Frost had to keep going.
There was no light, no sound, no warmth, nopony helping her. She couldn’t afford to stop. Stopping meant they won. If she didn’t find a diamond, she couldn’t exchange it for meals from the slave drivers. She had already missed yesterday’s meal. She knew she wouldn’t make it another day. The slave drivers would smile when they found her corpse. They’d burn it to make room and heat for the other slaves.
Had to keep moving.
She felt around in the dark, searching every nook and cranny for any sign of a diamond. Its texture was ever, ever so slightly different from most other minerals. Nothing crushes your soul more than finding a diamond and stepping into the light only to find out it was some other smooth gem.
Her hoof hit something… strange. She held her breath..
This wasn’t stone. And much to her relief, it wasn’t a pony..
After getting a good feel, she determined it was a baby dragon, either dead or unconscious. If it was dead she could cut it open with a sharp rock and use it’s blood. Dragon blood both sterilized wounds and burned them shut. The heat wasn’t so bad, as the caves sucked all warmth out of her body, and a coat of dragon blood would keep her warm for a while. The baby twitched against her foreleg, the dragon was still alive. Frost internally groaned, she wouldn’t kill it. Frost resorted to many things, but she had yet to be a murderer.
She searched around the dragon. She learned many die down here exerting too much effort trying to get something, and the only thing ponies and dragons alike wanted down here were diamonds. Since dragons could find gems easier, chances are it passed out trying to get ahold of one. Or, it simply ran out of energy.
She stopped upon feeling an indent in the wall, small claw marks. Frost licked her bloody lips. Her body went limp as she thought; she felt it best to use as little energy possible. She refrained from thinking as she searched, as she almost swore up and down thinking took energy, too. She didn’t voice those thoughts though, speaking spent energy, talking risked beatings.
The dragon had been trying to claw open the floor beneath them. She wasn’t a dragon; she couldn’t go through walls. The baby dragon’s claws would though. So grabbing the little thing and gripping it’s hand firm, she continued to dig through. She couldn’t push much further, she was starving and tired. Frost knew at this point she had to take a gamble in order to find a diamond soon.
She stopped every few swipes to feel for the familiar touch of a diamond. No luck. She almost exerted all the energy she had left digging. There’d be no point in giving up and looking, she wouldn’t make it back up after going deeper. She begged to nopony in particular she’d find something soon.
Feeling the cave walls once more, she stifled a gasp. Frost felt a diamond in her grasp. She caressed it in her grip to make sure it really was a diamond. Then, she continued searching the wall. It was doubtful there were any more, but she’d never forgive herself if she left one behind.
There were three total. She couldn’t believe her luck. If she hid these diamonds well, she could fake heading deep into the caves twice more, conserve energy resting, and get two more days of meals easy. No time for relaxing now though, she had to make it back alive without collapsing or being mugged.
Frost strained her ears as she heard something whisper nearby. She tried to calm down and listen when next to her, a strangled sob barely broke through the sound of her own heart beat. She slowly lowered her head close to it’s own and listened carefully. Frost heard slow, ragged breathing.
Frost sighed, it still lived, it might even be conscious. It possibly woke by its claws bleeding from being forced to work again. It didn’t have long to live. She felt it’s stomach—.it was starving.
She stared at her diamonds, shuffling them in her grasp.
She wouldn’t be a fool, what would it be worth? Diamonds were high in nutrition to dragons, she learned that listening closely to whispers from other slaves, but then what? That wouldn’t magically save it. There was nothing to gain from feeding it a diamond, to both her and the dragon.
...The slaver drivers would frown if they knew. She did love making them frown, even it did end with her being beaten.
She put the smallest diamond in it’s mouth.
It chewed, very weakly, and swallowed. It was conscious after all. Frost watched as the Dragon’s breathing grew much stronger and it wiggled in her hooves. She knew dragons were tough, but she didn’t think they recovered this fast. Her ears pivoted upward once more as she heard a crumbling noise. She she muttered a quick curse under her breath and tried to scramble out of the hole she dug, but the dragon caused her to trip. Frost yelped as the integrity of ground gave out from beneath them.
