Author's Note
I've never written a commissioned story before, so this was a nice change. I'm not the biggest fan of Rarity or of the Diamond Dogs, but I think I got there with their characterisation.
I think I've only ever written for Rarity once before in that story that got featured and that is literally it. This is a rare event for me. This is actually the first time I've written for the Diamond Dogs, so let me know what you think of their dialogue.
This story takes place a week after A Dog and A Pony Show
Diamond Don't
Diamond Don't
A Story by FireRain
*** *** ***
The Outlands, the area outside of Ponyville, was a barren and wide land of dry mud and scattered rocks with jagged edges and few signs of wildlife. There were bushes, growing out in this area, but not many. For the most part, it was open territory, where few ponies ventured. There was nothing out here for anybody. It was a dry slog.
Whenever it rained out in this area, the dry plains of mud mixed into a somme, elbow-deep muck that was sharing properties to that of quicksand. If you got stuck and screamed out in this area, nobody would hear your wails of panic. It was a dangerous place to be, but it was also a resourceful place for a certain assortment of valuables: jewels.
This was found out by Rarity the day she earned her tri-diamond cutie mark. She would frequent the area for big orders for special clients, or perhaps to jazz up her fashion lines. Out here, the geographical nature of The Outlands was so rich in an abundance of gems, jewels and rare minerals. The pressure in the ground over multiple centuries had yielded so many of these precious stones that hid beneath the dirt. If one had the skills, then they could vacate with a horde of sparkly goodies!
However, but only a week ago, Rarity and her friends had been in this area and had an unpleasant encounter. It was a regular day, like any other, where Rarity required the help of her dear friend, Spike, or 'Spikey-Wikey', as she liked to call him, for collecting such jewels from the dirt. Who better to dig up mound fulls of dirt and to assist sniffing gems out than a dragon? After all, dragons had much better appendages for scooping up dollops of dirt than a pony. Not only could they sniff them out, they were naturally gifted in detecting the purity of a gemstone. Sometimes, Rarity wondered what she'd do without Spike there to help her out with her scavenger hunts.
Why, if it hadn't been for Spike and him simply being there with her on that day, nobody would know what happened to her or where she'd gone off to. There would be nobody to swoop in a come to her desperate rescue. She would truly be a damsel in distress then. How long would she had been held captive by those...foul-smelling, diamond-digging hounds? The mere amount of hours she spent with them and their stink was enough to make her gag in pure disgust, and their living and working conditions were no better, so imagining how weeks, months or perhaps even a year would have been...Rarity would rather spare that thought.
Today, Rarity came back to The Outlands and she came bearing one of the wooden-bodied carts stacked full of colourful gems, from rubies to sapphires to quartz to emeralds to jades and lapis, she had them all. The cart rumbled and tumbled through the dry mud of the currently dried plains, and she had to make haste to get her mission complete before rain was due. It was scheduled to pour down in increasingly heavy showers later this afternoon, and she'd rather not get caught out in the somme when it happened. Or worse, get stranded in the cave with the dogs.
Not only was Rarity hauling with her a cart of jewels, but also a smaller cart behind it stocked with items she had gone out of her way to source out. With a sharp eye like her own, the pearly unicorn had already picked out numerous means for improvement within their home along with some other things she otherwise couldn't wait to get into upon her arrival. With her eye for decor and improvements, she considered her haul of goods a peace offering of sorts. First thing was first, she had remembered to come prepared.
''A lady is never without a plan B,'' She told herself frequently, saving her skin more times than countable in the past when she was working in her shop. For this trip, she had stocked herself with the necessary cleaning agents she was guaranteed to be using later on once her job was complete. On her hooves, she had slipped on a pair of dirt-resistant gloves for those dark, damp and dust-filled tunnels within the snaking caves and connected caverns, along with her fashionable purple mining helmet specked with sparkly jewels and magical headlamp. Around her muzzle, she had secured a blue-coloured hygiene mask. She had reminded herself relentlessly to wear it after catching a whiff of the leader Diamond Dog's breath along with the salty, sweaty aroma that lingered around the other guards dogs and workers.
