//------------------------------//
// New Surroundings 
// Story: Shining Diamond 
// by Ponyman130 
//------------------------------//


Chapter One



A radiant beam of soft yellow light bled through the rows of trees all around me. The soft rustling of trees sounded throughout the area. I was leaning on what I think was a tree. It wasn't very solid like a rock, but it was still hard. I looked above me. Gleaming juice-swollen apples dangled above me looking as if they'll drop any moment. My eyes drifted from the apples to the sky. I was momentarily stunned at how clear it was. Only a few clouds slowly strolled their way across the sky. The sun shone in the middle of it all only to be stopped by the apple trees surrounding me. My left ear  twitched as it picked up the chirping of a field cricket. I unfocused from the world and just stared into the sky, taking it all in. 
A fidgeting caught my attention and I turned my head. I small bird with a red breast landed on the branch of an apple tree. I observed the bird for a long while, watching it ruffle its feathers, sing to other birds and hop along to other nearby branches. 
Suddenly, it turned and looked at me directly in the eyes. I jumped at the bird's sudden movement. The bird seemed to be staring into my soul. “You better run.” a voice said. I looked around to find the source. Nopony was here. When I turned to the bird again, I found it right in my face. I yelped and backpedaled until I hit the tree behind me. Its beak didn't move when I said to me “The shadows... They're gonna get you.” I was absolutely still. I heard the crunching of dirt behind me. Slowly, I turned my head around, heart beating out of my chest. In front of me was a tall dark furred creature with abnormally large arms. It wore a collar on its neck like a dog would, but this was no normal dog.
“Ah, a pony that isn't a prissy pants. We need more workers.” It said deviously. The dog started running towards me with a pick axe in its hand. Before I had the chance to scream, the side of a pick axe collided with my face.   

<........>

Colors swirled into an in-tangible infinity. Bright yellows streaks twisted and turned over my head. Cyan blue dots darted around my body so fast it seemed  like there were a million of them. Purple lines created shapes in a careful pattern. I was hypnotized at the colorful display.  I heard the buzzing of the blue dots get louder which led me to notice they were getting closer. They were closing in on me! I backed up until I realized they were closing in behind me also. I was forced to stop in my tracks. The dots got so close they started thumping my muzzle.
My heart began to race again. Suddenly the blue balls shot upward with tremendous speed. Hundreds of whistles blew past my head all in under a second and combined into a fidgety blue mass. I screamed and started to back up. The yellow streaks floated closer to me. My eyes watched their every move. At the speed of light, they twisted around me and constricted me. It was crushing my chest. I struggled for breath while trying to push out a scream, but it only tightened around me. As I flailed against the yellow choking lines, I didn't notice the blue mass sprout tentacles and begin to approach me. I wouldn't have noticed it at all unless the purple line hadn't collided into the blue-tentacle mass creating a huge boom that echoed across the emptiness.
The blue mass swirled with purple, expanding as it did so. It kept growing until rainbow light started splintering across the outside. The now-not-so-blue mass exploded in a beautiful, yet bright, rainbow explosion.  The yellow dropped me almost instantaneously and slithered away into the dark beyond. I collided into the hard black ground, fighting for breath. I started coughing which progressed into almost choking on my own blood. Blood spattered from my mouth and on to the floor. The blood compiled into a pool big enough to see myself. My dandelion yellow eyes focused on their reflection. They slowly looked down my head. My light brown, messy hair and my pumpkin colored coat were the only thing I could focus on. I struggled to hold myself help. My head felt like somepony was smashing it with a rock. My legs shook from the weakness. My sight started to darken as I collapsed on the ground. I coughed up more blood which spattered across my right foreleg. I couldn't stay awake anymore. I blacked out