Frost woke up, wishing she hadn’t. The pain almost convinced her to not try and get up. Her eyes burned as a bright light shone from somewhere nearby. She sniffed around her to try and determine where she was.
She smelled liquid. Forcing herself to get up, she saw giant pillar of brilliant diamond growing out of a pool of crystal clear water. The large deposit branched off near the top, giving the imagery of a underground tree more than a large vein of mineral. It had a prismatic reflection on it’s surface that reflected off the water, painting the whole room rainbow.
Frost croaked a cry of joy. She shambled towards the pool with delirious delight, collapsing next to it and letting her head fall limp into the water. It was the happiest moment in her life, never had she been surrounded with so much liquid. It had no dirt in it! She inhaled the water, gulping down as much as she could. Frost pulled her head out and laid in bliss. She giggled in a delirious manner, her stomach had never felt so full.
Her ears perked as she heard the baby whimper again. It stumbled trying to reach the pool. For a second, her eyes played tricks on her, and it almost looked like it grew bigger trying to reach the pool. Blinking the illusion away the dragon was it’s normal size again as it fell, struggling to move. Frost felt pity for it, knowing how much she wanted this water herself at first, and rose to try and help it. It was agony to her limbs to pull to dragon towards her precious pool, but eventually they got there, and the dragon practically wept as it drank.
Frost collapsed, throwing her arms over her stomach as laid on her back. She watched as her stomach inflated and deflated with every deep breath she took. She relinquished a sigh and rested her head on the icy stone. Tired, she fluttered her heavy lids, before shutting them. Then, they shot open, her head snapping to her left. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a miracle—fruit was growing off the pillar of diamond! Fruit, She’d seen it before; she’d seen the slave drivers eat it and throw away the peels. Sometimes she’d be able to sneak those peels away to eat later. This was a whole fruit though, and she wanted it more than anything else.
How to get it though? She tapped her chin. She didn’t know how to swim, and she didn’t want to struggle. There were rocks, but they were all far too large and bulky to pick up and throw. Besides, that would mean she’d have to go back to where she fell in. Her whole body felt bruised, moving sounded like torture at the moment.
She stared at the diamond that landed nearby where she awoke. Nervously, her eyes moved back to the fruit. Then they snapped back to the diamonds.
She could do it; she could knock the fruit off the strange outgrowth that jutted from the side of the pillar. It would land in the water nearby where they are, and all she would have to do is dive in and get it.
She smiled.
It was worth it.
A whole fruit. Maybe when she was back up and receiving food for a diamond it wouldn’t be worth it, but right now, it was all she could think about. She painfully made her way off to where her two diamonds were, staring at them a pensive glint in her eyes. She stared at her two diamonds, that she would use to knock down a fruit instead of exchange for food and shelter. Two whole diamonds. The Slave drivers would frown. Frost sneered and unleashed a determined growl.
She limped over to the edge of the pool, closest to where the fruit was and eyed it carefully.
She could miss.
The very idea of missing the fruit, or not knocking it down filled her with more fear than not making it back up out of the caves at the moment. She had to get that fruit. She didn’t want it, she needed it. More than anything else at the moment. Making a couple good practice swings, Frost aimed, eyes narrowed, and swung hard.
She missed. The diamond landing with a sonorous splash.
Crying out in defeat, Frost watched the diamond sink into the pool; she debated trying to go after it. The pool might not be that deep, she might able to get it and swim back up.
A poke in her side interrupted her thoughts, and she saw the baby dragon staring at her diamond. His eyes were full of unrestrained hunger. She leaned back, clutching the biggest diamond to her chest. Dragons were tough, even baby dragons, but she wasn’t letting go of this gem without a fight.
“Please,” it choked out a whisper.