She had arrived at the cave entrance that was hidden around the back of The Outlands, a considerable distance from the area in which she was yanked and dragged down the hole a week earlier when she was kidnapped. She stopped outside of its mouth, staring into the gaping blackness. Right at the very end, in the distance, ever so faintly, she saw the orange-red glow pulse gently against the face of the cave wall, a lit lantern. They were home.
A hundred thoughts a minute zipped around in Rarity's head like a cyclone, and she pondered on what would be the best approach. She knew how these dogs acted, how territorial they were, how they horde their gems no more viciously than a dragon does, but she had an upper hoof in knowing how to mould them to her desire if they got out of hand. She was always a good actress when the moment arrived. Taking a deep breath, she sighed.
''Rarity, what are you doing here?'' She asked herself with a shake of her head, rolling her eyes upwards as she did so, looking to the darkening sky. It was currently the colour of gunmetal, clearly indicating an imminent downpour. ''What am I hoping to achieve with these ruffians? I hardly doubt it'll be as simple as walking in and out, and I---no, Rarity, that's not how we operate!'' She took in the cart hooked up behind her with a towering collection of gems almost at level with the mouth of the cave. ''A lady must always make amends and never be greedy. Even if the ones she's dealing with are not the most pleasant of company...'' She muttered that last part.
''Here goes nothing,'' She said before heading into the mouth of the cave, back into the depths of the belly of The Outlands, where few ponies have ever roamed. Down into the den of the Diamond Dogs.
*** *** ***
The damp smell of the cave was so strong it managed to cut through her mask, an only-just detectable hint of it penetrating through and into her nostrils. It was the scent of stagnant water, wet stone and muddy earth beneath her hooves, which had clear indications of recent dog paws imprinted into it, effectively leading her up a path towards the main chamber.
She vaguely recalled the layout of the caves through her short period of time being down her and forced into slave labour as a work pony. Or as one of the Diamond Dogs called her, the one she assumed to be their leader, a 'mule'. A stinky, ugly, hideous mule. That insult still burned in the back of her mind. She was not one to let insults get the better of her, but that had struck a nerve with her.
Rarity was deep inside the cave by this point, having followed down the dirt path to enter into a larger room lit by rusty lanterns hung on the stone walls. Stalagmites, stalactites, both thick and thin and long and short hung from the tall ceiling and protruded out from the dirt. They were scattered around the area, scraping up and as jagged as the filthy nails of the Diamond Dogs she was here to see. How those mangy claws had scraped away at her pristine coat and rubbed their muck deep into her body, matting at the root. Rarity hadn't left the shower for over an hour to ensure she had roughly scrubbed the dirt completely out. Who knows exactly where those paws had been?
Surprisingly, there weren't many guard dogs around. Last time, they had been practically all over and guarding every little nook and cranny! To find none of them around was surely an unexpected sight given that Rarity had seen the lights were all still on.
''Hello?'' Rarity called out, wondering if she would get an answer. ''Is anyone there?''
Silence only answered her. A soft but chilling gust of wind rippled through her body and sent shivers down her spine. How these dogs dealt with such drafts on a constant whim, she had no clue how they kept warm.
Rarity waited for a moment to see if she would receive and answer but got none. She shrugged and unhitched herself from the harness secured around her barrel right above her hips, pulling herself out of it and moving around the back to the smaller cart. She was rummaging around to sort out her wares.
In her smaller cart, while she was arranging some of the products she had brought with her, she began humming to herself. She did this all the time when she worked on her new dresses for clients and friends, finding it to soothe her nerves and keep her calm and collected as she worked with her sewing needle to create something fabulous.
