Diamond of Desire

Chapter One

Unearthed

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Spike’s claws were a blur as they gouged the earth, mechanically hurling chunks of the badlands’ gem-laden soil over his head. Precious stones glinted in the sunlight as they hurtled through the air, but they were not what he was seeking. There was something else, somewhere beneath the surface, and even though he did not know what it was, he knew it was important.

Several metres below the surface, his claws clinked against solid rock. Unable to dig any deeper, he regained control of his arms. The moment he stopped, soreness rippled through his muscles, from his shoulders to his claws. Wincing, he slouched and wiped his forehead.

He glowered at the merciless midsummer sun, as if it were somehow responsible for his predicament. “I'll never find the perfect gem for my sweet, sweet Rarity at this rate!” he said to himself, unable to muster the strength to shake his fist at the sky.

As Spike was about to give up, the elusive treasure reentered his mind's eye. He had lost count of how many of his advances on Rarity had failed, but something about this particular quest told him it would be different. He gave a wistful moan and allowed his favourite daydream to coalesce in his mind’s eye. He giggled and stood in a stupor, his body swaying as he visualized it.

He was in the Carousel Boutique, clutching a pristine diamond larger than himself. Rarity gaped at it as he knelt and presented it to her. She accepted it, nuzzled it, and tackled Spike to the ground, smothering him with kisses and leaving red lipstick everywhere.

He keeled over and fell flat on his back. The vision had gone, and reality returned. He sighed, coughed, and stood back up. “This is hopeless. Just hopeless. I can't believe I wasted my whole day off on this wild gem chase!” He reached and patted the satchel on his back. No diamond, no hope, and no wooed Rarity. After heaving another sigh, he climbed out of his latest hole and turned toward Ponyville. “I'd give anything to find the most amazing diamond in Equestria for her...”

Spike had scarcely taken two steps before the ground rumbled, disturbing the dirt and making the pebbles dance. A few paces ahead, the earth fissured. His limbs shook as a beam of jet-black energy shot from it. The beam shone in a fountain of unnatural black anti-light that bled into the air around it.

The fissure widened, and a shock wave rolled through the badlands, sending Spike flying backward. He landed in the crater he had just crawled from, and his eyes bulged. The anti-light before him faded, and a pointy black object soared from the hole. It came arcing toward him, and he instinctively held out his hands, where it landed softly.

Having never seen a gem like this, he gave it an experimental lick and almost dropped it when he tasted diamond. Its facets were perfect, and it was the same jet-black as the energy that delivered it to him. But Spike remained calm as he clutched the mysterious artifact. It radiated the feeling that all his endeavours for the rest of his life would turn out perfectly. Instead of leaping up, screaming, or flinging the diamond toward the horizon, he leaned in and stared into its depths as if it were a crystal ball.

Within the blackness, an even darker, smoky substance drifted around its core. Electricity ran from his hands, up his arms, and through his body. His fatigue and heat-induced headache vanished. Not only did the diamond soothe his mind, but it hushed his other thoughts, too. It was like a motherly being had gently and firmly clutched his limbs and was controlling them with subtle yet compelling movements.

And then it spoke in a female voice that sliced through his mind, clear and sharp as expertly cut crystal: You desire a beautiful mare—a young pony called Rarity.

Spike cocked his head. The voice sounded young, beautiful, and full of confidence—and not the haughty false confidence ponies like Trixie threw around—real confidence. But it could not be real, could it? Perhaps the heat was addling him, perhaps his fall had knocked something loose, or perhaps—

I am very real, Spike. You want her more than anything else in Equestria, do you not?

“Uh-huh...” Spike could only stare at the gleaming diamond; there was no room in his mind for any other thoughts.

I am here to help. Anything and anypony you desire will be yours...

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