Year 980
The plan was simple. Grab the gems, retreat, then the last Dog out would spring the trap.
What actually happened was that their raid was interrupted by a morning work crew who weren't happy about the intruders.
During the run down the tunnels, Mica, the lead dog panicked, and pulled the trap switch as she ran past it. The resulting rock-slide blocked off the tunnel, and trapped the other two dogs in a dead-end. Several ponies with ropes and pickaxes came running down the tunnel towards them. When they got close enough, they tossed loops of rope over the two Dogs, binding their arms to their sides. "Got 'em!" One of the ponies crowed.
They took the stolen gems from the Dogs, then marched them all the way to the entrance of the mine. The two dogs were shoved inside a small concrete tool shed. Once the ponies had left, the medium-sized dog turned to her larger companion. "Jasper, get us out!"
Jasper shook his head. "My claws too soft, Cinnabar."
"Bah, big dog is weak!" Cinnabar scolded. "Told you not eat the copper."
"Was hungry," Jasper replied. "You and Mica eaten the scrap iron already."
"Better go hungry than eat soft metals," Cinnabar snorted. She peered through a thin gap between the door and the frame.
"What see?" Jasper asked as he came over.
"Ponies stand around and talk," Cinnabar replied. "Sun out, they have tools, why they no work?"
Jasper leaned against the wall. "Maybe they talking about us."
Cinnabar snickered. "When ponies open door again, we rush 'em and escape."
"Boss, we have a situation at the jewel mine." A light purple earth pony stated, entering a parlor,
Gilbert lowered the newspaper he had been reading. "Is everypony alright?"
The messenger smirked. "We're fine, it's not a cave-in or anything. We found a group of bandits."
"How much was taken, Chisel ?" Gilbert asked.
"We captured two of them, but the third got away, and collapsed the tunnel afterwards. We estimate the loss at -B- 3,400," Chisel replied.
Gilbert folded the newspaper and finished his coffee. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll come up and interview them."
"Good luck with that, Boss." Chisel added. "They're Dogs, not ponies."
"Diamond Dogs?" Gilbert blinked in surprise. "You actually caught a pair of Diamond dogs?"
Chisel nodded. "Yeah. A male and a female. Maybe we can put 'em on display."
Gilbert rubbed around one of his ears. "Diamond Dog actors. Might be an interesting addition to the Cabaret."
"I was thinking more like a sideshow," Chisel said. "I doubt that Dogs could understand the idea of acting."
Gilbert waved a hoof. "Don't be so quick to dismiss them. They can still surprise us."
"Ugh, how long they leave us here?" Cinnabar complained.
"Maybe they forget about us," Jasper replied. Looking through the narrow gaps around the door, they could see that the worker ponies had left, and that the sun was higher in the sky. "Cinnabar, I hungry."
"Big dog complain too much," Cinnabar replied. "Me hungry too, but not complain about it." There was a flicker of dark green magic around part of the door, then the lock clicked, attracting the Dogs' attention. "What was that?"
Jasper tested the door. When it opened easily, he shoved it open then charged, shifting his eyes around to find a target. He slowed to a stop about 30 strides from the building. "Huh? Where are ponies?"
Cinnabar shuffled over to Jasper. "What does matter? We free!" Jasper turned, then gasped, taking a step back. "What problem now?" Cinnabar growled. She turned to look in the direction that Jasper was gazing. "Oh, hello ponies." She greeted, smiling as she backed away.
The ponies who had been lurking on either side of the shed, moved to surround the dogs. A green unicorn stood atop the concrete shed that they had been in. "I don't know much about Dog culture," The unicorn began. "But we have rules about stealing."
"Bah, pony laws are useless!" Cinnabar barked.
Gilbert descended a series of boxes behind the shed, then approached the Dogs. "I didn't say anything about the Law," He smirked. "I said that we have rules about stealing."
"Rules, laws. Make no difference," Cinnabar snorted. "We take what we want."
"How about if we take your friend in exchange?" Gilbert motioned to Jasper. "He looks like a strong worker."
"You want him?!" Cinnabar blinked. "Big Dog is weak and whiny, he eat too much junk, he-" She was interrupted by a back-handed blow from Jasper.
"Shut mouth!" He roared. The ponies all took a step back at his outburst. Cinnabar stared at Jasper in shock. "All Cinnabar do is order me around and insult me!"
"Sounds like you have a mutiny on your paws," Gilbert smirked. "Do you two need to go back into the shed for a while?"
Cinnabar turned around slowly. "You can have him. He no use to me."
Gilbert trotted over to Jasper. "So how strong are you?" He asked the Dog.
"Can lift boulder half my height," Jasper boasted.
"Perfect," Gilbert stated. "Chisel, take him down to the office. I'll give him an interview when I'm done here."
