Epilogue—Provides a Short Explanation of a Visit
When the famous singer Sapphire Shores came to visit Rarity at Carousel Boutique two weeks later, she gasped in amazement at the glamorous line of rainbow-hued outfits created for her and the other performers. The fabric and design choices were gorgeous enough, yet particularly eye-catching were the rare jewels that decorated them, which Sapphire Shores commented must have taken many hours of hard labor to do.
However, Rarity had simply laughed and said how she had taken on new helpers recently—and how wonderful they were at finding all types of gems.
Indeed, during her visit, these helpers had entered the boutique dressed in fashionable vests (and with vest pockets crammed full of precious minerals). At that time, they had apparently been contending with a small purpose dragon to use the only available broom in order to sweep the boutique floor, which was an impressive sight.
Sapphire Shores had assumed most Diamond Dogs were rougher and wouldn’t work for ponies, but these three were actually quite pleasant and seemed to be enjoying themselves.
It was a wondrous thing, and something she almost wanted to write a song about sometime soon.
After her own assistants had come to collect the outfits, and many warm exchanges between Rarity and herself, Sapphire Shores walked away from that boutique—while shaking her head at the way her designer had of surprising her each time she came to her for a project.
And Rarity, the Diamond Dogs, and the dragon had waved to her as she departed.
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Story nice, me happy
5576689 Wonderful, and that makes me happy as well.
My congratulations Literary! This was a wonderful and expertly told slice of life story.
The narrative was so smooth and round, I think I'm adding it to my special list of masterpieces.
It may not have been an epic or especially exciting but that doesn't matter at all, if you ask me.
What matters is that the narrative is working, that the characters are believable and relatable and that you can immerse yourself in it.
To accomplish that I have the belief, that pacing is crucial as is to stick to the rule of 'show, don't tell'.
In short: I think this story is a wonderful example of how to tell a good story and especially how to end it without the ending being to abrupt.
Incidentally I have given a similiar review to another story just recently. Scootaloo - Princess for a day by Raylan Krios. That as well has been a wonderful side story. But I think your's had a slightly better ending, since you prepared the ending over multiple chapters instead of making one ending chapter.
I have enjoyed it very much. Thank you for writing it and gifting me a nice time reading it
5595071 Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughts on "TOH'S Guardian" as a whole! As a storyteller, hearing that the pacing was good, and that the characters stayed--well, in character means a lot. Knowing that everything clicks and works well together is also relieving.
I'll have to read Scootaloo--Princess for a Day now, though, especially after your recommendation.
What a fun story. I like the feel in the middle of the Diamond Dogs trying to trick Discord, it feels like Wiley E. Coyote and the Roadrunner.
But definitely my favorite part is the background ideas on the Diamond Dogs. Thanks for pointing out that the Diamond Range group are exiles from the Kingdom of Diamondia, I had missed that when I first read the comic. It's a pretty logical leap from there that they were trying to scrounge up enough gems to get their exile repealed, and the gems Rarity and friends was what they had saved up over those many years. I also like the history you provided, Ziggy and Stardust were hilarious! (As was their father, David Bow-wow). I had expected some sort of reconciliation with Diamondia, but hopefully these three will be happy with Rarity. It was good to see their character growth as well (deep down, there are no bad dogs, just dogs who made poor decisions
)
5769276 Thank you so much! This story was a lot of fun to write, and for quite a while I'd been wondering if we would never see more of that trio of Diamond Dogs. Based on the comic where Rainbow Dash actually visits Diamondia, gemstones have a massive influence on almost everything for them (including whether they favor or reject someone)--and, in addition to that, the same comic had mentioned them being exiled. They had never really struck me as "bad guys" even in the show, though--just rough and with the tendency to make mistakes in their passionate pursuit for gems.
A possible reconciliation with Dimondia is in the future (depending on how many stories I write in the same line), but I will let you know that in terms of this version they are very happy with Rarity (they get their own mine and some pony who appreciates their efforts). They can help each other.
I love how the comics for MLP have introduced all these different background details or hints at stories underlying even the most minor characters from the show or elsewhere. It's truly inspiring. ^_^
I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for commenting!
