The Mother of All Diamonds
Fluttershy sat quivering on a bench in Ponyville Park, the nighttime breeze sending shivers down her spine. But it was more than the cool air that bothered her. The yellow pegasus was still worried for Rarity and frustrated that it was her fault. Noting her discontent, Applejack leaned in closer to her friend and pulled her into a warm embrace. “There, there sugarcube.” She whispered lovingly to Fluttershy. “Ah’m sure Rarity, Ivory, and Spike will be back before ya know it.”
A genuine sigh escaped Fluttershy’s mouth. “I hope you’re right.” Truth be told, even Applejack didn’t know.
“What’s taking Twilight so long?” Rainbow Dash said, agitated with how long they’d been waiting. “She was supposed to be here an hour ago.”
“Calm down, Rainbow Dash.” Applejack waved her hoof at the cyan pony.
“But what if she couldn’t find anything?”
“Don’t jump ta any conclusions.”
“But…!”
“Just give her a little more time.”
Rainbow folded her arms and reluctantly landed by the road. “Fine…”
The four friends sat quietly, waiting for Twilight to return with information, or even better, a solution. Pinkie Pie had been unusually quiet the entire time. She just sat staring at the night sky, yawning every now and again. The others couldn’t remember a time when she had been so quiet. But the silence ended when she finally broke down and said, “Do you guys think Rarity is… ok?”
The question sat still for quite some time, none of them wanting to touch on it. Pinkie regretted asking the question, until Applejack finally picked up the gauntlet.
“Ah… Ah know she’s ok.”
“How can you be so sure?” Rainbow interjected.
Applejack stared at Rainbow, “Because Ivory is gonna save her.”
“How do you know? For all we know, Ivory could have…” She stopped before she said the last word, biting her lip to prevent her from saying the word. Fluttershy looked about ready to burst into tears, while Pinkie was just surprised that Rainbow Dash had thought what she did.
The flamboyant pegasus walked over to the group on the bench and said, “He is coming back.” She still didn’t know if that was the truth, but ever since he had left, Fluttershy had been a nervous wreck. The least she could do was have confidence in front of her.
Suddenly, the purple pony rose over the horizon and the four friends sighed in relief. They almost instantly rose to their hooves and charged at the unicorn, spouting questions all the way.
“Twilight, are we glad to see you!”
“Did Zecora help?”
“What took you so long?”
“Where are they?”
“Are they alright Twi?”
Twilight’s eyes widened as she tried to sort out the questions in her mind. “Yes, Zecora helped. The brew took longer than I thought, and they are in the desert.” She looked at the silent quartet, and they stared straight back. “What? Did I miss one?”
“Are they alright?” Applejack repeated, her concern growing by the second.
“Yes. They are alright.” Once again, the group sighed in unison.
“What happened to them Twilight? Do ya know?” The orange mare asked, sitting on her haunches, hoping for the best.
“Well…” She began, thinking back to her vision. “From what I could gather, Ivory and Spike were travelling through a desert. Something happened and Ivory was bitten by a very venomous snake.”
The looks of concern grew on their faces, but Twilight motioned at them to calm down, keeping her composure and relaxed state. “But the last thing I saw was Ivory Moon waking up in a hospital of sorts out by the Gryphon Kingdom.”
Their faces lit up with joy, especially Fluttershy’s. “And where are they now?” Pinkie Pie asked, her usual bouncy nature returning.
“If my calculations are correct, they should be in the Gryphon Kingdom right now.”
“An’ yur sure of this?”
“Absolutely. We will be sure to inform Princess Celestia of this crisis when she arrives in four more days. But until then, I have the utmost confidence that Ivory Moon and Spike will save Rarity and make it back to Ponyville.”
*****
~SMASH~ The iron bars rattled and shook once again, but stood strong against the pony’s attack. He fell to the ground once more, his shoulder now throbbing in pain. But he returned to his feet and walked to the back of the room to try again.
He shouted and charged the gate. The sound echoed throughout the prison, implying a great deal of pain with each ram, but the bars still did not fall. But the pony did not let another failed attempt stop him.
“You guys have no idea what you’re doing!” He shouted out, preparing to slam his body into the prison bars yet again. “When I get out of here, you are gonna get it!”
~SMASH~ The bruise on his shoulder welled up from the size of an ant bite, to a small grapefruit. His stomach met with the cold stone floor once more, but this time he found it nearly impossible to get back up. He was far too hurt, internally as much as externally. This crazy quest didn’t seem to be getting him anywhere. All he wanted to do was find Rarity, but it seemed like anything and everything was determined to deter him from that objective.
