//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Something Gained, Something Lost. 
// Story: A Diamond In The Ruff: A Gem Stone Beginning. 
// by Campanula Monkshood 
//------------------------------//

	The next morning I woke up to Spike kicking my bed -which must have been hard considering his size-, he had this annoyed look on his face as he jerked his claw to the door, "Twilight told me to show you where everything is while I run some errands for Rarity. Hurry up and get ready, I'll be down stairs." He turned around and left with the door swinging open slightly.
"O-okay," I answered sleepily, I tried untangling myself from the blankets but only succeeded in rolling off the bed and crashing to the floor, only to have the heavy blankets land on top of me. I wiggled free of my cozy prison, shook my fur until I was completely awake, and left the room while I rubbed my eyes. I stopped at the railing by the stairs when I heard Twilight and Spike arguing in a hushed tone.
"Spike what is your problem, he's a guest here and we do not treat guests rudely."
"What's my problem? Why are you so eager to forgive those Diamond Dogs for kidnapping Rarity? We don't know what they did while we looked for her, they blew their chance and I'll never forgive them."
"You know that isn't fair Spike, the actions of a few do not equal the actions of the whole. Gem shows that he is willing to learn and that is a trait worthy of a chance in my books. So quit being so cold to him and he might actually open up to you a little."
I gripped the railing and descended the stairs, "I'm ready..."
Twilight looked up suddenly as if she had been caught, "Oh good I was just telling Spike to pick some things up for me as well, right Spike?"
Spike just turned and headed for the door, "Sure, come on." I followed him quickly and stayed a few paces away from him. He listed off places names as we passed them, barely pausing as he continued on his way.
I went with the weird feeling in my gut to tell him that I had heard them talking, "Who is Rarity and why you hate Diamond Dog for her?"
I smelt something coming off of him, not exactly anger but something else, his shoulders slumped. He took me aside and told me what had happened to his friend Rarity and three Diamond Dogs that ambushed them, his story sounding very similar to the story uncle Fido told me right before I had run away.
"I know that story, my uncle tell it to me -right before I left- he say it was needed for forgiveness."
"Forgiveness?! That's a fine way of trying to get forgiveness from somepony!"
"Not for pony, for Alphas. Alphas say to get three carts of gems in week for their forgiveness of crime."
"What crime?"
"For thinking for themselves. They release her but with no gems Alphas put down two of three.Diamond Dogs."
"T-they what?"
"Put down. I believe uncle Fido one of three, he very sad when telling story. He lost two friends, now he work mines for rest of life," I reached in my pocket and pulled out the black cube, watching it shine momentarily before holding it out, "I know it not make up for all of us but I hope it enough for me so we can be friends."
He picked the cube up gingerly in his claws and set it in his palm, his face softened at my gift, "What exactly is it?"
"Not know, uncle Fido probably know but he to afraid of Alphas to say. I got it from his mine before I left," My tail drooped as I thought back to the look on his face.
Spike had a moment of conflict as he tried to think of what to do, he looked like he was going to take it but he pushed it back into my paw, "I-I appreciate it Gem but I can't take this away from you but I don't see why we still can't be friends. Fist thing I want to do as friends is apologize; I'm sorry Gem, I know I shouldn't have acted the way I did but... hearing the Diamond Dog side of the story, makes me regret all the things I've felt about you guys since that day. Is there anyway you would be willing to forgive me?"
"There nothing to forgive, you want to be friends and I want to be friends so now we both friends together."
He looked like he was going to cry for a moment there before he grabbed my paw and started pulling me, "Come on, let's get some food, it's on me. I know this great place that can make gemstone pastries."
He walked me to this place that looked and smelled like a giant gingerbread house, I followed him in where a pink pony popped up causing me to hide behind Spike. She wore a huge grin and pulled a tray of something from behind the counter, "Hi Spike, what can I getcha?"
"Hey Pinkie, mind getting me a couple of candy gems? and a sapphire cupcake for my new friend, I owe him an apologize."
Her ears did this little twist as she got a manic look in her eyes, "New friend? You wouldn't be holding out on would you Spike?"
He looked away nervously, "N-no Pinkie, he just got to town. Twilight is sponsoring him so he can go to school." He pulled me out from behind him and presented me like some sort of sacrifice.
She gasped loudly and grabbed my cheeks, "Sweet Celestia he's so adorable! Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, would you like to be friends?!"
"Uhm, sure! We be good friends,"  I held out my paw and shook her hoof softly but she wouldn't let go, 'How do these ponies hold on so tight?!'
"This-is-so-great-I've-never-had-a-Diamond-Dog-for-a-friend-before. Ohmigosh, I should throw you a welcome to Ponyville and starting school party!" She release my paw which was about to fall off from being shook so much, she dashed off into a back room and down a flight of stairs leaving us stating in front of an empty counter.
"Uh Pinkie? What about our gem snacks?"
A mare walked out of the kitchen with a paper bag and a tray with two cupcakes, "Don't worry Spike, I have them right here."
"Ah, thanks Mrs. Cake," He took the items from her hooves, "Come on Gem, let's eat these on the way to Rarity's."
We headed out and each took several bites from the cupcakes until they we're gone. We shared the bag of gem candy as we walked along, Spike's mood had done a one-eighty and I was alright with that; I found it's nice to have friends and not to be alone all the time. I also learned that friends share things so when we stopped outside this white and blue building, I stopped him from knocking.
"Uh before we go in, I want to offer again," I pulled the black cube out and held it out.
"No man, I can't take this from you. Keep it to remember your uncle."
"No I'm not giving it, at least not all of it," I grabbed it with both sets of claws and began pulling with what little strength I had, finally it pulled apart with a snap and a faint smell of something filled the air but was blow away before we could tell what it was. The insides of the cube were lined with glowing veins and bots that intersected each other, I handed one of the halves to him, "We both eat it, it may be lost but something gained none the less."
"Right," he took it and we counted to three and tossed them in and started chomping but that was cut off from our gagging and choking. "Sweet Celestia, that tasted awful! Bleh!"
I dropped to all fours and began to try and hack it out, the taste was terrible, I felt physically sick as a black puff came out of my mouth and immediately went up my nose. It went up my nose and everything went pitch black and I fell to the ground with my body shaking.
"Gem! Rarity hurry, I need some help out here," he screamed as he held tried to hold me still and then... nothing.