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'Muck and the Mare' Chapter 1

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CHAPTER 1


The next day, Rarity, Spike, and all their friends got together and used one of the big wagons they took from the Diamond Dogs the last time they encountered them.  Applejack hauled it up the hill to the gem fields where they would find more gems for Rarity's dresses.

"Thank you so much for coming with me, everypony!" Rarity told them gratefully.  "I thought this would be a good way for us all to spend the afternoon and help me at the same time!  Spike's been such a good little helper, but I've been in serious need of a little more help."

"We're glad to be helping you Rarity." said Twilight Sparkle.  "Today's a beautiful day to be hunting for gems!"

"Yeah, and it's good those dumb dogs are gone so we can have some peace and quiet now!" Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Oh, but where do you think the Diamond Dogs went to now?" Fluttershy asked a bit frightened.

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it, everypony." said Applejack.  "Them dogs ain't none of our concern anymore!"

"That's right, and I'm sure their departure might have had something to do with my fake whining from last time!" Rarity giggled.

"I still can't believe you were able to fool them so well, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie complemented.

"Oh, it was nothing really.  Just a little strategy I used in a pinch I guess."

"Now Rarity, how much gems do you plan on getting this time 'round?" Applejack asked.

"Oh not too much, this next set of dresses will be a bit different.  I know we had so much gems last time, but I used some of them for a few other dresses a while ago and just ran out.  But we'll be needing more for the rest of Sapphire Shores' dresses."

"I see ya sure cleaned up this here harness and the rest of the wagon."

"Ah, yes, I figured if we are to be using it from now on, it should be neat and tidy.  Of course everything that goes in or around my boutique should be neat and tidy."

"Well it ain't that bad, it is a wagon ya know.  Besides, it's only gonna get dirtier when we dig out some of them gems from the dirt.  Aren't ya kinda worried about diggin?"

"Oh don't worry about that, Twilight and I shall be the gem hunters, then the rest of you can dig them out and put them in."

"Well I'm perfectly fine with digging some of the gems out too, Rarity." Twilight said.

"Well that's up to you, darling, but I myself will be using my magic to find the gems, I'd rather not get dirty, I just had a manicure."

"Aw Rarity, you always have manicures.  Ya might wanna get used to a little dirty work every now and then…"

"Yeah, just a little dirt won't hurt ya!" Pinkie chimed in.

"Oh please girls, I am a lady, I don't need any of that rubbish on my lovely coat!"

"Rarity, we're all ladies…"

"Excuse me?" Spike said looking back at Applejack.

"Er, I mean all of us here ponies are ladies.  And I'm just sayin, ya probably should just get a little used to the dirt, it's only a natural thing here.  Someday ya might find you'll have no choice, I mean everypony encounters a time when they gotta get dirty in order to get something done.  Someday ya might find getting dirty might be the least of your worries!"

"OOOH!" Rarity squealed at the thought of too much dirt going through her head. "Applejack, darling, please do not say such things, you're making my skin curdle!"

"Ok, I'm sorry, I'm just sayin…"

"Well, anywho, subject change:  I think I'm starting to sense some gems right over there Spike.  Would you be a dear and start a little digging, please?"

"Right away, Rarity!" Spike saluted and jumped onto the area Rarity pointed to with her horn and started digging.  He uncovered several nicely sized gems and brought them over to the wagon.

"Nice job, Spike!" Twilight complemented.  "And I think there are some over there.  Fluttershy, do you have the digging tools?"

"Sure do, Twilight." said Fluttershy taking out a little bucket with several small shovels, trowels and hoes.

Within a few minutes the rest of the ponies started pitching in and digging everywhere that Rarity and Twilight pointed out.  Since Rarity wouldn't be doing any digging, she just went around and made little X's on the ground where she sensed gems using a stick.  Spike followed her close behind and uncovered the gems in those areas along with everyone else.  After Rarity was done with all the X markings, they had gotten a good load of gems in the wagon.

"Well, that wasn't too hard!" said Rainbow Dash.

"Thank you so much everyone!" said Rarity.  "But we're not there quite yet, there's much more to do.  Follow me!"

They then went over to another little clearing and started the process over again.


Meanwhile up in the mountains beyond the gem fields, one of the guards for the Diamond Dogs was looking through a telescope down onto the fields.  He kept moving the scope around until he spotted the ponies and Spike looking for gems.

"Oooh, there those ponies are!  And the little dragon!  Just what the boss wanted!" he said as he turned and ran into the cave behind him to let the leader know.  He came into a little spot in the cave where the three main Diamond Dogs were waiting patiently.

