“How does this complicate things? Just let him go,” shouted the other pony.

“No,” I turned fully to the dragon, my gaze making him flinch though he quickly put on as brave a facade as he could muster. “I require something of him.”

“You can have all the gold my father hoarded, the town, the mine-”

“Silence,” I interrupted. “I care nothing for these material goods. It is only the denizens of the town that I care for. As such, you will serve as the new mayor and will organize the ponies there before they have a chance to panic.”

“What, but I can't do that. Why don't you?” retorted the drake.

I glanced up and noticed that the rest of the dragons and ponies had assembled at the top of the gorge. None had made a move, but they seemed ready to throw themselves at me if it meant their boss escaped. That was good, as at least they were loyal to someone good, if not good themselves.

“I need to return this to the people your father stole it from before it costs them their city. I can't yet be in more than one place so I must count on you to keep order while I do this,” I pressed.

“I can't,” he repeated.

“What's your name, child?” I asked, softening my tone slightly.

“P-puff,” he stuttered.

“Let me guess, a derisive name given to you by your cruel father,” I began, the male nodded weakly. “You are weak in his eyes because you have empathy, you have kindness, but these things do not make you weak. You are weak because you refuse to act as your conscience demands of you.”

“Hey that's not true, he saved our lives!” shouted one of the ponies.

“Yet now when the opportunity arrives for you to ensure that many more ponies survive and don't end up the toys of opportunistic dragons you decline,” I retorted.

“I… I just can't,” he whispered.

I stepped closer, and gently took his hand.

“You can,” I stated in a low tone. “Now that I see clearly, I see the abuse upon you as clear as day. I see a dragon eager to shake off the legacy of his father, to do good, and to help his neighbors. I am not asking that you do anything, I am merely telling you what your heart is already demanding you to do.”

“How do you know all that?” whispered the dragon.

“A mother knows,” I replied simply.

The dragon sighed, and for a moment I thought he might start sobbing. “They’ll never accept me,” he whispered. “I’m my father’s son and a dragon.”

“You and your men will be accompanied by the ponies whose loyalty you have earned and though they may not believe you, they will believe them,” I stated, turning my head to the ponies behind me. “Isn't that right?”

“Y-yes!” the pregnant one eagerly exclaimed.

“You will be aided by the tree of the island, so don't think you're going in this alone, got it?” I half asked, half stated.

“Alright,” Puff muttered.

“Good, now stand up. Find your spine and do what you can to aid my ponies,” I pressed.

Puff stood up straight and nodded. “I’m on it.”

“Good, because I will be checking back in with you soon, and I am even less kind when I am disappointed,” I declared, putting a bit of extra effort into making sure my voice was as intimidating as possible at the end.

The dragon gulped and bobbed his head a second time.

“Good boy,” I remarked before setting off.

Putting the strange scene in my rearview, I sped off, leaping out of the gorge and proceeding back in the direction of the meeting place. While running, I sent out pulses, tracking the small group I had just left and noting that they were indeed heading back to town. It was a small thing, but it made me feel a bit hopeful that these dragons could be redeemed, and that they may aid my ponies. Leaving them behind like that when they were in such a precarious position was not something I enjoyed but it had to be done.

After all, I had no idea what state the diamond dog’s city was in, for all I knew it was already on the verge of collapse. Freeing the ponies they had ‘recruited’ was also an important goal of mine, but it would be moot if the city fell.

Thinking about the city, I began to wonder what it may look like.

From my past life, I recalled that such a thing was either impossible or simply not feasible in reality. Fiction, however, had plenty of underground cities like the one supposedly built by the diamond dog's ancestors. I could even imagine a fairly complete picture of one such fantastical location that occupied an entire cavern. I couldn't remember what it was called, menzo something or other, but that didn't concern me and I pushed it from my mind.

