—
—
The smell of freshly turned dirt and stone grew on me with every moment spent in the company of my pack. It was hardly strange anymore to think of them as that. A pleasant little “paf” sounded as each paw and hoof met the loose earth covering the bottom of the tunnel. We walked double file, and though the smooth walls were close, we still had an acceptable amount of room on either side. Flickering torches cast warming light that met the occasional gemstone to create a twinkling corridor of stars.
Next to me, a haggard unicorn fought to stay awake as she plodded along, her head jerking upwards every minute or so as she asserted her consciousness. In front of us, two beefy, lightly armored diamond dogs cradled the shivering guard Vinyl and I had tried to rescue, only to require help ourselves. It had taken little to convince him, much to my relief, that we were among allies and hadn't simply traded one doom for another. I smiled at our rescuers, who carried blazing torches that were a surprisingly effective deterrent to the creatures.
"How did you guys know where to find me?" Apart from convincing the guard and telling the pack we needed to get him somewhere far warmer, there hadn't been much talk.
Spot grinned back. "We dig tunnel like you ask. Make it halfway before we decide that enough for day. Beta not back at night and Gruth and Sunshine report thing in tunnels. Gruth throw lantern in fear, but thing run into unlit caves. Everydog in pairs good idea. We know they not like fire now and think beta in trouble from them also. Balsa best digger in pack." He pointed behind him at a lanky diamond dog with a coloration much like a rottweiler's. Atop his head, a rusty, slightly too-large helmet shadowed two narrow eyes.
"Balsa like the tree?" I arched an eyebrow, wondering why a diamond dog would be named after a tree. They shrugged in reply.
"Not know of tree." Spot frowned and I remembered he strongly disliked trees. "But Balsa best digger so she lead. Once we get under town, it not hard to find beta." He chuckled, grinning again. "Not many pony make so much noise."
I looked at Balsa, trying not to appear like I was scrutinizing her. There had never been a female diamond dog pointed out to me before, and wanted I to learn any possible differences that could be used in the future to distinguish the genders. Aside from being slightly taller and having a faintly leaner build, there was nothing eye-catching. "Well, we owe you guys. Thanks again. It's a good thing Gruth found out about the fire, since I doubt things would have gone near as well if he hadn’t. Did you learn anything else about them?"
"They spooky."
"We knew that one already." My thoroughly sore muscles cried out in protest at my chuckles, slight as they were.
"They not like light."
"I've seen them tolerate light, so it must not be too bad. It would explain why we don't see them during the day though. Looks like it's the usual dark versus light fight then."
The tunnel considerably widened as we stepped into the passage we had actually planned for, and Spot took the opportunity to pull up alongside me. "What Beta think?"
"It's looking great so far." I beamed at him. "How sturdy is it?" It wasn’t even done and we needed to use it. It’s not so unnecessary now, Mayor Mare.
"Could hold big dragon napping on top."
"Excellent. I really am proud of you guys for making this much progress in a single day." I cleared my throat to draw attention and said, "When we finish here, take a break and get yourselves a mug of rock ale." As far as I knew, they didn't need my permission to drink, but their cheers echoed around us regardless.
"I think I'll just pass out." Vinyl chuckled as she looked at me. "My legs are pretty much on autopilot right now."
"Spot, is there a place where Vinyl can hit the hay?"
"Why hit hay?"
"It's an expression for falling asleep."
"Oh. Yes, have extra beds." He puzzled considered it for a few moments and added, "May not be good for ponies."
Fighting a monstrous yawn, Vinyl replied, "Dude, I could sleep on a rock I'm so tired."
"Good, it is rock."
Nonsensical chatter kept us occupied as we sloughed on towards the heart of the caves. The talk wasn’t enough to fully draw me in, but they didn't point out my lack of attention. My mind was too occupied with trying to force a puzzle together.
It was my fault, wasn't it? It was just too much of a coincidence for these guys to show up shortly after I got to Equestria, but why? Did they want to get rid of me or something? Where was Dave when you needed to bounce things off him? A sudden but gentle tug on my tail snapped me out of my thoughts, and Spot pointed down the tunnel the rest of the group had entered.
