//------------------------------// // Chapter nine: the ponies of the mine, mine, mine // Story: Animal Friends // by Elkia Deerling //------------------------------// “Ugh! Why do trains always have to be so loud?” But over the sound of the steam whistle, there was nopony else who heard Rarity complain, which was probably for the best. When the sound came to an abrupt end, Rarity looked over at a clock on the wall. How long had she been traveling already? She couldn’t remember. But she had to be almost there, even though it didn’t look like it. Outside, instead of the snow and ice which marked the beginning of northern Equestria, trees were visible and shot by on either side. Had Rarity been outside, she could have felt that the temperature was drastically dropping, but inside the steam-warmed train wagon, she couldn’t feel its frozen kiss, so to Rarity it seemed that she wasn’t getting any closer to her goal. The truth was, the train was riding through the Galloping Gorge, the last major landmark until the Crystal Empire. Rarity tried to distract herself and looked around the train wagon. It was only half-full, and Rarity reckoned that travelers from the Crystal Empire would probably not often go as far as Ponyville, but would rather prefer to spend their holidays closer to home, in Vanhoover or Cloudsdale for example. Of course they were tourists. One stallion wore a t-shirt with the sigil of Ponyville; two mares with a heart in the middle. Rarity thought it looked quite silly on him, especially together with his bright green hat. Suitcases, big ones, were stacked in compartments above, which further hinted at far destinations. A couple of fillies were busy playing a card game; two mares were discussing the weather; a stallion and a mare, both finely dressed, were reading in books—the same books, in fact. There was one stallion, blue with a bright green pine tree as a cutie mark, who looked out the window; Rarity hadn’t seen him do anything else since the train had departed. I wonder what he’s looking at. Now Rarity looked out the window as well, at the landscape which revealed itself before her eyes. The train snaked past an enormous mountain, tipped with white snow, and behind it, a valley lay flat between its roots. Green pastures stretched far ahead, dotted with occasional patches of pine-tree forests. The clouds in the sky finished the painting, which it might as well could have been, as the fluffy, round shapes in a healthy blue sky delivered an interesting contrast to the countless hues of green. Rarity couldn’t deny it; it did look pretty. But to her, the Crystal Empire would look even more pretty. Nothing can compare to the Crystal Empire, she thought, but then she frowned. Okay, maybe Canterlot, but the Crystal Empire comes in close second. When the face of a mountain blocked Rarity’s view, and all she could look at were rocks and dirt, she averted her gaze, almost in disappointment. Rarity plunged into her thoughts about her mission. She had been in caves often enough to gather crystals, but she had never before been into a mine. Mentally bracing herself for the dustiness and nastiness which would undoubtedly overcome her, Rarity tried to find some way to distract herself from those icky thoughts. Distraction came, as the door of the train wagon opened. “Catering service!” A stallion shouted, and walked inside with a cart of treats. Oh my! Why do even the employees have to be so loud? But the moment Rarity thought those words, they dissolved in her mind at the sight before her eyes. It wasn’t the pile of tasty confectionary and sandwiches, but rather the stallion behind them. He was young; much younger than the other conductors, and instead of those hideous muttonchops all of them used to wear, this one had a muzzle full of rough stubbles, and together with his snappy mane and tail—but not too snappy—, he had the complete handsome and rugged look. One of the passengers called him over, some others stared at him with frowns on their faces, probably having awoken from their sleep by the stallion’s call. Rarity tried to observe him as inconspicuously as she could, and pretended to watch the scenery that wasn’t there, while her eyes studied that looker’s every move. The mare ordered a hay-sandwich; the stallion grabbed one off his silver plate, and bowed over to give it to her. Rarity saw him swishing his tail; she almost made a sound. “Thank you very much,” the mare said, and handed him some bits. “Keep the change.” “That’s very friendly of you,” Mister Handsome said, and grabbed his cart to serve the other passengers. He’s coming to me, Rarity thought, but couldn’t quite summon words to say to him. The stallion saw a hoof rise up in the air, and he wheeled further into the hallway. Now or never. Rarity cleared her throat. “Excuse me, sir, can I have one of those sandwiches? They look absolutely gorgeous—eh, I mean delicious.” But in reality, the food left her cold, she just wanted to feel the glow of the stallion’s aura around her. “Certainly, Miss,” the stallion said, and crouched down to grab one from the bottom of the cart. Rarity giggled. “Oh, please call me Rarity. No need to be that formal.” But why did she say that? The moment those words left her lips, Rarity mentally slapped herself. She had been to countless galas and had managed to charm so many stallions, always using the right words and the right tone, adorned with strategic body language. But for a train wagon, she couldn’t find words appropriate enough, and wondered if any words would be appropriate enough, and not sound silly. “Well there you go, Miss Rarity,” the stallion said, his voice soft but with a deep undertone, not giving the slightest hint of the embarrassment which Rarity felt. “Eh…” Rarity struggled with words. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it, it’s my job,” the stallion said with a smile. As close as he stood before Rarity, she could see three little freckles on his face. They gave him a rather cute appearance, but somehow they were in harmony with his rough features. His hide was as blue as the sky Rarity had just seen, and his mane dark and shiny, combed back and only leaving just enough hairs out of place to accommodate his rugged look. Emerald eyes stared back at Rarity, and a gentle smile curled his lips. Suddenly, one of his eyebrows raised, but his smile didn’t disappear. “Eh… Miss Rarity?” “Yes?” “You do know that you have to pay for that.” A shock went through the Rarity’s body, traveling upward through her neck and to her cheeks, where it appeared as a red blush. “Oh, yes, of course.” With a chuckle of awkwardness, Rarity looked down and fumbled around her, as if her wallet was lying on the bench, which it wasn’t. She dared to glance at the stallion. He still stood there with all the patience in the world, still smiling. Then his green eyes turned to