Shining Diamond

by Ponyman130

Escape

Chapter 3

I panicked. No wonder why they haven't come for us. They left us for dead! What do two replaceable slaves mean to them anyway? I should have initiated the plan earlier. See? Look what happened when you got caught up in emotions! I cursed at myself. “We have to go now!” I yelled. “The cave is flooding. Who knows what the diamond dogs did to preserve themselves or keep us in here.” Rarity stood up disoriented. I didn't blame her. My sudden outburst wasn't, in anyway predictable. This was no longer a stealth mission. Picking the lock was no longer necessary. “Okay. We have to get out of this cell.” I took a deep breath. Panic and adrenaline causes accidents and clumsiness. We didn't even know if there was anyone in here. My thoughts were crowding with all sorts of possibilities and what-ifs. Rarity peeked out of the cell down into the passage to our escape.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think I see water at the bottom of the path.” Rarity called out to me. I looked up in surprise.

“Water is dripping from the ceiling. There must be a chamber above us that's filling with water.” I said. “Which means if we don't get out of here soon... The ceiling will crush us.” I said, slightly muffled by the rock in my mouth. I gulped at the possibility. No more games. Time to get moving. “I'll try and break the lock.” I said trotting over to the cell door. I spit the rock out of my mouth. I turned my back towards the door. I took a deep breath. In and out. 1... 2... 3! I bucked the door with all my strength. A loud clank and snapping was heard as I lurched forward, face scraping the ground. Heat filled my face like it was on fire. “BUCK!” I yelled out. Rarity rushed over to help me up. I faced the door. The locking mechanism was shattered on the ground, leaving the door slightly ajar. Ha HA! I thought through the pain. Rarity lifted the sharpened rock with her magic as we stepped outside my cell.

I walked over to the table that sat outside my cell the whole time I was here. I looked for something to use as a weapon. I looked at the side of the farthest chair. A spear leaned against it. I smiled. Fortune smiled upon us by bringing us another weapon. Unfortunately, I had no way to carry such a large weapon with just my teeth. I looked around for a solution. Hurry up there isn't much time! “Help me find something to hold that spear with. Or something to keep it in place.” I said to Rarity. She seemed reluctant to help me find something to kill someone with. Sweat dripped down her neck. I checked all around the dog's small post, but there was nothing I could find of use.

“A saddle! You could...” She blurted out. I looked at her to finish her sentence. “You could stick that spear on a saddle.” A great idea it was and I knew just where to get one. I rushed around the corner where Rex put the mine carts. I scanned the little room. Crude wooden carts with metal bands were stacked on each other three to four high. A pile of rusty harnesses lied on the floor. A saddle bag sat on the table on the left side of the room along with a few gems. I walked over to the bag. It was a large pink bag with three diamonds on the side. This must be Rarity's bag. The diamonds almost exactly match her cutie mark. I looked at the table again seeing if anything was worth stuffing into her bag. I saw one of the gems that caused Rex to become nervous. It was cut like an emerald would be. I placed it in the bag and closed it up, making it seem like this was how I found it. I don't want her to know I was going through her belongings. Their stuff meant so much to somepony locked up in a cave for weeks.

“Rarity, can you come over here?” I called out to her while picking up the bag. She ran into the room probably expecting trouble. I held the pink bag out to her. She instantly recognized it.

“You found my bag! I was wearing it when I got captured. My sister Sweetie Belle made it for me.” She ran over and pulled me in for a tremendous hug. “Thank you.” I nodded. It seemed more fitting than a you're welcome. She floated it on to herself and tightened the straps around her mid-section. “Wow, this used to fit just fine before.” She said. I chuckled at her comment. She glared daggers at me. I coughed into my hoof and went back to my saddle search. I searched three out of the four mine cart stacks for anything inside. They all contained pebbles and rocks. One stack left. I asked Celestia for a saddle to be in there. She must have heard my prayers because inside the worn, old mine cart was a beaten up leather saddle with straps on the side, perfect for hold my spear. A grin plastered over my face as I lifted the harness and placed it on my back. Rarity floated the spear into on of the holsters on the side and tightened it properly. I gave her thanks which was followed by a nod. Time to get moving. All set to go, we ventured down deeper in the cave.

Without Rex to guide us, the cave had an eerie atmosphere to it. Adding to it was the sloshing of our hooves in the foot high dirty water. Disgust filled Rarity's face as we trudged on. I heard a noise in the distance and whispered for her to stop. We stood still in the murky waters for a few seconds when a snoring filled the cave along with the sound of rushing water. She must have heard it too because her ears flicked at the sound. “Slowly and quietly.” I whispered to her. She nodded in response. We walked as quietly as we could with water up to our knees.

We found the source of the noise on a raised platform. A diamond dog fast asleep. How he could sleep in a time like this could only leave me wonder. Whatever the case, the cave was boarded up so the only way out was past him. Water leaked through the bottom of the barricade, causing our flooding situation. She levitated the sharpened rock from her pack already knowing what to do. She looked at me for approval. I nodded solemnly. She sneaked up to the beginning of the platform. The dog was facing in our direction, probably to make sure we weren't going anywhere. So much for that. I started to give out a count in a whisper. “Three. Two. One.” She closed her eyes as the rock plunged itself into the dog's neck. He was dead within a matter of seconds.

I walked forward toward the platform not looking at the dog. I hoisted my self up and rolled to get on top. I lent out my hoof to Rarity. She grabbed on. “Ready?” I asked her. She nodded. I pulled her up slowly. She was much lighter than I expected. Not that I was calling her fat! Maybe I got stronger or something. I pushed that out of my head. Arguing with myself was not a sign of good health. I have to get out of here and soon.

