"Rarity, we need to talk." Twilight stated firmly as Rarity appeared to be occupied in the living quarters, along with the rest of their friends. Rarity was currently observing the pup from afar with a blank stare, just looking at it as it scurried about the area happily, playing catch with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Twilight remained patient, as she had a book levitating at her side before glancing over at Rarity, and nudging her head in the mare's direction as Rarity took that moment to glance back at her. "Over here, it looks like the others will be fine."

Rarity took another moment to look at all the others play with the diamond dog again. She'd had such a bad experience with the creatures that she couldn't help but feel a little bitter in regards to it, but, watching it play; she also couldn't help but question how these could be the same creatures that would kidnap ponies and force them into manual labor underground. She frowned a bit, it was nasty; dirty, smelly, but, perhaps with a little touching up, she could come to tolerate it more. She smiled to herself at the thought before turning to go join Twilight further back, who had her nose stuck in her book. Rarity looked at Twilight with a smile, "Yes darling?"

Rainbow Dash blinked a bit, as she glanced over at Rarity and Twilight conversing in secret not far off. She gave a light shrug before smiling back down at the diamond dog pup who waited eagerly for Rainbow to toss a gem that was laying about. "Haha you like it squirt!?"

The diamond dog pup began racing around in circles. "Mine mine mine mine mine mine mine!"

Rainbow Dash burst into laughter, "Bahahaha! She's hilarious!" She'd stated with an amused expression before raising a brow at Fluttershy. But as she did so, something else caught her eye, it was the sight of something beneath the Diamond Dog's cloak, a small pendant which glistened and shined for a split second before being buried into the fur mane on her chest again. Rainbow wore a puzzled and slightly curious expression, just staring at the pup as it happily waited for Rainbow to toss the gem again.

Fluttershy commented, "A-Are you okay Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow's eyes widened before she shook her head, concentrating. "Y-Yea, I'm good! Just saw that the pup had a piece of jewelry on is all!"

Fluttershy blinked a bit, "Oh really? Well they doooo have an obsession with shiny things. W-Well, I mean, I think so."

Rainbow nodded, "Yea, you're right Fluttershy. Was just curious about it is all." She then smiled in anticipation as she gave a competitive look towards the pup yet again. "Alrighty girl, ya ready? Let's keep playing! Goooooo get it!" She tossed the gem to Fluttershy.

Twilight glanced left and right suspiciously before whispering. "Rarity, so, I know what you said earlier. That maybe we should focus on something other than the magic blocking. But, tell me, you said you inspected her thoroughly when you two first met. Did she have anything on her? Any markings? Anything at all that can give us a clue as to why she's able to do that?" Twilight paused before glancing down at the ground. "I'm trying to connect the pieces here, dig yes, home no?" Twilight's eyes widened a bit. "Could it possibly mean she isn't able to return home?  Or perhaps, that she only enjoys digging? Maybe, she lost her pack? Ugh, I just don't know." Twilight frowned.

Rarity sat as she now appeared a little more than worried. "Well, not bad guesses Twilight, but if that were the case then why would I be reacting to her? I don't see how any of that has to do with me." Rarity paused, before giving a bright enlightened smile. "Oh but of course! Perhaps the map wants me to show her the meaning of true civility and class so she can pass it on to the rest of her dirty companions!"

Twilight shook her head with a sigh. "I doubt it'd be something that miniscule Rarity."

Rarity gasped, "M-Miniscule!? Why Twilight, I never-"

Twilight then cut in. "We need to take her back if it's gonna be like this Rarity. Obviously we're missing something here. Something we don't have. We have to go back to where you found her so she can show us what she was doing before you'd arrived."

Rarity frowned a bit before appearing hesitant. "W-Well certainly we can wait a few more ho-"

Twilight shook her head. "But we've gotta figure out why the map has you involved with this, don't you agree? The longer we wait and play around, the worse things get. Obviously there's a friendship problem for us to solve and we're not solving it by playing catch." Twilight then eyed Rainbow and Fluttershy tiredly, as Pinkie Pie and Applejack just watched them play as well from a distant, opposing end.

Rarity raised both hooves. "Alright alright alright Twilight. I've got it, we'll take her back to where she came from. Just, allow me to tell the others first alright? Also, where's Spike, I'm sure he'd love to meet her before we depart as well. I doubt he's seen a diamond pup before and if we figure this whole thing out before we get back, he may never get the chance to see one." She paused, "You know how often those creatures bury themselves underground. I'm sure it's not often pups come to the surface themselves."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Wait! You're right!"