the ground as well, but not in shame. “Ah, of course, there’s my bag,” Rarity said, and shoved it from underneath the bench. She jammed her hoof in the bag, pulled out her wallet—violet, matching the bag—and handed the stallion a few bits. “Thanks,” he said, and began fumbling in his pockets for change. “Oh, please keep the change,” Rarity said, still thinking of something more romantic to say. “How nice of you. Thanks.” Then the stallion stepped away from Rarity’s seat, his job done. Rarity didn’t even have the chance to say something back; she knew she’d lost him as the wheels of his cart started squeaking. But then, the stallion turned his head around, looked at Rarity, winked, and said, “My name is Whistle Tone, by the way.” He swished his tail, revealing a cutie mark in the shape of a train whistle with a musical note, then he continued his way to another hungry passenger. A smile, accompanied with wide-open eyes marked Rarity’s face, and she knew from that moment that she would never complain about steam whistles again. Ever. But still Rarity knew that she had lost him, and her heart felt heavy. With a sigh, she held her head in her hooves and decided to stare out the window a bit, even though there were just rocks to look at. The train had passed through the Galloping Gorge, and the land started to become flatter and flatter. There was one more piece of lowlands between the Gorge and the first mountains which would mark the borders of the North. How exciting and interesting the landscape had been between the mountains and the valleys in the Galloping Gorge. Now the land was just flat grass, which occasionally bore the heavy weight of some boulders; some small; others bigger, but nothing interesting to look at. Even the sky had become more boring, as it was now nothing more than a white soup with some specks of blue, nothing more, nothing less. But Rarity still looked at it, as she didn’t dare to look back into the train wagon until she would hear the sound of the door’s hinges. Suddenly, Rarity felt something on her shoulder. “Miss Rarity, are you feeling okay?” Rarity’s head jerked around, and Whistle Tone withdrew his hoof. “Oh, please excuse me.” “Oh… Oh don’t worry,” Rarity said, determined not to blow it this time. “I’m quite okay.” “Good.” Whistle Tone bore his smile that came with his service, but this time it looked more than that. More genuine, as he really was concerned about Rarity’s absent look through that window. But if that was the reason, why didn’t he talk to that staring stallion opposite of Rarity? “Are you going to the Crystal Empire?” “I am,” Rarity said, forcing her voice into a natural tone. “I am… eh… getting something for a friend of mine.” “Ah, I see.” Did Whistle Tone’s smile waver for a second, or was it Rarity’s imagination? But then Rarity realized her mistake. “She is… eh… gone.” Whistle Tone’s smile disappeared, and he closed his eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. My condolences.” “I mean… not gone… She’s alive I mean. She’s just… sick. Yes, she’s sick.” Oh, how could I lie to him! But the stallion saw that Rarity had no idea how to tell the actual events to him, so he put on his smile again, this time more comforting and genuine than before. Whatever the case, he decided to say something nice to this confused mare. “Well, then you’re a very good friend, traveling all the way to the Crystal Empire to get a nice present for her.” “Thank you very much, she and I we—“ but then Rarity frowned. “Wait, how do you know I came from far?” Whistle Tone’s smile became even broader, curling the corners of his stubble-covered muzzle. “You’re Rarity Belle, aren’t you? The famous fashion designer. I reckon there aren’t that many Rarities in Equestria.” Rarity blushed a second time. “Oh my, am I getting that known already?” “You sure do. Well, how could you not, right? You’re making beautiful clothes.” “You are too kind.” Suddenly, a steam whistle went off. Rarity jolted and put her hooves to her ears, but Whistle Tone stood unmoved, having heard that sound a million times before. In a flash of thought, Rarity realized she must probably look like a fool. “Oops, we’ve already arrived. It should actually have been me blowing that whistle. I hope the engineers aren’t angry, hehe.” Then he looked at Rarity, closed his eyes, and made a shallow bow. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Rarity. I hope we’ll meet again soon—oh, and give your friend my regards.” Rarity wanted to say something back, but before she could, Whistle Tone was already gone and the only trace that remained of him was the sound of the door’s hinges. The Crystal Empire looked just as brilliant as the last time Rarity had visited it. Leaving the train station behind, Rarity trotted over a street as shiny and blue as the sky above. Rows of beautiful crystal houses sprouted on both sides. Even though Rarity had visited the city a couple of times, she never lost interest in the exotic design of the Empire’s architecture. Gleaming crystal walls, dotted with small windows made of transparent stone, supported little spires which jotted out of the buildings like needles. They looked as if they might break at the slightest breeze, and it gave the whole city a feel of delicate beauty, which had to be carefully preserved with gentle hooves and gentler minds. Ponies walked by, and Rarity could easily separate the tourists from the locals. Not only because the tourists wore sunglasses against the brilliant shine and cameras to save some sparkling memories and capture the beauty of the city, but also because of their looks. The crystal ponies were as shining and cheerful as their city, and every time Rarity saw one of them, he or she was smiling and trotting with a light and delicate step. But Rarity paid more attention to their manestyles, which were much different from how the residents of Ponyville wore their manes. The stallions’ manes and tails were carefully combed and brushed, and looked to be made of silk. Pure perfection, Rarity thought, not a single hair out of place. And the mares. They preferred to tie their mane in gorgeous braids and ponytails, waving along with every step. More often than not, crystal pins and brooches adorned their coiffures, which made their appearance even more striking. If Rarity would be here on a pleasure trip, she would definitely have walked slower, just to gaze at the beauty of the city, and perhaps trying to find some inspiration for her latest pieces of fashion. Rarity reckoned that the Crystal Empire would inspire anypony who set a hoof on its streets. But Rarity wasn’t on a pleasure trip at all; she was on a mission. And so, trying her best to keep her focus and not get distracted by anything or anypony, she marched straight ahead. Passing town square, with its little boutiques and shops, and a giant ruby statue of Spike in the middle of the crossroads, Rarity halted for just a little moment to gaze at the Crystal Palace. She was careful to stay out of its shadow, so she wouldn’t miss one tiny shiny detail of the enormous spire. Shining a brilliant blue, the Crystal Palace looked just as delicate as the other buildings, but it surpassed everything in beauty. Purple banners hung down the enormous pillars, fluttering in the breeze and making the snowflakes on them bend in odd shapes. The pillars were supported by a graceful arc, bearing the rest of the structure like a frozen waterfall. “Would you like me to take a picture for you?” Rarity didn’t know how long she had been standing and gazing at the Crystal Palace, but the voice of a mare brought her back to the present. She was standing next to her with a camera in her hooves. No doubt she was amazed by the beauty of the iconic palace as well. “No thank you darling,” Rarity said. “I’m just here to visit.” “Yeah, me too,” the mare said. