Lovely Week for a Swim

The next morning, Celestia woke up and noticed that Spike was out of bed.

"Hmm~. Now where could he be~?" she thought.

She started to look around for him. She checked in the cabin, the swimming hole, and even underneath the ramp. She couldn't find him.

"Could he have-? No! He wouldn't do that. Something is very off..."

She kept looking around for him and didn't see a trace of him anywhere.

"Spike?" she called out.

Just as she was about to take a break, she saw a note pinned onto one of the stocks that held the dock together. The cut letters on the paper were glued to it and it was still sloppy. It said,

Dear Pony Princess,

We have pet dragon with us and are using him to find gems for us. The same that saved prissy pony long time ago. Oh yes, we have noticed everything and it was the yummiest experience we have ever seen. But we are not interested in yummy experience. We want gems and we are using pet dragon to scavenge gems. Don't look for us, because we know what you plan to do. And if you come to us, you will be used as king's ransom for kingdom's fortune. As side note, we also want to use you as yummy experience tool. But like we said before, we're not interested in yummy experience. But since you could ravage Equestria, we'll just tell you where we are. We're not too far from you. You will find us.

Sincerely,

Diamond Dogs

"Now who leaves their name on a letter with cut letters...? Never mind. Nopony captures my dragon and lives to jeer about it. The Diamond Dog will wish that they have settled for me." Celestia said with a hint of anger and annoyance in her voice.

After getting herself dressed, she left the swimming hole to go look for Spike.

"Oh! Just one more thing..." Celestia thought.

She used a spell that covered the entire swimming hole from would-be invaders.

"Since this is now settled..."

She turned around and left to look for Spike. After two hours of searching, she had finally found where the Diamond Dogs' hideout was.

"Is this really supposed to be a hideout? I can only hope that Spike is okay. I know how Diamond Dogs are with dragons..." she said as she winced about how they treat dragons.

She walked around their hideout to continue to look for Spike. The Diamond Dogs' hideout was very big, so she had no idea where they were keeping away Spike.

They really went all out around here... Celestia thought, gawking at the entire mining station.

She continued to walk around to find where Spike was being held and still can't find him. Just then, one of the guards were around on patrol. Celestia, seizing this opportunity, grabs him with her magic and holds him against the wall.

"Where is Spike?" she said with anger in her voice.

"I no idea where dragon is." the guard replied.

Just then, he could feel the heat starting to surround him.

"I dare you to tell me another lie." Celestia threatened.

Knowing that his life was on the line, the guard replied,

"Leader keep dragon close. Says he'll keep digging and serve for eternity until he find every jewel in Equestria."

"Where is your leader?"

"Private Quarters. It has sign that says 'Leader'. Can't miss it."

"Thank you." she said as she shoved the guards head into the ground.

She moved forward to go look for the leader's private quarters. It took her awhile, but eventually, she found the leader's private quarters. She rolled her eyes when she read the sign 'leader' and entered. It was filled with everything. It had a map of the area, it had a treasure chest, a bed, a couple chew toys, and a few chewed bones, which Celestia cringed in disgust at.

"I can't fathom on why anypony would prefer to live like this..." she thought with a grimace on her face.

Just then, she heard noises coming from outside the private quarters.

"You will find every jewel that has escaped our scent! Now clean up my quarters!" the Diamond Dogs leader shouted.

"Fine. Jeez..." Spike said in annoyance.

He did as he said and entered the private quarters. Little did he know that Celestia was looking for him.

"Spike?" she said as she entered.

"Celestia? How did you-"

Before Spike could speak, Celestia interrupted him with a brief, passionate kiss. Then pulled away and said,

"We're warping back."

"Huh? But the-"

"Don't worry. I have a way of getting them off our backs."

"But- Oh..." Spike said in realization of what she was planning.

Meanwhile, the leader was speaking with his henchdogs and he was completely furious.

"What is with dragon!? Why won't he finds jewels?" the leader shouted.

"Dragon stubborn. Won't help until do things his way." the little dog said.

"He does make smart point. Maybe it won't be-" the big dog said before being interrupted.

"NO! My way or highway! The dragon will do what Diamond Dogs say and no exception will be made!"

"Well, you have lost that war..." an unknown voice said.

The Diamond Dogs turned around and, to their horror, saw Princess Celestia.

"Oh! Princess. How did you-" the leader said before being interrupted by Celestia.

"SILENCE!" she shouted in a booming voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty..." the big dog said silently.

"I am sure that you were all aware what you were doing, correct?" Celestia asked in a now authoritative voice.

"Yes..." the leader responded.

"Then I'm sure that you knew that the dragon you kidnapped was my servant?"

"Yes..."

"Then you are all aware of what I am capable of doing to you if you capture someone that is close to me?"

"Yes..."

Spike walked out of the small cave and noticed that Celestia was already speaking to the dogs.

"But Majesty, we had no-"

"NO EXCUSES!" she shouted, going back to her booming voice.

"Y-Yes." the Diamond Dogs whimpered.

"Now... here is what you will do. You are going to leave this area and mine elsewhere, and if I catch you coming near my servant, me, and my summer home, you will wish that I was used as a king's ransom." she threatened.

The Diamond Dogs whimpered to the point of tears nearly coming out of their eyes.

"Spike?" Princess Celestia called out.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness?" Spike replied.

"Let's go back and enjoy our 'yummy experience." she said as she picked him and carried him away in her arms.

"You do know this is embarrassing, right?" Spike said.

"Just go with it." Celestia responded as she warped herself and Spike back to the swimming hole.