Rarity blinked a bit, "Hm? Of course I'm right Twilight! This may be the only chance Spike gets! So where is-"

Twilight shook her head before raising a hoof to her muzzle, now appearing highly concentrated. "No no no not that Rarity, but, about the puppy. She should not be on the surface despite her circumstances. Diamond dogs have a natural inclination to remain burrowed or in their underground caverns, especially the young ones to avoid predators. If she's up on the surface, that could only mean one thing." She paused, "There's something troubling her underground. Dig yes, home no. Maybe it's as basic as it sounds. She can dig, but she doesn't want to show us her home? What's down there? We have to find out! I think that may be the answer to why your cutie mark is reacting to her!"

Rarity shook her head. "Twilight, that doesn't make any sense. How does any of that have to do with me?"

Twilight smiled a bit. "I think I have an idea." She shook her head then. "And Spike is still upstairs sleeping, he'll just have to hear about it when we get back. Besides, I want to keep this hidden from him. Some diamond dogs have a very awkward relationship with dragons."

Rarity raised a brow at Twilight. "Awkward relationship?"

Twilight sighed a bit again before appearing somewhat skeptical. "Well, lots of packs and dragons both seem to have an extreme love for shiny things such as gold, jewelry, gems, pearls, etc. Although dragons tend to typically be left alone, some diamond dogs  are known to give a high amount of praise to dragons and their ability to gather these things in mass. Spike isn't an ordinary dragon, and I don't know much about this puppy, so I don't want the two meeting if I have a choice. If we can solve this before it comes to that, the better."

Rarity blinked a bit, quite surprised. "Hm, I see."

Twilight smiled again, "Well then, let's get a move on shall we?"

Twilight and Rarity didn't hesitate to gather the rest of the mane six some time after their initial conversation. They then lead the group out towards the Everfree Forest. However, due to the fact they were having the pup lead the way, time seemed to course on by, minutes became seconds as the day drifted away and they continued to attempt to figure out just what role this pup had to play in Rarity's life.

Rainbow Dash only continued to flutter along as she was hovering over the group, observing them as they trotted on by as she wore a tired expression. She sighed heavily before glancing up at the now orange sky.  She looked back to her friends. "Guys, we've been trotting for hours now, are you sure she even knows where she's going? What happens if she's just sniffing around just to sniff!?"

Pinkie Pie even seemed a bit tired the longer they went on. "Y-Yeeeea~ this is boooring."

Twilight however appeared horribly determined. "Calm yourselves guys, we've gotta be patient. We should be happy that she's actually leading us somewhere rather than just standing there cluelessly. This is far better than nothing at all."

Rarity commented, "Couldn't have said it better myself darling."

And soon enough, the pup stopped as it immediately raised one paw and sniffed. Before glancing back at the ponies with wide eyes as it stood on its hind legs. "Dig, yes!" She nodded hurriedly before beginning to dig into the ground rapidly.

Applejack's eyes widened. "W-Whoa; she's fast! Way faster than I expected her ta be."

Fluttershy added on, "H-How does such a tiny little puppy dig that fast?"

Twilight was beginning to grow more and more skeptical regarding this pup's talents. "Hm..."

They all just watched as soon the pup dug a massive hole into the ground, big enough for all of them to hop into. And they did just that, surprisingly to find out that as soon as they did, there was already a network of tunnels dug beneath the forest. It was like an underground maze of solemn blue due to the submergance. Twilight glanced around momentarily in disbelief as she muttered softly, "W-Whoa."

The pup then began leading them down one particular direction as she glanced back at Twilight and the others with a bright smile. "Home, yes!" As it began sprinting down that pathway happily without a care in the world. The tunnels actually gave the feeling of being submerged in absolute darkness, stretching on for miles on end from the looks of it. Twilight in particular knew it was impossible for a pup to do this sort of underground burrowing all by itself, she needed some form of support. She just wondered what that support was. But as she glanced around, she noticed the dirt did give off a pale blue tint due to the amount of light which reached this point, which was practically none.

Fluttershy was trembling as she was hugging onto Rainbow Dash. "T-T-There's so, so, so many of them. W-Who knows what could be in these tunnels?" Fluttershy turned pale as she continued to peer down the blackness of the dirt tunnel. It was ironic, that her only form of comfort was in the form of a puppy whom of which happily lead the way further down, taking momentary stops to turn around, stand on its hind legs, and make sure they were all following as it continued on down, leading the way to wherever it was going.

Applejack commented, "Shucks. Reminds me of when I buck down all the apples in the open season. This is mighty impressive."

Rarity sighed heavily. "Ooooooh~ must she lead us down in these dirty nasty tunnels!? These are absolutely dreadful. I need a bath when I get back to the castle, too long have I been the victim of having nasty dirt muck and grime stick to my beautiful coat and mane!"

Pinkie Pie bounced. "Oh come on silly! Getting dirty's fun!" She chuckled with her eyes closed and continued to bounce.

Rainbow Dash frowned as she glanced up at the dirt ceiling of the tunnel with a shiver. "I'm just worried these darn stinking tunnels will eventually cave in on us! That's a lotta weight that could come crashin down on us if we're not careful down here!"