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” “Yes, quite.” But silently Rarity laughed, because she meant that she was going to visit the palace itself, and not just the city. “I’m sorry but I must be going. Have a nice holiday.” “You too, Miss,” the mare sad back, but raised an eyebrow as she saw Rarity trot towards the palace and disappearing into its shadow. Rarity’s hoofsteps made the sound of chiming triangles as she climbed the blue crystal stairs. Two guardponies with feathered helmets stood watch, and adjusted their stance as they saw the unicorn approach. “I would like a request with Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, please.” “Of course,” the right guard said. “No need to be so formal, Miss Rarity. Please proceed after me.” And with that, he turned around and opened the enormous doors, which were a semi-transparent blue, and adorned with golden studs. They gave the castle an open and welcoming look; not at all like the impenetrable doors of a great stronghold. They walked through a couple of shining hallways, before the guard left Rarity alone in what appeared to be one of the many living rooms in the castle, as there were many chairs and tables, and even a crystal hearth. The only things that weren’t made of crystal were the logs in the shiny fireplace. Rarity walked over to one of the richly-decorated chairs, studied its design for a minute, and then sat down. She looked across the room, taking in every detail. Unlike Twilight’s Castle of Friendship, the Crystal Palace was built in height. The roof was way higher than it needed to be, upheld by slim columns and arches that looked too thin to carry their weights. Everything was either transparent or semi-transparent, giving the whole room an airy feel, much like the buildings of Cloudsdale, which were made of pure air and weaved clouds. Windows were very scarce, and most of the light came from high chandeliers, which somehow managed to shine their light all across the room. As Rarity looked closer, she noticed carvings on the walls, right where they met the roof. At first Rarity thought they were just pretty symbols, but after gazing at one design for a minute, she saw that they were like paintings, chiseled out of the crystal with surgical precision. They were ponies, standing around one single statue; a stone in the shape of a heart, casting rays all over the ponies who cheered in delight. I wonder if I can get somepony to make this above the door of Carousel Boutique, Rarity thought. Perhaps an image of Opal and I? With an almost musical clinking sound, the door opened, and Princess Cadence walked inside, followed by her husband. “Rarity,” Cadence said, “how wonderful to see you again.” Rarity stood up and offered a shallow bow. “Your majesties.” “Aw, don’t be so starch, Rarity,” Shining Armor said with a laugh. “We should be bowing for you. What brings you to the Empire?” A blush spread on Rarity’s cheeks. “Thank you so much for seeing me. I… eh… How should I tell this? I am on a very important mission.” The serious tone of Rarity’s voice made both regents lose their smile. “Rarity, you sound stressed,” Cadence said. “Why don’t you tell us what is troubling you over a cup of tea?” Rarity nodded. Cadence called a servant, and requested tea and coffee. The coffee was probably for Shining Armor, as he looked like Flurry Heart still kept him awake at night. Within minutes the tea and coffee came, and the ponies sat down on the crystal chairs. “Rarity, you know you can tell us anything, right?” Cadence said. “If there’s anything we can help with, you just have to ask.” Rarity sipped her tea and put down the cup. “Well, actually, you might be able to help me. That’s actually why I’ve come here. Twilight has sent me to get crystals able to store an enormous amount of magical energy, and she knew—and so do I—that the finest magical crystals can only be found in the Crystal Empire.” Princess Cadence tapped her chin with her hooves. “I see. Did Twilight give you any specifics like size or hardness?” “She did. I have a whole list here.” And with that, Rarity pulled a rolled-up parchment out of her bag and floated it to Cadence in a glow of magic. Shining armor grabbed the parchment with a flash of his horn. “Let me see. I know some things about crystals.” But when he unrolled the thing, the paper cascaded down like a waterfall, under the table, under Rarity’s chair, until it finally bumped against the wall. Shining armor made a face. “Well, at least these specifics are… well… specific.” Rarity saw that Princess Cadence could barely hold her laughter, but her face straightened when Shining Armor rolled up the parchment. With a bit too serious face, she said, “So what do you think, Shining?” “I think that we should get a specialist to take a look at this,” Shining said, his mind still a bit groggy from all the data he had tried—and failed—to absorb. How can unicorns even write that much without falling asleep? he thought, as he reached for his coffee. “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Cadence said. “I will call for the head of our mining operations in the Crystal Empire.” Shining Armor stood up. “Don’t worry about that, love, I’ll go get him myself. I’ve been inside the whole day and I think it’s good for me to stretch my legs.” And with that, Shining armor hurried out the door, the roll of specifics floating after him in a blue cloud of magic. Then, Princess Cadence burst into a chuckle, followed soon by Rarity. “Oh, I love that confused look on his face,” Cadence said. “Thanks to Flurry Heart, I see that look more and more often.” “Yes. I must admit, he does look rather cute when his eyes look like that.” Princess Cadence grinned, and took a sip of tea. “Typically Twilight, being so organized and thorough on the details. What does she need the crystals for anyway?” And then Rarity had no choice but to