unwanted memories away, but she still continued onwards. “The worst I’ve could have done was allow any of them to continue to affect the choices I make to this day. I don’t know what life you lived as a Fallen Saint, we all have the right to keep secrets, but don’t allow that past to affect your future.”

“Thank you princess, good night.” Obsidian and Celestia shared a hug before she stood up from the bed and made her way out of Obsidian’s room. Now stuck until morning, Obsidian laid back down to the bed, and closed his eyes. “And goodbye old friend, I’ll never forget you, and all the things you’ve done for me.”