Seeing as how the pack wasn't swimming in pegasus troops, Swift must have found a way to explain his run-in with Aaron and Allee that didn't involve mentioning either of them. And as far as Aaron was concerned, it could stay that way.
The pack traveled for weeks through the mountains, tunneling under ridge after ridge in search of the perfect location for their new den. When it became clear that the Pegasi were no longer pursuing the pack, Aaron was able to send out scouts ahead of the main group. The criteria of water access, and gem availability were still requirements, but in light of recent events, Aaron thought it prudent to make sure any new location was as difficult to reach as possible.
For all intents and purposes, the pack was going to disappear. Indefinitely. They'd already lost their homes once, and Aaron was going to make sure that it never happened again.
Then, one late fall day, one of the scouts returned with promising news. There was a valley carved out by long lost glaciers. A pristine lake still lay where the ice melted long ago. At the narrow end of the lake was a small waterfall that poured over a number of smaller basins cut out of one large bowl of jagged rock. The cut-out was nearly invisible from the lake, and best of all, the valley walls were precariously steep where they weren't heavily forested.
Aaron ordered a shaft be dug behind the waterfall, and the initial reports were promising. There were ample gem supplies, with hints at several ore veins buried deeper into the mountains.
"Well guys, I think this is what we've been looking for. I think we've found our new home." Aaron said to the gathered canines. The pack howled in agreement, and quickly got to work.
As they dug out the main chamber for their first night's shelter, he let the dogs eat every gem they could find. They'd earned their fill. Aaron camped himself just just beyond the waterfall for his own meal, and he let himself just absorb the view. The lake was peaceful and the air was calm. Even he could almost believe that he was at home here.
"What matter Aaron? Something Wrong?" Allee asked as she sat down beside Aaron, her pockets lined with any gem she could get her paws on.
"Hmm? No, nothing's wrong. Just thinking is all."
"About what?" She asked as she merrily munched on a mineral of reddish hue.
"A bunch of things, actually. We've only just arrived, but it'll be a while before we're back up to where we were at the old den. That's just the tip of the iceberg, as the saying goes. We've still got so much work ahead of us. Oh, but there is a bit of good news!"
"Oh?"
Aaron pulled out a small yellow gem from his pocket. It didn't really look any different than anything that Allee was carrying now, not to mention that it was barely half the average size. "I know it may not look like much, but I've got a feeling that this gem will be important."
"Why is that?"
He rubbed the smooth surface of the mineral between his thumbs. "This gem isn't much, but this little guy managed to hitch a ride all the way up here from the old den, buried in one of the bowls that had been re-purposed to hold my crops. Granted, we hauled a bunch of gems around with us on this trip, and most of those are gone now, but this one?" Aaron flipped it over, revealing a small symbol scratched into the surface, marking it as one of the stones from the original experiment. "This one was half this size when we left."
From that moment on, Aaron's Diamond Dogs would never be the same.
~~~~~
The images flashed through Aaron's mind in rapid fashion:
The forge, recreated. Making way for all sorts of metallurgical progress.
The gem farms reaching full capacity. Never again would the pack have to scrounge up a meal.
Some of the pack volunteering to help Aaron establish his own supply of food, leaving behind their traditional tunneling to assist in farming. Underground, of course. A few of them even volunteered to become assistant hunters for a time, though they were far less likely to stick with this routine for long.
Once the pack had established their new home, the ample food supply allowed for a marginal increase in canine population. Before it could get out of hand, Aaron put provisions in place that would not only curtail unwanted growth, but would also promote pairings that produced capable offspring. Aaron himself would never strip away their free will, but with such a limited starting population, he would be forced to implement a a system that promoted beneficial genetic traits, lest the dogs' capabilities suffer further damage. Each pairing was allowed to produce a single progeny, no matter what. Pairings that produced exceptional pups, however, were allowed to continue their procreation, provided that supplies could support it.
The first schools were formed, followed quickly by the first graduation, albeit at the elementary level. The next generation would be pushed to further their academics beyond that of their parents' abilities. Aaron had wished that he could spend more time with the training and less time dolling out work.
The realization that the pack members operated on a different lifespan than their leader. The eldest members, having completed their mortal cycles, had eventually began to return to the earth one final time. Out of all of the trials that he'd surpassed so far, these days were probably the hardest on Aaron. When it became time for the former Boss members to be laid to rest, Aaron had worked tirelessly in order to prepare the pack for his own departure, whenever that may be.