P.S. I also definitely agree with you about there being no bad dogs. ;3
5769416 Yeah, the Diamond Dogs never struck me as bad guys either. Before I read the comics, I assumed Diamond Ridge was named after the Diamond Dogs as their tribal home, similar to the Buffalo's tribal lands out in the Mild West. This meant that for years now, Rarity had been practically stealing gems from their mining claim every time she entered their territory and dug up gems for her dresses. When they kidnapped her I figured they were trying to make her earn back the equivalent of the gems that were taken from their lands. Don't get me wrong, of course they were the bad guys there for kidnapping her, but when 3 hours later she leaves with all those carts full of gems, it felt to me like the Diamond Dogs were treated really unfairly.
I based a lot of that on the fact that the tunnels under Diamond Ridge have metal dungeons and supports, and have clearly been around for a long time (similar to the caverns under Canterlot, which have mining carts and tracks, and were also probably a Diamond Dog mine at one point). However, FF#6 does explain that group more coherently, as a renegade group of possible bandits driven from their home, forced to dig in a formerly-abandoned mine to slowly earn enough gems to buy their way back into the good graces of the Diamondia nobility (the diamond dogs with the fancier clothes and bigger gems, like Jim). I'm not sure what crime the Diamond Ridge dogs originally committed, but I can see them as formerly respectable members of Diamond Dog society (some of the dogs we saw on the show are dressed as soldiers of Diamondia) pushed to acts of desperation so they can go home.
5769471 That's really impressive and thoughtful. It makes me kind of wonder if the actual show will ever go more into depth on the subject, or clear up some of those questions regarding the Diamond Ridge dogs. You're definitely right that the construction of their tunnels, and especially the presence of those iron supports, suggests those mines are something Diamond Dogs as a race/culture/civilization might have had for a long while. So Rarity walking off with all their gems in the episode with them might have had less to do with a lost in profit as opposed to other things related to their ancestry.
I forget which comic this was, but I believe one of them actually made reference to there being a group of Diamond Dogs out there acting as bounty hunters (though I could be wrong). However, somehow that probably isn't true of the Diamond Ridge dogs. It's possible that if they were bandits originally sent to the former mines to get enough gems that they may have (either by accident or in desperation themselves) caused the lost of a certain amount of jewels. There are a bunch of different possibilities.
5773011 Thanks for listening to my ramblings! I'll keep an eye out for that comic reference as well. I am always intrigued with little subcultures hidden away in fantasy worlds, and the Diamond Dogs are a perfect example. I even wondered if Diamond Dogs are descended from the MLP G1 Creature, Crunch the Rock Dog, who has the same sort of gem collar that modern Diamond Dogs wear:
canistream.it/tv/poster/?proxy=episodes/72001/70547.jpg
5773024 Hah. I appreciate any opportunity to have a great discussion like the one we've been having, such as exploring the different story details related to Diamond Dogs. By the way, I did find the reference mentioned earlier. On the map in the main MLP comic #2, there is a note in parentheses under the Appaloosan Mountain Ranges that reads, "Beware the poachers, they call them the Diamond Dogs." So, in that case, I guess at least some of the Diamond Dogs had taken on another profession (since it's supposed to be a current map, I think).
Looking at that picture of Crunch the Rock Dog, it's a real possibility that is where they drew the inspiration for the G4 Diamond Dogs. Actually, it's more than likely since they seem to be reintroducing a lot of past characters from past generations like the Breezies, Tirek, and apparently the Smooze. Have you seen any of the past generations of My Little Pony? I only remember watching a few episodes from them growing up, so a lot of past character references tend to go over my head unless one of the MLP fan sites makes a reference to them.
5774072 I love worldbuilding discussions more than anything else, in fact. I gotta say though, that's some bad news you just gave me. If those Diamond Dogs were poachers... and they operate out of the Appleloosan Hills, one of the nearest parts of Equestria to the Badlands... in the comic arc about the changlings... I think what they poach is probably ponies, or other sapient Equestrian citizens like cows and sheep. And their buyer is probably Chrysalis. Those are some mighty bad dogs indeed. Thanks for sharing that with me!