Focusing on the run ahead of me, I made sure to destroy as few trees as possible while also ensuring I didn't step on any small animals that may get underfoot. Thankfully my massive bulk rumbling through the woods was more than enough to spook anything with a pulse. Without having to worry overmuch about what critters may get in my way, I looked ahead, mentally trying to map where I was.

Thankfully with the dragon defeated and the tree no longer under his command, the barrier she had erected was gone. I had assumed that was going to be the case but was still happy to see that my assumption was indeed correct. With that worry gone, I plucked the necklace from one of the holes in my chest and inspected it for the first time.

I immediately kicked myself for not giving it a closer look before that moment as it was beautiful, amazingly so. It lived up to its name and then some, with the interior of the reddish gold gem seemingly containing the fury of a star. Swirling twisting flames lashed out against the inside of the thing as if trying to escape only for the effort to be a futile one.

It was also quite warm, like it had just spent an hour sitting at the base of a fire pit and now sat in my palm. It was also spherical, though it was cut in such a way that it had so many flat sides that it merely felt that way. As I stared into the swirling flames within I felt my distaste for the necklace grow.

The gem was beautiful, but in comparison, the gold necklace that held it in place was a gaudy attempt to match the stone. With a squeeze of my fingers, I broke the piece of gold, freeing the sunstone and removing the one thing that besmirched its beauty. With that done, I tucked the gold necklace back into a spike cavity, though I was tempted to simply toss it aside.

No, stop it. Gold has value, even here. I had to remind myself.

Admittedly, it had far less value after I crushed the delicate metal parts that held the gem in place, but that was secondary. So, like the other concerns and worries that plagued me, I pushed it out of my mind, and focused instead on the path before me once more. Though currently little more than a turkey trail running through the woods, I could sense that it wouldn't be long before I reached the plains. Beyond that lay the badlands, and thus my target, though at the moment I couldn't see any of that.

A few minutes later and that changed, with the foliage giving way to wide open spaces. It was then that I began my visual search for the badlands, and the dog which was meant to meet me there. As I used my binocular vision to look for exactly where I was needed, I noticed a few odd things that seemed out of place.

For one there were a bunch of small, squat structures being built along the rocky walls that fell at the edge of the badlands. Resembling a rather large, semi-permanent camp, they looked to house a few hundred diamond dogs. Some milled about, but most worked eagerly, stacking bricks, hauling mortar, or pulling supplies to their proper destination.

It was a far cry from the mostly abandoned bit of land I had spied not long ago and the haste they moved with spoke of panic. It made me wonder if the city was about ready to collapse, as what else could drive them out in such numbers? There were other anomalies I noticed, like the guards posted at even intervals across the breadth of their territory’s edge.

But there was also the fact that they seemed to be avoiding a good twenty-mile circle near the centermost point that gave me pause. If they were giving such a great berth then it stood to reason they feared the ground collapsing. That was all the evidence I needed for me to know then and there that the diamond dog city was nearing complete destruction.

Making a beeline towards the closest patrol, I raised the gem above my head and turned it slowly. In the distance, I could see their confused bout of defensive postures quickly melt away as realization dawned. Orders were shouted, a runner departed back towards what I assumed was their headquarters at the moment and a familiar dog stepped forward.

I used my binocular vision to inspect him closer, noting that he was the same dog I had conversed with before. Hypereas Umberblood, I recalled, from an outrider division, though that was about all I was able to remember of the male. Either way he seemed to make the same connection I had, as he had placed his weapon on his back and was jogging towards me.

“Is that the stone?” he shouted.

“Yes, I believe so,” I replied.

We came to a stop a second later, my hand lowering so the dog may see that I did indeed have something familiar to him. His wide eyes and gasp of relief were exactly what I was looking for.

“That's it,” he muttered. “It's too bad that you weren't here sooner.”

“Why, has it already collapsed?” I asked.

“No, but it's only a few minutes away from falling apart completely,” He answered.