<........>

“...One will be much better than the white whining one. She's only been here for one day, and her ceaseless talking is driving us crazy.” A voice around me talked. 
“The other diamond dog pack's lackey ran away. A bunch of idiots they are.” A much deeper voice replied. I open my eyes and see black. Panicking, I turn my head only to try and see where I am, only to receive a flaring pain from my skull.  What the hay? How did this happen?  I thought. Then I remembered I was smashed in the head with a pick axe. This is probably more than a concussion  I thought painfully. It was when I sank to the floor that I noticed I was in a corner. 
“The orange pony started screaming out of nowhere in his sleep. Luckily, I was in the cave so no other ponies could hear him.” The screechy voice said. Screaming in my sleep? Well, I did have a terrifying nightmare. I thought. Stealthily,  I shuffled around until I saw the speakers. I gaped at what I saw. It was two of those dog monsters sitting at a table guarding what I now notice to be crude iron- barred cells. I'm being kept prisoner! I panicked internally. I put a hoof to my head in shock. I immediately retracted it when I felt hot stickiness. I looked at it and there was a blotch of blood on it. I wasn't completely surprised to find my head bleeding after being hit in the head with a pick axe.
“We're keeping the other one down this hall, so they don't get any ideas.” The bigger of the two nudged my captor with his elbow and started laughing. Who is this other pony they keep talking about? Whining and ceaseless talking they said she so she's a mare. I wondered. My captor chuckled before getting up from his seat.
“The alpha wanted to see me about the capture. Make sure the pony doesn't go anywhere. The bigger one nodded. The other dog started walking away and that's when I saw my escape. A key swayed from his pants. I prayed to Celestia for freedom from this wretched cave.  I watched my captor walk away with my only hope of freedom. I had to get that key. For me, for that other pony trapped in here.
I suddenly felt very dizzy and lightheaded. It must be from the blood loss I concluded. I lay my head down on the hard rock floor and close my eyes. I drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, I still had an awful headache. I felt my head and the blood dried. I didn't even know how long I slept for. I looked at the front of my cell to see a small pile of hay laying on the floor. I scooted over to it. I was so preoccupied about my capture I didn't realize how hungry I was. The small pile of hay was gone in three bites. I wanted more, but I guess slaves don't really need to be fed.
“So, your awake, huh?” a gruff voice in front of me said. I gulped and looked up. It was the same hulking dog from before. He had a brown coat and was wearing metal plating on his shoulders. He had cold yellow eyes that had no tenderness in them. “It's time to drag carts, pony.” He added extra disgust on the word pony I noted. “I wouldn't try anything if I were you.” He picked up a spear with a sharp point and carried it and the key to my cell in his paw. When did he get the key? The last time I saw it, the other dog had it. He unlocked the ancient cell door and he swung it open. I stood up slowly with my legs shaking. Once I got a steady stance I felt better. The dog dropped a huge worn out harness on my neck. My knees buckled, but I could stand it. “You have no head horn. You no find gems.” The dog grumbled. 
“I can't.” I was surprised. It was the first time I talked in over a day.
“I go fetch the whiny one. If you move one step, I'll cut your hooves off.” I gulped and nodded. He waved his spear at me before wandering into the halls of the cave, eventually disappearing into the darkness. The harness was tight around my neck so I adjusted it so it wasn't sticking into my neck so much. In the dogs absence I got a chance to see what was on the table he was sitting at. A deck of cards, a ripped up card box, spear tips, a metal helmet, some kind of meat and a few gems. One gem stood out in particular. I gazed into it, getting lost in the pulsing blue that emitted from it. Eventually I heard footsteps coming this direction along with a clopping and I chinking sound. 
The huge dog appeared from the hall holding his spear, the key and a chain. My eyes followed the chain until I found its source. I was stunned at what I saw. A white coated female unicorn with ribbon-like purple hair stepped form the darkness. She had three diamonds as a cutie mark also. She was shaking terribly as she was practically dragged along. Her eyes were red with dirt and makeup running beneath them, she was obviously crying. When she saw me she almost froze, but kept walking. Her beautiful blue eyes locked onto mine and mine onto hers. The dog didn't notice this small but meaningful exchange as he pulled her along. He turned to the white unicorn. “You find gems, he digs and carries them. No talking at all.” He twirled his spear to emphasize his point. She gave a slight nod and swallowed nervously. He walked around the corner and came back pulling a mine cart behind him. He hooked it up to my harness and pointed his spear forward into a hallway. 
The mare began walking and I followed not far behind. Her horn glowed a soft blue and a look of concentration filled her face. Soon after, she stopped and marked an X into the ground with her hoof. I stopped, not knowing what to do right away. I was jabbed with the butt of the dog's spear. “Dig!” I immediately started digging. The soil moved surprisingly easily under my hooves. I kept digging until I saw a shine. I dug around it when I unearthed a gorgeous emerald the size of my head. The unicorn's magic engulfed it and she levitated it into the cart behind me. She began walking again without a word as if she saw these gems everyday. 
This process continued on for hours. Walk, mark, dig, and walk again. As it went on, the loss of blood I encountered from the night before started to take its toll. I got weaker and more dizzy with each dig. The dog had to jab me a few times with the back of his spear to get me going again followed by something like “Get moving pony.” My legs shook as the unicorn marked another spot. I walked over to it and began digging. My legs wobbled as I scraped at the cold earth. I couldn't do it anymore. I gave it a last push until my legs gave out. A stomp pounded behind me. “YOU WEAK PATHETIC PONY!” He pulled back his spear and slashed it across my flank where my cutie mark was. I screamed as blood poured out. The unicorn stepped back and put a hoof to her mouth. Tears flowed freely from me and her. I dug quickly until I found the gem. She hesitated for a second before floating it up and into my cart. The monster shoved dirty gauze into the wound. “That's enough for today.” He grumbled. The cart was overflowing with gems and jewels. I limped along, following the dog. The mare walked behind me. Her eyes were red and puffy.
When we reached my cell he pulled off the harness. The white unicorn was staring at me while I looked at the ground. I was still crying from the pain, but it receded a small amount with time. He unlocked my cell door and opened it. I trudged  into my cell. I was exhausted, starving and probably in shock. I lied in the back left corner with my head down. She stood still watching me even as the dog was walking away with the chain in his hand. The chain tugged at her throat lurching her forward. She gave me one last glance and I gave her one too as she trotted off into the darkness. 
It was this night I vowed that no matter how long it takes. I will get out of here and I will save that poor mare. These monster will pay. As soon as I closed my eyes, I was out cold.