"Boss, I've spotted those ponies and the dragon out in the fields looking for gems just like we suspected!" he told them.

"Excellent!  And is Rarity with them?" the leader responded.

"Yes, boss, but I had the others bury some gems over near where the traps are so we can catch them.  We have a separate trap set for Rarity so she can't follow us once we take the others.  Even if she escapes, she won't get through the rest of the traps."

"Very good then!  Go out there with several other dogs and wait until the nets come up, then move in and take them all away and leave Rarity to suffer."

"Got it boss!" then the guard dog howled loudly and several other guard dogs popped their heads out and then followed him as he ran down the stairs of the cave to go out the entrance of the "Mud Castle".  They ran into the forest where the traps were to wait and surprise Rarity and her friends.  The Diamond Dogs' prisoners were in reach!


After having dug out quite a few diamonds, Rarity was satisfied with the load, but thought she may need more.

"Oh thank you so much, everyone!" she told them.  "You've all worked so hard, but I can't help but feel we might be needing a few more."

"We can keep diggin them out, Sugarcube." said Applejack.

"Yeah, Rarity, this is nothing, we can do it!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Oh, thank you so much!  I guess there isn't any harm in looking for a few more."

"Yeah, besides, if we do have a bit too much, I can always eat the leftovers!" Spike said drooling and looking at the gems in the wagon.

"Hehe, I think Spike is about to split a gasket over here!" Pinkie giggled.

"Ah, yes, we might as well get Spike a few snacks in the mean time.  After all, he's such a hard worker, he deserves a little treat!" Rarity said patting Spike on the head as he blushed.  "Now, over in that grove, I think I sense a pretty good load of gems."

"Yeah, I sense it too, Rarity." Twilight said. "Gosh, there must be a lot of gems in there!"

"Well what are we waitin for, everypony?!  Let's get diggin!" Applejack called as they all walked toward the grove Rarity pointed out.

"Oooh, you're right, Twilight, there do seem to be many gems here!  Oh look, there's little mounds of dirt right by those trees!  That's rather peculiar…" said Rarity looking at what appeared to be freshly moved dirt in certain spots.  "And there are seven of them to be exact, one for each of us I guess……well, except for me that is, I obviously won't be getting my hooves dirty for just one measly little dirt pile."

"Cool, it looks like someone left the gems for us!" Pinkie said excitedly.  "Maybe it was the Gem Fairy!"

"Pinkie, the Gem Fairy doesn't exist." Rainbow Dash said.

"Then who else put them here for us?"

"I dunno, but this is kinda strange.  Why WOULD someone put them here for us…" Twilight said skeptically.

"Oh…… well, I'm sure they did it out of generosity, Twilight." Fluttershy said.

"Or because they didn't want them anymore?" said Applejack puzzled.

"Who cares why, girls, let's get them out!" said Spike starting to dig.

"SPIKE, WAIT, NO!!!" Twilight shouted, but it was too late.  Several ropes could be seen around everyone except Rarity and there was a net underneath the ground they were all standing on.  There were some gems underneath where the net was buried, but they fell through the holes and the net came up and engulfed everyone.

"AAAGGGHHH!!!" screamed Rarity. "WHAT IS THIS?!?  WHY WOULD SOMEONE LEAVE A HUGE NET IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS GROVE?!?"

"I dunno, but you gotta get us out of here, Rarity!" Twilight shouted.

"Hang on, everyone, I will save you-AAAGGGHHH!!!" but then another smaller net came up and trapped Rarity inside it.  "OH NO, NOW I'M TRAPPED!!"

"What the hay is goin on here?!?  Is somepony out huntin or something?" Applejack said angrily.

"Yes, hunting for YOU!" said a low voice in the tree tops.

Suddenly a bunch of dogs jumped down from the trees around them.  They were the same guard dogs Rarity saw the last time when she was captured.

"THE DIAMOND DOGS!!!" they all screamed in horror.

"Yes, and we are here for you ponies and that little dragon!!"

"But what do you want with us?!?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"The Boss says you all will make good slaves for us in finding more gems!"

"WHAT?!?  But I thought you brutish mutts left this place a while ago!" Rarity shouted.

"We did, and now we live in there!" said one of the guards pointing to the mountain behind the gem fields.  "That is Mud Fortress, our new domain!"

"MU-MU-MUD FORTRESS?!?" said Rarity shocked at the title.

