"A fine tale, my student," Luna remarked, when Dusk had finished telling her about his time as the masked vigilante, the Shadow Spectre back in Ponyville. "Deeds to be proud of and results to admire."
"Thank you, Princess," Dusk said, with an incline of his head. "Though I couldn't have managed it without your help."
"I was happy to do it," she said. "Such a thing seemed like an excellent opportunity for you to test your skills and I would say that you passed with flying colours, if you'll pardon the pun."
"Thank you again, Luna. In a way, it was quite enjoyable, not to mention fulfilling, even though it was sort of cheating," he noted. "Those enchantments you put on my costume gave me an added advantage, not to mention it helped conceal my identity better by altering my voice."
"They were just powerful enough to give you an added edge," she told him. "The rest was all down to your abilities and thinking, both of which seemed flawless."
"Not entirely," he admitted. "Now, I have to get used to my own limits again without the suit enhancing my magic, speed and strength."
"All in good time, my student, that's why you're here," she reminded him. "You managed to stay hidden then, I take it."
"Staying unnoticed was always a talent of mine to begin with, though again your spells did help," he added. "Enough for me to stay hidden, watch Pinkie for any imminent disasters and proceed there if she started shaking."
"A useful ability in that pony, even if she can be a little… erratic," phrased Luna, with a small smile. "It was just a good thing nopony came to your home while you were hiding there."
"They wouldn't have, everypony knew that I was here anyway," dismissed Dusk. "Besides, if they had come looking, I would have been able to vanish and slip away."
"Be careful Dusk, you're growing confident in your abilities again," she warned jokingly.
"I know, there's obviously something wrong with me." He looked up at the Princess. "Didn't you say that you'd be teaching me shadow magic in these lessons at some point?"
"I said I would teach you many things, but yes those are included," she nodded. "Don't get ahead of yourself though. We still have your current abilities to master before we move on to that and even then, it's quite advanced."
"I'll bear that in mind." He might as well ask this next. "Do you think that… I've almost got it?"
"You had it from the beginning, the trick was teaching you to keep a hold of it." She smiled down at him. "But yes, you've almost reached the acceptable level. The remainder of this week and the next shall determine that and then, you can return to Ponyville."
"Totalling my time here to three weeks," summarised Dusk. "Wow, that really didn't take very long."
"For one who's had to stay far away from his friends, I'm certain those three weeks would seem a lot longer," sympathised Luna. "I know it must be difficult for you, staying so far away from those closest to you."
Even though they'd been getting to know each other for some time now, Dusk was still amazed at how well Luna actually knew him. Perhaps it was because they shared a lot of things that didn't just have to do with personal interests.
"I've liked being with you, but yes, it has," admitted Dusk. "Even if I did see them again when I was the Spectre, I… I still couldn't talk to them. Not all of them, anyway."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "So, you didn't talk to any of them?"
"Well… only one, maybe two, but that's it."
"Acceptable then, as long as you kept your identity secret." She saw the look on Dusk's face. "You didn't, did you?"
"Well… for the most part…"
"Who was it? Who did you tell?"
"I… I… uh…"
"It was Twilight Sparkle, wasn't it?"
"Technically, I didn't tell her. She just, sort of… figured it out…"
"Then it's hardly a secret identity, was it?" She shook her head and laughed. "Clearly, deception still doesn't come easily to you Dusk."
"It was fine when I was wearing a mask!" he defended. "She just managed to deduce it…"
"I suppose, of all the ponies that would, she would," admitted Luna. "I can hardly blame you for having some contact then."
"Besides, it was only for the purpose of the investigation," reminded Dusk. "I thought it might be a pony causing those incidents and, if he did discover me investigating, he might try to hurt the others."
"A sound plan. Gremlins are certainly malicious creatures and it's likely they might have done that anyway." She smiled proudly at him. "I am pleased that you managed to chase them off and save your home."
"I have to admit, as much as I don't like fighting, it was somewhat satisfying to see them off like that." He looked out to Ponyville in the distance. "If they know what's good for them, they won't be coming back anytime soon."
"Indeed. It was just fortunate that there was nothing else behind it."
Dusk was glad that she didn't see him shift uncomfortably on his hooves. He hadn't mentioned to her about the neck braces that the gremlins had been wearing in the battle. Until he actually knew what they were, he thought it better to keep that to himself, until the time was right.
He still wondered exactly what they were, what their purpose was and who might have attached them. He had a slight suspicion that it might be the same pony he thought he'd glimpsed back at Ghastly Gorge when it had collapsed. He still had no idea who that was either. He had a hunch, but no real way of proving it.
He was brought out of his thoughts when Luna addressed him again.
"Right, I think I have kept you from your sleep long enough, my student," she said kindly. "Since you have been putting your skills to use so much recently and have performed so admirably, I think you can be excused from your lesson tonight."
"I'm grateful, I could do with a rest. Getting back here by riding on top of a train certainly isn't easy." He yawned and the Princess let him hug her. "Good night, Luna."
"The same to you, Dusk and know I keep vigil over the night. By the way," she added on his way out, "in the morning, I hope your search goes well."
"Thank you, I do too," he nodded. Too tired to think of anything else in great detail, he left for his room and fell asleep almost instantly.
The following day, Dusk was out in the streets of Canterlot, thinking his hardest while also glancing in through shop windows. He would stand there for a few minutes, shake his head after a while and then move on. This was a process he had been repeating for about an hour, ever since he'd started out and so far, he hadn't come any closer to finding any solution.
To anypony else, he might just look like an indecisive shopper and, in a way, he was. A little detail that he had been keeping in his head ever since he'd arrived here was an event that would be happening next weekend, Saturday next week in fact. It was Twilight's birthday and he was now looking around the various stores to find her a present.
Luna, again thanks to his efforts as the Shadow Spectre, had given him the morning off for study and practice, something he was very grateful for. He'd been managing well enough in his sessions anyway, mastering the magic she'd been teaching him, so he felt as she did that some time off from reading various magical tomes was in order. She'd mentioned about his sparring partner and that they would be starting those sessions tomorrow instead.
Dusk was thankful for that too, for he hadn't really been looking forward to that anyway, quite the opposite for obvious reasons.
He had been racking his brains for a while now to find something. He knew her interests well, what sort of coltfriend, or indeed friend, wouldn't. Yet still he was finding this difficult. As her coltfriend, he wanted to get her something that was really special and unique, something that would distinctive enough that she knew only he could have got that for her. The others could get her something normal, but he wanted to get her something special.
So far though, his efforts had been in vain. He didn't want to get her a book, she had plenty of those at the library. Food was also out because it was only really special when somepony made it themselves and Dusk didn't really know a lot about cooking. He might end up making more of a mess than a culinary delight. Jewellery was tempting, but the prices he'd seen had definitely ruled that out. He could make her something, but fell into the same realm as cooking in that he wasn't very good at it.
Practically giving up now from lack of results, he made his way to the gardens, where he could clear his head and think properly for a moment. What could he do then? None of what he could think of seemed in anyway special enough to rank up as the perfect gift for Twilight. Jewellery seemed like the only thing that came close to what he was looking for, but he didn't have the money to afford it and he didn't really want to ask anypony for extra funds. Perhaps if he just sat here and thought for a little bit, a solution would present itself.
