//------------------------------// // Carbon, Part Two // Story: Her Dark Inheritance // by GoesKaboom //------------------------------// Carbon, Part Two The first magic blast from Sombra's horn caught the gargantuan Diamond Dog off-guard, but he quickly recovered. To Sombra's somewhat misplaced sense of relief, the dog turned his attention away from the injured female, instead focusing on Sombra. “What do you you think you're doing, pony?” the behemoth of a creature roared. “You DARE interfere with pack justice?” “Gypsum, Lord Sombra, please calm down...” Brassite's oily voice cut through the ruckus. “I'm sure that we figure out a way to settle this... without any trouble...” Both combatants, however, just ignored him. “Oh, so this is what you call justice, then?” Sombra sneered. “I suppose barbaric justice for a bunch of barbarians makes sense. No matter what she had done, no civilized people would attack one of their own in such a manner, nor would they likely do it to any other creature. Know your place, dog- I am offering your people the chance to have a better future, yet you throw that away through your actions. I am intending to lead a revolution, not a rabble. Now, I am giving you a choice- either you step away from that bitch or I will end you where you stand.” Of course, all that served to do was further antagonize the hulking dog. “You can't give me orders, pony! I'll tear you apar- gyaaah!” He never finished his threat, the sentence ending in a pained scream as another magic blast from Sombra's horn sliced through a major artery. Within seconds, the creature fell over dead. There was a murmur from the crowd- this pony had killed Gypsum! Normally such an insult would not be forgiven, an outsider attacking a high-ranking pack member, but none of the other Diamond Dogs were stupid or sucidial enough to attack the stallion, lest they suffer the same fate as Gypsum. Cautiously, Lord Sombra approached the injured dog, struck at her appearance. Unlike most of her species, the bitch's coat was not colored in muddy earth-tones, with short fur. Instead, her coat was longer than usual for the species, and pitch-black. Her features were far more delicate than those of most of her species. If Sombra had been a Diamond Dog, he probably would have found her very beautiful. As it was, he was unable to look away from her, and he felt himself growing angrier at her treatment. A creature like this reduced to a mere prostitute? While the “oldest profession” wasn't entirely unheard of amonsgt ponies, pony courtesans were closer to highly-paid entertainers than... whatever this was. “Can you stand?” Sombra asked. The Diamond Dog bitch just looked warily at him. “Does it matter?” she asked, her voice a lot more well-modulated and genteel-sounding than her peers. “Why do you care?” “Because I want to know what sorts of creatures my potential allies are before I seal the deal,” Sombra replied, “and as it stands I do not think I like what I see. What is your name, madam?” The Diamond Dog got unsteadily to her feet, eyes hardened. “I am called Carbon Iya'Coquina, last surviving daughter of the true Alpha of this pack,” she said proudly, using an outdated, rarely-used patronymic, a further way of asserting her defiance of the current regime. Prouder than the ancient Queen Dolomite herself, she asked of Sombra, “and you are?” “THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!” Brassite finally exploded. “You dare speak to an honored guest that way, you worthless little pup? And Lord Sombra... I am willing to overlook your actions, but you are beginning to try my patience.” “Oh, shut up,” Sombra rolled his eyes, his horn glowing yet again with magic. The Alpha suddenly found himself unableto speak any more, the unicorn stallion having stolen his voice. “As for myself, Lady Carbon, I am Lord Sombra, the true King of the Crystal Empire. I intend to regairn my rightful place on the throne. I had come here to negotiate an alliance with this pack, but I do not think that will be happening now. I am, after all, waging a war, not commanding a barbarian horde. However, I am in need of a retainer. I had intended to seek the position amongst denizens of my empire that would need the position, but I am impressed with you, Lady Carbon. Would you be interested in the position?” The crowd of Diamond Dogs gasped in shock; Sombra ignored them. Carbon looked skeptically at Sombra. Could she trust this unicorn? Growing up, she had heard many stories about the untrustworthiness of ponies, how they hated Diamond Dogs and would kill them on sight. And Sombra hadn't really done anything to dispel that stereotype, killing Gypsum in cold blood. But... he had killed Gypsum, the chief of her tormentors. Unbidden memories of the evil dog came to the forefront of her mind- the pain he'd caused her, him standing over her battered body, laughing as she miscarried her first littler of puppies. HIS litter, to be