//------------------------------// // 10 Digger // Story: Alternate Beginnings: Year One // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// March 2nd, 993 Doug stands on the southwest outskirts of Ponyville, near the road along the train tracks towards the Badlands. He has two shovels balanced on his shoulder and a large duffel bag over his back. The various ponies that walk nearby do their best to not draw his attention; most walk slower, some cross to the opposite side of the road, and a few upon noticing him turn around to go a different way. Some of them seem more curious, but are content to watch from a distance. News must have spread by now of his and Applejack’s relationship but not one pony has come up to him or said anything. Doug sighs, thinking that he should have picked a further spot from town to wait for Rarity. Soon enough, the white mare strolls down the road, dragging a small red cart behind her with her magic. She smiles upon seeing him, dropping the cart at his feet and looking at him expectantly. He looks down at the cart; the handle is far too low for him to grab easily, and the walls of the cart barely come six inches from the base. Though, he supposes, it really depends on how many gems they will find. Rarity seems to use a lot of them on the costumes she designs, so perhaps they were more common than back home. As Rarity continues looking at Doug he shakes his head. “Unless you have a longer handle for this, I think it would be too difficult to drag around. I did bring these bags like you asked; hopefully they will be enough to handle the gems we find.” Rarity inspects the bags; they look to be repurposed grain bags with straps crudely sewn on, reinforced with multiple layers. “Well. I suppose those will have to do. Though I might need to…” Rarity lifts the backpack off Doug’s back, taking a look at the stitching. She shakes her head, taking a needle and thread from one of her saddlebags while levitating over to Doug a set of thick gloves, socks, and boots. “I do hope the gloves fit; it was difficult to figure out how they will ride on your hands. Let me know if anywhere needs reinforcing or padding.” The pair begins to walk down the road, much to the relief of the ponies who were standing around watching them. Rarity’s magic plays in the air, restitching the straps and reinforcing the various seams. Doug takes the boots and stuffs the socks inside before tying the laces in a knot and looping them around his neck. He puts the gloves on, flexing his hands before making fists and punching his hands together. “The gloves fit very well, thank you. Maybe a little too much insulation for work this time of year, but it will be great when it gets cold.” “Oh, it was no trouble at all. Thank you for coming with me on this expedition of ours.” “Of course, it sounds like fun. So, is that what your cutie mark represents? Finding gems?” “Oh, it is so much more than that! My cutie mark represents how I am able to find the beauty in, well, just about anything and bring it to light! Why, I knew I was going to be a fashion designer when I was a filly, and I was asked to create the costumes for a play…” After several hours of walking Doug and Rarity are about to leave the comfortable shade of the forest. They have stuck to the train tracks leading southwest out of Ponyville. They set up a small picnic near the path to the desert around Ghastly Gorge. Doug pulls out a wrapped sandwich and hands it to Rarity, who takes it with a smile. He takes out a jug as well, though Rarity declines the water. They finish the meal quickly, and Rarity gives a short burst of magic from her horn. She shakes her head as Doug turns his head at her, so he continues packing up the picnic. He asks, “So, how far do you generally go to find the gem deposits?” Rarity looks to the sky, then around the forest. “Well, the better gems, the larger and more elusive ones, tend to be in the Badlands proper. However, that is a bit more than a day trip away, and the ones I can find here near Ghastly Gorge are… sufficient for the work that I will be doing. Though I will have to go to the Badlands when I create some of my higher-end work. Speaking of, did you know the Summer Sun Festival will be held in Ponyville seven years from now?” “Don’t they hold that celebration every year? You told me you were designing dresses for it before.” “Well, yes, of course Ponyville and just about every town will hold their own celebration, but this will be the main event! Why, Princess Celestia herself will make an appearance, raising the sun before all! I should get started on some of those outfits now!” Doug puts a comforting hand on Rarity’s back as she gets a frantic look in her eye. “I wouldn’t worry about that just yet. We should definitely plan a trip to the Badlands, though.” This snaps Rarity out of her frenzy; she replies, “That will be your first trip outside of Ponyville, would it not? Well, besides this one, of course.” Doug shrugs as he finishes packing up, “I guess it will be. Though I did a fair amount of travelling before I wound up in Equestria.” Rarity exclaims, “Oh darling, we must go somewhere more luxurious than the Badlands. It will be your first trip after all; we should go somewhere where