He lay still, waiting until his strength returned to him to ram the bars again. “These bars… can’t hold me… forever…” Ivory choked out, trying to think of another way out of this prison. He would have to figure something out before long. He still had a quest to finish.
Perhaps a little more brain and a little less brawn? He noted the keys to the line of cells hung just on the opposite wall, just out of reach. And easy solution for a unicorn, but not an earth pony. He just settled for ramming the bars.
Ivory’s body crashed into the gate sending the rattling of bars all through the building. Finally, someone in a cell or two over called out, “Hey, some of us are tryin’ to sleep here!”
Though he didn’t know the gryphon, Ivory snapped, “I don’t even belong here!”
The prisoner called back in a sarcastic tone, “Sure ya don’t…”
Ivory was mildly agitated by the sarcasm in his voice. Was that what he sounded like? Those thoughts would have to wait for another time. “Maybe you’re willing to accept your fate.” He began, unsure of what he was saying. “But I can’t stay here.”
“You’re gonna be here for a long time, get over it.”
Ivory gave up with the indifferent prisoner. It was like talking to a wall. A big, stupid, uncaring wall. The pony paced around his cell, trying to think of something. Anything that he could do to get out of this stone tower.
He looked out of the barred window and saw the kingdom below. At first glance, he thought that this city was a marvelous sight, but now he was having second thoughts. He hadn’t even been there a day and he was already being treated like a criminal.
He looked back to the bars in the front of the cell and gazed down the prison. It was just one long hallway, the outside lined with cells while the keys rested on hooks on the inside. Several windows on the other side of the hallway showed a hole in the middle of the prison. On the sides of the hallways rested staircases. And in each corner, a door leading outside.
An odd design for a prison, but then again Ivory had never seen a prison, not even in Ponyville. But the fact remained that he had to escape. On the opposite side of the wall rested the keys to his cage as well as his pack.
With his shoulder unable to take another big ram, he limped over to a small bunk attached to the wall and laid down. With no covers and no pillow, it was going to be a rough night. He couldn’t help but let his mind wonder. He thought about what Spike was doing. He could only imagine the little dragon trying to figure out a way to save Ivory. Or even better, a way to save Rarity.
As his eyelids became heavier and heavier, his mind wondered away from him. He couldn’t keep himself from wondering, was Rarity ok? Was she even alive?
*****
Deep below the surface, who knows how far away from Ponyville, The diamond dogs wearily dragged the heavy rolling cage and their supplies, desperately searching for the Mother of All Diamonds. The ruffians were running low on food and water, but had refused to return to the surface, since Rarity had taken advantage of them last time.
Speaking of the white mare, she had not budged from her spot in one of the corners of the cage. She had not spoken since her failed escape attempt. All she could do was think about her friends… and her love.
It hurt, every second of ever day thinking about Ivory Moon. She had tried to stop thinking about him, but she could never clear her mind. She missed him so much. And she couldn’t keep herself from wondering if Ivory felt the same way.
But most of all, she wondered if she’d ever see him again. These idiotic canines would never stop searching for this myth of a diamond, and they would not let Rarity trick them into going to the surface again. Would they keep her in this rusty black box forever?
Rarity moved her hoof to her eye to wipe a nonexistent tear, a reflex developed from spending days in a cage being carted away from everything she loved. Her eyes could no longer supply tears for her to cry. She had never felt so alone, so homesick. All she could do was mourn what she had lost.
~BOOM~ A light blue aura exploded from her horn nearly scaring her and her captors to death. Rarity’s eyes widened looking up at her neon horn. She couldn’t remember a time when it glowed so brightly. Brilliant as a star, forcing the diamond dogs to cover their eyes from the light.
“WE’VE FOUND IT!” The leader called out to the scouts up ahead. The dogs rejoiced, their voyage finally coming to a close.
Rarity wanted to point out that the Mother of All Diamonds didn’t actually exist and that their picture was falsified… but her horn begged to disagree. It seemed to think that there was something incredibly rare nearby, and the only thing that made sense was what they had been searching for. A glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes.
“LEAD US TO THE DIAMOND!” The leader dog barked at the pony, opening the cage and letting Rarity walk out. She stretched her legs, touching the soft dirt below. Normally she wouldn’t touch such a filthy surface, but she didn’t care anymore. All that mattered was that she get her word in.
“And don’t try any funny business this time!” He yelled in his usual bossy voice, pointing at the white mare. “We’ll be watching you!”
“I will not attempt to escape again…” Rarity began, her voice dry from having not spoken in such a long time. “If…”
The dogs all turned to one another, tired and confused. Finally, the big dog stepped up to the plate. “If?” The leader shot an angry look and the dog cowered.
