//------------------------------// // Chapter 24: Canis Crystallum // Story: The Original Mad Scientist in Equestria // by Br0nyb0y123 //------------------------------// A baron, rocky cliff about five miles outside of Ponyville. The cliff was quiet and peaceful, but the Dragon's volcano had exploded and many dragons, including the two greats, were heading in all directions. The peace on the cliff was interrupted by dark green light flashing, which was Ozymandias escaping from Canterlot. He was still in pain after his fight with Tesla, his jaw ached, his eyes were stinging and he just felt tired. Ozymandias sat down on the cliff and saw multiple dragons, including Lyth and Umberoth heading in all directions. He gazed at Lyth and Umberoth. Lyth was smaller than Umberoth, with dark green scales and bright yellow irises that resembled large fireflies and each of his wings were as big as Appleloosa. Umberoth was larger, but not by much. He had fiery red scales with eyes as green as emeralds, and claws like spears that can go through bone like a knife goes through butter. Ozymandias looked at the great dragons who were flying to who knows where, he felt impressed by Masai's first part of the plan, but Oz feels that dragons aren't going to stop him from fulfilling his own plan, gaining power. His plan was partially botched as he needed Sombra to help him gain the Crystal Empire before eliminating him, but Sombra was lost in his emotions whilst seeing Luna for the first time in centuries, so Oz had to dispose of him from his plan, but Oz was still puzzled as to if he killed Sombra or not, Ozymandias seethed in pain, "Ouch! My jaw. Damn Tesla got a few good hits on me" Ozymandias found a dirt path and followed the direction away from Ponyville, which was leading towards a steep hill, Ozymandias knew where he was going. But he wasn't sure exactly where he was needing to go in order to find the beings he's looking for. Once he made it up to the top of the hill, he saw holes in the ground, deep ones and shallow ones. Ozymandias knew he had to be careful when talking to the ones he intended to meet, the Diamond Dogs, "Where the fuck are they?" Ozymandias whispered to himself. Ozymandias continued to search for the dogs. Until his search was interrupted by a very loud rustle in the bushes, it gained Oz's attention as he knew it wasn't windy. Ozymandias went over towards the bushes and check around it, nothing was there, "DIAMOND DOGS! Get out here! I need to ta-" Ozymandias shouted before getting whacked on the head with a solid object, knocking him out completely. Ozymandias woke up groggily whilst he was moving on something, he looked around to see how he was moving, and it turns out he was being carried by a black bulldog, who was wearing dirty armor. Ozymandias noticed another bulldog guard walking alongside the one who was carrying him, Oz had no clue where he was heading, but he did notice that he wasn't out in the open but was underneath it, in the Diamond Dog's tunnel routes. Ozymandias' hooves on his hind-legs and forelegs were tied together with rope, "Hey, mutt! Put me down!" Ozymandias ordered as he struggled to break free from the rope. Ozymandias was met to no avail, he gave up and relaxed on the dog guard, "Can I at least know where I'm going, dog?" Oz asked. "To see the leaders" The dog replied. "Great" Oz sighed in relief, he needed to talk to the leaders. After another two more minutes of being carried, Ozymandias was chucked on the dusty and rocky ground. He then got himself back up and looked at the three canines who were looking at him. There was a small brown bulldog, a large bluish dog and medium sized grey one wearing a red jacket. All three of the mutts had crystals stuffed into their pockets and were wearing diamond-studded collars with elongated forelegs/arms that gave an ape-like look. The dog with the red jacket approached Ozymandias and then asked the dog who carried him, "Taz, who is this?" The red jacketed dog asked. "I found him outside, he was shouting some words, I couldn't really hear what he was shouting though, Rover" The guard replied. Rover sniffed Ozymandias. Ozymandias felt awkward around the dogs. Rover then gazed at him, "He's a Changeling. I haven't seen one of those for years" Rover uttered. "A what?" The small brown bulldog asked. "A Changeling, Spot" Rover told him, "I only know what they look like. I'm not sure what they do" "Can they find gems, Rover?" The big blue dog asked. "Not sure. He has a horn. Maybe he can do magic" Rover replied. "Yes, I can do mag-" Ozymandias began. Rover slapped Oz in the face before he can finish, "Quiet!" Rover ordered. "The fuck, man?!" Oz asked angrily whilst pressing his hoof against his cheek. "I said quiet!" Rover screeched. Rover went over towards the other dog leaders and then said to them, "Spot. Fido. Group huddle" Rover told them. Rover, Spot and Fido all turned away from Ozymandias and where whispering what their plan of action should be, "Look, we should keep him locked up. He might actually be a good jewel finder. But we remember the last one we had, right?" Rover asked. "Oh no. Don't bring her up again" Fido pleaded. Spot chuckled, "Remember when you spanked her butt and called a mule?" "Shut up!" Rover shouted, "Don't bring that up again, Spot" "Sorry" Spot giggled. "What should we do then, Rover?" Fido asked. "We'll lock him in one of the cells, then let him out when