"But what about Rarity, why is she in a smaller net?!" Spike asked.

"Because we don't want her, the Boss doesn't like her whining!  We just want the rest of you!"

"But why can't you dogs just find your own treasure instead of using us as slaves?!" Twilight asked trying to be reasonable.

"Yeah, what are you, a bunch of lazy little poodles?!?" Rainbow Dash hackled.

"Hey, watch it, pony!  We don't deserve to do all of the work, that's for you and this little dragon here!  Now boys, let's haul them away, and leave Rarity here!"  One of the guards then threw a spear at the top of the big net and it came down with Spike and the others in it.  The dogs then picked them up and put them inside a big wagon and took them away.

"RARITY!!!" they all screamed as Rarity shook herself in the net trying to get out.

"NO, COME BACK, DON'T TAKE MY FRIENDS YOU MONGRELS!!!  I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!  I WILL……have……my…" but the dogs had carried them far away beyond sight and towards the "Mud Fortress" that they spoke of earlier.  Rarity was so worried she couldn't help but cry.  "re……VE-HE-HE-HEEEEEENGE!!!" she said as fountains of tears streamed from her eyes.  "WHY, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!?  HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MY FRIENDS WHEN WE WERE DOING SO WELL?!?"  But it did no good.  She was alone in the middle of a grove hanging in a net with nowhere to go and no way to save her friends or get help.  After a few minutes of crying she finally put herself together.

"I cannot let this happen!  Those ruffians will suffer for what they have done to my friends!!!" she said bombastically.  "Now, how do I get out of this net?  Oh, wait, what is this?  Oooh, a gem sliver!" she said using her magic to find a little sliver of a gem that must have got caught in her hair when the net went up.  She then lifted it with her magic and used it to cut around the side of the net to get out of it.  In just a few minutes the rope started to come undone and the net started to rip open.  

"At last!  Now I can get out of this wretched old thing and…" but as the net started to come undone, she looked down and noticed that her tears had created a little mud puddle below.  "AAAGGGHHH!!!"  She fell out but quickly bit onto the rope just out of reach of the puddle.  She then slowly began rocking herself back and forth and started to swing to see if she could land herself beyond the puddle.  After a few tries, she had built up enough momentum to swing and finally let go of the rope and landed roughly on the ground coughing.

"Oh my, that was a close one!" she said getting up and brushing off her coat and mane.  "Oh dear, now what?!  How can I get them out of there when it's a fortress with mud in it!  Well……they never actually said there was mud in it, but I mean how could it not be when it's called that?!  Perhaps I should go back for help?"  Rarity looked back at Ponyville which could just barely be seen beyond the fields.  She wanted to go back and let the villagers know and perhaps even tell the Princess so she could send in the soldier ponies to go in and attack.  

But just then anger arose in her heart and she began to think of what a terrible thing it was for the Diamond Dogs to take her friends from her.  Rarity felt that since they had made her angry, she should be the one doling out wrath upon them.  She finally decided she would just go on her own and teach them a lesson but avoid the supposed mud in there.

"No, I will go in there and show those fools who means business!  They will pay for taking my friends away like that!  HANG ON, EVERYONE, RARITY IS COMING TO THE RESCUE!!!" Rarity shouted as she stood up and galloped away in the direction the dogs took her friends in.  But then she suddenly stopped and noticed a sign that said "Mud Fortress" on it and remembered what it was she was up against…

"Oh dear, I do hope the mud is imported…" she said frightened but continued down the path slowly.



To be continued…
First chapter of "Muck and the Mare" is up!

Short summary:

Rarity, Spike, and everyone else go to the gem fields and get a good amount of gems to put in one of the wagons they got from the Diamond Dogs last time. They come to a little spot on the edge of the forest, but get caught inside a big net although Rarity is caught in her own personal net. The Diamond Dog guards then jump down from the trees and explain how their leaders wanted the ponies and Spike as slaves to find more gems but they leave Rarity behind because Rarity whines too much and the Diamond Dogs don't like it. Rarity balls over her loss initially, but then gathers enough courage to go after her friends and teach the Dogs a lesson, but will she be able to when the name of the place she's going to is called MUD Fortress?

There you guys have it. Going pretty good so far I'd say. We'll be seeing more and more of the plot unfold as we get further. But tell me what you guys think of it so far in the comments.

MLP (c) Hasbro
FiM (c) Lauren Faust :iconfyre-flye:
"Muck and the Mare" (c) Me
© 2011 - 2024 AleximusPrime
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