He did, however, find it hard to concentrate with a strange sound that kept buzzing in his ears. What was that anyway? It sounded like whistling… and was that a violin in there too? What's more, why did he get the feeling he'd heard it before? He followed the sound throughout the garden, soon coming to a secluded glade and the origin of the music.
It was indeed being played by a violin and the player was a tall, blue Pegasus pony, taller than most he had ever seen. He was the same height as Princess Luna and the wings just as large, but that was where the similarities ended. His tail was long and flowing and his mane was done in a sort of windswept look, both of which matched his sky-blue fur. His cutie mark, of course, was of a violin and what looked like a gust of wind, with random musical notes decorating around it.
This, however, wasn't the thing that grabbed his attention. He knew where the violin sounds were coming from, but he was still trying to decipher the origin of the whistling, when he noticed that his wings were spread out, even though he wasn't in flight. Not only did he have more feathers than the average Pegasus, but he noted that they seemed to be… moving in the wind, either individually or in little groups. Whenever the wind blew through them, they would do this and this appeared to be the origin of the whistles.
Before Dusk could ponder further, the Pegasus stopped and looked at his instrument. "Hm, still out of tune," he remarked quietly, adjusting the strings. "That should be a little better. What do you think?"
Dusk was startled when the pegasus glanced back and smiled. He was talking to him, how had he known that he was here? Clearly, he had come here so he couldn't be disturbed and Dusk had ruined that. Perhaps he could still slip away.
"Didn't you parents ever tell you that it's impolite to remain silent when being addressed?" he asked lightly, still with a smile. "Come on out, so I can see you."
There was no point in trying to leave now. Seeing as how he didn't want to appear anymore rude, Dusk stepped out of the bush as the stallion turned to face him.
His smile became even more pleasant once he saw him. "See, that wasn't so difficult, was it?"
"I um… I'm sorry I… disturbed you," mumbled Dusk.
"Think nothing of it, I usually play better to an audience anyway, even if it is an audience of one," he replied. "Did you like my serenade?"
"Yes it was… very well played," affirmed Dusk, relieved that he didn't appear angry. "You really live up to your talent."
"You're very kind to say so but, then again, don't we all live up to what we were born to do?" he mused. "Yours does seem like an interesting one, to say the least."
"I um… certainly agree with you there." Something was still nagging at Dusk's thoughts. "Forgive me for asking, sir, but… have we met before? I feel like I know you from somewhere…"
"I forgive you, as that's a question I hear very frequently, as often as my name actually and here's an answer I usually give," he said rather cryptically. "We have met, yes, but not directly I feel, Mr Noir."
"How… how do you…?"
"Come now, Dusk, with the reputation that you have, is it not surprising that a fellow celebrity might know your name?"
Dusk decided not ask about the celebrity bit, as the word made him flush significantly. "I suppose, you know, being an Element… I should expect that but uh… it's still strange when… you know…"
"When a pony you've never even met before knows your name and everything else about you, though you've never given them so much as a hello?" How uncanny that he seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.
"Well, yes," he nodded. "It doesn't happen too much but, when it does…"
"I understand perfectly," he said sympathetically. "I admit I've had it so many times, I'm rather used to it. Still, you have made it quite refreshing for me in that you haven't run up to me, screaming as if you're on fire and sounding my name like a siren."
"So… you're famous then?" Dusk asked, rather stupidly, now trying to place him.
"Famous enough to play at your little celebration, yes," he replied. "You did seem to be quite a flush yourself throughout, from what I could tell from the stage."
Like a lightning bolt, Dusk's memory was jogged in that instant. "Yes, I remember now! You were on the stage at the celebration, playing your violin with that DJ pony!"
"Ah, there we go," he remarked. "Glad to see that you remember me and my musical partner, yet I can't help but notice you still haven't mentioned my name yet."
But Dusk wasn't so ignorant now. It was coming back now, images of record covers, a name on an orchestra list and appearing on posters advertising his performances. He still couldn't believe that he hadn't guessed this before, for he had seen a bit of him at times.
"You're Frequency Stream!" he declared. "One of the best known musical players in Canterlot!"
"And you are Dusk Noir, the Seventh Element of Harmony, Unity. At last, we are acquainted," he said, holding out a hoof to shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Dusk."
"Likewise, Frequency," returned Dusk, shaking the hoof of the tall Pegasus. "I'm a little ashamed I didn't recognise you there, for a bit."
"Don't worry, like I said, it's a refreshing change," he dismissed. "I take it that you do know me by my reputation then?"
"Yes, my mother owns a few of your records, a few originals too," he noted. "You're very unique, in that you can make that whistling noise with your wings when the wind blows through them, as well as being very talented with a violin."
"A very unique feature indeed," he nodded. "Even though the sad thing is that, due to the condition that allows me to do that…"
"You can't fly," Dusk finished. "That must be hard for you."
"Yes, it is rather… so, you mentioned about your mother?" he asked, changing the subject.
Clearly, something he didn't want to talk about. A Pegasus's wings were their pride, as unicorns had their magic and not being able to perform that must be difficult. He decided not to broach further on that, as Frequency certainly didn't.
"She plays the violin too, part of a small classical music group and she does like listening to your work. Chord Noir?"
"I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure of meeting her," he said regrettably. "I'm always happy to meet another purveyor of the musical arts though."
"I'm sure she'd love to meet you, I'll have to mention it next time I… see her…" He trailed off at this, uncomfortable feelings returning at the thought of her.
"Something the matter?" enquired Frequency. "You seem a little down."
"It's… it's nothing," muttered Dusk. "Just um… I only ever really heard about you from her, whenever she was listening to your music. I never really… listened to it myself."
The stallion raised an eyebrow. "May I inquire as to why?"
"I was… younger at the time and I thought it was a little… um…"
"Yes, go on," he prompted kindly.
Just uh… I found it… dull," he mumbled, hoping he hadn't offended him.
Frequency, however, just chuckled. "Yes, I would expect that she only ever bought my more classical pieces. Perhaps you would prefer something a little more… up beat? One that I think would be suited to your choice of headwear."
Picking up the bow in his left hoof and raising the instrument in the other, he set the bow on the strings, spread his wings and began to play out a very rapid, but very catchy beat that Dusk actually recognised and was bobbing his head and tapping his hoof to a few seconds into it. The added whistling that his wings made only added to the harmony of the music, sheer perfection to the ears.
More remarkable than the music itself was how Frequency played it. He didn't just remain still, he moved and danced with the rhythm of the song, sliding around on the grass and even jumping, while still managing to perfectly play it. He moved the bow with expert grace along the strings, the same kind of mastery he would expect to see from a painter with a brush on a canvas. He was an artist, in his element, knowing exactly what he was doing and how to do it with style and grace.
That was truly amazing.
After a minute, the music had finished, Frequency took a bow and Dusk applauded.
"Thank you, thank you, you're too kind."
"Brilliant playing, fantastic!" praised Dusk, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "But… that looks like a normal violin. I thought you played an electric variant."
"I do, but I can't exactly wheel out amplifiers when I'm out here, especially when I just want to have some time to myself. This is just one I borrowed for a little bit," he explained. "I still prefer mine though."