we need to" Rover told him. "Sounds good" Fido nodded. Rover, Fido and Spot turned around and then Rover said to the two black bulldog guards, "Patch. Taz. Take this Changeling to a cell" Rover ordered. "Yes, Rover!" The two guards barked. "Wait. I need to speak to you three!" Ozymandias told Rover, Fido and Spot. One of the bulldog guards hoisted Ozymandias over his shoulder and walked away, "Put me down, you dumb canine!" Ozymandias shouted. The dog did no such thing, and instead, continued to take Oz over to a cell. Ozymandias was thrown into a small cell, he was now in shackles instead of rope this time. Ozymandias was at the cage door and was shaking at the bars, "Let me out, assholes. I need to speak to Rover!" Ozymandias yelled. "They won't come back for you" A voice told him. Ozymandias turned around to look at the darkness in his cell, the voice came from there, "Who's there?" Ozymandias asked worryingly. The figure stepped out of the shadows, it was stallion, and an old one at that. A brown Unicorn sporting a white beard and the cutie mark of an unraveled scroll, "Who the hell are you?" Ozymandias asked. "Before I answer your question. Answer mine, what is a Changeling doing so far from his hive?" The old pony asked. "A long story" Ozymandias replied. "You and I have both plenty time to spare. As you see, we are not going anywhere" The stallion told him. Ozymandias looked at the old pony, Ozymandias didn't know what to make of him. Though Oz thinks that the stallion has been in these cells for far too long, he was skinny, he hasn't eaten in ages, "I used to be from the Hive, I was banished along with my....friends. There was thing about a dragon, I ended up here" Ozymandias explained, whilst leaving out most of the details. "Where are your friends now?" The old one asked. "I was separated from them" Ozymandias replied. "Is that so Ozymandias?" The old pony made sure. Ozymandias became frightened, he never told the old man his name. Who is this stallion speaking to Oz? "How do you know my name?" Ozymandias asked worryingly. "I know a lot, young Changeling" The old pony asked. "How much do you know?" Oz asked. "I know you betrayed your friends, killed two of them and betrayed the Dark King himself" The old pony replied. "Who the fuck are you?" Ozymandias asked. "I am known by many names, some call me The Messenger, others call me The Coffin Jockey. But most beings called me The Truth" The pony told Ozymandias. "The Truth?" Oz questioned. "Yes, friend" The Truth replied. "How long have you been here, Truth?" Oz asked. "Not long. I've been waiting for you, Ozymandias" The Truth said. "Waiting?" Ozymandias asked. "Yes. I've been needing to say something to you, Ozymandias of the Banished Brotherhood" The Truth explained to him, "It's a poem from Nikola Tesla's world, and it has your name" Ozymandias became curious, "Can you recite the poem?" Oz asked. "That I can, Ozymandias" The Truth told him, "I met a traveler from an antique land-" The Truth began. The Truth's poem recital was interrupted by the dog guards approaching Ozymandias from behind and barking at him, making Oz turn around, "The leaders want to speak to you, Changeling" The guard told him. Oz turned back around, but The Truth was gone, he's disappeared. He might've sneaked back into the shadows, but the guards would've notice and the guards didn't make any eye contact with The Truth, "Where the fuck did he go?" Oz whispered to himself. "What was that?" The dog asked. "Nothing" Ozymandias replied. "Come with me" The dog ordered as he opened the cell door. Oz stepped outside the cell and followed the guard to where he was meant to go, he then looked back into his cell as he trotted away, and there was no sign of The Truth anywhere. "So listen, Changeling" Rover told Ozymandias, "I need you to work for us and give us gems" "We said that you should start working right now" Fido told him. Ozymandias was currently thinking of what he was originally meant to be hear for. He needs to get the Diamond Dogs on his side for taking over the Crystal Empire "I don't want to work" Ozymandias uttered, "I want you three to work for me" The three leaders looked at Oz in surprise, no one that they have caught has spoken back to them before, with the exception of a marshmallow Unicorn, "You will find us gems, Changeling" Spot told him. "My name is Ozymandias and I will find you gems, not here, of course" Ozymandias replied. "Not in the caves?" Rover asked. "But that's where all the gems are" Fido said. "You all don't get out of the caves very often, do you?" Oz asked. The three dogs looked a little anxious when he said that, "Thought not" Ozymandias spoke, "Let me just that I know of a place that is made completely out of diamonds, crystals and gems. A kingdom, no less" "You lie" Rover said. "I'm telling the truth. It's called the Crystal Empire, the castle is made from crystals, the environment is made from crystals, hell, even the ponies are made of diamonds" Oz said, "If you help me take this Empire over, I will grant your entire race a residence in the Empire. Think about it Rover, having as much diamonds that can last you a thousand lifetimes. Doesn't that sound good?" Oz tempted. Rover felt ambitious to take up Oz's offer, along with Fido and Spot, "Will you help me?" Oz asked. Rover thought for a sec, "Yes, I'll help" "Me too" Fido added. "I'll help as well" Spot finished. "Excellent" Oz smiled