//------------------------------// // Chapter Three - Our Only Choice // Story: Neither Created Nor Destroyed // by Sage Runner //------------------------------// "What do you think they're going to do with us?" Fluttershy asked the next morning, the time only apparent because of the clock that was hung on the wall in their sleeping quarters. The room they had been left in was a small one, carved from stone like the tunnels they had walked through to get to it. A single light fixture hanging in the middle of the ceiling lit the room, and the only pieces of furniture were a pair of mattresses placed directly on the floor. A second, smaller room could be found in the back left corner, leading into a small lavatory, complete with a working commode and sink. Rarity, for her part, could not help but note how clean the room actually was, despite its appearance. "I'm not sure," Rarity said. "I just hope Sweetie Belle is doing alright without me. She must be worried sick!" The lock on the thick, metal door clicked, making them both jump a little. The door opened, and behind it stood another new face. He had a brown coat, pronounced snout, and low hanging ears. Beneath his nose grew a rather bushy handlebar mustache. He looked to be roughly a head shorter than Greyjaw, and stood with a very deliberate, dignified posture, his arms tucked neatly behind his back. He wore an expensive looking blue vest, and a brimmed hat of the same color. The canine bowed dramatically and said, "Good morning, ladies!" His manner of speaking possessed a refinement that could rival that of the Canterlot elite. "You may call me Reginald, and I have been appointed to be your caretaker here in the Big Deep!" 'What do you want with us?" Rarity asked, glaring at their new acquaintance. He leaned back and raised his hands between them. "Now, now, there's no need for hostility. Miss Rarity, was it? And Miss Fluttershy? I assure you, no harm will come to you while you are in my care. If you would follow me, I will explain everything." He stepped aside, opening a path for them to leave the room, holding his arms out in the direction that they were expected to walk. Fluttershy whispered, "I think we should just do what he says. If we don't, they might send Greyjaw back..." She shuddered as she said his name. Reginald shook his head and smiled. "I can assure you, that ruffian won't be troubling you again. Now come along, I don't bite!" He gave them a friendly wink and extended his paw. Rarity glanced at Fluttershy, then sighed. "Very well." *** Fluttershy and Rarity were surprised to see the transit station that Reginald had led them to. It was a very well-kept facility. The walls, constructions of metal as opposed to the masonry they had seen thus far, were lined with travel times and maps that neither pony had time to pay much attention to, though the maps did give them the impression that this so-called Big Deep was much more vast than they had originally assumed. Even after their train (which had an abundance of seats despite having only three passengers at that time) had departed, speeding atop a single, metal rail, they could still see all the different directions the track constantly forked off into as they continued their ride through the long, dimly lit tunnel. Rarity admired the walls of the tunnels, which were glittering with unexcavated materials, as they passed her by. "I must say," she said, "you're proving yourself to be of far more pleasant company than your comrades in Equestria, and especially Greyjaw." "I should hope so, Miss Rarity!" Reginald tipped his hat to her. "The mutts you encountered in your homeland were criminals who tested our patience one too many times and were exiled. That particular group wasn't especially bright, though I am impressed that they managed to make it to a neighboring country. Most do not survive exile." He lowered his head slightly. "As for Greyjaw," he said, "he's almost a wild animal, through and through. But, he is dependable." "Trains, electricity, air conditioning..." Fluttershy said while enjoying the cool breeze that the ride was sending into her face. "The diamond dogs made all of this?" "But of course!" Reginald replied, grinning widely. "Well, that is to say, our ancestors did. The diamond dogs have been chipping away at the Big Deep for centuries, always looking for new ways to improve upon our quality of life, and always searching for new innovations. What we can't do with the resources here, we trade for with the zebras, though that is a very delicate and dangerous process." "I had no idea anypony could do so much," Fluttershy said, looking over the cart again. Reginald grinned. "You've not seen the half of it." As if on queue, the cart cleared the tunnel, and continued travelling over a deep chasm, suspended on a tall bridge. Rarity and Fluttershy had not prepared themselves for the view that greeted them. Fluttershy's mouth fell open. "Is this... a city?" Reginald nodded. "Yes, and though this is our Capital City, it is but one of hundreds that operate beneath the land." Far below, hundreds upon hundreds of buildings, all of varying heights, constructed from concrete, stone, metal, and glass could be seen. On the outskirts, surrounding the taller buildings, were individual homes complete with yards, trees, and gardens. The