Dusk nodded in understanding. "I would imagine so. It must be hard for you to have time alone, considering your reputation."
"Rather," he agreed. "This is the only place I can really come when I want a little peace. Only the gardener knows me here. It would be nice, if I could go somewhere ponies wouldn't really know me like they do here. Just to have a little more time to be known as Frequency the Pegasus, not Frequency the famous musician."
"Why don't you then?"
"I was actually considering moving to Ponyville, the settlement near here, but I'm not entirely sure," he mentioned. "I hear that's where you're currently living. Would you say that's a good choice?"
"The best one you could hope to make," said Dusk instantly. "It's peaceful, for the most part, quiet, friendly and I don't think many ponies would know you there. It would be the perfect place for you."
"Is that so?" He smiled thoughtfully. "Then I shall definitely be certain to take that into account. Thank you for that."
"My pleasure, I couldn't imagine any better place to live," he told him with complete honesty.
"I don't doubt that." He turned his thoughtful look to Dusk. "So, I'm out here to have some time alone with my thoughts. Can I assume that this is the same reason that you're here, my young friend?"
"It is," nodded Dusk. "But… you don't want to hear about that."
"Nonsense. You've helped me with my problem, I think that it's only fair that I give you a hoof with yours." He made a friendly gesture and broadened his smile. "Come, tell me what's on your mind."
"Well…" Dusk remembered that, whenever he did seem to have a problem, a new pony he met had often given him a solution. Perhaps he would have something too. "I've been trying to find a gift for my marefriend, it's her birthday next weekend, but I'm having trouble deciding exactly what."
"I see," he replied. "You want it to be something special, don't you?"
"Exactly, but I don't what it could be or if I could even afford it," he admitted. "I'm at a bit of a loss…"
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm also sorry to say that, since I don't really know the mare in question, I'm afraid I would be poor as to advise on a possible gift," he said solemnly.
"Really? Nothing?" Dusk asked.
"Well, it would have to be something personal to both of you and something you'd both appreciate. You mentioned a DJ pony that played at your celebration with me?" Dusk nodded in response. "Her name is Vinyl Scratch, better known as DJ PON-3 and I remember, for her birthday, I composed an original piece of music for her, as I wanted to get her something special."
"That was good of you, though… I'm not musically talented," sighed Dusk. "Is she your marefriend then?"
"No. At least, not yet," he corrected, a small blush in his cheeks. "But still, I only knew what to get her because I knew her and it was something we'd both appreciate. Since I don't know…?"
"Twilight Sparkle," supplied Dusk.
"Ah yes, the Element of Magic." He gave a small laugh. "Well, apart from that, I don't know her, so my advice would be to simply keep trying."
"Okay… thanks anyway." So much for that hope then, thought Dusk. "I suppose I'd better get back to it. Thanks for your time, Frequency. It was good meeting you."
"You too Dusk, sorry I couldn't be of more help," he said sincerely. "I hope you do find her something."
"I do too." He started to leave, tipping his hat. "Happy playing."
"Good hunting," he returned. "I'm sure there are other friends you could ask instead. They might have a better solution."
"Yeah… wait…" The gears in Dusk's head started turning again. "Other friends I could… yes, that's it! Thank you Frequency!"
"Your… perfectly welcome," he answered unsurely. "Have you an idea?"
"The beginnings of one, but I need to go. Thanks again!" he called, galloping off, leaving a no doubt confused musician in his wake.
He kept this quick pace, dashing through the streets of Canterlot, not really minding that a few of the elite were staring after him as he ran, wondering aloud where he could be going in such a hurry or muttering about 'young ruffians' under their breaths. He could worry about that later, if he even needed to, but right now he had a mission and a destination.
The girls obviously weren't here and the letters that he sent to Ponyville only went to the library, so he couldn't risk Twilight finding out that he was having difficulties finding her a gift. He didn't want her to think less of him for that, so it ruled out asking them, though he still preferred to get this from a female perspective, as he thought that would be a better of source of information. There were, of course, only two ponies he knew answered to that in Canterlot.
How ironic the possible solution might be in the place he had left this morning
He soon arrived back at the gates of Celestia's School and slowed down a little, still keeping at a gentle jog. A few pupils appeared to recognise him as he went, calling his name and waving or smiling at him, something he felt a little uncomfortable with all of the attention. A few mares also seemed to be giving him flirtatious looks and winks, which only made him blush further.
Dusk did his best to return friendly greetings with some of his own, but in the end resorted to practically sneaking around to avoid being seen, in case things got out of hoof. He recalled when Mirror had told him where their dorm was located which, coincidently, wasn't too far away from his old one, so he knew where he was going.
He ended up lingering outside the door to his old dorm for a little bit. It would have been nice if he could still have it, but he knew that somepony else was occupying it and it wouldn't have been fair to kick them out for nostalgia's sake. Not that he had too many happy memories from the time that dorm used to be his anyway…
He moved on to the door to Mirror and Prim's, hoping that the former rather than the latter was here. His hopes went unfulfilled, when after he knocked, he was met by the dark pink, red-maned mare he really didn't want to see.
"Oh, you," she noted harshly, like he was some sort of detestable beast. "What do you want?"
"Good afternoon, Prim," he said, deciding to still be polite. "Is um, Mirror here?"
"No, she isn't," she snapped. "She's doing some research in the library for a project. You know, the place you always used to hang around at?"
"Yes," he said, not sure how to respond to that. "Um… what project is that?"
"Why do you care?" she demanded. "It's nothing to do with you, is it? Is it?"
"No, I just-"
"Thought not, so don't butt into another pony's business," she warned. "Especially when you're not wanted."
"Duly… noted," replied Dusk, in an equally cold tone now, determined not to let her get to him. "I suppose I can find her later…"
This only seemed to aggravate her further. "What? Am I not good enough to ask for help, not smart enough is that it?"
"Not at all," he said calmly. "I simply wanted to talk to somepony who might give me a… lighter reception."
"What's that supposed to mean? You mean you want somepony else to treat you like you're something special, is that it?" she challenged.
"No, but I wouldn't mind talking to somepony who might be a little more… friendly, at least."
"I think I've got more friends than you could ever hope to have," she retorted. "At least, more than you used to have, loner boy."
Dusk had had enough. He'd put up with her long enough, her snide attitude that she had towards him, the hostility that she had from the moment he'd first met her and he'd tried his best to ignore it. Now, it was time to confront it.
"Prim, if I um, may ask, what is it that I've ever um… done to you that permits you to be, uh… rude to me?" he asked.
"What's it to you?" she demanded. "It's a free country. I don't need to explain myself to you."
"I feel that you do, considering you seem to um… treat me like I've committed some… sort of horrific crime against you," he countered. "I've been patient so far but now um, I just want to know… why."
"You want to know, do you?" she hissed. "Fine, here it is: you should have stayed where you belong."
"What does that… mean, exactly?"
"You were right where you needed to be, in the library, alone, away from everypony else, like your little marefriend, Solitude Sparkle. That's the way it should have been. Then, you had to creep out of your hidey hole and try to make a name for yourself or whatever and, for whatever reason, it worked. Now, everypony talks about you both like you're the greatest things ever and, you know what? I don't see it. What's so special about you? What's so special about either of you that makes you so much better than the rest of us? Do you even care about the rest of us, really? Or do you just like having us around cause we're all meant to think you're so great?"