Then what? He ate the diamond and then what? Then they both wouldn’t get any food once they made it out of the cave, then again they wouldn’t get any food if she threw all the diamonds at that fruit. Looking around her, Frost realized she had no clue how to leave. The only exit was how they entered, and neither of them could fly. That fruit took all sense away from her. Even thinking of it now made her have to force herself not to stare at it. Who is she to scoff at the dragon wanting a last, tasty meal when all she wanted was the same? They were bound to starve and die down here anyway. Frost sighed and hoofed over the large diamond.
She felt a sense of shame and betrayal, to herself and the fruit while watching the dragon dine. Tears rolled down his eyes as he tried to shove the whole thing in his mouth. Taking a huge bite, he chewed, trembling as he swallowed. Frost couldn’t resist staring at the fruit. She flinched, resisting the urge to cry as she heard him take another bite.
Feeling defeated, she laid down, her back facing the fruit as she wallowed in self pity. She was going to starve to death right next a delicious meal, all because she let her pride do the thinking for her. At least she had her dignity. They may have treated her like dirt, but she died performing an act of generosity. No other slave she knew could say the same.
Her ears pivoted, hearing a splash. She assumed the dragon wanted a bath. The diamond must have given him strength to move easier. She snorted, fine by her if he expended his energy all at once. Being surrounded in water sounded pleasant though, with no hope of escaping she might as well do the same, or at least drown trying. She was surprised when she turned around and saw the dragon climbing. His digits were grabbing small convex spots on the pillar, allowing him to do what she would never dare with her hooves. What was he doing? She gasped upon seeing him climb onto the outgrowth where the fruit was. A dragon’s greed! He ate her diamond, and now he mocks her by eating the fruit she desired so much? A feeling of hatred burned deep within her, almost on the level she felt for the slave drivers, almost.
Instead of picking the fruit and eating it, he jumped back into the pool with it. Swimming back, he climbed out of the pool and offered the fruit to her. Frost was stunned. With her forehooves shaking, she reached out and took the fruit. An overwhelming sensation overtook her she couldn’t stop herself from devouring it quickly. It was the most delicious thing she ever had in her life. She couldn’t stop to savor the taste. All sense of reason abandoned her as she ate all of it down to the pit.
She feel back on her haunches, breathing heavily, this was the most wonderful she ever felt in her life. It was as if her whole body was on fire, no, made of fire. She felt as she could take on anything right there and then.
In a blink, euphoria was replaced by paranoia, and her brain ached terribly. The groan of pain stopped before it passed her lips as the pain disappeared. Perhaps her head was hurting already, and the boost from the fruit only made her aware of it just now.
“Are you okay?” The dragon backed up, twiddling with his talons.
“I... I feel great.” Frost smiled.
Something prismatic caught her eye, and she stared down at the pit in her head. It had a dim glow, slowly shifting through multiple colors at once. Even as she stared at it in wonder, the logical part of her brain told her she just found a light source. Frost blinked, she had just realized how impulsive she’s been acting. She should’ve question how the pillar of crystal gave a dim glow of light, letting her see the pool and the surrounding area, or how such a clean pool of water came to be here in the first place. Not even once did she question if the fruit was possibly poisonous. After she first saw it, it quickly dominated her mind.
“It’s so pretty,” the dragon murmured.
Before she could respond, the light in the room dimmed as the diamond darkened. Hearing a cracking noise, her paranoia kicked in, and Frost grabbed the dragon and dashed behind the rubble the cave in caused. A loud shattering noise hurt Frost’s ears, making her wish her hearing wasn’t so sharp at the moment. Somewhere far above them, she could hear the other slaves cry out in shock and pain. She looked down at her companion and was surprised to notice she could still see him fairly well in the dark. He gave a weak cry, and looked like all his strength was being sapped out of him.