''Hmm, I assumed there would at least be someone here to talk to. Oh, well, at least I don't have to put up with that foul wet dog smell. I already don't like how Opal smells when she gets out of the bath,'' Rarity spoke openly to herself, her voice echoing and slightly amplified by the acoustics of the main chamber. ''It really is quite lovely to have the space to listen to one's own thoughts and to not worry about being overheard sometimes. It's better to get it out than to keep it bottled up inside, after all. It's bad for the complexion otherwise,'' She mused. ''Now, let's see here, where did I put that lotion?"
As Rarity began to dig deeper into her cart full of essentials for the bottle of lotion she was scouring for, she failed to notice the sound of approaching footsteps from behind her. Coming from the direction she had come up from minutes earlier, through her mumbling and muttering to herself, she wasn't able to hear multiple sets of paws getting gradually louder.
''White pony!'' A gruff male voice spoke, causing Rarity to jump out of her skin.
''Whaa-ah-aaahh!'' She screamed as she leaped into the air in surprise, raising almost above the heap of gems in fright. When she landed, her royal blue eyes were the size of pin tips, but they returned to their normal size once she realised who had spoken.
There, standing in front of her after she had hopped around on the spot, was the same Diamond Dog she had first encountered out of the three that had kidnapped her. The one who was the leader of the entire clan, the one wearing the red jacket with jewels still tucked inside the pockets and poking out and the black collar with the orange thai garnet dangling from it.
The expression behind this green-eyed, dirt-clogged, grey-coated Diamond Dog's face once he realised the 'white pony' was Rarity made him take a step back. He obviously hadn't expected her to come back to their domain, their sacred territory.
Behind him, his two associates (if that term even applied to them in this scenario) were stood behind him along with a couple other guard dogs with iron body armour and face-shielding helmets, spears by their sides. The two dogs Rarity clearly recognised, one being tallest out of the three with similar coat colour to the one in the red coat and wearing a grey vest like his other friend, the dog with a dirty brown-ish blonde coat. The two of them stared at Rarity with some hint of distant fear in their off-yellow eyes. It was clear they knew who she was, and even clearer that they didn't want to be in the same room as her.
''Ah!'' The dog in the red coat whimpered sharply before pointing at Rarity. ''The white pony! Um...erm...Miss Rarity!'' He said, finding the name on the tip of his tongue. ''Yes, you! Miss Rarity, the gem pony! What you doing here?!'' He said, standing in front of the mare with his companions.
''Oh, please, you mustn't scare a mare like that!'' Rarity scolded them with an unamused expression, although they couldn't tell through her mask. Instead, the glare within her voice matched the one behind her eyes at the near-heart attack she was given. ''Didn't your mother teach you any manners as a puppy?''
''Um...'' The leader clearly didn't know how to respond and resorted to scratching at the back of his neck. ''No, I mean yes, I---Argh!'' He yelled in frustration at the thought. ''White pony, what you doing here? This is no place for ponies! This Diamond Dog territory!'' He stated commandingly.
''My name is Rarity, so I'd thank you kindly to remember it next time,'' Rarity replied wittily.
''B-Boss?'' The largest Diamond Dog spoke up. ''What if she starts whining again like last time? I don't think we can handle it again, so best do as she Miss Rarity says.''
''Oh, shut up, Fido! Always complaining!'' The leader turned to the large dog, apparently named Fido, slapping his forehead at him in annoyance. Fido immediately shrank back in cowardice at his tone.
''Hey, now, no need to be so rude. At least one of you knows some manners,'' Rarity said softly, smiling over to the large dog who reluctantly smiled back, though thankful for the display of defence. ''Fido, was it?''
''Yes, Miss Rarity,'' He replied quickly.
''Good. At least we're getting to know each other better now. Last time, you hardly had the patience to introduce yourselves before you slapped that disgusting old harness onto my back, so how about we get the pleasantries out of the way first this time, hmm?'' Rarity insisted, to which the Diamond Dogs all glanced at each other in confusion. Fido shrugged while the blonde dog beside him looked confused. The one in the red coat was clearly frustrated by this game of formality.