"You okay?"
They really should have given them more attention in the show. They were all awesome. I half-feigned a yawn and nodded. "Yeah, just tired and thinking about random stuff. Nothing important."
He obviously didn't believe me, as his unamused look told me. "If you say so. We almost back. You not have light so stay close." I shuddered at the thought of blindly wandering into the darkness. It was unknown if we’d been followed or if there were just more down here, but it was doubtful any dark areas were safe.
”How long can luck keep you alive?”
It took another tail tug to draw my attention away from the darkness obscuring the route behind us. "Can we use some of those glowing mushrooms to keep this place lit?"
Spot closely inspected the walls, caressing it with his paws like he was pleading it to give up its secrets. "Don't know. Lightcap picky. Will see, but let's go."
Soon, we entered the humongous cavern where the dogs' living quarters were loosely gathered in the center. Everydog, except for Spot and the two carrying the guard, immediately scampered off to get their promised drinks, running with their bizarre mixture of a gorilla and canine gaits. It was far different than when they walked.
"Bed. Now." Vinyl groaned.
I nodded and turned to Spot. "I'll have somedog show us to the beds. Spot, I need you to pick out who you think are the two best dogs, but not the ones who carried him back, to keep watch on our friend here. You two, put him a safe distance from the forge to warm him up and get him anything he needs until Spot arrives with your replacements, alright? After that, you can get to sleep or whatever." If there was any cave to warm a freezing guard, it was the one with molten rock being used.
"On it." Spot and the others promptly carried out their orders without so much as a grumble.
As we started towards the camp, Vinyl let out an impressed whistle. "You really aren't bad at this beta thing."
"Thanks."
"No, seriously. I expected everything to be on fire by now."
"I'm not that bad."
She pulled down her shades a bit and looked over the top of them with rich, red eyes. "Really..."
"Well, I don't leave things on fire at least." Inwardly, I was squealing with delight at learning she really did have eyes of that color. It’d always been odd to hear eyes described as intense, but Vinyl pulled it off easily.
The sienna-coated dog we approached casually saluted me the moment he noticed us. Two well-kept bracers adorned his wrists, and his pants were the cleanest thing in the entire caves. Heck, they were cleaner than I was, but then again, that didn't mean much.
"Greetings, Beta and Miss Scratch." He spoke in a voice that made me want to get him a top hat and monocle. When he noticed we were too busy gaping to reply, he chuckled. "Come now, you can't expect all of us to struggle with the pony tongue."
"No, I suppose not." He was adorable with that accent of his! I would call him Reginald. "Care to show us to a place where we can crash?"
With a genuine smile, he bowed. "It would be my pleasure. This way, please."
The journey wasn't long. In fact, we didn't need to set one hoof out of camp as Reginald lead us to a cluster of shanties on the edge. At first glance, I was a little worried to spend more than thirty seconds near them, let alone sleep inside one but quickly remembered the uncanny sturdiness of diamond dog structures. A simple curtain of patched cloth covered each entrance, and the cyan-tinted glow of lightcap radiated from within. "I'm sorry for the light, but the dark isn't safe anymore, as you two know so well."
Vinyl rubbed her eyes and started towards one. "Thanks… uh, sorry, I never got your name." His name’s Reginald, Vinyl.
"My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. Western Agate, at your service. But please, call me West. It rolls off the tongue far easier." Dammit.
"Thanks, West. I'd love to chat, but I burned through a lot of magic earlier."
"No trouble at all, sleep well." He dismissively waved as she disappeared behind the cloth. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Beta. I always take the night shifts for guarding the camp, so regrettably, I've been resting the other times you've been around."
"Don't worry about it. I'm surprised at how well you speak Equestrian, though."
"Thank you. I owe my vernacular to being raised in Canterlot. I've tried to instruct my fellow packmates, but nothing I do sticks with them. As they say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks." West chuckled.