“Then what are you waiting for? Point me in the right direction and tell me what to look for,” I shot back.

“But just describing it to you would take too long,” he stuttered.

“Then who will be brave enough to guide me in?” I inquired, glancing about.

“No,” Hypereas quickly interjected. “I will not allow any of my squad to take the burden. Take me, I will show you the way.”

I picked him up and roughly tossed him onto my shoulders. “Well, start pointing!” I barked.

“That way,” he exclaimed, gesturing to my left. “There is an old freight elevator we decommissioned just under that fake hill. If we jump down it we may be able to get there in time.”

I was already in motion, sprinting in the direction indicated.

“But what about you? Won't you get hurt by the fall?” I retorted.

“Us Diamond Dogs have adapted to falling into the odd pit or two. Besides, my armor keeps me safe from most injury,” Hypereas stated, slamming a fist against his chest in emphasis.

“Well then, you best hold on tight, because this ride is gonna get bumpy,” I shouted.

Reaching the top of the hill I could feel that it was a loose collection of clay and rock over top of what was likely a wooden barrier. A pulse confirmed my suspicions and so with only a moment to steady myself, I leaped into the air. The resulting impact shook the ground, shattering whatever supports they had constructed to hold the entire thing together.

Without slowing down we began to fall down deep into the earth, debris, and dust following after us. Sure enough, he held on tight, though I added a bit more protection by using all of my arms to hold onto him while also blocking any falling bits of wood or rock. The resulting impact a moment later was even more cataclysmic than the one a few seconds earlier.

I felt myself sink into the stone, creating a deep crater, though I ignored that for the moment. Instead, I focused on keeping my charge safe, my arms more than able to do such a task though I couldn't certain he was okay. I confirmed that a few seconds later after the debris finished falling and I began the slow work of hauling myself out of the crater.

Once free, I rotated my head to see a dazed, but very much unharmed diamond dog holding onto me for dear life. He quickly found his nerve though and straightened up as I moved towards the lone exit I could see.

“Once through take a left, then your second right and we’ll be at the main thoroughfare leading to the city. After that it's not far until we reach Fort Endurance, and the castle heart contained within,” He pressed.

I gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment as I clambered over the last of the blockage and stepped into the corridor beyond. I didn't inspect my surroundings much, merely taking note of the smooth walls, and high ceilings before taking an immediate left. Following his instructions to the letter, we did indeed emerge out onto a wide thoroughfare shortly after that.

Ahead of us were a few formerly relaxed soldiers hauling supplies away from the city. Upon seeing us they moved to block our path, halberds raised while they began to shout orders.

“Clear the way!” Bellowed Hypereas. “We have the sunstone!”

“It's too late, the city is about to collapse!” one of them yelled back.

“It hasn't fallen yet!” My charge retorted.

The group parted before me just as we neared them, meaning I did not have to resort to simply rushing through them as I first thought I would have to do. I made sure not to step on any of their hastily discarded crates, and continued on, sprinting down the road with all the speed I could muster. Less than a minute later and we emerged onto what looked like a long bridge flanked by statues of long-dead diamond dogs. I didn't inspect them closely though, partially due to not wanting to get distracted, but also because my gaze was fixed on the city ahead.

My first thoughts were one of shock as well as awe.

The city had two distinct tiers, with several bridges connecting to the bottom-most level that seemed to house the majority of the residential districts. Packed tightly together with narrow winding roads, there were few paths wide enough to allow a cart to pass through with ease. It was very defensible, but likely didn't make it a great trading outpost, or very visually appealing mind you.

Most structures I could see on that first floor were simple in the extreme, more function over form though that definitely fit the diamond dog character quite well. The second tier was identical in that way, with the main road entering through a wide gatehouse that could serve as a castle in its own right. Meticulously designed walls riddled with defensive positions, and siege weapons spread out in either direction, broken up by the occasional tower.