“You must set me free after I find your diamond.” She said, nose skyward. She still was unsure if the gem existed, but either way, this was her last chance.
The leader glanced around the room. All eyes were on him. He paced before coming to a decision. “Alright.”
But that wasn’t enough for Rarity. “Do you promise?”
“… I promise.”
The journey continued, the dogs following Rarity now instead of the other way around. The scouts still made sure to clear the path whichever way the mare told them to go.
It felt good for her to finally be walking again. If she even tried to stand in that wobbly cell she would fall right back down. One could barely even sit up in the mobile prison. She had eaten next to nothing as well, making her weaker than she thought. When she was free, she would have to find shelter before heading back to Ponyville. But she intended to make it back in time for her wedding. In four days she was to marry the stallion of her dreams. She could only hope that he would be there waiting for her.
The twists and turns of the winding path did not cease, leading the gem hunters in a snaking wild goose chase. The leader was obviously getting fed up with looking. His irritated glances were what worried Rarity. He was smarter than she gave him credit for. He was dim, but he could figure out when something was wrong.
Until at last, the scouts broke into a mineshaft of sorts. The dirt had been cleared, but the surface still rested above. Machinery rested in the mine such as bulldozers and drills. But what laid in the center of the room took all of their breaths away.
An enormous light blue rock, more than one hundred feet tall and fifty feet wide. The base of the boulder had been chipped away at, which explained why the machinery was present. But the rest of the gem was intact, and most of it was still buried. Even in the lightless reaches of the underground the diamond sparkled with the bright intensity of the sun.
At this point, Rarity’s horn had stopped glowing. And once her ajar, awestruck mouth turned into an ear-to-ear grin, she turned to the leader, still amazed at what he saw. “Well, you have your diamond. I’ll just be on my way.”
She turned about face and took a hasty retreat for the exit but was soon stopped by several scouts. “On second though, I think we’ll hang onto you a little longer.” The leader said, turning back to the shocked pony.
“WHAT?!” She yelled, whirling around to charge the lying monster. She leapt for him, but was quickly grabbed by the big and little dog. “You can’t do this to me! We had a deal!”
“The deal… changed.” He walked forward to the numerous scouts, rejuvenated from the long trek by the sight of the diamond. “Start digging!”
*****
“Wake up! The warden is coming!” A worried voice moved quickly through the prison corridors. The echo was enough to alarm many of the prisoners, most of them leaping out of their beds instantly and moving away from the bars. Some of them peered out into the hallway to see the approaching gryphon.
Each time he passed a cell, the same pattern followed: slight cries and whimpers emanated from the cell inhabitants, but sighs of relief as soon as he passed by.
“Is everyone awake?” One of the prisoners whispered to his neighbors. “Westley?”
“Yeah.” A gryphon answered just next door.
“Vizzini?”
“Yes. I’m awake.”
“Inigo, Fezzik, and Rugen?”
The names continued down the line making sure no one was asleep during the warden’s visit. But there was one prisoner who was unfamiliar with the way things worked.
“What about the newby?”
Ivory Moon lay curled up on his poor excuse for a bed, sleeping the morning away. After all, the last three days for him had been some of the most difficult and heartbreaking days of his life. He found himself drifting off to sleep with so many questions and no answers.
A pair of talons and paws stopped at Ivory’s door. Whispers flooded the establishment. Whenever the warden stopped, it was bad news.
“I heard there was a pony here.” His voice was rugged, as if he had gargled nails before hand. He reached a claw into his pack and pulled out a long rope. “But now I’ve seen everything.”
The bars slid open and slow, soft footsteps entered Ivory’s cell. The opening of the gate was enough to wake the pony, but he didn’t budge from his spot. He stayed perfectly still, turned away from whoever was in there with him. Until a fiery, stinging sensation scarred his back causing him to fall off of his precarious perch onto the hard floor.
“Wake up, pony!” The warden yelled in his face. Ivory grimaced and moaned in pain. The gryphon pulled the whip back, prepared to strike again.
Begrudgingly, the pony stood, glaring at the warden. The gryphon’s eyes were blood red and his beak was jagged. His uniform was purple to dictate a higher authority than those of the guards Ivory had seen passing his cell a few times. He could see why the others feared this gryphon, but he himself had no time for fear. He already hated this figure as well as the entire kingdom.
“State your name and crime, pony.” The warden said, his voice lightening up a bit but remaining harsh and uninviting.