"Oh? I didn't know there was a diamond dog pack near Canterlot."
"There isn't, but with all due respect, I'd rather not discuss it." Painful memories flashed through his eyes and his expression drooped.
I nodded sympathetically. "I know the feeling. Have a good night, West."
"And the same to you, Beta." He slightly bowed his farewell and departed.
I sleepily nudged the curtain aside with my head and strolled into a hut, where a clean-swept stone floor and a ratty blanket waited patiently. A loose chunk of rock in the corner played host to a trio of lightcap, which stood strong against the dangerous shadows. Soft rumbling, the sounds of a mountain's heartbeat, accompanied me as I curled up on the blanket, glad the trip back had warmed me sufficiently. Never mind, the rumbling was just Vinyl snoring.
——
My fur glistened with a cold sweat as I scrambled to my hooves and looked around frantically. With a few blinks, the hut came into focus, and I plopped back down, disgruntled and unable to get back to sleep.
Great, the nightmares were back again. Wait, what nightmares? And again? I didn't remember having nightmares at all. My stomach stated its desire for breakfast, but I pushed the hunger to the back of my mind—I would eat when I could. No sense focusing on being hungry when there was nothing that could be done about it.
Resting my head on the ground, I grunted in frustration and wondered how long I’d actually been out. I couldn't hear Vinyl's snoring, so she was either awake or just found a better position. My muscles dully ached, like the previous day had been spent running a marathon, and I cursed not having a medicine cabinet's pill medley to fall back upon. Small snippets of conversations drifted to my ears, which reflexively swiveled towards the noise but still failed to discern anything worth listening to.
"Well, let's see if Fido wrote up that list yet," I grumbled to myself and slowly stood back up to stretch, relishing each crack that answered.
Poking my head out the door, I found myself face to face with a smiling wall of pink.
"Good morning, Gears!" Pinkie chirped happily, paying no mind to my startled gasp or clumsy rearing.
As my brain registered her greeting, I replied, "Hello, Pinkie."
"Breakfast!" she announced as she forcibly shoved a cupcake in my mouth. It was tasty, so I didn't protest. Also, my mouth was too full of baked goods to say anything at all.
Sugar-encrusted frosting crunched under my teeth, its flavor playing harmoniously with the actual cupcake. I couldn't pin down what the exact flavor was, but it was delicious regardless.
"Thanks." I suddenly remembered she hadn't been present for a few days. "When did you get back?"
"Just now. We were on the train and Twilight said that if I saw you I was supposed to tell you that she wanted to speak with you about recent events or something. And I said, 'sure, Twilight. I know just where she is' and then I figured you hadn't eaten yet so I ran to Sugarcube Corner and whipped that up for you and you know the rest." Pinkie doesn't need to breath. It's a law of nature.
"Well, welcome back, then."
Pinkie gasped and hovered in the air for a couple moments. "I almost forgot to throw me and the girls a welcome back party! Shoot, the party cannon is in the shop so I'll have to do everything the old-fashioned way." She sat and muttered to herself before shooting right back to her hooves. "Figured it out, no problem. Now I just need to find enough sombreros for all of Ponyville."
I absently nodded at her as she held an entire conversation with herself. I wondered why I had not gotten a party yet.
"Because Dave said you wouldn't do well with that many ponies in one place."
Silently, I stared at her, vainly searching for answers in those expressive, blue eyes. Could Pinkie hear my thoughts?
"Nope." And then she just bounced away.
Trying to ignore what had just happened, I watched her until she was out of sight, and then snuck over to where Vinyl had slept only to find it empty. I looked around the camp, smiling at the occasional diamond dog who waved. I was going to have to make them wear nametags.
Sticking her head out of the shack I’d just searched, Pinkie cupped a hoof over her mouth. "Psst. Hey, Gears. Vinyl already went back to town to sleep in her actual bed." Then she retreated and I didn't need to check to know nopony was within.