ceiling of that massive chamber, so high up that it was difficult to see, was covered with a light-source that, as Rarity guessed by the familiar feeling of warmth hitting her face, was either harnessing sunlight directly or simulating it perfectly. The air was so cool and fresh that she felt as though she were outside again. The unicorn smiled. "How is this possible?" She shut her eyes as the feeling of sunlight touched her coat for the first time in a day. "Do you have magic users among you?" Reginald laughed. "Goodness, no." He shook his head. "We have engineers. Some of the finest the world has to offer, at that. After all, we diamond dogs are, by nature, a curious and resourceful lot, and there have been true visionaries among us in each and every generation. Didn't hurt that we had some nice reference material to start off with." "Reference material?" Fluttershy asked, as their cart entered another tunnel, obscuring the great city once again. The railing began to incline downwards, and the shape of the tunnel followed suit. "Yes," Reginald said. "Generations ago, when the diamond dogs were first driven underground, we found what was, in short, the remains of an ancient, highly advanced civilization." Fluttershy asked, "What kind of civilization?" Reginald shrugged and said, "Couldn't tell you much about their history or culture beyond their inventions, and no previous records of them exist as far as we've seen." He leaned forward. "But it was through reverse-engineering the technology found in those ruins that we were able to create the tools that allowed us to make the Big Deep a possibility, and facilitat the quality of life that we enjoy today!" Fluttershy turned to Reginald. "Why were your people forced underground?" "We still don't know exactly what they are," Reginald said. "But we call them lycanthropes." "I'm not familiar with the term," Rarity said. Reginald reclined in his seat. "Werewolves, as you might know them. They populate the swampland above the Big Deep. Thrive in it, really. They outnumber us, breed quickly, and are incredibly dangerous. Though our ancestors fought for their territories for a time, in the end they would have been wiped out if they hadn't retreated down here." Fluttershy raised a hoof to her mouth and widened her eyes. "That sounds awful!" The cart's decent deepend, causing the fillies to grip the railings on their seats a bit more tightly. "It is." Reginald lowered his head and rested his arm on the nearby open window pane, leaning forward . "Periodically, a pack of them will find their way into our tunnels, or worse still, into our cities. Fighting them is a tricky business, and most of us are not cut out for it. That's why I'm grateful for warriors like Greyjaw." Rarity's ears perked up. "Greyjaw is a warrior?" "One of the finest I've ever seen," Reginald replied, his voice becoming low. "But even those in the Wolf class, such as he, are not invincible. That's another reason why we constantly try to improve upon our technology, as a means of increasing our security. The Big Deep is many things, but 'safe' is not one of them." "I see," Rarity said, sinking into deep thought. The rail that the cart was travelling upon began to bottom out, and soon enough, the three travelers found themselves coming to an abrupt, but gentle stop. "We're here!" Reginald said, an upbeat tone suddenly returning to his voice. "Please follow me." The tram's door opened, and Reginald lead them from the station down a series of downward-sloping stone corridors, until once again they found themselves in the chasm of the Capital City, at ground-level. Reginald led them along the sidewalks outlining the busy streets, throughout which vendors, stores, and other businesses had opened for the day. The citizenry passed them from all sides and from all directions. Rarity and Fluttershy marveled at how the city looked even more impressive up close. Though the two ponies received many curious looks, most of the townspeople offered an earnest smile or a respectful nod of the head as they passed them by. After roughly ten minutes of walking, they came upon a dome shaped building, sculpted with markings that did not adorn the other structures that the ponies had passed. "The Capital Building," Reginald said, raising his arms. "In each city, the mayor occupies a structure like this one, but here in the Capital City, our nation's ruler abides." Rarity gasped. "You've taken us to meet your king?! Oh dear!" She began fanning herself frantically. "I haven't bathed since yesterday, or gotten the proper amount of beauty sleep, or even brushed my teeth! I am in no condition to meet a king!" "He is the Alpha Male of the Diamond Dogs, not a king," Reginald said, raising an eyebrow, as they entered through a pair of glass doors that slid open as they approached. "And I can assure you, he is not the type to hold any of those things against you." "So what does it actually mean to be an Alpha Male?" Fluttershy said. "Did he inherit the title, or was he elected?" "Neither," Reginald said. "The selection of the Alpha Male is based on the ability to overcome a long series of trials, both mental and physical. Essentially, the best of the best is selected to lead our nation through that method." "And who is your Alpha Male?" Rarity asked, her eyes wandering. "His name