Aaron made it clear that he wanted no ceremony with which to acknowledge his demise. regardless of his wishes, the canines had other ideas. They would remember him forever, that much was sure, but the pack would have to be content with celebrating what they believed would be his eventual return.
The next generation eventually earning the opportunity to lead the pack in Aaron's stead. After that, he prepared a list of guidelines with which they could continue to better themselves. The pack ensured Aaron that his Master Edicts would be adhered to for generations.
His time somewhat more open than before, Aaron spent his days teaching the pups. With his help, they moved on to create their own written language, start studying arithmetic, begin building simple contraptions, and most importantly, observe the world with a curious eye. In time, their ancestors' weaknesses would be erased, replaced by knowledge that would place the Diamond Dogs, no the Canis Sapiens, above the other races which had once looked down upon them.
And the Canis would surpass the all of the others from their isolated home, hidden from the sun.
Wait, what?
6808295
Um, Aaron took the Red Pill?
6808295
Nigga
6808330 6808329 6808325 6808295 Just a little FYI, but I actually dropped this little bomb off in the first chapter.
6808386
...Well, I'll be. So you did.
This whole thing was just a heavily modded Civilization campaign. His city got wiped out, but he managed to get the one settler out and rebuild, and apparently achieved a scientific victory.
...How close am I?
A simulation. ....... This is an unsatisfying end.
6808529 The universe is a hologram, buy gold!
But seriously though, it's not the end...
6808586 6808563 6804266 Sorry about that. I really do need an editor.
I am confused
6808695 The next chapter should help with that. Also, the story Observations and Preservations can provide some additional context.
I gonna leave it here.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/12/29/1055070__oc_blushing_oc+only_suggestive_human_sweat_oc-colon-anon_diamond+dog_imminent+sex_artist-colon-nobody.png
God damnit, a massive fucking circle jerk.
I don't care about the universe, I care about Aaron and his story.
This fic won't end on such a weak note as this chapter did right?
6808717 thanks
:( I am unhappy. I know the ending was fortold from the start and this is part of a bigger universe, but damnit this is one of the rare DD|human fics that is of any worth. Sucks ass its ending like this so soon.
Wait, what? It's over just like that? Just... time-skipped right to the epilogue? That's disappointing.
A bit of a... sudden transition at the end. I'm holding out hope; can't wait for more, but it was a bit of a jarring chapter, if for no reason than the sudden time skip and for the fact that I was rather looking forward to the developments skimmed over within. (Note: I'm not commenting about the lack of 'foreshadowing', or whatever the intro bit is in Chapter 1, but merely the sudden change of tone/pace that occurs. It's your story, take it where you will!)
Also looking at the Observations-verse stuff. Interesting stuff, but I haven't gotten to anything that clues me in to what you're up to, Tolerance. (.... wait, Tolerance... isn't that the author of.... Oh, you sneaky-self-promoter-you! )
6809436 The story still says "Incomplete." So at the very least, this isn't the epilogue.
So... Is Aaron the "famous human researcher" that formerly inhabited the room Twilight moved into after she established the Shell and assembled a body?
6812355 The last chapter of a fic reads like and ends like an epilogue and the author's note provided no hint that it wasn't the end. You'll have to forgive me if I was a bit confused.
The problem with this chapter is it reeks of telling rather than showing and anti-climax. What we cared about this story was the MC and his relationship to the diamond dogs. Why do I care about the civilization growing without seeing it? I feel like I was denied an experience I was promised earlier. I liked this story and this followed by the next chapter are not satisfying. My recommendation to understand this reaction and what I mean by promises is to listen to the Writing Excuses Podcast. Or at least the episode linked there about promises.
As is, I can't up vote this but it's not bad enough or rage inducing enough to get a down vote either. This is a story for why I don't vote until it's finished. I liked it but then the story stopped rather than ending. My final opinion is a good beginning for a story before it just stops leaving nothing but disappointment at what could have been.
And this is where you lost me.
So he inserted himself there as a form of experiment?
........
Never heard of this circle until now. Disappointed as heck with this ending, honestly, though I couldn't tell you why.
Corrections.
pegasus
metallurgical
dogs'
parents'
to acknowledge
ancestors'
6816966
Yeah. Just…fizzles out, like the author stopped caring enough to fill in the skeleton and flesh out those events.
DOG CHRIST!