tell the princess of the Crystal Empire everything that had happened. At first she didn’t want to tell it, feeling that it wasn’t quite appropriate. Rarity had seen the feelings of shame and guilt radiate from Twilight’s sad eyes, and she had thought about keeping the accident a secret as long as she could, just to help Twilight process her mistake. But now she told it—everything. Rarity told Cadence about the machine, about Fluttershy and the lightning bolt, about the accident and the strange fictional world she got beamed into. All the while Cadence let Rarity talk, although her expression spoke volumes. “Oh my,” she said once, when Rarity told her who the unfortunate victim of the accident was. She ended her tale with the council she and her friends had held, and what their plans were to get Fluttershy back to Equestria. “Poor Fluttershy,” Cadence whispered. “Out of all ponies… Fluttershy.” Rarity turned her cup around in her hooves, even though it was empty. “I can’t imagine what she must be going through, the poor dear. I just hope she found some animals who can take care of her. At least, those are my most hopeful and positive thoughts. I try to hold those thoughts close; they are what gives me strength.” Rarity sighed. “I just hope we will be able to get her out before that hideous monster makes his home in the Greenwood.” “Yes,” Cadence said, although her voice was absent and soft. She shook her head. “I just can’t get my head around the fact that Twilight asked Discord to lend her some magical energy. He is quite an unreliable individual, if you ask me. I have heard the stories…” Rarity nodded. Then, suddenly, her expression brightened. “That’s true but… But couldn’t you lend Twilight some magical energy? You are an alicorn, after all, and then I save Applejack and Pinkie Pie the trouble of going to that maniac to ask for that favor.” “I’m afraid not, Rarity,” Cadence said, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. “Even though I am an alicorn, my magic specializes in warmth and love. What you need is teleportation magic, and not just any teleportation magic, but teleportation magic able to rip through the fabric of not only time and space, but also fiction and reality. I do have knowledge of teleportation, but I doubt it’s powerful enough to reach for imaginary dimensions.” Rarity’s ears flattened against her head. “I see.” Then, Princess Cadence stood up, and lifted Rarity’s chin with her hoof. “Don’t worry, Rarity. If there is anypony clever and resourceful enough to get Fluttershy back, it’s Twilight Sparkle. I will bet my reign that Twilight will be able to save Fluttershy. I truly do.” The princess’s voice was gentle, but warm and strong. Rarity felt her most joyful memories of herself and Fluttershy drift into her head on a soft, warm cloud. Perhaps it was Cadence’s voice, or perhaps the magical energy she radiated and the love flowing on it, but Rarity felt better—much better. “Thank you,” she said, blinking away a tear. She sat upright again and looked Cadence in the eyes. “Would you please not tell anypony else about it? I am sure Twilight feels even worse than I, and I am certain that she would like to keep this delicate matter as discreet as possible.” Cadence grabbed hold of Rarity’s shoulders. “I promise.” When the princess let her go and returned to her seat, Rarity wiped a few tears off her cheek; her mascara was probably ruined now, but she didn’t care. Princess Cadence swished her tail to the side and bent her legs to sit down. But she didn’t even have time to install herself in comfort, as the crystal door swung open. “I got him, Cadence,” Shining Armor said, as he walked into the room. The outside air had certainly done him good, as he looked much more refreshed, and content of the completion of his mission. Next to him walked another pony; the head of the Crystal Empire’s mining operations. He stepped forward and made a shallow bow, but not to Princess Cadence—to Rarity. “Hello again, Miss Rarity,” Whistle Tone said, and flashed a funny smile. It was a good thing Rarity had placed her cup on the table, otherwise she would most certainly have dropped it to the ground. “Whistle Tone? But you are… I mean… eh…” Then she recomposed herself, as her sense of etiquette took over. “A good afternoon, Whistle Tone.” Whistle Tone raised his head and bowed to the princess as well. He had a yellow mining helmet in his hooves, which he swung back on his head as he raised. A yellow vest with reflective stripes covered his barrel and made him look more like a builder than a miner. But stains of black dust and his dirty hooves proved the fact that he was certainly somepony who worked underground. He waved his tail, which looked just a tad scruffier than in the train, and a few crumbles of rock trickled on the floor. Both Cadence and Shining Armor looked at Rarity and her flabbergasted face, then to Whistle Tone with his sly smile, then back at Rarity. “Do you know him?” Shining said. “Yes… eh, no… I mean, yes!” Rarity blinked. She certainly hadn’t expected to let that handsome stallion surprise her again. But Whistle Tone helped her out. “I am simply dying to show Miss Rarity my enterprise. May I ask your permission to leave, your royal highnesses?” Shining Armor opened his mouth to ask one of the many questions that had popped up in his mind with this strange and somewhat awkward encounter, but Princess Cadence cut him off. “Yes, of course. You have my leave.” “Great!” Whistle Tone made two little jumps. “Let’s go, Miss Rarity. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.” He nudged with his head, turned around, and swished his tail while heading out the door. “But… But…” Shining armor said with a stutter. “Rarity is in a bit of a hurry, Shining,” Cadence said to him. “She really has to leave as quickly as possible, that would be for the best.” And Rarity knew that would indeed be for the best, but she felt more than a bit reluctant now. While Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, Cadence immediately saw what was going on here. With a flash of magic, she lifted Rarity off her chair, and dropped her on her hooves. “Come on, you two, let’s go.” Only with a last magical nudge did Rarity find enough savvy to follow Whistle Tone out the door, leaving the two regents of the Crystal Empire behind. It was afternoon, and the sun floated high in the sky, making the shadows narrow and the crystal buildings shine. Rarity and Whistle Tone soon left the city center with its cafés and boutiques behind, and walked through the neighborhoods where the inhabitants of the Crystal Empire had made their homes. Rows and rows of cheerful, multi-colored houses accompanied the two walking ponies on either side, and although they looked absolutely gorgeous in the sunlight, Rarity had no eye for them now. She had questions, alright, but she couldn’t