is Mahugpin." Reginald gestured for them to stop in the center of the open, dimly lit main hall. "A word of advice: don't judge him by his appearance." Fluttershy tilted her head. "What do you mean?" Suddenly, they heard a loud thud, accompanied by a small vibration around their hooves. Another, louder thud sounded, and the vibrations intensified. Another followed, and then another, until Rarity and Fluttershy were practically bouncing on the ground. The two ponies looked up and beheld a towering silhouette, indistinguishable from that distance in the dimly lit chamber, stomping towards them, causing everything around it to shake with each step it took. Fluttershy and Rarity both began to tremble, huddling close together, as the gargantuan form drew closer to them. Suddenly, it came to a stop. A series of mechanical sounds ensued, and the figure's body began to retract into itself, its torso and waist becoming as one and sliding down the length of its legs, until its feet held its body mere inches from the ground, the entirety of the creature roughly the same height as Reginald at that point. It waddled clumsily the rest of the way, until Fluttershy and Rarity could discern what they were looking at: Standing before them was some sort of mechanical contraption with moving arms and legs, being operated by a small pug, the smallest diamond dog they had encountered yet. A lit cigar dangled from the corner of his mouth. "Welcome to the Big Deep!" Mahugpin shouted, holding his tiny paws in the air and speaking in a gruff voice, accented in a way that reminded Fluttershy and Rarity of the Apple Family. Reginald nudged the contraption. "I already said that." "Well how was I supposed to know?" Mahugpin replied, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, Rarity and Fluttershy, right?" The two ponies nodded. "I'm the Alpha Dog 'round these parts, name's Mahugpin!" "I already told them your name as well, sir," Reginald said. "Tell ya what, Reggie..." Mahugpin leaned forward in his seat at the top of the torso and glared at Reginald. "If I start to repeat ya again, just go ahead and let me, alright?" "As you wish." Reginald tucked his arms behind his back again and looked away. "Excuse me, Mahugpin?" Rarity asked, taking a small step forward. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you have us kidnapped?" "'Kidnapped' is such an ugly word." Mahugpin frowned. "Accurate, but ugly all the same. I'm gonna cut to the chase: I know you gals are crucial to the defense of your Equestria, and I need you here for political reasons. I hope Reginald told you about our security situation." "He mentioned something about werewolves," Rarity replied as Fluttershy nodded. "Right," Mahugpin said. "They're a might dangerous, and they've been gettin' into our territories more and more lately." "I don't understand," Rarity said. "What can Equestria do about that?" "Equestria has resources we just don't have here in the Deep," Mahugpin said. "Magic, mostly. Some muscle from its army, too. We're desperate, here, so we went ahead and grabbed 'em by the proverbial family jewels, if ya catch my drift." He laughed a little as he said that, causing Fluttershy to blush and Rarity to grimace. "Ya won't be hurt, no matter what, and you'll both be sent home as soon as we get what we need to survive." "Um, excuse me?" Fluttershy said. "Speak up, little lady! I ain't gonna bite ya," Mahugpin said softy, smiling at Fluttershy. "It's just that..." Fluttershy lightly scraped a hoof against the ground and avoided looking directly at him. "I think Princess Celestia would gladly help your people if you asked. We could... go back to Equestria and ask for you. I'm sure she'll listen to us. If that's okay..." Mahugpin shook his head. "Nothin' doin'." He leaned back and raised his paw. "We've sent messages to the Princess askin' her for help for a couple years now, and we haven't gotten a single reply. Too dangerous leavin' the Deep out that direction to hazard a diplomatic visit, so we decided that this was the way to go. I'm sorry, but that's just the hand we're playin' with." "I can't imagine that the Princess would ignore your plight," Rarity said. "She must not have received your messages." "Dunno how things work over there." Mahugpin shrugged. "Maybe they got lost in the mail, maybe some lower level secretary threw 'em away, but we ain't gonna be overlooked any longer." "And what will happen to us in the meantime?" Rarity glanced over at Fluttershy. "You'll be honorary citizens of the Big Deep," Mahugpin said, leaning the tips of his paws against one another in front of his face. "Naturally, as citizens, you'll have to pull your own weight if you wanna eat." Rarity gulped. Mahugpin leaned toward her and smiled. "Don't you fret, Miss Rarity. I heard all about what those exiles did to ya back in Equestria. I ain't talkin' 'bout hard labor or anythin' like that." He turned to Fluttershy. "Miss Fluttershy, I hear you're a veterinarian. Is that true?" Fluttershy blushed. "Um... I'm not licensed or anything, I just like taking care of animals, and I guess I'm pretty good at it." "Good enough for me." Mahugpin spread his arms. "I'm gonna stick you in the main hospital here in the Capital City, see if the doctors can't teach ya a thing or two." "I'd be helping ponies?" Her eyes