After I watched the 1st two seasons of MLP, I stumbled across this article on the My Little Pony movie released in the 1980s, the one about the Smooze. It made the Smooze and the movie sound so cool, I had to go out and watch it. After that I was intrigued enough to watch selected episodes G1 in general was more high-adventure, almost every episode had some big cool monster threatening the area, and the humans and the ponies would team up to beat it (but half the time they would befriend it instead). Besides the 1st two episodes, which introduce Tirek, there's also the two about Grogar the Goat Lord, probably the most feared and popular villain of G1 after Tirek.
As for Crunch, he was created by a self-aware mountain powered by the "Heartstone" (which is resembles the Crystal Heart as much as you would guess) to be a guard, only for Crunch to go rogue and begin petrifying creatures left and right. Eventually he is reformed, demonstrating the power to turn organic along the way. I like to imagine Crunch as the creator-figure for the Diamond Dogs, like a combination of the alicorns and the leaders of the 3 tribes for Equestria. I'm sure Diamond Dogs swear by Crunch.
5774147 Agreed. World-building conversations are awesome, although now those implications of the poaching Diamond Dogs with possible connections to the Changelings is really disturbing. I was under the impression from the comic that Chrysalis and her subjects were probably just familiar enough with the mines to ambush the ponies, but hopefully not to be in cahoots with poachers. Although, it does make sense for a villain like Chrysalis to arrange for something like that to happen. If so, we've possibly set off a loaded question of other darker events taking place in Equestria.
Then again, have you heard the rumors through Equestria Daily that there is going to be an episode in Season 5 dealing with the ponies venturing to those same mountains? Perhaps they'll touch on that issue one way or the other then.
Those episodes from G1 do sound interesting, especially Grogar. What is his character like overall, from the episodes you've seen? Have you seen the blog "Discorderly Conduct" (http://discorderlyconduct.tumblr.com/)? In it, Grogar figures as the major villain, who the writers suggest seem to have led to a series of terrible events surrounding the creation of the "Love Poison" incident way back when.
Nice! And it would be nice to hear the Diamond Dogs mention Crunch at least in some way.
5777901 "There are no cars in Candyland!" I love that tumblr. Grogar was almost certainly used as an inspiration for Sombra, he's the classic Lawful Evil overlord, Grogar's original goal was the enslavement of all Ponyland. One thing I have seen in that tumblr, and some other sources, is the idea that Grogar was the teacher of Sombra, or at least he wrote the books on dark magic that Sombra learned from.
Part of good worldbuilding to me is being able to examine the darker implications as well as the lighter ones. Fridge Logic often leads to Fridge Horror, after all. If Chrysalis is smart and sneaky, and I bet she is, then she would realize disguising her changlings as some other creature to meet with the dogs and then paying them for ponies eliminates the risk of changlings getting caught. Ponies blame the disappearence on Diamond Dogs, and if the poachers are captured, they can only confess they got paid by other ponies, so there is a wall of seperation between her agents and say, the Royal Guard. If the episode you are talking about is the first one of season 5, yeah that does look like it takes place in the hills in question.
5777958 Hearing all that about Grogar makes me curious if G4 will ever address him as a villain or bring him back at any point, given his prowess and association with dark magic. Of course, this might get cleared up in the side comic related to Sombra and his development into an evil overlord--though it does open the door to a wide variety of different darker implications as well, just like with the Diamond Dog poachers in the mountain ranges.
Somehow, it wouldn't surprise me if Chrysalis was so devious as to send her changelings to have those types of dealings incognito throughout Equestria. In fact, it sounds completely within the realm of what she would do (and probably with great relish). At one point in the first arch in the main comic regarding her, she does mention a conquest of sorts--so, in addition to possibly having despicable dealings here and there, it does beg the question of how much territory she may have taken over already (such as close to the boundaries of Equestria). There was that town of loving cats she was shown to have taken over after getting launched out of Canterlot (which was also sad to see happen).
Agreed! Having a great combination between lighter and darker elements in the world for any story, especially in terms of a fantasy land like Equestria, adds a lot of valuable layers to it. I think this is one of the reasons it is such a rich place and gives rise to so many different possible story ideas. Horrible things can and have happened that devastated the lives of the residents, which helps you root for the heroines all the more. ^_^
5781424 Grogar was probably the second most popular villain after Tirek, I think the only reason they haven't brought him back already is because they used a lot of him for Sombra, but I bet we'll see him sooner or later. I can't wait for Fiendship is Magic, it looks awesome.