Small sub-areas for different barracks, or leisure facilities were visible though I paid them little heed at the moment. Rather it was that final castle sitting atop the multi-level fortress that had so captured my attention. Able to overlook the entire massive underground cavern, it sported a domed roof of gold, the only spot of color visible save for the occasional fire I saw burning along the walls of the city.

Walls which were pockmarked by damage, hunks of the ceiling having had come loose and destroyed whole sections. The same was true for various structures big and small throughout the whole of the city. I could see that more chunks of stone were falling even now, the massive boulders annihilating whatever they landed atop.

“Head over there, to that market square on the left. There is a secret passage into the level above located behind a store near there,” Hypereas shouted.

“What if it's already collapsed?” I asked.

“Then I’m dead, and you’ll need a new body,” he yelled back.

I closed my metaphorical mouth and prayed to the real Gaea just in case she actually existed. I would find out if my prayer was unanswered a few moments later when I was able to reach the market he had indicated earlier. Following his pointed finger and energetic shout, I kept moving, redirecting my momentum toward what looked like a leatherworking shop.

Doing my best impression of the Kool-Aid man, I burst through the front entrance and looked around. There was only one door to the back, and it was too narrow for my ginormous frame, not like I minded. There was something cathartic about shoulder checking through solid stone. So I did it a second time, barreling into what looked like a workshop space near the back of the shop.

“It should be behind that bookshelf. Oh and don't worry, the passageway is wide enough for you. It was built to allow an entire company to deploy behind the enemy should we be in a siege,” he explained.

Extending a pair of arms, I running backed my way into this passageway, shattering the feeble wooden barrier that had blocked us. There I was able to look up and see that the tunnel sloped towards the castle, the many hundreds of steps ending abruptly at a wall of debris. Sure enough, the way had collapsed, and I felt a yawning emptiness open in the pit of my stomach.

I was too late. I had doomed their beautiful city to destruction.

“No,” Hypereas muttered. “Please tell me you can move that stone with your goddess powers.”

“I… I’m still weak from slumber but I can try,” I answered.

I had no idea if I could do what he asked, but it sure seemed probable anyway, as I moved around stone when I made my body. I tried to imagine that I was doing that, only in a different way, and focused power into my hands. As the energy built, I began to will the change upon the world, only to be surprised when the barrier moved on its own before I could finish.

The entire thing shuddered, before suddenly lurching sideways, vanishing into the now smooth wall. As the magic slipped from my grasp, I sent out a pulse, eager to ascertain who or what was helping me. The ripple of energy seemed to touch something and it felt as though I had brushed my hand against someone else’s. I got the sense that they were old, weary but benevolent though I couldn't tell you why I got that feeling.

“You did it!” Hypereas shouted. “Hurry, let's keep moving!”

I didn't correct him, as there were far more concerning factors at work here like the city falling down around us. As if responding to my thoughts I heard a loud thud from somewhere nearby, a fallen hunk of stone crashing through the roof of a nearby building. Using that as my starting gun, I took off running, my thunderous steps destroying the stonework and sending bits of debris flying behind me.

At the end of the long tunnel was a door, one left open though I barreled through it regardless. Unlike below, here there was no shop, but rather a barracks of clearly military design. The area had been cleared of nearly everything, however, and the doors had all been left either open or ajar. This likely helped to make sure no one got lost, or left behind, locked in some district or area that they don't have the key to get out of.

“There,” shouted my charge, pointing to a door on the left. “That leads to the courtyard, the ramp upwards is on the right, and from there it should be a straight shot to the castle heart. The way should have been left open for you.”

I continued on, pushing myself to move as quickly as I could within the relative confines of the tight yet not impassable room. It became much easier to run when I emerged out into the courtyard, though I quickly stepped to the right, avoiding a fallen hunk of stone. Nearly as large as me, the enormous rock bounced off the ground, splitting into a thousand smaller pieces.

