Here comes a next gen that’s maybe a bit unconventional. This actually one of the oldest next gen I thought up, way back I think 2013. But as this whole AU it took me this long to actually work on it.

So anywho, here’s the story how Rarity ended up adopting a diamond dog pup.

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1-2. Rarity and Spike were back after their usual gem mining trip, when they noticed some moving among the gems. Turns out it was a small diamond dog pup. Rarity was absolutely freaking out how did this happen. Spike suggested that it’s probably sneaked into the cart for the gems. They returned, hoping the pup belongs to one of the diamond dogs from the local pack. However, they couldn’t find them anywhere, so they returned and went to Twilight for advice.

Note: Spike is a teen here. I would say around the same age Smolder was in the show.
Also, in my head-canon diamond dogs, just like dragons, also partially eat the gems they gather. So the pup was probably hungry.

3. Only suggestion Twilight really had that she goes out with others and tries the find the pack, while Rarity looks after the pup. Rarity wasn’t really keen on that idea. She wasn’t really fond of diamond dogs, still remembering what happened years ago. So Twilight said maybe Fluttershy can help out.

4-6. Of course Fluttershy happily took the pup of Rarity’s hoof and look after him. But uh-oh, just under the short time he was with her, the pup got attached to Rarity. Fluttershy requested Rarity to continue looking after him, because it would be cruel to him otherwise. Rarity couldn’t really say no to her friend, so while begrudgingly, but she accepted. Also, it was just until they find the pack.

7-11. However, nopony would have thought it would take this long, like days. Diamond dogs rather keep to themselfs and the local pack became weary of ponies (again because of the incident years ago), so finding them wasn’t easy.
And the pup was rather a handful for Rarity, causing bit of a chaos every day. However, to a surprise to herself too, Rarity started to warm up to the pup. Like really really. To the point, after started referring to the pup as Smokey Quartz (named after the precious stone he liked to chew on the most) Fluttershy needed to remind Rarity to not get too attached to the pup, because the separation just going to hurt more.

12-13. Which reached it’s climax, when Twilight’s search team managed to find the pack. After bringing the pup to the pack leader and talking with him, turns out the pup isn’t from their pack. There’s a chance his pack relocated and went through the region and that how he got their. He was small, so maybe he was discarded as the runt of the litter or maybe he got lost, it’s unknown. Either way Twilight thought it’s the best for him to stay with his kind. And while diamond dog leader accepted to take the pup in, it was obvious from the start the pup wouldn’t have a good time (diamond dogs already were known not to treat their runts well) and Rarity ain’t having that, turning her newfound mama bear mode to max. Twilight barely managed to hold her back.

14-16. So in the end Rarity continued looking after the pup, now much more happily. For a while it was still on the plate, that she only going to do it until his mom comes back or she is found, if he was only just lost to begin with. But as years came and went it became more and more looking like that doesn’t gonna happen.
And that’s how, something nopony ever could see coming, Rarity became a mom to a diamond dog pup.

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There’s so much more I feel like I should have gone into, but I really had to shorten this, cos it’s so long.
Diamond dogs in my head-canon (and kinda in the show I guess) are pretty ruff, so that opposite feel to Rarity I think lead to this idea of her ending up adopting a young diamond dog.

And now that I finally introduced Smokey you get more of him in the future.

Also also, not gonna do this kinda introduction for every next gen. Just some.^^
And the on the first drawing Rarity looks slightly different from the rest is because the first draing was made months ago. I never really could draw Rarity’s mane consistently.^^’’

By the way, this drawing is HUGE (10.000px in height). I had to make it in three separate file, so Krita could handle it.^^’’’’