precise- when she was sixteen. Even though she despised Gypsum she still wept for the pips that had never had the chance to live, three years later. Three years, she had been living in this hell of a life, and two years before that she'd watched her entire family slaughtered before her eyes in Brassite's coup. She still didn't know why he'd spared her life- she was the runt of her litter, and considered by many to be bad luck, because of her unique coloring. And now this unicorn was offering her an outlet. She'd be able to escape the hell she'd been living in. So she made the only choice she could. “Yes.” “Good,” Sombra said, freeing the silencing enchantment on Brassite. “Here is my deal, Alpha,” he said. “Either you allow me to take Carbon Iya'Coquina as my retainer and leave, or I will annhilate your entire pack... and still take Lady Carbon as my retainer. Do we have an agreement?” “Fine, fine, she's yours, just take her!” Brassite exclaimed, terrified. Even though all Sombra had done to him was silence his voice, he had felt nothing but pure, unadulterated terror since the spell hit him, and he had no desire to repeat the experience. “Just don't kill me!” “Pathetic,” Sombra snorted. “Very well then. I will let you live today, Brassite, but if I ever see you again you will not be so lucky.” It only took about half an hour for Carbon to gather her meager belongings and head out with the unicorn stallion. As they walked back towards the Crystal Empire, where Sombra called home, the pony explained to the Diamond Dog the nature of his mission, and his motivatios for doing what he did. “King Staccatto does not care about anything except throwing parties. He says he cares about his subjects and he shows it by putting on these festivals and fairs, all ostensibly to keep the ponies of the Crystal Empire happy. That's all he cares about- happiness! He doesn't notice as the world threatens to invade and destroy. Equestria would love nothing more than to invade and subjugate the Crystal Empire. Griffindell would be more than happy to pick at the bones. Zebrican warlords, if they could figure out how to get to our land, would invade in a heartbeat. The camels of Saddle Arabia want the gemstones we have. Even the impoverished nation of Pengin would have attacked, if their Empress hadn't been assassinated. He doesn't understand a thing. My goal is to take over the Crystal Empire, then attack the others before they can attack us! I will not live in subjugation to anypony or anything! I am the rightful ruler!” In turn, Carbon spoke of her past, and how the previous five years had been nothing but misery for her. Much to Sombra's surprise, the bitch admitted to having some rudimentary magic. “Not much,” she had said. “My people do not have horns so our magic, those of us who have it, is mostly limited to small things, usually related to gemstones. I have a sort of intuition as to where the good stones are, and I can polish them by turning them over and over in my paws. It takes a long time, though..” She also spoke of being one of the few Diamond Dogs in the pack (and the only surviving one) who could actually read the Equestrian language, as well as speak it fluently without the sharp intonations and propensity to drop words as most of hre kind. Interestingly, she was also fluent and literate in Zuanshi, the “pure” form of the Diamond Dog language, mostly died out by that time, and obviously was fluent in Diamante, the dialect of Equestrian than most Diamond Dogs spoke. “Before I miscarried, I had hoped to teach my puppies about the world,” she said sadly. “I thought maybe we could bring more understanding to my people, and to the other nations. I guess it wasn't meant to be.” “Do not worry- once I am in power, I will make sure you can fulfill your goals,” the stallion promised. “You, with your knowledge of the world, will help me to bring about a World Power. The Crystal Empire will stretch from sea to sea, all lands will be under my control! How do you feel about the title- Imperial Counselor Carbon?” “I would like it very much,” Carbon admitted. All the rest of the way back to the Crystal Empire, the two daydreamed and discussesd their plans for a better tomorrow- with them at the top of the heap, of course, and with plenty of random digressions. “I would like to see Canterlot at least once,” the Diamond Dog admitted. “I've heard it's very beautiful there.” “Ha,” Sombra laughed. “That's nothing! Wait until you've seen the Imperial Crystal City. You have never seen anything so beautiful in your life! It makes Canterlot look like a hovel of mud huts!” “Well, after the pack, I'm sure anything would look lovely,” Carbon said. “Trust me,” Sombra reassured her. “This is the truth!” Back at the Diamond Dog encampment, Brassite fumed. He'd been made a fool of by that little bitch and that arrogant pony. “He thinks he'll get away with this? I'll make him regret the day he ever even HEARD of my pack!” TBC