"What…? Of course I care," he responded, but she wasn't finished.
"That's what I'd expect you to say, but I just wonder how much of that is true. All your little friends you have, including my best friend, do you like having them around because you really like them or because of how good they make you feel, when they tell you how great they think you are? You can put on your little mumbling and stuttering, but I know it's just an act. You hang around with us just because we make you feel better about yourself… and that's just pathetic."
Her words stung him, more than he could have imagined. While he was uncomfortable accepting praise, Dusk couldn't deny that it did make him feel a little good inside, whenever his friends complimented on something he did or an idea that he had. He could try to deny it, but perhaps there was some truth to it… and that truth made him feel awful.
Those memories that plagued him, the laughter he always heard echoing in his head whenever he least expected it. Was this really the reason why he kept them hidden? His ego?
But then he remembered something else. Prim barely knew him and she certainly didn't know about what he'd been through just to actually have and keep his friends, what he was still going through. He loved them, cared about them more than anything in the world and he knew that they felt the same for him, faults and all, even if they didn't know the biggest one. He'd doubted his friends before and she wasn't going to make him do so again.
"Believe what you like, Prim," he replied. "if that's how you see me then… I'm sorry, but I'm not going to change your mind. I'm not here for myself, I'm here for Twilight. I would have preferred to ask Mirror for help, but if you can feel inclined to help me then fine."
"Figured you might be useless at something like that," she sneered. "So, you really need my help then?"
"If you can."
"And why would I want to do that?"
"Because… I feel that you, or somepony else, might be able to, especially if it's a chance to prove how… right you are," he said, trying to play to that side of her.
"Yeah, not so great now, are you?" she asked mockingly. "If you're asking me for help, it must be bad."
"It is," agreed Dusk, not being serious but knowing he had to ensure her cooperation and knowing he might have a chance to prove that she was wrong about him. "So, will you help me?"
She chewed her lip for a bit, thinking that she was keeping him in desperate suspense. In a way, she was, so he wasn't being entirely false. Lying still wasn't his strong suit though and he hoped that she wouldn't uncover that.
Luckily, she didn't. "I guess I could help. What is it then?"
"I want to find a special gift for Twilight for her birthday, but I can't decide exactly as to what. It needs to be precious, something she'd like and I don't know if I could afford any kind of jewellery that would fit into that."
"Lying cheapskate," she muttered. "That just proves my point."
"I suppose so, but can you help?" he asked, losing patience with her.
"Fine, I suppose if you want to find something for her that would special without you spending any of your precious money, which is obviously more important to you, there is one thing that might fit that."
"Which is?" he asked sceptically.
"You ever heard of the caves under Canterlot?"
"I have. Old mining complexes, used by unicorns in the early days of Equestria to excavate the precious stones. Once the princesses came to power and the sects unified, they abandoned them when they realised friendship was far more precious than any gem and rightly so-"
"I didn't ask for a lecture, I asked if you knew about them," she snapped. "Well, legend has it that there's a gem that's only found deep in those caves, said to be more precious and more beautiful than any other jewel."
Dusk's memory was reminded at this mention in a passage he once read. Such a gem was meant to have existed, the rarest of its kind, that formed the shape of a love heart and that unicorns used to hunt for most ferociously. They'd give it as the ultimate sign of affection to their special somepony and they gave a whole chest full of them to members of the other sects once the unification was made.
"Wait… you mean a Lover's Diamond?" he asked.
"I suppose if there's one thing you're good at, it's reading dusty books," she remarked. "Yeah, a Lover's Diamond. There's still meant to be some down there but, of course, most ponies have forgot about those caves, so they never went looking for any after that. I bet you'd be able to find one, if you looked hard enough."
"Interesting idea… thank you," he said absently to her.
"Oh come on, like you're actually gonna go looking for it." She glared at him contemptuously. "Don't even bother lying to me, because it's just as pathetic as you are."
She slammed the door in his face, though Dusk was glad that the exchange was over. He now had a better idea and something to think about. He could deal with Prim later if he had to, but right now he had this to focus on. He made his way back outside, sat down under a nearby tree next to a small lake, where the sun made the water glisten in the light and pressed his chin to his hoof in thought.
A Lover's Diamond… they were rare, they were precious but they definitely existed. He'd seen one in the window of a jewellery store in the form of a necklace, the highest priced one there. It was historically recorded that they had only ever been found in those caverns, but most ponies either didn't know about the caverns anymore or were too afraid to go searching it, with stories of monsters and things hiding in the dark.
Dusk knew that it would be special, the perfect thing for Twilight. As she had some knowledge of Equestria's history as he did, she'd definitely appreciate what such a thing would mean and now he knew where to get one, if he could find it. They were distinctive though, even if they were rare. But… it could be dangerous down in those caverns, they'd been abandoned with good reason. Was it worth putting his life in danger for the sake of a jewel?
In the end, though he was scared, Dusk also had a lot to be confident of. He'd been to other dangerous places before and while he certainly hadn't come out unscathed, he'd proven that he could brave the darkness and the fear if it was for something important. Getting something special for Twilight ranked up there and he would do it for her. He'd grown a lot stronger and wiser since those days. As long as he was careful, he might manage.
Still, it would be prudent to go with some backup, somepony to accompany him down into the dark. But who?
"Hey, Dusk, what's up dude!" He whipped his head up at the friendly greeting of Muscles, who was approaching down from the sky with Jock.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," he greeted. "In answer to your question, birds, clouds and, until recently, you."
"Huh? Oh, I get it." Muscles punched his arm jovially, making Dusk wince. "That's clever, good one."
"Yeah, whatever," muttered Jock.
"So, what's going on man?" asked Muscles, not really noticing Jock's reaction. "Where are the girls?"
"Mirror's in the library, Prim's in her room and I'm just sitting here, thinking," he told them.
Muscles chuckled again. "Seems like that's all you do at times. What's going on then?"
Dusk thought a little bit before answering, scanning them up and down. Muscles, chocolate brown fur, black mane and bulging legs and Jock, dirty yellow fur, dull brown hair and matching muscle structure, both of them displaying cutie marks that expressed the strength they clearly possessed physically. He did need some help from ponies who would be able to aid him in the caves. Neither of them were great thinkers, but he was certain he'd make up for that.
With their permission, of course, if they actually wanted to help him.
He explained the situation to them both, finishing with the request for help to accompany him down into the cave. Jock now looked rather enthusiastic at the idea, while Muscles looked a little more frightened at the idea. Dusk couldn't help but smirk a little at the tank-sized stallion recoiling a little in fear, then chastised himself for thinking those thoughts. Everypony had their fears, no matter what their size.
"Yeah um… I really wanna come along but uh… I think I should go see Prim, you know?" he said, in a would-be casual voice. "I mean, good luck and all but just… you know."
"I understand, that's fine," sympathised Dusk. "What about you Jock?"
"Yeah, I'm game!" he said positively. "Sounds like it could be cool, going down in the caves. I can see why you'd need me with you."