On the other side of the barricade the water was a little higher than before. We had to wade through the water to get around. I think I knew my way to the surface from here. A left, then a right and follow that path up. I thought. We wadded through the water until we reached an incline. The water got more shallow as we went up. As we climbed, a massive rumbling shook the whole cave. Rarity stopped walking.

“What was that?” Rarity asked. The sound of rushing water filled the halls.

“The ceiling collapsed behind us. We have to get higher or we could get crushed by the wave or the debris.” I said in a cool manner. That's something else that has been bothering me. No sense of panic has really affected me during our escape. Have I really become so transformed by my imprisonment that I'm starting to lose my emotions? Of course I'm not. I was emotional not even an hour ago and look where it got me? I'm talking to myself again.

“Are you okay?” Rarity asked me at my side.

“What do you mean?” I asked confused.

“You were talking to yourself about emotions.” That little conversation was out loud? Dear Celestia, I really have gone mad. Anger filled my insides at the thought. All that troubled me began to boil up inside of me. Some of it began to boil over.

“No, I'm not okay. Having your memory taken from you and having new ones filled with torture, plans and imprisonment don't create a stable mind.” I said while walking. “Besides, if I got emotional during a time like this it could cost my life or yours” I pointed a hoof at her.“So... No, I'm not okay.” I ceased walking on the last sentence. This was building up inside me for a while now. It felt good to... Open up.

“I... I never thought of it like that.” She stammered, slightly horrified. I readied myself for more walking. I shoved aside my anger and everything else tied to it.

“Yeah, well things happen. Now, come on. I don't know how long this cave will hold.” I motioned forward. I tried concentrating from then on, on where we were going. The sound of pouring rain grew louder as we ascended.

“We're getting close!” Rarity said with joy. A little more spring was added in our steps.

As we continued through the cave we saw abandoned mine carts, equipment and floating supplies. The dogs abandoned this place completely it seemed. Except for the other one which was probably left behind as some sort of punishment. He was no longer a worry though. The cave rumbled ahead of us. Oh no.“The ceilings coming down!” Rarity yelled over the rushing water. And down it came. Rocks fell from above along with a torrent of water. My heart raced looking for a way to escape our imminent doom. I spotted a support beam that stuck to the wall. On that support beam was a small scaffold. It was our only hope. The water and debris rushed closer by the second. My head switched between the water and Rarity who was frozen in fear. I quickly picked Rarity up, who retaliated by flailing around. “What are you doing?” She yelled. I ignored her and heaved her on top of the scaffold. It groaned, but held. The beam was reinforced with steel so it wasn't going anywhere. The water was only meters away by now. I tried shimmying up the beam as fast as I could. Time seemed to slow down to a halt as I saw the water inches away. All this work, my plan, my escape. All so I can just die in the end. The water crashed into me. I was knocked out cold by the sheer force of the water. I heard a scream somewhere in the fading world. The last thing I saw was a blue light engulf me.

<........>

My eyes shot open. I spewed water from my mouth, gasping for air, taking sweet oxygen filled gulps. I lay there for a few seconds before coming back to my senses. I was freezing cold and drenched in water. I looked up to see beautiful blue eyes gazing into my own. White covered my vision along with a strong squeezing on my head. “You're okay! Thank Celestia You're okay. I thought you were gone, but... You're okay!” I heard Rarity say, muffled by my body. She released me with time. I sat up, still breathing hard. My saddle must have been washed away because I no longer felt it on me. It wasn't missed either.

“You saved my life.” I said in between breaths.

“As did you not only a few minutes before.” She countered. I guess I did. I thought nothing of it at the moment. Death was at my doorstep so I had no rational control over my actions. I looked over the edge of the scaffold. The water poured down the decline, but it was weak enough to begin walking again. I inched myself over to the side and jumped off. I landed with a thud, but was fine. I outstretched my forelegs to soften her fall. Oh, what I would do to be a pegasus. I could just fly up there and bring her down. I fantasized. She fell into my hooves. I buckled at the sudden change in weight, but I held and she got off.

I looked above us. I couldn't believe what I saw. An opening had revealed itself when the ceiling had collapsed. Rain poured through the hole in the ceiling. Luckily it brought down enough rock to make a make-shift walk way. My eyes never left the outside. I walked toward it like a moth to a flame. When I reached the rubble that lead to the outside world time seemed to slow down again. Each step felt monumental. Water droplets collided with my mane, getting the dirt out of it. Then it happened. My hoof planted itself on the grass that grew outside the cave. The soft green grass folded under my hoof. It was so soft compared to the cold earth floor of the cave. I didn't care that it was a hurricane out here. I was free. That was all that mattered.

I looked to Rarity, the same smile was plastered on her face. The smile of freedom. I looked to the sky. Dark gray clouds swirled above that smothered the sun. How I would long for the sun inside that cave. The sky itself was good enough for me right now. Trees blew in the distance. Leaves and branches were flung all about. I started walking toward the trees. That's where we would sit and rest. Rarity and I. Free at last. She walked, lost in the outside world as I was. I continued to look back at her as I walked. That's when her face became serious and she began to shout at me. I didn't hear what she was saying in my haze.The only thing I heard were my own muffled screams when a bear trap snapped shut on my leg.

Comments

[Out of Place]

Talk about a killjoy.

[Flamewarden]

I like this so far do go on