The warm air and clanging forgemaster’s hammer greeted me in Fido's favorite cavern. The hulking, charcoal diamond dog smirked with determination as he brought the hammer down again and again, a fountain of sparks spraying from each impact. From my spot, I couldn't see what he was shaping, but it would be glorious when it was finished.
"Hello, Beta," he called, glancing in my direction only once.
"Hello, Fido." I gingerly took a step forward, trying to acclimate myself to the heat like a swimmer entering frigid waters. "Where is the pony that was resting here?"
"He ask to go to pony hospital when sun come up. I almost finished with pick. It very good work." Closely inspecting the glowing chunk of metal, he grunted in satisfaction and moved to a different part of the anvil.
"Is that what you're working on?" They’d both already left? How long had I slept?
"No. You want wolf ore. I need to shape few things to make forge stronger. I glad for chance to work with wolf ore. Very strong metal if pure enough."
"Did Spot have you make a list?"
Fido laughed as he dunked the metal in a basin of water, sending up a plume of steam. "Not need list. I shape almost all. Only need inferno crystal, but not know where to get."
"I'll see what I can do. I need to meet with Princess Twilight so I'll ask her where I can find one." Great, a fetch quest. The crystal was probably deep in a volcano or something stupid.
He selected another chunk of metal and began heating it. "Be careful. Pony princesses too strong for hoof to head."
With a laugh, I exited the forge. "We might just have to see about that."
After stopping for a much-needed draught at the spring, I headed topside and into town. I didn't even get lost this time. Much. At any rate I didn't need to ask for directions this time and was able to save all my breath for cursing at how much the cast slowed my pace.
There were more fliers for missing ponies in the marketplace. Suddenly, saving one seemed less of a big deal, and I took a break at the fountain to gather my thoughts and stamina. Small chunks of building or road were missing wherever my missed shots had landed the previous night, and a cadre of construction workers labored to mend them. Laying on one of the benches near the fountain, I pony-watched and quietly hummed the few songs I remembered from the show.
"Sterling? What a coincidence, I was just talking about you," Twilight said as she trotted towards me alongside a smiling, white pegasus. The two of them carried bulging bags, but where Twilight held them with her magic, the other carried them with a strap much like how saddlebags would be worn.
"I didn't think my exploits were that interesting." They didn’t sit down when room was made on the bench, so I stood up and joined them. The pegasus looked really familiar, and it was going to bother me if I didn’t ask. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Sunny Skies. She's a storyteller visiting from out of town." She nodded her head towards her companion, whose lightly styled, pink mane and tail I now saw as nothing more than a disguise.
"Hello." She smiled and extended a hoof that I nervously shook. Her gentle smile still betrayed some of the power and wisdom lurking behind her lilac eyes.
Sunny Skies. The name was still familiar even after all this time, even if I couldn't remember whether it was canon or not. Before me stood not one, but two princesses—Sunny Skies was merely Princess Celestia incognito. The sun floating overhead was her charge, and she lifted it every day on top of co-ruling the entire kingdom. Enough power to move a celestial body and she was talking to me.
Crap, crap, crap. Which Celestia was it? I already knew this wasn't the canon Equestria, what with the changelings and all, so what if Celestia wasn't as kind as she was in the show? What if I were two hoofsteps away from being sent to the moon? What if she also thought everything was my fault?
I trembled in the awkward silence as they waited for me to say something. There was only confusion and concern in their eyes, but I couldn't relax yet. I needed to be ready to flee, as galloping in fear was practically a Ponyville pastime and would work much better than headbutting Princess Celestia.
"So..." Sunny began, if only to break the silence. She smiled at me and dug through her bags. "Do you like bananas?"
"Smokebomb!" I shouted, wishing I’d actually had one to throw. Sprinting down the nearest alleyway, I knocked over a trashcan to delay my pursuers—not accidentally running into it as it may have appeared.
Twilight stared after me as I fled, open-mouthed and dumbfounded while Sunny Skies shrugged and munched on the banana she’d planned to offer. Through a mouthful of the yellow berry, she said, "That must be one bad allergy. Would you like one, Princess Twilight?"