"Sure thing Boss." Chisel replied cheerfully. She began guiding Jasper along the path down the mountain. A few of the armed ponies accompanied her.
Gilbert turned to Cinnabar. "You let me go?" She asked hopefully.
"Miss Cinnabar," Gilbert began. "I was informed that there was a third Diamond Dog who got away." Cinnabar gulped. "And your half of the debt has to be covered."
"Pffft. I no work for ponies!" Cinnabar taunted.
Gilbert turned to one of the ponies in the circle. "Get her prepped. She'll be taking a little trip north."
"How far north, Boss?" One of the other ponies asked.
"She said she wouldn't work for ponies. Didn't say anything about gryphons." Gilbert said, before walking away. Cinnabar's protests were ignored as she was retied.
3 months later.
Jasper knocked on the door. "Enter." he heard Gilbert call. As Jasper came into the room, a small unicorn filly eeped and scampered to hide behind the large desk. "Ah, Jasper. What brings you to my office?"
Jasper took a small cloth pouch from his belt, opened it, and poured out the contents onto the desk, which amounted to a couple dozen coins. "How I get more bits?"
Gilbert rubbed his chin. "You want to earn more money? That depends on what you're willing to do."
Jasper gave a glance to the small filly who was peeking around the desk at him. "That your daughter?" He asked, motioning to her.
Gilbert reached down, and lifted the filly onto his lap. "Indeed," The filly snuggled into her fathers' embrace. "And I would hate for anything to happen to her."
"I protect." Jasper stated.
"And why should I trust some gem thief with my greatest treasure?" Gilbert replied. Jasper winced "If you need more bits, I can arrange for you to help with the harvests."
"Thank you, Mr LaRoulette." Jasper scooped up his coins and turned to leave.
"Doggy!" Toola Roola exclaimed, pointing at Jasper.
"His name is Jasper, sweetie." Gilbert said.
"Jhaspa," Toola Roola repeated. Once the Dog left, the filly squirmed . "Jhaspa come back!"
"Jasper!" Gilbert called. A moment later, the Dog entered the room again. "Have a seat." Jasper settled on the padded stool on the opposite side of the desk from Gilbert. "Tell me. If you had a kid of your own, and something happened to them, what would you do?"
"Would find who is responsible, and punish them," Jasper replied.
Gilbert placed his daughter on the floor, and she slowly approached the dog. Once she got within his reach, Jasper held out a paw, and waited for her to make the next move. Toola Roola gently poked his paw with her hoof, then looked up to him. "Big Dog friend?"
"You want me for friend?" Jasper asked. Toola nodded, placing her hoof on Jaspers' palm.
Gilbert walked over to the pair. "I'll make you a deal. If you can prove that you can be trusted, I'll let you be her protector."
"What you want me do?" Jasper asked.
"There are scientists who would like to study your kind," Gilbert replied. "I'll make arrangements for your trip. You will be escorted to Canterlot University. If I hear of any misbehavior on your part, I'll keep you at your current assignment."
"How long I be at Canterlot?" Jasper wondered.
"Until they feel that they have enough information about Diamond Dogs. Could be up to a year."
"I accept." Jasper replied. Gilbert held a hoof out and the Dog shook it.
"Caprillette!" The gray unicorn flinched at the sound of her mothers' voice. She slowly strode out of her room and into the main room of the small abode. "I am very disappointed."
"I can explain, mother," Caprillette sniffled. "I tried, I really did."
"Year after year, You have taken that class, and you have given them the same results every time," Her mother replied. "By now, the ponies that were in the first class with you know at least a dozen spells. Your classmates are a third your age, and they have manage to pass the test."
"I just cannot use magic because-" Caprillette began.
"-because of your broken horn?!" Her mother finished. Caprillette flinched. "The mark of your real sire. Maybe you should go and find him! You're useless here."
"Mother, I can try to lived as an earth pony does," She pleaded.
"Do not overstep your boundaries, Caprillette," The older unicorn sneered. "You can barely lift a trowel with your magic. I do not foresee you having any success with growing crops or tending animals."
"But I can still pick up, carry and haul things," Caprillette said.
"Go down to the beach and wait for me," The older unicorn instructed. Caprillette nodded, then slowly shuffled out the door.
Caprillette stood up as she noticed her mother approaching. The older unicorn had several auras carrying various items: A few ropes, a food-pot, two waterskins, a thin wool blanket, a few heavy logs, and some wooden poles. "Mother, what is all of this for?" Caprillette asked.
"My intention is to correct a mistake that I made a long time ago," Her mother replied. "Be silent, be still, and observe." Caprillette sat in the shadow of a tall rock pillar, watching as her mother used the poles, rope and logs to make a raft. The mature unicorn would pause occasionally to take a sip from one of the waterskins, or wipe some sweat off her brow.