''Oh, for---! Fine! Rover! Me called Rover!'' The red-coated Diamond Dog said.
''I think you mean 'My name is Rover', darling. In the third person,'' Rarity corrected him. Rover didn't bother to argue and instead groaned at her, knowing what would happen if he tried to insist it was the other way around.
''My name is Rover,'' Rover repeated, getting it right this time, although he didn't allow the boredom to not slip out of his tone.
''Much better,'' Rarity then looked over to the last Diamond Dog standing beside Fido. ''And you are...?''
''Me called---um...My name is Spot,'' He said, correcting himself. That earned a glad smile from Rarity.
''Ah, see, that's so much better!'' Rarity said, happy to have no learned all of their names. ''Now that we're all acquainted properly, I can tell you why I've come back to pay you all a visit,'' Rarity turned towards the cart of gems and motioned a hoof towards it. ''I came back to offer you back one of your cartful of jewels you allowed me and my friends to take when you released me from captivity, along with a few other supplies.''
Rover, Spot and Fido all gave quizzical glances to each other and their curiosity peaked at the mention of a few other supplies. They were no longer as cautious as they were before, knowing that the white pony hadn't come back to further her complaints and whining tirade like she did the previous time she was in their den.
''What has white pony brought?'' Rover asked Rarity, but the unicorn turned around and gave him a narrow-eyed, deadpan stare. ''Oh, sorry! What have you brought us, Rarity?'' He asked again in a more structured manner.
''Much better. The last time I was here, I had noticed a few things about the way you live and take care of yourselves down here, and it's positively dreadful!'' She said.
''What's wrong with our cave?'' Fido asked, glancing around without the outside eye Rarity had, not seeing anything wrong with their living arrangements.
''For starters,'' Rarity began, ''It's much too chilly in here. I'm amazed none of you have caught your death in this cold! So I took the liberty of making you all some new coats,'' Rarity pulled out a small bag from the cart and pulled out three individual coats for Rover, Spot and Fido. She magically levitated them over to them and they all grabbed them before inspecting them.
Rover's coat was a deep shade of red with a quilted, cushioned fabric that had a generous thickness to it to keep him insulated. It had a black faux fur lining and it had a number of pockets on the outside as well as on the inside. The quality of the material was of a high standard and the plush, gentle touch of it against Rover's paw clarified as much.
Spot and Fido had coats made of the same material, but Rarity had coloured them an off-black with a red wool lining. They were exactly identical in the same way as Rover's coat and were tailored to their measurements as best as Rarity could estimate. Having a sharp eye for details was one of Rarity's specialties, the reason why she could make dresses and clothing for her friends without having to ask them for their measurements first. However, this was the first time she's designed anything for dogs, so it was going to be trial and error more than anything else.
The three Diamond Dogs all discarded their old, tatty and dirt-logged coats and swapped them for the new ones, instantly melting into their plush material. Spot and Fido were the first to try them on, and Rarity was glad to see that she got the measurements all snug and accurate to their physiques. Shifting her gaze over to Rover, she watched him expectantly while he glanced between her eyes and the new coat in his paws.
''Well? Go on, dear, don't be shy,'' Rarity coaxed him. With a sigh, Rover slowly slipped the red coat onto his body and his face instantly warmed up to the comfort levels he was experiencing. He face went from reluctant, to wonder to relaxed and toasty. Rarity didn't speak a word but instead grinned knowingly at his reaction. She was used to most of her customers giving her this level of love to her garments upon trying them on for the first time.
''It's so comfy!'' Rover said, rubbing it with his paws to give the material an experimental brush. ''Miss Rarity, you made this?''
''Indeed I did. I'm glad you all like them.''
''Miss Rarity, these new coats be great! They so warm and comfy!'' Spot joined in with enthusiasm.