"Good to know, thank you." He turned his attention back to Muscles. "If we're down there for too long, inform either one of the princesses and get them to send help. With any luck though, we won't need any help."
"Right, you got it. Stay here, get help. You can count on me," he said, looking relieved that he got to stay above ground. "See you guys later then, good luck with that."
"See you," bade Jock to his friend. "So, we gonna go then? Where is this cave?"
"I think I know where one of the entrances will be. Let's go." Pleased that he didn't want to waste time, Dusk led the way to the entrance.
As they walked, their route taking them out of the main body of the city and along a path that was part of the mountain the royal city was built into, Dusk was still quite surprised that Jock had volunteered so quickly and enthusiastically to accompany him. He liked to think that it was a courage that drove him, perhaps a loyalty towards Dusk as a friend. But the truth was he hadn't known him for very long and didn't know him very well, so he ruled that out.
What made his actions even more curious was his remembering of how he'd been acting towards him over the past week. For the most part, he acted friendly, but there were times that he caught him glaring at him. It didn't happen often but there were times, like when he was talking about his friends back in Ponyville or the things he'd done, when Mirror or Muscles complimented him about something, it happened. Out of the corner of his eye, but he still saw it.
He had still been trying to figure out why. He hoped it was nothing like with Prim and it was something that could be more easily resolved and they could still be friends. It was bad enough with Prim treating him like he was dirt, he didn't need Jock joining her club. He could still work on her though, hopefully. He liked to think he was a likable pony, but he supposed that you couldn't make everypony like you.
Dusk returned his thoughts to the present when he found a small patch of collapsed rocks. There were enough gaps in them to indicate there was something on the other side.
He looked over at Jock. "Mind helping me move these?"
"You got it." He flexed his impressive muscles. "I'll shift these without even breaking a sweat."
"I don't doubt that." Combined with his strength and Dusk's magic, they soon made an opening into the caverns. "Right, be careful. There might be more than geometric formations down here."
"Don't sweat it, I can handle whatever's down here," he said confidently, practically pushing past Dusk into the cave.
He created a light orb to give them some better light and was soon staring openly. Everywhere he looked, embedded in the walls and floor, ranging from sizes no larger than his hoof to the size of apple carts, everywhere was the glint and shine of crystals, beaming and reflecting the light from his orb. The whole cave seemed to sparkle, like the stars in the night sky and it was sheer beauty and magnificence to behold.
No wonder those ancient unicorns had become so greedy, for Dusk could certainly see why. Even more so for why they sealed it up. The temptations here were simply too great. Rarity would go into a dead faint if she saw this place. Thinking about the fashionista brought a familiar pang to his chest, so he abruptly stopped. He needed to focus.
Jock was in just as much awe as he was. "Whoa, would you look at this place? There's enough gems here to buy all of Equestria!"
"It does look that way," agreed Dusk. "But we're only here for one gem, remember."
"I know but…" He grabbed a few and stuffed them away. "What, just a few souvenirs. Present for Mirror, you know?"
"Of course. Let's get going then. The quicker we get out of here, the better." He started to walk forward, only to have his progress halted by a long gorge, deep enough that he could only see darkness. "Ah, right…"
"Heh, no problem for me." He spread his wings. "If you need me to carry you over, I'll understand."
"Already ahead of you." Dusk created a white colour cloud and stepped onto it.
As they started to glide across the canyon, Jock turned away abruptly away at this and he caught him muttering something about 'rubbing his face in it'. With those words in mind, it was suddenly a lot clearer to Dusk about his behaviour and where he'd seen it before. It was like with Rarity when Fluttershy had a career as a famous model, those very same glares she'd given her whenever she saw her face in magazines.
Remarkably, the other stallion was jealous of him. As if Dusk didn't have enough things to be uncomfortable with. He didn't have to think too much about it this time. Jock seemed to be the kind of guy who was used to impressing others with his physical strength, attention that Dusk had been diverting away, especially in Mirror's case. He had come along on this to try and impress Dusk with what he knew and did best.
Fortunately, it perhaps wouldn't be too difficult to rectify this situation. All he needed to do was provide Jock with opportunities to prove his strength.
If that truly was the cause of it. He could just as easily be wrong though.
They continued down into the caverns, their hoofsteps echoing off the walls and the light from Dusk's orb casting long shadows along the wall. Their reflections came through rather strong in the many facets of the crystals, which also helped to project Dusk's light around the passage, occasionally being warped like in a house of mirrors.
"So, what does it look like, this diamond thing?" Jock asked.
"It's about the size of a cupcake, flawless and shaped like a love heart," explained Dusk. "It'll be deep down in the caverns, where the crystals are most abundant."
He nodded, though with a small look of confusion. "You think there's anything else down here?"
"I'm not entirely sure. It's been centuries since these places were used, so it's entirely possible something might have moved in here," he reasoned. "With any luck, we'll be able to find it and get out without any trouble."
"And if anything does show up, I can take it." He chuckled confidently. "Don't you worry man, I'll be watching your back the whole time."
"I have no doubt of that," said Dusk, playing to his ego. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle anything that gets in our way."
"Yeah, I didn't get these puppies for nothing you know," he bragged, flexing his muscles. "You can do the thinkin', I can do the hittin'."
Dusk smiled back at him. "That sounds reasonable. I usually abhor violence anyway."
"That's why you're doin' the thinkin'. Also 'cause you're, you know, small and stuff. No offense," he added.
"None taken. You remind me of my friend, Rainbow Dash, back in Ponyville," he said fondly.
"She's that other Pegasus, ain't she?" he clarified. "Yeah, us pegasuses are made of tougher stuff."
Dusk ignored the urge to correct him, pleased that he didn't seem as tetchy with him now. "Do you know her well?"
"Kinda. I talked to her at the celebration. Seemed pretty cool, 'specially how she wants to join the Wonderbolts."
"She is determined to achieve her goals, to be certain," agreed Dusk.
"Yeah. She kept staring at you though."
Dusk blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Just, now and again, she'd be starin' across the room at you, then her cheeks would go all red when I pointed it out." He smirked a little. "I think she likes you man."
"What… you mean…?" Dusk waved his hoof and blushed. "No, that's not possible. I already have a marefriend. What would she see in me, anyway?"
"I'm just sayin' what I saw," he shrugged.
Dusk chose not to acknowledge it. Although… all those looks she'd been giving him, the blushing and the stuttering. Could she really be…? No, this was Rainbow Dash! Why would she possibly be interested in him like that? His train of thought was interrupted by a large boulder blocking their way.
He knew that, with enough concentration, he might be able to move it, but he knew this was an opportunity for Jock to prove his worth and further smooth things over with him.
"Mind helping out?" he asked, creating an aura around it.
"You know it!" Combined with his strength and Dusk's magic, they shifted the boulder and dumped it over the side, where it tumbled into the darkness. "There's a split in the tunnel here. Which way?"
"Well…" Dusk's decision was made for him when he heard a loud screech down one of the tunnels on the right, accompanied by the buzzing of wings and clicking of feet. "To the left?"
"You scared?"
"Yes, and I'd rather avoid tangling with whatever's making that noise. Besides, that passage goes up and we need to go down."