yet ask them. And so they walked in silence for a while. Rarity with a tense expression, feeling the awkwardness of this situation, while Whistle Tone walked with a light step and a lighter smile on his face. “You didn’t see that one coming, did you?” he finally said. “I’ve seen miners with a less baffled look before they discover a hidden diamond.” To the sound of his voice, Rarity jolted, but then she realized how ridiculous she was behaving in front of Whistle Tone. He’s just a stallion, Rarity thought. Just talk to him. She took a deep breath and then started to talk. “So I understand that you are both the train conductor and the head of the mining operations?” “Indeed I am,” Whistle Tone said, with pride in his smile. “But conductor is just a sideline job. My real passion is mining.” “Oh.” Rarity paused for a second to think about how to pose her next question; she decided to go for the direct approach, but properly worded. “And why, may I ask, do you have two jobs when mining is the one where your heart lies?” “A fair question, Miss Rarity,” Whistle Tone said. “But the answer is actually quite simple. I just like two professions so very much, that I cannot choose between them. Surely you must have multiple things that you like to do as well.” Rarity thought for a moment, and realized that he was right. While she was a fashion designer at heart, her creative spirit also felt right at home at drawing. Often she would draw the designs she would make before she started picking the fabrics, and Rarity did enjoy the drawing process almost as much as the sewing and crafting. Rarity hadn’t expected such wisdom from a pony as scruffy-looking as Whistle Tone. It made him all the more interesting. Slowly, Rarity she felt the tension and awkwardness disappear. They were just two ponies, who happened to have met on the train, enjoying the land’s weather and a good conversation. They left the neighborhoods behind and entered a new part of the Crystal Empire. To Rarity, it looked as if they had stepped from one world into another, much like the way Fluttershy now lived in Middle Earth. The buildings became rougher, cruder, built for function, rather than fashion. The funny little spires disappeared, and the windows became even more scarce. The crystal had rough edges and seemed to be less shiny than the buildings in the center of the Empire. Soon, they became a far cry from the palace itself. The gardens became wilder; the grass longer; the bushes less tended to. “This is the part of the Crystal Empire which they don’t show you in the touristic brochures,” Whistle Tone said. “Situated here are the corporations, the enterprises, and the factories which form the backbone of our society. Do you see that building over there?” Rarity followed the stallion’s gaze towards a big crystal building. It looked like a pink cave which had sprouted from the earth itself. Rarity had a hard time appreciating the crude design; it wasn’t her style. “It’s brand new,” Whistle Tone said. “They built it only a week ago. It’s actually a workshop where they smelt and cut the crystals which, in turn, are used to build even more buildings. Not very pretty, maybe, but necessary.” Rarity nodded. “But anyway, I’m trailing off. In fact, we’re almost there.” Whistle Tone’s gait sped up, and they now cantered through the industrial part of the Crystal Empire. They continued like that for a while, and Rarity started looking at the buildings and the streets again with a renewed appreciation. The streets gradually became a little more busy, as the end of the afternoon meant that the working day for many ponies would be over soon. As Rarity looked, she saw that even the ponies looked different in this part of the Empire. Most of them didn’t even wore fancy gowns or clothes at all, and the ones that did wear something showed off their function, rather than their fashion. Sturdy denim, work boots, checkered shirts with many pockets, helmets and tool belts; obviously worn by workponies who were going to go back to their families and their homes. Their manes were scruffy, and haphazardly styled into a ponytail or bun at best. Even though they remained crystal ponies, and their hides were sparkly and shiny in the lowering sun, many ponies’ hides were stained with grease, oil, sand, dust, or other kinds of filth Rarity wasn’t going to guess at. All of them looked tired, and walked slow. But they looked also… content. More often than not, Rarity saw them standing in groups on the streets, drinking and discussing their days with each other. She felt a kind of connection between them, as if they were all neighbors of each other, even though they lived in totally different parts of the Empire. It intrigued her. Somehow, this part of the Crystal Empire started to intrigue Rarity more and more with every step she took. Rarity was just going to ask Whistle Tone more about what she thought, but her breath got taken away by an enormous building right in front of her nose. “Tadaa!” In terms of design, there wasn’t much special about it. It was just its size. Like a gigantic mountain, certainly thrice the height of the Ponyville town hall, it loomed over the two ponies, certainly not welcoming them to come inside. Rarity couldn’t even begin to guess how big it must be from the inside, so she just continued staring at the walls. Of course they were made of crystal as well, but of different colors. Rarity spotted at least five different colors of crystal, and she reckoned that the thing had been made out of different clusters of minerals, because one cluster would certainly not suffice. “Quite impressive, isn’t it?” Whistle Tone said, as he saw Rarity’s open-mouthed expression. “Quite.” Whistle Tone chuckled. “Don’t let the outside fool you, from the inside it’s mainly empty. It’s one of our storage buildings, and there’s really nothing much interesting inside. Just a whole bunch of crystals and some workshops. But it’s not the storage building we’re looking for, but the chute. It’s over there.” Whistle Tone pointed, Rarity looked, and once more, she was amazed by what she saw. An enormous wheel, slowly turning, even bigger than the Ponyville Eye at the local funfair, stood next to the storage building, partly obscured by the enormous crystal structure. It too, was made of crystal, but at some points it was reinforced with steel bars and nails, giving the whole structure both a rickety and sturdy look at the same time. Like a spider web, many cables ran to and from the wheel, connected to a dozen smaller, cog-like wheels, but connected to the same axis. When Rarity looked closer, she saw something glittering in the carts, which looked tiny from where they stood. Slowly but steadily, one of the carts hovered over one of the smokestacks of the storage building, tipped, and dropped its valuable load into the smokestack—which wasn’t a smokestack