Twilight commented absently. "Don't worry Rainbow, my magic will protect us. But I agree, the sooner we figure this out the better." She said this with a blank and inquisitive expression, keeping an eye on the puppy as they trotted along, making sure to keep up with her.

As they continued to make their way through the tunnels, they came to an eventual stop.

The entire group paused, some distance away from the puppy as they peered ahead, most with confused expressions. The puppy just stood there at the end of the tunnel, or at a cliff's edge in particular. It appeared as if they came to a sudden halt in their journey, the only place to go now would be down into a black bottomless pit which lead nowhere, or back in the direction they came from.

Rainbow Dash muttered, "Ugh? Really? That's it?"

Rarity groaned as she looked angrily to the puppy. "R-Really!? You lead us down here to show us a dead end!? Bad, bad bad bad! Now come, come to Miss Rarity, it seems that we can't trust you to lead the way anymore!" Rarity stated this with a angry hoof stomp. She then made her way up ahead somewhat, absently trotting towards the puppy before glancing back at her friends with a sigh. "I'm sorry you all, I trusted that she'd know what she's doing. But, it looks like all she wanted to do was explore." Rarity closed her eyes with a scoff, "I'm starting to just say leave her! I mean we have no idea why I react to her anyhow! So, might as well right!? I mean, reeeeally? How long must I suffer like this? Smelly diamond dogs, a puppy with no clue what to do? It's like caring for Sweetie Belle in her younger days all over again." She sighed shaking her head, "Except much dirtier of course! But I guess I have no choice hm? I mean, that is generosity is it not?"

"R-RARITY!!!" Fluttershy exclaimed hurriedly.

Rarity's eyes snapped wide before she caught sight of what the rest of them were looking at. Rarity's expression sunk as she saw almost immediately saw that the pup was now awfully close to the cliff's edge, even scooting half her paws off it some as if she were about to jump. "W-What're you doing!? S-Stop! Don't you dare jump! BAD! Now come here! C-Come to me!" Rarity appeared horribly distraught as she watched the pup innocently edge its way off inch by inch, before glancing back at Rarity and the others with wide confused eyes.

Twilight also wore an expression of dread as she stated. "C-Come back to us okay!? It's dangerous over there!"

Rarity then gritted her teeth before attempting to seize her with telekinetic magic.

The pup then shook itself before breaking free from the hold, like it was shaking off water.

Rarity cringed in both anger and despair. How does she keep doing that!?

Fluttershy had her muzzle covered with both hooves as she trembled and watched.

The diamond dog pup tilted its head to the right before glancing down the cliff's edge and then back over to the mane six with a bright smile, nodding hurriedly. "Home, yes!?" She pointed down towards the black abyss with a happy smile. "Jump yes?"

They all stated in unison before preparing to charge the pup. "NO!!! JUMP = NO!!!!!!"

The pup began nodding hurriedly as she smiled. "HOME YES? JUMP, YES!" Before stepping off the edge of the cliff.

Rarity was the first to bolt ahead as she immediately leaped at the puppy. "N-NO!!! STOP!!"

And the puppy plummeted the moment Rarity arrived, chuckling as it fell down into the darkness, disappearing from sight.

Rarity's eyes went wide as her pupils dilated, one hoof hanging over the edge, reached out for the puppy who was no longer in her sight. Thick  wrinkles now underlined her eyes as she just continued to peer down at that darkness, unable to say anything. Soon, her cutie mark began to go off again, but she ignored it. Only looking down, before her friends joined her and then Applejack and Twilight lifted her up.

Rainbow Dash appeared furious as she prepared to bolt off the edge of the cliff. "DARNIT!!!-"

Twilight stretched out a hoof. "NO Rainbow!"

Rainbow snapped at Twilight, "I can still catch up if I-"

Twilight shook her head. "No Rainbow, we can't see anything that's down there. There could be jagged rocks, strange creatures, and who knows what else. We can't split from the group in a place like this! Even for that diamond dog, s-she already fell too far. E-Even...even if-" Twilight's eyes saddened as she bore a guilty expression, feeling partially responsible for leading it down here. Twilight commented. "I-I'm sorry Rarity, w-we couldn't have possibly-" She shook her head, "I'll fly down and see if we can still-"

Rarity gritted her teeth before stomping a hoof at Twilight. "Couldn't have possibly have known!? T-Twilight! How am I supposed to deal with this!? It was my responsibility! I took it from the forest! My cutie mark reacted to it! If I hadn't bothered her, she'd have never been here to begin with!" Rarity began to tear up as her lower lip puckered up, "T-Twilight, i-it was just a little baby diamond dog."

The rest of them fell silent with solemn looks.