"Make sense," he shrugged, letting Dusk lead them down the left tunnel, very quickly. "What do you think was there?"
"I don't really know…" Those sounds… it sounded like the kind of things an insect would do, but much bigger… maybe it was best not to think about it.
As they continued down the tunnel, Dusk hoped that would be it for unexpected residents. He was proven wrong when he heard movement up ahead, glimpsed another light from down the tunnel. Gesturing to a disgruntled looking Jock, who looked like he just wanted to fight and get it over with, they hid in a cluster of crystals nearby.
The large, bulking figures moved into their vision. Three were dressed in heavy armour and armed with crude spears, one with light brown fur and a jacket, who looked like he was the leader and Dusk knew instantly who they were.
"Diamond dogs," he whispered to Jock. "Canines with a fetish for gemstones."
"You know these guys?"
"I've encountered them before and they're not pleasant company," he replied. "Let's wait for them to leave."
"I was sure I heard somethin' down here, Spot," one of the larger ones said. "Really, I was."
"Well, look, there's nothing here!" snapped the leader, Spot. "Now, we've wasted our time finding gems."
"Sorry boss," moaned the dog.
"You should be!" He whacked him hard around the helmet with the spade he carried. "Now, come on!"
"These guys are idiots," hissed Jock. "There's only four, we can take them!"
"Yes, but they still outnumber us by two," whispered Dusk. "Besides, there's bound to be more and I don't want a whole pack of them after us."
"Then we'll take them on too. Come on, let's get 'em!"
"No, there's no point in getting into an unnecessary fight! We let them pass, then move on."
"What are you, scared or somethin'?"
"No, I'm just not stupid, unlike you!"
"What you sayin'?"
"You know exactly what I-"
"Well, well, well, looks like you were right." They hadn't realised that their voices were rising, enough to attract the attention of the diamond dogs. "Work ponies, right when we needed them."
Dusk noticed Jock tense and crack his hooves and the guards pointed their weapons at him in response.
"Don't," he warned him. "They have weapons, we don't. Just go along with it, for now." Jock growled and, reluctantly, gave up.
"Good, now move ponies!" They shoved them into the middle of their group, poking them along with their spears and forcing them down the tunnel.
All the while, Dusk was trying to formulate an idea to escape. The diamond dogs were bound to be numerous and experience had taught him they were both tough and strong. But they weren't especially bright, as Rarity had managed to trick them into letting her go without even needing to resort to force. While he didn't think he'd be able to use the same tricks she did, he was certain he could come up with something.
Jock, meanwhile, was glaring angrily at him again.
"I can't believe you convinced me into givin' us up to these guys," he grumbled. "I coulda taken 'em!"
"No, you couldn't have," responded Dusk. "They outnumber us and they're bigger than us."
"So what, bigger they are, the harder they are to knock down!" He frowned. "Wait, that ain't right…"
"Just remain calm for now and go with it," Dusk urged. "I'll find us a way to get out of here."
"Oh yeah, you made us give up. Suppose we'll escape by bringin' em biscuits and tea."
"Just trust me, I'll think of something."
"You just like showin' off because you think you're so smart and a big hero!"
"If you knew me, you'd know both of those aspects are false!"
"Stop tryin' to fake it, just 'cause Mirror always goes on about you while you're here. She's mine!"
"What? You seriously think I'm interested in her like that?!"
"Sure looks like it to me-!"
"Shut up, ponies!" Spot commanded, smacking them both on the back of the head. They both were quiet, though Dusk could still feel Jock's glare.
They soon arrived in a large cavern that looked like their centre of operations. Large groups of dogs worked in the area, mining gems and stacking them onto mine carts. Rail tracks for them criss-crossed above and below them. Some looked older than others and Dusk suspected that the diamond dogs might have built new ones when they moved in.
They were led along to the other two leaders of the pack, which Dusk also recognised from the last time he'd encountered the bipedal canines. He looked around, searching for any possible method of escape. He noticed one cart that was empty and looked like it went further down into the caverns. That gave him an idea…
"What is this, Spot?" questioned the dark grey one when they approached. "Found us some workers, have you?"
"Sure thing, Rover," he replied, smiling satisfactorily. "Found them hiding in one of the tunnels."
"Good work, yes, good work," he praised, examining them both, eyes resting on Jock. "This one looks strong, doesn't he, Fido?"
The biggest of them laughed stupidly. "Yeah, yeah he does. Could pull maybe ten carts full of gems. Good find."
"I ain't gonna pull none of your stinkin' gems!" spat Jock. "Come on, let's go! I can take you!"
Rover smacked him across the face. "Shut up, you talk too much. That's the problem with ponies, they always talk too much."
"We could gag them, that would shut them up," suggested Spot.
This has gone on long enough, Dusk thought. Time to engineer their escape.
"Well, this certainly is an impressive operation you fellows have," he said, allowing an admirable note to creep into his voice. "You must be gathering hundreds, even thousands of gems a day with a crew like this."
Rover gave a gloating smile. "That's right, pony, and you can't have any of them, so no smart ideas!"
"I have no intention of taking any, especially since we already got so much from the last time I encountered you, back in Ponyville."
"What? You know us? Have we kidnapped you before?" asked Spot.
"No, but you have had the pleasure of meeting one of my friends. A certain white furred unicorn mare…"
Simultaneously, their eyes widened in shock. "Yes, I remember! You were with the whiny pony, you came to rescue her!"
"She was so annoying, so whiny!" moaned Fido.
"You'd better not be the same, colt, or you'll be sorry!" warned Rover.
"Oh believe me, my good canines, I think you will discover I am far more cooperative than my associate," he assured them lightly. "In fact, my companion and I came down into this cave with the very purpose of assisting in your endeavours."
Fido scratched his head. "Um… what?"
"We want to help you."
"I knew it, you little weasel!" growled Jock.
"Quiet you!" Rover hit Jock again, silencing him. "How could you help us, pony, aside from working?"
"Well, I am-" He paused to push the spears away from him, trying to display an air of confidence. "I am one of the thinking kinds of ponies, one who could help you to improve your methods of gem gathering. It could help you find more…"
He saw greed shine in Rover's eyes. "Go on, pony."
"My name is Dusk and for starters, let's look at the state of your transportation system." He had them so enthralled, that none of them tried to stop him when he made his way to the empty cart and pretended to examine it. "Hmm, just as I thought."
"What? What is it?" demanded Spot.
"Jock, come and have a look at this," he invited. "I need a second opinion."
"What? I'm not helpin' you help these guys!" he shouted.
"Shut up and go!" ordered Fido, pushing him in Dusk's direction.
"Fine, fine…" He trudged over, giving Dusk a death glare. "Traitor. Wimp."
Ignoring this, Dusk carried on. "Tell me, Jock, what do you think of these wheels. They don't look too great, do they?"
"I don't know, why should I care?"
"Trust me, it'll help." He winked at the stallion and flashed him a smile.
He looked blankly back. "Huh?"
"I said, it'll help," he repeated with another wink.
"Help with what…?"
"I mean help us. You know, us."
"Dude, you got somethin' in your eye?" he asked.
"No, only a way for us to get out of this place," he said levelly. "Get out of this place."