at all—and into the crystal behemoth. Then, it followed its cable once more, turned around at the bottom of the wheel, and disappeared into the mining chute. The whole thing looked like a ski-lift; a ski-lift for gems. “If you like this already, wait until you’re inside the tunnels,” Whistle Tone said. He nudged with his head and trotted towards the great wheel. Rarity saw the cheerfulness through his step; an almost foal-like enthusiasm. When they reached the bottom of the wheel, Rarity saw that there was an elevator too; a metal cage-like structure which hung over a black abyss. They both stepped in. “Get her down, Cog.” “Yes sir,” a pony with a grey goatee said. He pulled one of the many levers he was operating. Rarity felt a shudder go through the cage, wobbled, but managed to grab the railing. Then they went down. Soon they were surrounded by total darkness. Rarity heard a click, and then a beam of light shone from Whistle Tone’s headlight, pointing to some of the bars of the cage. “Put one of them on, Miss Rarity,” he said, gesturing towards a few hooks with mining helmets attached to them. “They will save your life, trust me.” Rarity grabbed one, inspected its cleanliness, frowned, but then put it on her head anyway after tying her mane up into a ponytail. The cage rattled and clanged as it went down, and Rarity figured it was probably the most uncomfortable ride she had ever experienced. She decided to distract herself for a bit, and tapped Whistle Tone on his shoulder. “How deep are we going?” she said, trying to make herself understandable over the sounds of scraping metal and rattling cogs. “As deep as it goes,” Whistle Tone said with a smile. “The closer we are towards bedrock, the harder the crystals become, as there is more Equestria pushing on their heads, thus increasing their hardness. Am I making sense?” “Certainly,” Rarity said, although she didn’t fancy the idea of going to the bottom of Equestria. What if something happened? Then she would be trapped in a deep, dark hole where nopony would ever find her. Rarity swallowed, and forced her mind to think of other things. Occasionally, a cart full of crystals zipped past them on its way to the surface, climbing faster than the elevator descended. Suddenly, they heard singing, and Whistle Tone looked down. “Hey Trowel, I shouldn’t do that if I were you!” Whistle Tone shouted towards a grey pony. He was sitting right on top of a pile of crystals in a cart, sailing upwards with an enormous speed. The cart with Trowel passed the elevator in the blink of an eye, but his laugh rolled through the chute. Even though he was already out of view, his words echoed to the two ponies in the elevator. “Ha! Elevators are for foals, Boss!” “Fine!” Whistle Tone called after him, “but I’m not responsible for any accidents!” Then he looked back at Rarity, with a smile on his face that said, ‘Don’t be surprised, this is just the way we do things here.’ Rarity had no idea what to say. With a clang, the elevator came to a sudden halt. Whistle Tone turned a lever, and the cage doors opened, revealing nothing but a black void ahead. “Don’t worry, it gets lighter when we reach the main chamber,” Whistle Tone said, and moved on ahead. They walked through the tunnel, which was small and claustrophobic. Even though Rarity had been underground more than a few times to collect crystals for her dresses, she felt like an outsider in a strange land. The caves she had been in had been nothing but rocky outcroppings, and when those caves plunged deeper into the earth, it would never be for long until it would reach a dead end. And then again, Rarity never needed—or dared—to go that deep, as most of the crystals were at the top of the caves, and when the trail of shiny gems would lead further down, Rarity would simply stop and choose another cave; there were plenty of them in the mountainous lands surrounding Ponyville. The quietness of the cave, the dust, the ominous clip-clop of their hooves; they sounded strange. Just the idea being that deep in the bowels of the earth made Rarity uncomfortable, even though she had a more than experienced companion to guide her out again. “Hey there! Are you okay, Miss Rarity?” Whistle Tone said, looking at Rarity’s unsteady pace. “Eh… yes, I’m fine, really,” Rarity said. “Well, you look a bit nervous. Do you have experience with caves?” She wanted to say ‘yes,’ then ‘no,’ then ‘maybe,’ but decided to stay quiet and focus her attention on not fainting, even though she knew it would be a bit rude not to say anything back. They continued for an hour maybe. There were a few side-passages, but Whistle Tone ignored them. They stuck to the main tunnel, which was the biggest one, and which was good, because Rarity would probably not handle the oppressive atmosphere in any smaller passages. Suddenly, Rarity stopped. “Did you hear that?” “What?” Whistle Tone said.  He turned his ears around in every direction. “That sound.” Rarity did the same. “I’m sorry, Miss Rarity, my hearing isn’t that good, I’m afraid. Drills and detonations have worn it down a bit. So what are you hearing?” Rarity focused on the sound. It sounded like a rumbling; a very low sound echoing through the tunnels. It sounded like the snoring of a sleeping dragon, or perhaps the first sounds of an earthquake, heralding its destructive tendencies. Rarity hoped it wasn’t either of the two. They walked further. Whistle Tone assured Rarity that there was no creature to be afraid of, and that earthquakes have never threatened the Crystal Empire.  Then, Whistle Tone heard the sound as well, and he laughed. “I’ll show you what it is, Miss Rarity. It’s certainly nothing to be afraid of, trust me.” It was singing. A chorus of rough stallion voices was singing a song further down the tunnel. Rarity could only pick up separate words or phrases, but as they neared, the song became louder and clearer. A few minutes later, they had reached their destination: the central chamber. Rarity totally forgot about the song, as she entered the enormous space. Many wall-torches  and lamps illuminated a room the size of princess Celestia’s throne hall. On either side, big plateaus had been carved out of the rock, supported by wooden or iron scaffolding on which many crystal ponies were busy working and singing. They slammed their pickaxes against the rock in a rhythmic cadence, and sung along to the primitive drum sounds. “Wow!” Everywhere Rarity looked, there were crystals. Most of them stood like enormous columns in the walls, partly buried in the rocks as if they were plants who rooted themselves in the earth. Some of them gave off a faint colored light, but all of them sparkled and glittered. Red, blue, purple, white, orange, green; every imaginable color was there. At their base, ponies were busy digging them out, while others separated them into smaller chunks. Rarity