I too, mourned for the Wovey-Dovey Smoochee Cats. The fact that Celestia had seemingly never heard of changlings, and was completely surprised by them, suggests to me either that they just moved north after focusing on isolated Zebrican villages to the south, or that they had been very, very good at previously concealing their presence in Equestria. I do generally like to consider the darker implications (don't get me started on Too Many Pinkie Pies), but I try to be fair, I ask what the most reasonable explanation seems like it would be, and go with that, whether it has dark or light implications. I think darker implications tend to dominate a bit only because it's a Y7 TV show about a fully functioning fantasy world of high adventure and great danger, it's basically required there are going to be some darker corners the show can't really look into.
And you're right, those darker bits are what make the main characters heroines, instead of just protagonists. G3 there were no dark, disturbing parts, and everyone panned it as boring and too cutsie.
5782360 That's very true. If Grogar was essentially used (in part) as an inspiration for Sombra's character, then it makes a lot of sense they might not get around to him so quickly. Of course, it sounds like Tirek from G1 to G4 underwent several subtle changes, so perhaps if they bring Grogar back in G4 there will be something story or character-related that will distinguish his character more from Sombra. Who knows? ^_^
Of course, what also made the domination of the cats all the more tragic was the fact there was no real salvation for them. They were casualties. And besides that, there was the scene where it's clear Chrysalis devoured or essentially ended the life of one of them right in front of the CMC. On that note, it's interesting to note how much darker the comics for MLP: FIM can get in comparison to the actual show. I mean, as you said, in a rich fantasy world like Equestria there are light and dark implications involved--and there have been many shades of both in the show--but they definitely get away with a lot more in the comics. Perhaps they have more creative liberty in the comics on that front? I'm not entirely sure how the guidelines or restrictions work on that front.
5785512 Yeah, the comics can be darker sometimes, Reflections (my favorite arc) was definitely darker than the show. I think the comic, especially the main line, is aimed more for older fans, so they have more leeway. It's similar to how they fit in more pop-culture references. They would never have had Flax Seed and the hippie commune on the show.
5785642 True. So I guess we can count the comics as another way to enjoy stories from the MLP universe. According to one interview, the writers for the comics declared they are basically set apart from the actual show--which will never make reference to them. So while they can't veer too far from the overall tone, they really can do more. ^_^
5786267 Yeah, one of my favorite things about the comics is the way the fill in details that the show is unable to cover.
5786321 Hah. Yeeup.
6279579 Wonderful! Any spoilers you'd like to share related to how a Diamond Dog could get absolved from any crimes to their kind?
6284056 Of course.
6286194 Well, my thought was that they'd present their rulers with something rare and one of a kind. Say, for instance, a gemstone or crystal that instantaneously restores itself if cut or broken. Curiously enough, put all the pieces together, and you end up with something that looks like a pony...
And you're three for three! Fantastic work! I've got my fingers crossed to someday see another entry in this continuity!
6286701 Given how much the average gemstone means to Diamond Dogs, that would make for an interesting and fun adventure story. Hearing that reminds me just a bit of the giant jeweled sculpture from the "Princess Spike" episode. Hah. Good luck in writing it!
Thank you for all the encouragement and praise, and I really do mean to write more stories for this continuity (tying into an over-arching storyline). The last several weeks have just been kind of busy, with such things to do as preparing for the first semester of a graduate program, possibly moving into an apartment, etc. ^_^
6286852 Oh, I know that feeling. I'd be getting more done with mine if I didn't have a full-time job to worry about. Just do what you can, we'll be patient.
6286884 I definitely appreciate it, and good luck on all your stories (and full-time job) too. ^_^
This story was very well-written! Awesome :)
6563199 Thank you for your kind words! It really means a lot to hear you liked this.
This was a nice story about the Diamond Dogs and this is not the first story I've read where they end up working with Rarity. That doesn't make this story any less enjoyable of course.
7392158 Thanks!
I'd always kind of hoped we would see the Diamond Dogs again in the actual show. But maybe that will come sometime in another season. Just out of curiosity, what were some of the other fan fics you saw with Rarity and the Diamond Dogs?
7395676 It happens at the end of Getting back on your hooves and in Random Elements.
7396713 Awesome! Thank you.