''Yeah, Miss Rarity give us great gift!'' Fido also added in his input.
''Oh, we're not done yet, boys,'' Rarity turned back to the cart and unhitched the smallest one full of supplies, the same one she had pulled the back of coats out of. She rolled it in front of her so that the trio of Diamond Dogs could view it fully and properly. ''As a peace offering between us, and for the sake of anypony else wandering in here who are without face masks,'' She said that middle part quietly and beneath her breath. ''I have brought you and the rest of your pack of friends some personal hygiene items!'' Rarity declared proudly, readjusting the face mask on her muzzle.
''Personal hy-gene?'' Rover tested out the word on his tongue. ''What's that?''
''Personal hygiene, Rover,'' Rarity corrected him. ''Is the practice of keeping oneself from smelling like they fell into Swampy Bottom Bog in the middle of the night and refraining from taking a bath afterwards,'' She explained, a certain amount of distaste in her voice as a mental image popped up in her head. ''Thankfully, a good friend of mine named Applejack recommended to me some shampoo she uses for her own dog, so a long, good soak in this herbal remedy should get that stink right out!''
Rarity then levitated a large bottle of clear green-blue-coloured shampoo in front of Rover, with a label on the front of a clipart image of a dog's face and a name reading, ''Happy Wags' Herbal Dog Shampoo - for long-lasting, spring-fresh scent and shiny coats! Ideal for sensitive skin!'' Rarity then reached back into the cart and pulled out three sets of individually-wrapped toothbrushes and toothpaste.
''And, I don't mean to be rude or insulting, darlings, but last time we met, I did notice that your, um,'' She coughed into her hoof. ''Oral hygiene was abysmal, to say the least. How often do you brush your teeth, if you don't mind my asking?''
Rover tapped one of his dirty paws to his chin in thought. It was never a good sign when one had to think about when they might have last brushed their teeth or taken a proper wash. Rarity almost wished she never asked now.
''Um...we don't brush. No have money for brushes or paste,'' Rover explained. That was when Rarity deadpanned at him again before glancing around the cavern at all of the loose jewels and gems half-embedded into the stone walls.
''You must be joking,'' She said in a neutral voice. ''Not one of you has thought about using some of your gems to put towards better hygiene and keeping up appearances? Oh, my Celestia, have I got a lot to teach you,'' Rarity sighed audibly and rubbed her temples. ''Dearest Rover, if I may, you are the leader here, yes?''
''Yes, Miss Rarity, I am the boss,'' Rover clarified. ''Why white pony ask?''
''I ask because, as their leader, you should make sure everyone at least gets washed regularly! Why, how bad the air stinks in this cave is beyond foul! When's the last time any fresh air blew in through here, because I assure you it wasn't any time recently!'' Rarity pointed out, only then realising that she was still able to get a hefty whiff of the air through her face mask, making her gag softly. She tried to hide it over not wishing to be rude or judgemental, but the salty, stagnant and almost cheesy waft of body odour mixed with strong wet dog smell was overwhelming to her.
''I must insist that you have your clan, pack, group or whatever the correct term is, get washed immediately and do something about that disgusting odour! Are we at an understanding on hygiene?'' She asked Rover, and he nodded. Spot and Fido also nodded after Rover had asked them to take the shampoo and round up the other dogs so they could take a bath and rinse away their packed-on dirt and smell that was clinging to their coats like a fungal infection.
Rarity, being left alone with Rover after they had vacated the cavern's main chamber, raised her brow at him. Rover gave her a confused expression and backed up a step, a little intimidated by her soft glare in her royal blue eyes.
''What?'' He asked. ''Why is white pony looking at me like that?''
''Rarity, Rover,'' She corrected him yet again. ''And I'm looking at you like this because isn't there something you wish to tell me?''
''No, Miss Rarity, I not wish to tell you anything. I'm confused what you mean,'' Rover said, scratching behind his ear.