saw a primitive iron set of rails running through the chamber, on which half-empty carts were riding to and fro. Everypony was busy; everypony had a job to do. It looked like a giant ant-colony—an ant-colony of ponies. “Quite something, isn’t it?” Whistle Tone said. He looked at Rarity, who was frozen in place. “Hello! Are you still there?” He waved a hoof in front of Rarity’s muzzle, then poked her to see if she was still alive. “Hey, I know a good way to unfreeze you.” Turning towards the rest of the miners, he shouted, “Hello, everypony! Meet my friend Rarity! Why don’t you guys give her a warm welcome with the song? You know what song I mean, let’s give her a taste of our noble work!” A couple of ponies looked in their direction. Some gave Rarity suggestive whistles or shouted greetings to their boss. Then, a group of loaders started a new song. After a couple of retries, everypony was singing along, and soon the cave was filled with the sound of harsh voices and steel against rock, as they accompanied their melody with a rhythm produced by their pickaxes. We are the ponies of the mine, mine, mine Digging for crystals that look fine, fine, fine With every rock we strike, It is the sound we like We will be digging for a time, time, time Born underground, Raised in the tunnels, Don’t need no sky We never tell a lie Honest working folks, Toiling in the earth, Sweat raining down, We never even frown Tough as the rocks, Harder than the gems Proud ‘till the bone We never even groan We are the ponies of the mine, mine, mine Digging for crystals that look fine, fine, fine With every rock we strike, It is the sound we like, We will be digging for a time, time, time Pegasi they fly, Unicorns they cast Strong is our deed The only thing we need Vital our task, Need for our effort By our enterprise The crystal buildings rise Tired from the work Filled with contentment Don’t need no breaks We’ll do what it takes We are the ponies of the mine, mine, mine Digging for crystals that look fine, fine, fine With every rock we strike, It is the sound we like, We will be digging for a time, time, time We are the ponies of the mine, mine, mine Digging for crystals that look fine, fine, fine With every rock we strike, It is the sound we like, We will be digging for a time, time, time The song ended. A few ponies set in another verse, but most of them continued with their work, or perhaps they allowed Rarity and their boss an opportunity to discuss things in private. “I can’t believe it,” Rarity whispered. Whistle Tone turned his head and his ears towards Rarity. “What?” “They look so… content, satisfied, and… happy.” “Of course they are,” Whistle Tone said. “Why wouldn’t they be?” Rarity took a moment to find the right words; she didn’t want to be rude. In that time, she looked once more at the working miners. They yelled, cursed, hacked, hauled. The air was full of metallic sounds, and the air smelled of machine oil, dust, and sweat. “Well, the work seems so… dirty and heavy and uncomfortable. I sometimes go to find crystals in caves myself, but I always make sure I know my way out, and that I don’t tread in caves any longer than necessary.” Whistle Tone nodded. He thought about his two jobs; one underground, and the other in the train. When he was in the train, working with the passengers, he had to look as proper as possible, while in the mine it didn’t matter how he looked, as long as he worked hard. The two jobs were a stark contrast, as clear as night and day. “I understand what you mean, Miss Rarity, and I am not at all insulted by your words. The answer to your question is at the same time simple and difficult. First of all, look at their cutie marks.” Rarity did so. All of the ponies had cutie marks shaped like things that had something to do with mining. An enormous stallion, pushing forth a cart with unimaginable strength, had a big, black boulder on his flank. Another, smaller stallion had a broken pickaxe; he was busy repairing the pickaxes that had been destroyed by the strain of the hard work. A third stallion, pink with an ashy-grey mane, bore a set of crystals, all different in color. He was looking through some glasses at small shards of crystal, perhaps determining the value or the location of a new deposit. When Rarity looked closer at the pony, she saw that it was not a stallion at all, but a mare with a short mane. “I see that they all have cutie marks which show their affinity with the mining work,” Rarity said. “But still the work is hard and dirty. Surely there must be another reason why they do what they do, and why they like it.” Rarity thought about the many hours she spent at the sewing machine in her light, pretty boutique in Ponyville. The mine was so different. Even with all the effort in the world, she couldn’t possibly imagine herself working here in the mine, toiling over heavy carts or striking rocks with a pickaxe all day long. “You’re right, there is,” Whistle Tone said. “But think about it. What do ponies need? Ponies need food and drinks to stay alive. Ponies need to have fun in their spare time. Ponies need friends who love them and a family for which they can care. My workers do their jobs here to earn bits so they can buy food and toys. And we’re all friends of each other here; we trust each other. And for the family bit, even if somepony here doesn’t have a wife or children, we still care about each other’s lives. In a sense, we’re all one big family here.” Rarity nodded. “But it sounds so simple. Don’t they all have dreams or ambitions? Something to live for?” Whistle Tone gave her a knowing smile. “Aren’t friends and family things to live for?” To this simple and striking answer, Rarity shuffled on her hooves. “Yes… yes they are. But… but—“ “What are your dreams and ambitions then, Miss Rarity?” Whistle Tone said, trying not to interrupt Rarity too harshly. A simple question. “I want to be a famous fashion designer,” Rarity said. “That is my dream.” “And that is your answer to the question.” Whistle Tone gestured with his hoof to his workers. “They will never be famous—at least not to the world. The world will never know them. But you know what the thing is? They don’t care. As long as they have love and friendship around them, be it family or friends, they are satisfied. It may sound harsh, but they don’t have any ambitions, nor do they need them. Being without ambition is not a bad thing, Miss Rarity. It can be very freeing, and it’s easy to be satisfied that way. But don’t be fooled, for we do have a goal.” Rarity frowned. “But you just said that they don’t have any ambition.” “No individual ambition. But you know, Miss Rarity. Our ship may have no name, but it does have a destination. We reach this destination every time a cartload of crystals flies to the surface. Remember the building I showed you? The workshop?” Rarity nodded. “It is