None of which were a concern to me, as I had already started to make my way toward the ramp leading further up. Stomping up the slanted walkway, I ran through the first open arch, stopped, turned, and ran up to the next. I repeated this motion a few times before finally coming to the wide open gate that stood between myself and the castle.

“Hurry, there's not much time left!” Hypereas shouted.

I sent out a pulse as I ran and sure enough, I could sense that the roof had nearly reached its breaking point. I didn't pay attention as to just how bad it was though, and pushed onward, running deeper into the castle. Following the finger pointing directly ahead of me, I barreled through the half-open door and into the throne room.

“Behind the throne, just plow right through it and the wall behind it!” Hypereas ordered.

I didn't question him, and kept my momentum going, running with three arms extended in the same running back position. The first thing I hit was the rather luxurious wooden chair that had served as a throne, which I hoped wasn't important. A second after that and I slammed into, then through, the wall directly behind the throne itself.

Here I stumbled to a stop, the sudden impact of something truly massive hitting the ceiling above us giving me pause. I focused myself quickly and looked up to find that there was a pedestal about a dozen feet off the ground. Atop which sat three metal prongs that I could tell just from looking at it, would hold the sunstone perfectly.

“Wait, there are traps!” Hypeareas yelled.

I sprinted on regardless, one hand grabbing the sunstone and readying it to be placed back where it belonged. Though my steps were met with a flurry of traps like spikes, darts, or even a few lightning bolts I didn't slow. None were aimed high enough to injure my companion, so I pressed forward, bringing my hand down victoriously upon reaching the top.

The stone clicked into place, and with a surge, secured itself back into its pedestal. A shimmering barrier was emitted by it, pushing out a few feet, just enough to protect itself. It then pulsed a second time, this time stronger, the magic traveling much, much farther. A third followed shortly after, followed by a fourth, my own senses telling me that each thrum of power was reinforcing the cavern roof.

Within a few seconds, the entire thing felt secure, and I finally relaxed. My companion must have noticed this shift, as his shoulders slumped for the first time.

“Is it… Is it done? Did we do it?” He asked.

“It sure seems like-” I began, only to be cut off when I felt the room begin to tremble.

The ceiling released a spray of debris, the masonry raining down all around me.

“We need to go, the castle is ready to collapse!” Hypeareas shouted. “The sunstone can protect itself, but that protection doesn't extend to us!”

Once more I moved on instinct, running back the way I came, giving the sunstone one final glance. Sure enough, the barrier around it had thickened, and though no mage I could tell that the magic was powerful. Yet despite how confidence inspiring that was, I felt a strange sense of dread begin to crawl from the depths of my stomach.

A strange image flashed before my vision, one containing uncountable dark spirits surging across the world. The sun had been snuffed out and the shine of the moon was gone, replaced by a dark expanse of blackness. I felt misery, hopelessness, and despair in incredible quantities, nearly overwhelming my senses in the process.

Then it was gone, and I realized that only a split second had passed, rather than the many minutes that I had felt go by. My stumble was quickly corrected, and I sped back through the throne room, only to come to a grim realization. I was not going to be fast enough, already the supports were beginning to crumble and hunks of the roof were starting to rain down. Hypereas was muttering a prayer under his breath, though I pushed the words from my mind, a plan already forming.

Gathering up the fuzzball, I positioned him so his feet were against two of my hands while the other two held him aloft. Though weird, he didn't resist me, allowing me to shotput him with all the strength I could muster. The furry projectile flew straight and true, vanishing out of the castle gates a moment before I was buried in thousands of tons of debris.

I knew that would not be enough to destroy that body, but I also wouldn't be able to retrieve it, so with a metaphorical smile on my face I abandoned it. Pulling my essence back to my point of origin I allowed myself a moment to simply bask in the pride I felt. I had succeeded, not as well as I would have liked, but I had done it all.

I rock. I thought to myself.

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