//------------------------------//
// Valuable 
// Story: How to Disappear Completely 
// by shortskirtsandexplosions 
//------------------------------//

	"And that'ssssssss when her horn began glowing, and with a bright ssssspark of blue pony magic..."  Spot flailed his forelimbs dramatically.  "...she filled our orificesss with sssspiderssss!"

Soarin' did a double-take.  "With spiders?!"

"All of the spiders!" Spot nodded.

"Did..."  Flash Sentry leaned forward squinting.  "...this 'Miss Rarity' really do that?"

Spot opened his muzzle... paused... then tapped his chin.  "Uhmmm..."

"I thought you dreamt that during the voyage way back to High Paw," Fido remarked.

"Woof!"  Spot growled at the biggest canine.  "What doessss it matter?!  Misssss Rarity ccccertainly traumatized ussss enough with her whining and complaining!  My head made up the nightmare to chasssse the embarrasssssing memoriesss away!"

Soarin' sighed and gazed lethargically at Rover.  "Is any of his part of the testimony true?"

"Why are you asssssking me, pony?" Rover asked.

"Because of all the diamond dogs here, you seem to have it the most together," Flash Sentry said.

"Yeah."  Soarin' nodded.  "What he said."

"Why of all the—"  Rover did a double-take.  "Wow.  You... uh..."  He touched his claws together.  "You really think so?"

"Isn't it friggin' obvious, dude?"

"It'sss jussssst that I..."  Rover fiddled with one of his ears, blushing slightly.  "...never thought a pony would ssssay ssssomething ssssso complimentary about a diamond dog..."

"Let's cut to the chase," Flash said, pacing before the trio.  "Based on what I've heard from all three of you..."  He glared at Spot and Fido.  "...despite a few eccentric details thrown in at random..."

"Eh heh heh heh..." Fido and Spot fidgeted nervously where they stood.

"...I think we've got a few details hammered in concrete."  Flash continued.  "'Miss Rarity' shows up with the baby dragon.  She was stealing your jewels and gemstones.  You took her into your custody.  She proceeded to annoy you all to the point of deathly migraines, forcing you to dig for her and give up your hoard just to let her go."

"All of our hoard!" Spot squealed.  "And our best bodyguards and are armor and—"

"Will you hussssh up?!  Mosssst of that happened after we got rid of that inssssufferable pony!" Rover grunted.

Soarin' looked at him.  "How do you mean?"

"Unnnnghhhh..."  Rover rolled his eyes.  "We were sssssssso sssssssick of that loud moaning pony and her running mouth!  We gave up our treassssure jusssst to be rid of her!  That'sss when our workerssss and guardssss left us!"

"They ssssaid we were weak and ssssmall-minded!" Spot exclaimed.

"Yeah!"  Fido nodded.  "And later—they even inssssulted us!"

"Long sssstory ssssshort, we losssst our pressssscious presssstige assss Diamond Dogssss!" Rover moaned.  "We were the laughing sssstock of High Paw for monthssss!"

"And all becausssse of that crazy ssssshe-horsssse!" Spot snorted.

Flash nodded, tapping his orange chin.  "I see..."  He flexed his wings and trotted forward.  "You don't think that maybe... just maybe... you got what you deserved for kidnapping a pony and forcing her to dig for jewels against her will?"

"What?!?!"  Rover's nostrils flared.  "Didn't you hear a sssssingle word we ssssaid?!  Ssssshe wassss sssstealing our gemsssstones!  From our landssss!"

"Did she know they were your gemstones?" Flash asked.

Rover opened his mouth... but hesitated.  "Uhm..."

Flash's eyes narrowed.  "Did she know they were on your land."

"I... erm..."  Rover exchanged glances with Fido and Spot.  "Uhhhhhh..."

Soarin' spoke up.  "Ponies have a different concept of property than diamond dogs," he explained.  "Here in Equestria, we mark our territory on maps and with signs.  Anything that falls outside of our concept of property is considered 'wilderness' unless somepony or someone stakes a claim to it."

"And, most likely, none of you had staked a claim," Flash said.  "Or at least you hadn't been able to communicate this with any of the ponies living nearby so they would have known better than to interfere."

"Ponies don't like to steal things," Soarin' insisted.  "Trust me.  If Miss Rarity had known that those jewels belonged to you, she wouldn't have taken them in the first place."

"But..."  Fido squirmed on his big limbs.  "All jewels belong to diamond dogs."

Soarin' nodded.  "I understand that you all believe that.  And we're not here to dispute the matter—at least not without the counsel of both High Paw and Canterlot."  His brow furrowed.  "But one thing you must understand about Equestria is that we all consider the individual to be free.  An individual has rights.  This includes the right to freedom from slavery, ownership, or forced labor."

"But ssssshe wasssss hunting for jewelsss already!" Spot exclaimed.  "And doing it ssssso well!"

"Yeah!"  Fido nodded.  "What wasss the harm in Missss Rarity doing a little bit of work for usss, huh?"

Soarin' took a breath.  "Did she ever volunteer to help you three?"

"Oh... uhm..."  Spot fidgeted.

"Did she ever indicate that she was okay with being forced to dig for you?"

"No!"  Fido shook his head.  "She was too busy kicking and screaming!"  His slitted pupils shrank.  "Wait..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."  Rover leaned back against the catapult.  "No wonder her pony friendssss were russssshing in to get her!"

Flash did a double-take.  "Wait, what?"

"Yeah!"  Fido nodded.  "They fought our guardssss to get to our chamber and everything!"

"Only... we were giving up Missss Rarity right assss ssssshe arrived," Rover added.

Flash and Soarin' exchanged glances.

"Well..."  Flash smirked in the diamond dogs' direction.  "...if nothing else, I think we're starting to understand what's most valuable here."