built with our crystals. In fact, almost every building in the Crystal Empire has been built with the crystals we dig up from this mine. We literally helped to establish the Crystal Empire from the beginning. That is our goal, and that is where we can get satisfaction from; knowing that we are the ones who made the Crystal Empire grow—crystal by crystal.” Once again, Rarity nodded, not knowing what to say. “In a sense, these miners working with rocks, metal, and crystals are the same as you working with fabrics, threads, and needles. The only difference is that we have a collective goal, while yours is a mission you pursue alone.” Rarity took in all of Whistle’s words, and suddenly felt ashamed. Was she really so selfish, trying so hard to make herself known across Equestria? No, she thought. She wasn’t. She made beautiful clothes and fabric to outfit everyone in Equestria; the rich, the poor, the somewhere-in-between. But wasn’t that something petty and unimportant? These ponies literally made the Crystal Empire rise. But then again, they were ambitionless, and their work was only the first link in the chain that would sprout new buildings from the Empire’s crystal soil. There also had to be workers who shaped the crystals into columns; unicorns who gave the crystals magic and made them shine; builders who would connect the crystals to form walls and roofs; craftsponies able to make chairs, tables, and bookcases; and… interior designers to make the place look nice. Carpets, curtains, vases, paintings; all things that were not essential, but might be important to the inhabitants of the house. It wasn’t that Rarity’s work was unimportant; it was just farther in the chain—the last stage of the building process: a spit-and-polish. Rarity closed her eyes and nodded. “I understand, Whistle Tone. In fact, I understand exactly what you mean.” She stuck out her hoof in a polite hoofshake. “Thank you.” “Oh, don’t thank me yet,” Whistle Tone said with a chuckle. “We still have to find you those crystals. But let’s get rid of everypony else first, so we can get them in peace and quiet, shall we?” And with that, he walked over to a pole, from which a chain dangled down. Whistle Tone yanked the chain, and a steam-horn started screaming through the room, the sound amplified a hundred times by the echo of the vast space. Rarity jumped, but everypony else just looked down at their boss. “Work’s done, earthworms! Time to go home!” Whistle Tone shouted, his voice almost as loud as the horn. In a loud rustle of hooves, the workers started wrapping up their tools and equipment, and flooded out the cave, eager to be the first to arrive at the elevator and be the first to hug their family. Only one pony remained; the mare with the short mane, which Rarity had mistaken for a stallion. “Boss, you wanted to see me?” “Yes, Roselite. Meet my friend—or, well, acquaintance, Rarity Belle.” Roselite stuck out a hoof. “Good to meet you, Rarity.” There was a second of doubt whether or not Rarity was going to shake Roselite’s dusty and muddy hoof, but decided to do it—for the sake of good manners. “Roselite here registers all of the minerals we dig up,” Whistle Tone explained. “She then categorizes them according to the color, hardness, transparency, weight, and possible uses. Recently, we—“ “We discovered a couple o’ rocks we just couldn’t crack.” Roselite said, interrupting her boss. “They’re really awesome. You know, we didn’t know what they were, so we had to come up with a cool name but, you know, us miner folks aren’t that creative I’m afraid. I’ll show them to ya. Perhaps you’ll be able to come up with somethin’.” Then Roselite turned around and walked towards her workstation; a table strewn with minerals, magnifying glasses, boxes, paper, and more minerals. Rarity and Whistle Tone followed. “Here they are,” Roselite said. After fumbling for a minute in one of the many crates, she revealed two minerals and placed them on the  table. They weren’t even that big; just slightly bigger than a buckball. They looked really crude, like a work of art from a student who had never before touched the actual materials. “I’m really sorry for the shape, Rarity,” Roselite said, “but we just couldn’t cut or shave the darn things.” Rarity took one of the crystals off the table; it was colored a pale pink. She felt the weight of it in her hooves, and only needed to cast one single glance at it to know that this would be the one. This would be the crystal which would free Fluttershy from Middle Earth. This would be the crystal that would save her friend. And, as if fate played a trick on Rarity, the other crystal was a different color; a light yellow. “I really don’t know why they’re different colors, you know,” Roselite said, picking the other crystal up and tossing it in the air a few times. “Maybe they’re different kinds, although their hardness is the same.” But Rarity didn’t care, she just looked at the yellow crystal sailing through the air. Then Whistle Tone stuck out his hoof, snagged the yellow mineral out of the air, and handed it to Rarity. “So what do you think, Miss Rarity? Are these the crystals you seek? They do seem to accommodate to all the specifics prince Shining Armor has shown me.” “Yes,” Rarity said, picking up the other crystal and turning it over in her hooves. “These will do.” Whistle Tone clopped his hooves together. “That’s great, then we can go back and—“ “But what about the name?” Rarity looked up at Roselite. “I beg your pardon?” “Well, you gotta think of an awesome name for the crystals. Crystals without a name bring bad luck.” “I see.” Rarity frowned in thought. “What about… Flutterite?” “What? That’s a ridiculous name,” Roselite said. “I mean, the things aren’t exactly fluttering, as I’ve just demonstrated you. But, you know, whatever makes you happy…” And with that, Roselite grabbed an organizer, flipped it open to a table, and jotted down underneath ‘name,’ ‘Flutterite.’ “There, done.” She closed the organizer and put it back. “Can I go home now, Boss?” “You sure can, Roselite. I’ll see you next—“ “Alright. Bye Boss! Bye Rarity!” And before anypony could say anything, Roselite had already disappeared through the tunnel. With a smile on his face, Whistle Tone turned to the two minerals. “Allow me,” he said, and slipped them in his saddlebags. Together they walked back through the tunnel towards the elevator. They didn’t speak, and in the silence, Rarity thought about Fluttershy and about the rest of her friends, who were probably also very busy with their own quests. Then, a smile appeared on Rarity’s face, and she looked behind her at the big chamber of the mine, now nothing more than a lantern-lit speck in the distance. If everypony else has that much fortune on their quests, Rarity thought, then Fluttershy will be back in the blink of an eye. I wonder how they are doing… emb%[0c=9