"What the hay are you…?" Realisation suddenly dawned. "Oh, right. Get out…"
Finally, Dusk thought, holding back the urge to roll his eyes.
"Yes, now these wheels don't look good, do they?"
Jock looked and nodded. "Nope, not at all."
"I think they'll need to be tested, to make sure they're working."
"I totally agree."
"How about I'll get in and you push, to make sure it'll run smoothly."
"Sounds good to me." He got behind the cart, whilst Dusk jumped inside it. "Ready?"
"Certainly, now let's go." Dusk looked over at the dogs, who only now appeared to be catching on to what they were doing. "Good, this seems to be working fine."
"Then, get out." Fido frowned when they didn't. "Wait, where are you going?"
"Well, it was a pleasure to see you all again, but we really must be going." He waved his hat, as Jock jumped in with him, while the cart picked up speed. "Good day to you!"
"They're escaping! Get them!" Rover's order and the barks of the other dogs followed them down the tunnel, as the cart zoomed down the tracks, the wind whipping through their manes.
"Heh heh, what a bunch of dorks," chuckled Jock. "Nice idea, dude."
"We're not out of the woods yet," reminded Dusk. "We still need to find that diamond and they'll be after us soon."
"But we're not even in the woods. We're in a cave."
Dusk stared at him for a few seconds, and then sighed. "Never mind, just keep a look out."
"Right." He looked back and glared. "We got company." A mine cart, with two muscled dogs in it, was trailing along behind them. "Can we take 'em out now?"
"We can," nodded Dusk. "We have to be careful we don't- Hold on!"
"Don't hold on? What do you- whoa!" He gripped onto the side, as a sharp corner came up.
The speed they were going at meant they were almost tipped off the tracks. Grabbing the brake, Dusk pulled with all of his might, managing to level the cart before they plunged into the dark abyss below.
The others realised too, managing to keep their own carts steady and kept pursuit. A split in the tracks left them shooting straight ahead, whilst the one closest behind them followed on and another changed tracks so they were on the one directly opposite.
The cart behind them caught up, slamming into them and shaking it. Gripping on to the brake, Dusk glanced back as Jock roared at his opponent. The dog swung a spade at his head, which he ducked under and returned a punch to the head. Undeterred, the dog tried again, resulting in yet another punch. This carried on for a while as they sped through the caves, the wheels rattling on the tracks and the wind rushing by.
Finally, the dog tried a different tactic, raising the shovel to bring down on Jock's head. The Pegasus, however, grabbed it, yanked it off the canine and smacked him around the head before he knew what happened. His eyes unfocused, the dog collapsed in a heap.
Jock laughed in triumph. "How do you like that?"
The other, growling with rage, retaliated with a punch, knocking Jock back while he was celebrating. Both angry now, the two of them stood up to have another bout, until Dusk noticed something up ahead and screamed.
"Duck!"
Jock, turning around, saw it as well and got down. The dog, however, had a look of child-like glee on his face.
"Duck? Where? I love ducks!"
CLANG!
His smile became dazed and he keeled over from the low-hanging wooden beam that had hit his head.
Whilst Jock whooped, Dusk noticed, just as a wall of rock came between them, the cart parallel to them was catching up. He racked his brain for a way to get rid of the dogs there and noticed the abundance of crystals on the wall, casting his reflection in the light… perhaps…
Trying his idea, he started to wave when the other cart came into view, making rude faces and mocking them. One of them, who was looking the other way, saw his reflection in the crystals on his side and actually fell for it. He jumped out of the cart, smacked into the crystal and slid off onto the ground.
The other wasn't so easily fooled and, before Dusk could retreat back into the cart, he grabbed him while he was close, making Dusk cry out and alerting Jock.
"Dusk!" He grabbed hold of him tight. "Hold on, I got you!"
Adding his strength to Jock's, Dusk tried to pull away while they both stretched him, trying to ignore the long drop below. Looking ahead, he panicked even more when he saw a large rock that stood between the split in the tracks that was coming up.
Fear driving him now, he pulled with all his might, until he felt like he would split in two. Jock pulled. Dusk pulled. The dog pulled. The split was getting closer, closer. So was the rock. He could feel the grip slipping. They were almost on top of it!
"Gotcha!" Jock yanked him back into their cart, while the other sped off and Dusk felt a sigh of relief emerge. "Phew, that was close…"
"Yes… thank you… Jock…" he panted, managing a weak smile.
"Don't sweat it man, somepony's gotta watch your back."
"Still… you did save my life. It was very- DYNAMITE!"
"Well, I guess it was pretty cool."
"No, no I mean dynamite!"
"I know what you said, I'm not completely stupid-"
"Just look!" Dusk moved his head and pointed.
The other dog had come into view again, an ugly leer set on his features. He was holding a red stick of TNT, the fuse already lit and sparkling. Cackling cruelly, he tossed the dynamite at them, which landed right in their cart.
"Agh! Dynamite!" Jock grabbed it and tried to blow out the fuse, but this just made it worse. "Whaddya we do?"
Dusk began to think. They still had some time left for it. Not long, but some. That would be a powerful explosion, perhaps they could use it somehow. He looked ahead, saw their track was veering away from the other, which was going straight on. If they could… yes, that might work!
"Jock, throw it onto the other track!"
"What?! Why would-?"
"Just do it! Trust me!"
Jock stared at Dusk's imploring gaze, looked at the explosive in his hooves, then at the track. Glaring ahead of it, he pulled back his leg and sent it at the track. They watched it sail through the air, as the corner came up. Would it land? Would they make it?
The answer was yes to both of those. The dynamite landed neatly in the middle of the track, still fizzing away. They whirled around the corner and out of the radius of the explosion, just as the fuse ran out.
BOOM!
The roaring inferno destroyed the track, throwing the diamond dog and his car off it and onto the ground elsewhere, where they both landed in a heap. They both cheered now, giving each other a high hoof, which knocked Dusk to the ground.
"Sorry dude." Jock helped him up. "Nice idea, using that dynamite."
"Same to you, regarding that throw," returned Dusk.
"Hey, they don't call me Jock for nothing, you know," he grinned, but it turned into a glare when he looked behind them.
Dusk turned to see that there was one more cart coming up behind them, the diamond dogs in it looking absolutely furious. Dusk was about to formulate a plan, looking around to see what might help them out when he saw they were whizzing past numerous danger signs, either painted in big red letters or decorated with a skull.
Looking ahead of them, he soon saw why.
"The track's out!" he yelled, pointing ahead.
"Aw, horsefeathers," cursed Jock. "Now what?"
Looking beyond, Dusk could see that, after the tracks, there was a stretch of cave large enough for them to land on and another cave passage. All they had to do was reach it.
"There's only one thing we can do!" Dusk began to tap into his magic, allowing a purple aura to appear around the cart. "We're going to have to lift it!"
Jock stared at him. "Are you nuts?! We can't lift this thing!"
"Just enough to get us to the other side!" he shouted. "Get out and fly us over! I'll use my magic!"
Jock flew out and matched the cart's speed, placing his hooves under it. "Are you sure this'll work?"
"No!"
He didn't have time to answer to that, for the track had ran out beneath them. Concentrating with all of his might, Dusk levitated the heavy cart, willing himself to have the strength to do it. He could hear Jock roaring with exertion from his efforts.