During the whole activity, Caprillette felt an unpleasant gnawing in her stomach, different from hunger. She tried to speak to her mother a few times, but the mare would silence her by making a slapping motion. The time passed in silence, with the sun sliding across the sky over the northern horizon and the tide slowly creeping up the sand.
Once the mare had finished the raft, she placed the food-pot, blanket, and remaining waterskin on the, then pushed it partway past the waterline. "Caprillette, I am giving you one last chance to justify your life," She indicated the raft. "Seek out your father, and maybe he will teach you how to use his kind of magic." The mare spat.
"My father..." Caprillette climbed onto the raft. "Is this really the only way?"
"You may find him, or you may not. It is his whim to decide," her mother replied. "But you no longer have a place here." The mare turned away, giving the raft a kick as she departed. The tide pulled the raft partway along the wash zone, before receding fully. A second wave and backwash pulled the raft out fully into the water. As it passed through the mists that swirled around the land, Caprillette began bawling.
The amount of food and water that she had been given would normally last for ten meals. Assuming three meals a day, it seemed that the intent was for starvation to begin around noon of the fourth day. By rationing only enough to fight off the pangs of hunger, Caprillette managed to stretch the supply to a week. The blanket, while intended to provide some protection against the cold night air, had gotten soaked, and never fully dried out. Day by day, she noticed the path of the sun and moon getting higher and higher.
She had just finished the last of the water, when she heard something splash nearby. "It ain't no good to be floating around this far from shore." A mare called. Caprillette dropped the waterskin and stared at the other pony. "Ya got lost or something?"
"You gave me a fright," she began. "If it would not inconvenience you terribly, I am in need of food and water."
The other mare swam forward, then placed a flippered foreleg on the edge of the raft. "You sound like you just stepped out of a Post Discord novel, but I can get you to some vittles." She gave a short cackle.
Caprillette took a step back. "What manner of being are you?"
"Oh this?" The other pony replied, waving the limb. "I'm a Mera, the tribe of water."
"But I have always been told that unicorns are the water tribe," Caprillette replied. "For all the good that does me." She muttered.
"That's actually considered a heresy," The Mera said.
"A heresy? That would mean an alternative," Caprillette mused. "If your breed is the tribe of water, then what is the unicorns' element?"
"Fire," The Mera replied. "Your breed used to move the sun and the moon."
"That was before Discord rose up and unleashed chaos on the empire," Caprillette sighed. "Where might he be found?"
"I would suggest looking in Canterlot," The Mera replied. "Last I heard, The Princess keeps him there."
"Pardon? A Princess?" Caprillette splayed her ears. "How is it that she keeps him there? He is said to be Chaos incarnate."
"Well, eleven centuries ago, The Princesses, Celestia and Luna, gave him a whooping and sealed him in stone," The Mera replied. "What a fun little brouhaha that was."
"How is that possible? My ancestors fled to avoid his madness," Caprillette said, disbelieving.
The Mera gave a shrug, "Best place to start would be to ask the Princess directly," She climbed up onto the raft. "Canterlot would be about four days away, with my pods' help."
"I will need food and water for the trip," Caprillette replied.
"We'll take care of that, just trust in us," The Mera replied. "Sand Dollar." She held out a fin.
"Caprillette," She replied.
"Yeah, I was wondering about your horn." Sand Dollar peered at the unicorns' forhead.
"It is a blemish put upon me, marking me as one of Discords' childer," The unicorn replied, lowering her gaze.
"Who came up with that idea?" Sand asked.
"My community," Caprillette replied.
"Why are you out here, again?" Sand questioned.
"I was sent out by my mother," Caprillette replied. "To find Discord, or befall whatever whimsy he would impart upon me."
"Sounds like you need to get educated, and fast." Sand Dollar said. "We'll see to it that you get help, filly."
"Thank you," The unicorn smiled. "For being my first real friend."
Caprillette was informed that she had sailed past a continent where she could have landed and gotten aid. With a quick detour back to it, the pod managed to convince some of the land dwelling ponies to provide food and medical assistance. The crude raft was ditched for a catamaran boat, which was faster in water, and had more space for supplies. After being treated for sunburn and salt abrasion, Caprillette was given some clothing and a waterproof cloak.
She was transferred to the protection of a nomadic pod. Taking turns pulling the boat, the Merae followed a current that ran roughly parallel to the south shore of Neighsia. During the trip, a few would swim alongside the boat, and chat with Caprillette, informing her of basic details of the last millennium.
By noon of the second day they approached the shores of the Edjer Krala wild-lands. The sight of dragons soaring overhead inspired both awe and some fear. On several occasions, they watched as dragons dove into the water, resurfacing moments later with large fish in their jaws. One of the Merae shared a quick geography lesson, naming the nearby Caliphate of Saddle Arabia. The Mera present the option of traveling through the domain and saving a day of travel, but the lack of river routes prevented the pod from coming along. Caprillette chose to remain with them, not wanting to be alone again.