''I was thinking something along the lines of, ''I'm sorry me and my friends kidnapped you and forced you to work in our dark, dirty cave against your will doing the labour that's only suitable for a mule to do and not a lady''. Think you can manage that?'' Rarity said, slowly squinting her eyes at him.
''Oh! Yes, Miss Rarity, of course, Miss Rarity!'' He began, coughing nervously. ''Miss Rarity, I'm sorry we kidnapped you and forced you to work like a mule to find gems for us,'' Rover said.
''Aaand?''
''Oh, and thank you for our comfy coats!'' Rover quickly added. Small beads of sweat had began to form on his forehead.
''Anything else you wish to add to your list of apologies?'' Rarity pressed into him further. ''Perhaps for calling me a mule?'' She was fully glaring at him as she slowly formed the word 'mule' around her lips. The offence that reference had caused her wasn't an insult she was willing to let go of so lightly.
''I'm sorry I called you a mule! You're not a mule, Miss Rarity! You're a very pretty white pony, yes!'' Rover sounded as if he was almost begging for her to stop, getting down onto his knees and clasping his grubby paws together in a praying manner, grovelling in front of Rarity, whom was now grinning with satisfaction.
''There's a good boy. Apology accepted,'' She said, before using a hoof to pull him up from his knees. She then sniffed her hoof and recoiled at the earthy scent it had acquired. ''And while you're at it, please do me one last favour and grab yourself a wash also. No offence, dear, but you positively reek horribly.''
''Yes, Miss Rarity, of course, Miss Rarity!'' Rover said in agreement.
''Oh, and Rover? You may keep my cart of cleaning supplies to do something about your appearance, too. There's a bunch of grooming supplies that I'm sure you can make good use of to clean up your cracked and dirt-logged nails. Be a dear and clean up some, won't you? Those supplies were not cheap to secure, you know,'' Rarity asked of him, and Rover eagerly nodded his head, hoping by doing so that he'd appease Rarity's wishes. Thankfully, she smiled at him.
''Very good to hear, Rover. Now, if you'd please excuse me, I must get going back to my boutique. It's due to rain shortly and I need to get back home to beat the storm. Would you be so kind as to escort me out? It is rude to allow a lady to go someplace unattended, you know.''
''Of course, Miss Rarity, I'd be glad to see you out! Follow me, Miss Rarity, I'll show you the way!''
''Splendid. Lead on, darling.''
*** *** ***
''Thank you kindly, Rover, I can manage my own way from here,'' Rarity said with a thankful smile before giving a wave to the Diamond Dog behind her.
''Alright, Miss Rarity. Come back soon and see us?'' He asked hopefully.
''Of course, dear. It'd be lovely to get together again sometime. Make sure you clean up first, then I'll come without the mask,'' Rarity said with a witty grin.
''Bye-bye, Miss Rarity!'' Rover said his goodbyes to the pearly unicorn before he turned around and headed back into the cave to find his companions. Rarity watched him leave until he was fully out of sight.
Standing in the mouth of the cave's entrance again, Rarity's eyes faced the sky which was now a deeper shade of gunmetal, almost entirely black. A very soft spatter of rain had begun to fall, spitting from the cloud above her. The storm cloud stretched as far as her eyes could view, meaning it was going to be a very lengthy downpour once it fully got going and reached its apex.
''Oh, fabulous, looks like I've got to get a move on before I get caught out in it like last time with Applejack,'' She shivered uncomfortably at the idea of sharing the same bed with her again and dealing with her dirty, rustic habits.
The mud of The Outlands was getting soggier as time progressed, so she knew she had to move. Rarity used her horn and teleported in one of her signature umbrellas before she pulled off her hygiene mask and began walking off towards the boutique. Before she did, she turned to face the mouth of the cave again for a brief moment and gave the air a sniff. She recoiled a bit, still able to suck up the tainted air from inside the cave and her muzzle crinkled.
''And I thought they smelled bad on the outside.''