They soared through the air, sweat pouring down their faces, the ground getting closer… and they made it! Jock ended up skidding across the ground and Dusk was almost thrown out from the impact, but they'd made it!
His head pounding from the effort as he staggered out of the cart, Dusk heard the dogs that weren't so fortunate, their cart plummeting into the dark while they howled. The sound echoed throughout the cave and Dusk felt a wave of pity for them, hoping they would be okay.
"Yeah, we did it!" Jock was already on his hooves, celebrating. "We made it! We made it across!" He grabbed Dusk in a rib-cracking hug, one that rivalled Pinkie's. "We made it, you crazy nut!"
"Jock… choking…" The stallion let him go and Dusk gulped down air. "Yes, we made it across… well done…"
"I know, I didn't think I'd be strong enough! And look at that, I carried us across!" His grin turned sheepish. "I mean uh, you helped too, of course…"
"It's fine Jock, you deserve the praise," insisted Dusk. "And… I'm sorry for calling you an idiot before."
"It's cool man," he shrugged. "You're not that bad, Dusk. You might be small, but the muscle in your head's pretty big."
"The brain isn't a muscle, it's an organ."
"Whatever, you know what I mean." He gave him a good natured smile and looked into the cave, which was sparkling the brightest of them all. "So, you think this is it?"
Dusk didn't say anything, but rather led the way into the cave where he saw the biggest, brightest and most beautiful cluster of crystals than anywhere else in the cave. They were all of different colours, every single colour of the spectrum shone from them, filling the whole place with a radiant and vibrant light. It was almost as if they were alive.
And there, in the very centre of it all, standing out the most as a clear, colourless gem, they found it. Small, yet distinctive and flawless. Perfect. Just as the books described it, but seeing it here, right in front of him, was just breath-taking to behold.
"We did it…" he whispered, taking it very gently. "We found one…"
"Whoa… that's… that's…"
"I know." He could certainly see why the ancient unicorns thought it to be so precious. "Right, time for us to go."
"You're going nowhere, pony!" They whipped around to see Rover, Spot and Fido, as well as a dozen diamond dogs, blocking their escape. "Hand over that gem!"
"How did you guys get here?" demanded Jock.
"We know these tunnels, pony," snarled Fido. "Figured you'd come here and we were right. Trying to steal from us…"
"You're trapped now," growled Spot. "Give up and surrender.
"Please, we don't want any more trouble," Dusk tried to reason. "We only came for this. We can leave you now…"
"No, you won't leave!" snapped Rover. "You will give us that gem, come with us and get to work! If you try and escape again, you'll be sorry! No-one steals from us!"
Dusk tried to think. They could fight, but they were severely outnumbered and exhausted from their previous efforts. He didn't feel he had the mental energy for any big spells and he'd use up the rest in a battle.
Perhaps they could surrender, wait for Muscles to get help. If they ever found them and if the dogs didn't work them to death first.
"Okay, punks," Jock cried, holding up his hoof, showing them the gems he'd picked up before. "You want gems? Go get 'em!"
He tossed them away. The three leaders didn't go for them, but the bigger, stupider brutes were more easily swayed. A good deal of them scampered after the gems, bowling over their fellows and their leaders.
"Thought they might go for that!" laughed Jock as they ran.
"Good idea!" complimented Dusk. "Sorry about those gems."
"So what, there's a whole cave of these, I can get more," he dismissed. "Now, hoof it!"
Taking their chance, Dusk and Jock barged past the remainder and sprinted up the tunnel the dogs had used to get here. They could hear the diamond dogs behind them, barking while their leaders bellowed orders and… a distant rumbling.
Whipping his head up the tunnel, Dusk saw, to his great surprise, the same boulder they'd pushed out of their way before rolling down the passage towards them. Looking to the side, there was a side section, large enough for them to avoid it.
Jock saw it too, grabbed Dusk and shoved him in, the two of the hugging the wall while the boulder rolled past and they both cringed from an almighty crash. When they peeked out, they saw the boulder had become wedged in the tunnel, as it wasn't big enough to continue down. As an added bonus, it had blocked the diamond dog's pursuit of them.
The Pegasus frowned at it. "Um…"
"That was different." They were both silent for a few seconds, looked at each other. Then, they burst out laughing at the sheer nonsense of it all.
"Okay… let's get out of here," suggested Dusk when they calmed down.
Using a puppet of Mirror, as he felt Jock would appreciate that, they found their way back out of the caves. Thankfully, there were no more strange insect noises on their way out and Dusk was glad they hadn't ended up stuck down there. That wouldn't be a pleasant fate…
A few hours later, they were back at the school, by the lake with Muscles, Prim and Mirror, enjoying the rest of the day. They hadn't been down long enough for the others to start worrying about them too much, but enough that they were worried anyway.
Mirror had, at first, been angry at the both of them for doing something so dangerous. She almost reminded him of Twilight, in that respect. But once Dusk had told her that Jock had saved his life multiple times down there and given him most of the credit, she melted at the sight of the jubilant Pegasus, who finally had his chance in the spotlight.
"As long as you're not hurt," she'd said. The gems Jock got for her had helped along with that as well.
Whilst Jock regaled the others, as well as some other students who had gathered, with the thrilling tale of their adventure down in the cavern, Dusk was writing his friendship report for the day.
Dear Princess Celestia
Not everything can run smoothly in a friendship. Sometimes, the things you do or that you're good at can be enough to make some friends jealous. This can create tension and rifts between friends. But as long as you're willing and able to reach some kind of understanding with each other, it can help to strengthen the bond you have all forged.
You can't get everypony to like you, but that doesn't have to stop you from trying.
Your faithful subject
Dusk Noir.
"You finished?" He looked up to see that Prim had walked over, with a softer expression than normal. Dusk nodded in response. "Good, because I need to talk to you."
"By all means," invited Dusk, as she sat next to him.
She appeared uncomfortable, remaining in silence while she took interest in her hooves before she started speaking in a strained voice.
"So… you got it?"
Dusk nodded again, holding up the Lover's Diamond. "The rarest gem in the world, like you said."
"Yeah…" She cleared her throat. "I didn't think you'd actually do it. I thought you'd be too scared…"
"I was, but believe me, I've been through worse."
"I guess. She really means a lot to you, doesn't she?" Dusk didn't even respond to that, for he suspected she already knew the answer. "I… I guess… I was wrong… about you. Your friends… her… it's obvious… they mean a lot to you. I… I'm sorry. You know, for… well…"
He hadn't really been expecting this, but he smiled nonetheless. "Apology accepted."
"Right…" In an instant, her hard look returned. "Don't think this means I'm gonna be easier on you or anything."
"It's fine, I think I prefer it that way anyway," smiled Dusk. "I find it hard imagining you being nice to me at all really."
"Glad that's settled then. I guess you're just not what I thought you were," she said with a slight smile. "So, not that I care but what are you gonna do with that diamond?"
Dusk looked down at the stone, seeing his face reflected in the surface. He remembered the idea he had about making something, as well as remembering the absence of a weight around his neck. He'd need a bit of time to work on it, but….
"I think I know just the thing…"