Reign of the Diamond Emperor

Struggled to get up, the ground trembling beneath my battered feet. My clothes were nothing but tatters, stained with blood and dust. The wounds, some inflicted by bullets, others by blades or traps, burned cruelly. The mercenaries I had chosen had opted for betrayal and escape.

They paid the price for their treachery, whether caught in the traps or struck by the few bullets I had left. The water had begun to seep into the temple, an implacable ominous tide.

As best as I could, I made my way to the source of all my misfortunes: the Eternal Canine Diamond, a necklace of red and blue diamonds. The water was rising inexorably. I knew my end was near, but I wanted at least to hold onto this cursed treasure, so that the next one would have to pry it from my corpse if they wanted it.

Limping towards the necklace, my thoughts turned to my men who had refused to follow me, forcing me to resort to mercenaries. "Bastards, I was right, it does exist!" My hands touched the necklace. The next moment, a devastating electric current surged violently through my already battered body…

Footsteps interrupted the writing of my biography.

I was perched on my granite throne, clad in dark iron armor, my helmet resting on a small table beside me. Two freestanding braziers cast flickering light, illuminating the cave that served as the sanctuary for my throne, while water droplets fell regularly into a small basin in the darkness of the right corner.

I raised my eyes; he seemed out of breath at first glance. His left ear was missing, and he bore the marks of a fierce battle. "Who dared!" My voice thundered with indignation. With a swift motion, I rose from my throne, the armor emitting a slight metallic clink as I grasped my sword.

Bandit was catching his breath laboriously. "Boss, we've captured a Pony," his tail wagged with pride. Since my arrival in this world, I had never tolerated a personal affront, but this went beyond. No one laid a hand on my subjects!

"Any losses? Any wounded?" My voice was cutting, but a hint of concern could be sensed.

"None, boss." I stared him straight in the eyes, then my gaze fell on his missing ear, blood still lightly oozing from the wound. "It's nothing, boss..." His voice was barely audible, tinged with palpable tension.

"Bring me this pony, chain him, and take everything he has on him," Bandit begins to leave. During my wait, I recalled everything I had learned about ponies, weak and cowardly creatures divided into four tribes: Pegasus, Unicorn, Earth Ponies, and 'Princess?'.

Footsteps echoed, approaching my door, signaling the imminent arrival of my little pony. It was time to play the charade. I returned to my throne, donning my full helmet that concealed much of my face, leaving only my piercing eyes visible. Bandit opened the door and stood to my right, placing the possessions of my prisoner on the floor before me.

Then, what I had been eagerly awaiting happened: my new guest was led on a leash by one of my guards, escorted by a second. A light blue earth pony, mane white, muzzle covered with a rag. It was impossible for me to discern their gender precisely, but I would have said female. My gaze descended to their flank: a pickaxe, a mark of value in my eyes. She would be perfect for aiding my brave miners...

I quickly surveyed what Bandit had deposited at my feet: a few books, writing supplies, food, a pickaxe, a helmet, and, most importantly, a map accompanied by a compass. I picked up one of the books in my hands, trying to decipher its contents. However, it presented me with a series of indecipherable, enigmatic, and unfamiliar symbols.

The map, on the other hand, seemed to detail the area not far from my mountain. "Bandit, I want this map copied, as soon as our business is concluded," I commanded with unwavering authority. He nodded, drops of blood still falling from the tatters of his ear. I grasped my sword, plunging it into the brazier to my right, intensely observing the pony's ears.

"I am Emperor Edward, ruler of the Diamond Dogs!" my voice resonated in the throne room. "Normally, you would have already been ungagged, and we would have had a little conversation," I let a silence hang, my eyes fixed on the flames, waiting for the blade to blaze with a fiery red. "But today, you have harmed my subjects and defied my right hand," I seethed, turning my fiery gaze back to the struggling, tearful pony. "Remove their gag and hold them down!" My guards hastened to obey, the atmosphere becoming more sinister than ever for this poor creature.