Rarity continued to speak, a small tremble in her voice, "H-How can I explain if I ever see its-"

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

All of their eyes snapped wide as they all immediately made their way towards the cliff's edge again, peering down in the darkness.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

Rarity suddenly glanced around hurriedly, still unable to see anything. "D-DARLING! IS THAT YOU!?"

Twilight appeared horribly baffled as well as they just continued to listen. "I-Is that water!? How come we heard no splash?"

"JUMP! YES?"

They all looked to one another, absolutely mind boggled as they nodded to one another. Rainbow then lifted Applejack as she flapped her wings, as Twilight helped carry Rarity, and Fluttershy helped carry Pinkie. Rarity appeared horribly annoyed and eager to get to the bottom of this already at that point. And soon enough, they all made their way off the edge of the cliff, fluttering down deeper and deeper as Rarity and Twilight used their horns as a guiding light. As they descended deeper and deeper, soon coming into view would be a large ruby red body of water, while what surrounded it, would be even more amazing as they all just looked on in disbelief. Twilight almost immediately shot out a multitude of violet glowing spheres as she continued to glance about the area in amazement. She gulped, "T-This is..."

The improvised home was one massive underground dome of a cavern. But that wasn't what bothered the group the most, it was the amount of gems that'd been hidden in there. There was a rainbow mountain of crystal gems, all stacked high. Assortments of jewelry was mixed in the mess. With beaten pictures of ponies, griffons, and other creatures laying about as well. It possessed a foul stench, but that didn't take away the beauty of it all. About each corner of the underground dome, there were a multitude of holes which obviously lead about to different areas in Equestria. Rainbow Dash was the second to at least react openly to the awe inspiring sight with a simple, "AWESOME!!!"

The diamond dog puppy stood on her hind legs, her eyes closed as she happily spread her upper paws. "HOME, YES!"

Applejack leaped down to join the diamond dog pup happily, before she began trotting around slowly. She picked up old pictures and pieces of jewelry with interest. "Whooey, now ain't this an impressive collection? Just how in the hay did she get all this stuff?"

Pinkie leaped from the hooves of Fluttershy diving head first into the body of water. "WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" SPLASH!

Rainbow Dash flew down further into the dome before taking a look at some of the stuff herself. "Beats me! But golley is this cool! I mean, look at all this stuff!" She spread her hooves in a grand gesture to how she felt about it all. It was hard to take it all in.

But Twilight in question didn't seem too pleased for one particular reason. Her eyes were half closed as she glanced about the dome in question. Where was the pup's parents? Where was its pack? Was it really only just her in this massive cavern? What was with this puppy!? How did it manage to collect all these objects by itself!? Something was not right here, she frowned a bit to herself.

Rarity glanced up at Twilight. "T-Twilight, let me down this instant!"

Fluttershy and Twilight's eyes widened as they looked at one another, before touching Rarity down upon the stone floor.

Rarity immediately stomped over to the diamond dog pup, growling fiercely. "COME HERE!"

The pup trembled as it began to whine, lowering itself more and more as if attempting to hide itself. "Pony yes? Mad yes? Sorry, yes!"

Rarity scoffed with an annoyed chuckle. "SORRY!? You're sorry!? BAD, you're a bad bad bad bad bad diamond dog!"

The pup's eyes teared up as she continued to tremble, looking up at Rarity, her head buried in her shoulders. "Aruuuuu..."

Rainbow appeared a bit hesitant, but still wanted to say something. "J-Jeez Rarity, I think she gets-"

Rarity then immediately embraced the pup in a hug before stating. "How was I supposed to live with myself, knowing I got something as sweet as you hurt in this dark and nasty place? I am a mare of class after-all. What am I if I can't look out for one clueless little girl?"

The pup almost immediately eased up, smiling brightly at Rarity. "Kind, yes? Pony, yes? Happy, yes! Yes yes yes!"

Rarity couldn't help but tear up in both gratefulness and amusement. "Gosh, w-where does your energy come from? No matter." Rarity hugged the pup a bit tighter before giving it a soft nuzzle, and placing it on her back. "I'm starting to get used to that aspect of you as well. Now let's see if we can figure out what sort of problems you've been having down here." She began trotting forward happily.

The pup was content sitting on Rarity's back with a blank expression, allowing the mare to lead the way.

Fluttershy chuckled as she smiled. "Aw, how nice of Rarity."

Applejack added on some distance away, still looking at old pictures. "Yaaaa said it!"

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened as she was still swimming in the water, as she tilted her head with her puffed cheeks and gave a curious look to something she'd found. It appeared to be a red sparkling gem, one of which was quite distinct compared to everything else.

Twilight on the other hoof just continued to glance around the area, unsure what to think of it.

So, this was its home. But, where were all the answers? Next Chapter: CHAPTER 4: PIECES, PIECES, LITTLE, PIECES! Estimated time remaining: 17 Minutes