The hushed whispers from the other cells silenced, awaiting an answer. Ivory stayed quiet for a minute or two, but the warden remained patient… at least on the outside. “My name is Ivory Moon.” He began, his face baring no emotions but disdain for the gryphon. “And I am here because of your biased and broken government.”
The prison was in uproar at Ivory’s words. They prisoners couldn’t believe what he had said. And to the warden no less. And the warden himself struggled for words. He couldn’t remember the last time he was spoken to in such a way. Finally, he just closed his eyes and smiled. “Ah, a smart-mouth.” He chuckled and wrapped his whip up. “Don’t think we don’t know how to deal with your kind.”
“Do your worst…” Probably not the smartest thing to say at this point, and Ivory instantly regretted what he said.
“Do you know who I am?” The warden stopped wrapping his whip, considering using it again.
“You don’t scare me.”
“Ha! I can fix that.” His red eyes met with Ivory’s, his smile contrasting from the earth pony’s frown. “I can make your life here a living hell if I feel like it.”
Ivory could take his attitude no longer. He saw his moment to strike and did not hesitate, bashing his head into the warden’s with a loud ~thunk~
The gryphon fell to the ground, obviously not used to being hurt by his prisoners. After crying out from the pain, he lifted his bleeding head from the ground and scowled at Ivory. While his head bled a bit as well, he had endured far worse pain and stood triumphant over the villain.
But his victory ended soon after the head-butt, as the warden rose to his feet and grabbed Ivory’s neck in one talon lifting him off the ground. The pony struggled for breath, kicking and squirming to break out of his grip until being painfully thrown to the ground.
Ivory turned to catch a glimpse of the warden raising his whip. He quickly covered his head and braced his back.
But much to everyone’s surprise, the gryphon lowered his weapon. “No.” He said, wiping some blood off of his forehead. Ivory opened his eyes and turned to the warden, too stunned to speak. “That would be too easy.”
The gryphon put the cord in his pack and leaned down to Ivory. “Listen. I don’t like ponies, almost as much as I don’t like criminals. And don’t think we don’t know how to break criminals like you.”
The warden walked out of the cell, still rubbing his head. “No food or water for this one.” He said to a nearby guard. “We’ll see how strong he is in a few days.”
The cell closed behind the warden and his guards, and Ivory stood and watched as they disappeared. He didn’t intend to be in his confinement for long, and his meeting with the warden had only strengthened his drive to escape. Before long, other cells in the vicinity began to slide open. He could make out grunts and groans, but could not decipher who they were from or why they were made.
The last thing he heard was a door closing far down the hallway. No more footsteps or moaning. Absolute silence.
Ivory paced around his cell again, trying to come up with a new plan of action. Obviously ramming the gate wasn’t going to work and that would draw unwanted attention to him. And even after breaking out, he had no idea where to go. From what he saw of the prison the hallways were slim and littered with patrolling guards.
He took a moment to rub his back, gritting his teeth as he did so. The stinging pain of the whip had not yet left his body. But he pushed the pain back to think. He needed an escape plan, and fast.
Hours passed and still he had nothing. He had practically created a rut in the ground from him pacing the room. He finally collapsed and gave a heavy sigh. Everything Ivory could come up with was either suicide or impossible. “Maybe I just need to clear my head.” He whispered. He rolled over on his back and closed his eyes. “Maybe now the answer will come to me.”
It seemed like it had been ages since he had been in this much peace. The earth pony lay facing the ceiling, just relaxing every inch of his body. For too long his mind and body had been focused on completing his quest. And though this distracted from the mission at hoof, he loved every second of it. Until…
“Well, well, well.” An unfamiliar voice called from the other side of the bars. Ivory tilted his head a notch or two to see who was there. But seeing her didn’t help at all. He just rolled his eyes and laid his head back down. “I heard there was a pony in here, but I didn’t believe it. ‘Til now.”
Ivory was just one word away from snapping. From the first moment he arrived in the Gryphon Kingdom, he had been shown no kindness at all. “If you come any closer, I’ll kill you.” Ivory muttered. Of course he didn’t mean it, but it sounded like a good threat to keep this gryphon at bay.
“Whoa man. Just chill.” She said in an unimpressed and unthreatened voice. “I just wanted to see if the rumors were true.”
“Well… they are.” He retorted, becoming increasingly annoyed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m a little busy at the moment.”
“You don’t look busy.”
“Well I am. Please leave.”
“Can I at least get your name?”
“Why? So you can tell everypony… everyone here that you know a ‘criminal’s’ name?”
“It’s called making an acquaintance.”
“… Ivory Moon.”
“My name’s Gilda.”