When evening rolled around, they sought shelter in a nearby bay. With help, Caprillette managed to set up a tent and campfire. Resting under a padded blanket, she thanked her friends. At their suggestion and with their guidance, she offered a prayer to each of the Royal Sisters.
The next morning, she disassembled the campsite, packed things as best she could, then boarded the boat again. At mid morning, the group entered the strait that divided the dragon lands from the Buffalo Prairie. "Not too much further," One of the Mera said. "The worst is behind us now, so you can rest easy."
"I am uncertain as to the truth of that," Caprillette called out. "Even when we do reach civilization, I may be treated as I was before."
"Listen, I promise you that not everypony is as mean as your tribe was," The Mera replied. "I've got cousins up in this sea, and even some on land."
"Yes, you have mentioned that your kind are much like a single family, spread out around the oceans." The pod slowed. "Be there something the matter?"
"A question, friend," another Mera called from the other side of the boat. "How have we treated you?"
"You have been most helpful, gregarious, talkative, and-"
"Now multiply that by about million," The Mera smirked. "That's us. That's our friends, landed kin, and the Princessess themselfs."
"I am deeply regretful. I did not mean any harsh rebuke," the unicorn said. "I have never before encountered this amount of goodwill." She spoke in a more respectful manner.
"Anyways," The Mera softened his tone. "We won't be staying long. What we plan to do is to situate you with another pod. You might be a little nervous, but just keep in mind that we're all kin."
"And this other pod, they will escort me to Canterlot?"
"As close as they can," The Mera said. "Canterlot is on a mountain, a little ways inland. What they can do is get you to a city that has a direct route to it, and a harbour."
"Like a road that goes from the harbor to Canterlot?" Caprillette wondered.
"Yeah, think of it like that."
Once the other pod arrived to aid Caprillette, the trip through the Mareterraneighn Sea passed without incident. They kept to the shoreline on the right, noting the occasional buffalo camp or settler town. As time passed, the camps became fewer, and the towns more frequent, and larger, marking the transition to the freestate territories. Night descended, and lights appeared at several places along the coast, illuminating the larger cities and towns.
Having taken frequent naps during the day, Caprillette felt more alert and confident. They entered the Gulf of York, and one of the Merae pointed out a cluster of lights in the distance. "That's Manehattan. We should be there before too long."
"Should we stop somewhere and set up our campsite?" Caprillette asked.
"Not a good idea," The Mera replied. "Don't worry though, We've got a friend who can help. Just give it three more hours."
By the time the boat landed on a beach, Caprillette felt ready to collapse from exhaustion. The Merae managed negotiations with the landowners, and a room was offered. Although she felt faint, Caprillette kept her focus on the dark green unicorn stallion. Something, some sensation indicated that this pony was important.
A pair of earth ponies helped her into a large building, and up a spiral ramp to a bedroom. She was undressed, then helped into bed. Though she was happy to be in a warm bed again, she still felt like she was on a raft, bobbing at sea.
She was awoken by a knock on the door. "May I come in?" A mare called from the other side.
"You may," Caprillette replied. The door opened, and a pink unicorn entered.
"I trust that you slept well. They tell me that you've been adrift for two weeks." The mare replied. "I am Aurelina LaRoullette." She held out a hoof.
"Caprillette," came the reply.
Aurelina embraced the other unicorn. "How horrible that they would name you because of your deformity. Come, we must find a new name for you,"
Caprillette hesitated for a moment. "Wait, I did see a green unicorn last night. Can you take me to them? I feel as though I must meet with them again,"
"My husband, he is very busy with other matters," Aurelina replied. "But come now. You must eat so that you may work."
"My magic is weak, though," Caprillette indicated her horn. "Have you any tasks I could perform without its use."
The pair headed along the halls of the Chateau, and Aurelina explained. "I would imagine that you want something that doesn't require much socializing. Perhaps you could help with the administration. It's more about handling things than ponies."
"Yes, I would like that," She stopped and looked at one of the posters on the wall.
"Do you like it?" Aurelina asked. "My husband knows of many attractions for guests to visit," She moved over to another poster. "Like the Canterlot Centre for Performing Arts."
"Do you have a centre here?"
"No, but we have an ampitheatre, and a cabaret." Aurelina replied.
"The word has a certain feel to it." She stared off into the distance. "Centre. It's like 'sent her;'"
"Maybe Fortuna sent you to us." Aurelina replied.
"Pardon? Who is this 'Fortuna.'"
"She is said to be Discords sister, one who is more subtle and precise with her chicanery."
"I would like to have that as my name. Centre. The word just sounds right."
"Then we shall make it happen," Aurelina replied.