She hadn’t known what happened, she was no expert in minerals or dragons. If all the diamonds turned dark and shattered, she theorized it was possibly foul now to the dragon, or worse, little bits of it popped inside his stomach. Those diamonds made him feel better at an unnatural rate, she wouldn’t be surprised if there some sort of magic to them. Much like the fruit I ate. She thought to herself.
Putting the dragon across her back. She felt like she could go for days, but still needed to find a diamond... for what? All the diamonds were broken now, destroyed. Heck, she was the one who broke them! The very thought of it...
Would cause the slave drivers to cry out in alarm.
Frost sported a manic grin.
Fueled by a sense of long awaited revenge, Frost grabbed into the stone wall nearby, her hooves breaking the stone, pushing indents into the wall. Why climb? She pushed her fore-hooves all the way through, as if the stone were water itself, and begin to dig her way up. She felt invincible. The more she pushed the stronger she felt, and that gave her an idea. She grabbed the dragon on her back and held him close to her chest with a forehoof. She put her other hoof out forward, took a few steps back, and sprinted towards the tunnel she was forming. shards of rock hit her open eyes as she cackled with glee, breaking through rock at an alarming rate. Within a few minutes, she launched herself through the ground into open daylight.
Guards that were stationed around the slave camp above ground came rushing to the hole she created. Slave Drivers shouted in alarm all around her. Their words never reached her ears, all she could hear is her own heartbeat, thumping loudly in her chest as she took large gasps of fresh air. Her euphoria was replaced by righteous indignation when an armed pegasi rushed to her. Giving a feral snarl, she threw the object in her hooves at the nearest pony, knocking it out of the air. It was only then she realized she tossed a baby dragon at the pegasi.
What was she doing? This wasn’t like her, she’s never felt like this before. Yet, it felt so right when she threw him, the thrill of not also hurting the pegasi, but the dragon as well. Trying to shake the feeling of disgust away, she dashed forward and grabbed her friend, for lack of a better word. Sniffing, she caught the scent of various minerals nearby, and broke through a couple walls into a building. Ignoring the screams, Frost grabbed a bag and looked inside and found gems. Breaking her way back out again, she ran toward the hills. She never wanted to go back that place as long as she lived.
The dragon awoke to find himself under the stars. He took a second to stare at the endless lights in the sky. After being captured a month ago, he thought he’d never see another star again. He cried in despair when his diamond was stolen by a diamond dog. He thought he would die down in those pits, when an earth pony saved him.
Remembering what happened, he looked around him to see the mare sitting nearby, sitting at the sky.
“It’s you,” he cried out.
She turned to look at him. “You’re awake,” she whispered.
“Who are you? Did you get us out of that cave? Where are we? Are you part dragon?” He blurted out.
The mare frowned, trying to process everything he asked. “I’m Loving Frost. I ran from that place and took you with me, and I don’t know where we are. What makes you assume I am part dragon?”
“Because!” the little dragon smiled. “You have the same eyes as me!”
Frost looked nervous, but quickly switched back to a lethargic, indifferent expression.
“That is amazing! You used your secret dragon pony powers to save me!”
“I suppose,” she murmured.
His stomach grumbled, making him wish there was something to eat. Frost picked up a bag and walked towards him, leaning in for him to take it. His mouth started salivating when he saw all the gems inside. Giving her a quick ‘thanks,’ he started shoving as many as he could into his mouth.
“Pace yourself, we are running low.” Frost laid back down, her back to him.
The dragon frowned and tied the bag close, saving the rest for later.
“What is your name?” The mare asked.
The Dragon blinked, then smiled. He jumped to his feet and ran around to stand in front of his new friend. With an exaggerated bow, he gave her a wink.
“Those sticks in the mud called me trash, and all the other ponies, diamond dogs, and dragons kidnapped there called me trouble. My Mom and Dad though, found me tricking one of the other baby dragons into thinking some other dragon stole his gems!” He gave a chuckle. “After that, Dad gave me good spanking, said he was proud of me, told me to never do it again. He took me to my Mother and announced my name was Discord!”