widened as she corrected herself. "Oh! I mean, doggies?" Mahugpin let out a small laugh. "Heh, I know all about that weird habit you ponies have, 'somepony' this and 'everypony' that, it ain't a big deal. But yes, you'll be helpin' my people." "That... doesn't sound so bad." Fluttershy smiled a bit. "That's the spirit! And you, Rarity. I hear you have a knack for findin' gemstones and other minerals. That right?" "Why, yes it is!" Rarity said. "I'm gonna put ya to work doin' just that in the mines," he said. Rarity frowned. Mahugpin quickly added, "Don't give me that look, it won't be as bad as ya think. You'll be in an advisory position, so you'll spend most of your time in a cozy little office when they don't need ya to map out dig-spots." "Oh! Well... I suppose that will be alright." Rarity nodded. "Great!" Mahugpin replied. "An apartment's already been set aside for the two of ya. Reginald will see that ya get settled in, and tell ya where to report for work tomorrow. I've got a heap of important stuff to take care of, so I'll leave you two to him." *** Rarity squealed as she took in the sight of the living-room of their new apartment. "This place is absolutely fabulous!" It was very neatly furnished, with color-coordinated chairs and sofas lined up around a low table covered with various types of literature from the land of the zebras and the griffon kingdom. A plush, inviting carpet lay beneath all of that, the same shade of deep blue as the drapes which hung in front of the windows nearby, surrounding by a variety of abstract paintings. The two bedrooms and bath were just as aesthetically pleasing. The kitchen had all of the appliances that Rarity was accustomed to using when preparing meals back in Ponyville. Truly, it had all the comforts of home, and a sophistication that could rival the apartments in Manehattan. Reginald laughed. "I'm glad you approve." He smiled softly. "You and Fluttershy get comfortable, and do as you please until tomorrow morning, when the time comes to report in for work. I'm leaving a list of the best restaurants in town on the counter, just tell the manager of any of them that you're the special guests of Mahugpin, and they'll take care of you! Obviously, that offer only stands for tonight, so I suggest you make the most of it." Fluttershy smiled widely. "Thank you very much!" "Reginald, if you don't mind my asking, regarding Mahugpin..." Rarity's voice trailed off. "You want to know how he came to be our Alpha Male?" Reginald said. "Well, yes. I expected someone... harsher, more intense. Someone more like Greyjaw." She frowned. "Mahugpin may not look it, and he certainly doesn't talk like it, but he is one of the most brilliant inventors the Big Deep has ever produced. That ridiculous contraption that he rides around on, the 'Squatter' as he calls it..." He shook his head and scoffed. "It was of his own design, and although I find its appearance to be rather silly, I've seen him flatten werewolves with it." "So it was through his resourcefulness that he passed those trials you mentioned earlier?" Rarity said. He nodded. "Correct. In fact, he broke several records in the process. Furthermore, kindness is limitless. I assure you, he would never have arranged to have the two of you brought here if he didn't truly believe that our lives depended on it." "I suppose I can forgive him, then," Rarity said, bowing her head. "I sincerely hope that the Princess is finally made aware of your plight and can find a way to help you." "I appreciate that, Miss Rarity." Reginald smiled. "Well, I have some last-minute work to attend to as well, being Mahugpin's personal assistant and all, so I will bid you both adieu." He bowed and took his leave. "Look!" Fluttershy said while reading off of the restaurant list that Reginald left behind. "They have one place that specializes in all kinds of fancy pastas!" "Well, we'll just see about that," Rarity replied, as though issuing a challenge. "We may as well make the most of our time here." "I'm still a little homesick." Fluttershy bowed her head. "But I'm glad you're here too, Rarity." "Likewise, darling." *** "They really are a lovely pair of girls," Reginald said. "I don't relish lying to them." Mahugpin sighed. "I didn't like it any more'n you, Reggie." His Squatter slouched. "I just don't have the heart to tell 'em that we're goin' to war with their country." "They will be taken care of, right?" Reginald asked gently. "'Course they will! I said they were gonna be citizens and I meant it," Mahugpin said. "They'll take to life with us eventually, just you wait and see. Chrysalis won't like it, but she can just get over it." "Are you still certain that war is the right course of action?" Reginald frowned. "I wish it wasn't." Mahugpin took a long drag on his cigar before blowing out a long stream of smoke. "But the werewolves are gettin' smarter, and their attacks across the country have been gettin' heavier. We got no choice but to migrate to Equestria." "But to subjugate its people..." Reginald shook his head. "What gives us the right to—" "Those are the terms for gettin' the aid of the Changelings." Mahugpin said gruffly. "They have to be able to feed, and we ain't winnin' this fight on our own. This is our only choice, Reggie, you know that!" "I guess that's true." Reginald shut his eyes.