"No, please..." This little creature could only choke between their sobs. I removed my helmet, a cruel smile lighting up my face, foreign to this world, as the iron of my sword gleamed with a sinister red. With slow, heavy steps, I approached the pony.

"Perhaps I will show some generosity," I said, stopping, a glimmer of hope shining in the pony's eyes. "Bandit, you have the right to seek revenge, but I need this one alive." I extended the hilt of the sword to my right hand. He took it without the slightest hesitation, his fingers gripping the handle with icy determination. I looked at him with an amused smile as he gently pulled the pony's right ear upwards.

A torrent of pleas and cries burst forth from the creature's mouth, followed by a piercing cry of pain as the red-hot iron made contact with their fur. The screams continued until my right hand held his trophy…

I applauded lightly. "Well, now that this matter is settled." I reached out to retrieve my sword, placing it back in its sheath. "You can release him." The creature curled up in tears, holding painfully where, just a minute ago, its ear was still intact.

"Well, now that my right-hand man has had his due, we can begin our conversation," I declared imperiously, letting a heavy silence settle as I resumed my place on my throne. "Unless you'd like to face a second correction?" She still looked at me, terrified by my imposing presence. I felt like an all-powerful ruler. My gaze turned to Bandit, who was toying with his new trophy, before I handed him one of the books. "Can you read, Bandit?" My question clearly caught him off guard.

"No, boss," he muttered. I let out a slow sigh. This pony had just earned herself a brief respite before joining the mines.

"I have good news and bad news... um, what should I call you?" I saw her ears turn in my direction.

"I... Onyx Star," she stammered. A smirk appeared on my face.

"The Boss didn't ask for your name!" The pony looked terrified, followed by a series of apologies and bows. She was learning quickly.

"Fallen Star, the good news is that you won't just be a slave"... "for now," I murmured as I took a book in hand. "You're going to teach us to read, and the customs and history of ponies." ..." Fallen Star, when you address me, you say 'master'," I added, letting a final silence hang. "Unless you want to lose your precious fur," I concluded in a calm but threatening tone.

I rose with deliberate steps, approaching the pony and extending my arm to caress her head. "We will spend long moments together," I said in a chilling voice. I scrutinized her more closely before whispering in her ear, in a cruel and softly threatening tone, "After all, I respect my female subjects enough to not make advances on them." A sinister laugh escaped my lips. "But you, Fallen Star, you are not one of my subjects. You are my first slave." Realization set in, and her fur seemed to bristle.

"Now, leave us alone. And Bandit, don't forget the map," I added imperiously, before returning to my throne, Fallen Star's leash in hand.

Bandit and the two guards bowed slightly. "I am proud of you, you have done a remarkable job," I declared in a loud but friendly voice. Their tails wagged with pride as they left the throne room..."Now, it's your turn, Fallen."

If on that day Fallen was not the most sorry mare, she was certainly the most torn…

Days passed, and I realized that I was assimilating the writing and reading methods of these equines more quickly than I would have thought, although Bandit and two of my subjects whom I deemed the most intelligent were not progressing fast enough for my taste. After all, Fallen was not a good tutor, but she was all I had for the moment.

I was in my throne room with Bandit, Fallen seemed asleep on the floor, tethered to a ring set in the wall. A cruel smile danced on my lips when he finally asked the question that had been tormenting him for days.

"Boss... Why do you insist that we learn to read?"

"I want to see my people thrive, Bandit. But for that, I need a population of educated fighters, capable of thinking and leading a territory," I explained, observing his eyes widen as his neurons fired.

"You want us to conquer, boss?" he asked, incredulous. I smiled; these creatures have lived without conflict for far too long. I reached out to gently stroke his head.

"Yes, but to achieve that, we need to acquire more slaves like our dear Fallen Star, and gather as many strays as possible," I continued, pulling out the map with my free hand. "You see, there seems to be a small hamlet a few kilometers from here." A childlike grin spread across my face. "It would be truly regrettable if the inhabitants were to disappear in the dead of night..."

"Yes, truly a shame, boss," he replied, smiling, his fangs clearly visible.