you can see the sights! Have you ever seen Canterlot?” Her face takes on a dreamy expression as she imagines herself going there. Doug shrugs again, a slight frown on his face. “Outside of a picture? No; it looks beautiful, I’ll grant you that. I don’t think I’d enjoy it that much, though.” Rarity shakes her head, “Oh, you must! Why, the sights alone would be worth it! The designer stores!” Doug laughs, “Yeah, you can keep all those. You’re the only designer pony I need to know.” “Oh, you’re just saying that.” Rarity gives a small blush as she looks around. Doug shrugs, lacing his boots before the pair walk away from the tracks. After a few minutes of silence, Rarity’s horn lights up again and she gives a squeal. “Oh, I found some! Over this way, I’ll make a mark on the ground and you dig.” They make their way over to a nondescript section of dirt and Rarity draws a ‘2’. Doug sets his pack down, taking a few smaller bags from his main pack and setting them next to the ‘2’. He asks Rarity, “So, what kind of gems are you hoping to find here? Any special ones?” as he begins to dig. “Well, my spell lets me know the kind of gems as well as their location. It’s mostly rubies, sapphires, amethysts, a topaz or two, and some emeralds. A nice mix of gems, but nothing extraordinary.” Doug shakes his head at the casual mention of the gems. The soil is compact and dry, but the fist sized rocks move out of the way quickly enough. After digging two feet down he unearths several gems, making a small pile near the bags. “Is this all of them?” Doug stares, incredulous at the size of the gemstones. At Rarity’s nod, he asks, “Do you sort them beforehand, or once you get home? Any system I should know of?” “Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ll be going over them with a careful hoof once we get back home regardless, so whatever works for you. If we find any special ones you can bag those separately, I’ll let you know if we do find any.” Doug peers closely at one of the gems before dropping them inside one of the smaller bags. He places the empty bags back inside his pack before grabbing his shovel and the half-full bag. He stands, following Rarity to the ‘1’ she has drawn on the ground. “So, how do these gems come to be scattered around like this?” “Hmm. Well, Pinkie Pie might know more of the specifics; she did grow up on a rock farm and all. I believe it has to do with how the different ley lines on Equus interact with the magic field; the pockets tend to fluctuate, and that change makes these pockets of gemstones. Why they form in the manner they do, I’m not entirely sure. They tend to need some polishing and minor cuts, but I try to use them in their more natural state.” The pair makes their way to their fourth ‘2’ as Rarity continues describing how she crafts her various dresses, how her different color choices complement each other, and what the different style choices mean. As she starts to describe the various fashion trends in Ponyville, many of which she is creating herself, she notices they have run out of gems in the nearby area. She looks over to Doug, who is leaning on a shovel looking at her expectantly, and then at the sky. She thinks about how long they have been digging, plus how long it took them to get there. Glancing at the pack Doug is carrying gives her little idea as to how many gems they have found, though she is able to make a quick count by thinking over the piles they have dug through. “I hope you don’t mind staying out too late; there shouldn’t be any trouble as long as we make it back to the tracks by moonrise. I was hoping to get to at least one more area, preferably two, before heading home.” “That’s fine with me. Hopefully none of the predators want to mess with the big bad human.” Rarity gives a nervous laugh at that as the pair makes their way to the next area. Night falls as the pair make their way back to the train tracks. The expedition has been a success; while Rarity was unable to find any of the more lucrative deposits, the pack around Doug’s back holds many more gemstones than her cart would have. Plus, by not exposing the semi-precious gems to anypony who looks, they are able to keep a lower profile. Not that Rarity thought anypony will mess with the six foot biped, but it doesn’t hurt to not attract attention. Rarity’s imagination starts running as she imagines timber wolves leaping from the forest, branches cracking as they bound closer and closer! Doug would… what would Doug do? Would he valiantly defend her from the wolves? Or would he hobble her to give the wolves an easier target as he ran away? Rarity glances over to Doug to see him munching on a sandwich while scanning the forest, keeping a vigilant watch as they walk along the tracks. She lets out a quiet sigh as she turns her attention back towards the trees. She briefly notices the glimmer of eyes staring back at her from the woods, but when she blinks and looks again they are gone. Feeling a little more fearful, Rarity walks closer to Doug as she continues watching the forest. When something unexpected brushes against her flank she gives a yelp and spins around, horn flaring. Upon seeing a slightly amused Doug staring back at her, she lets out the breath she was holding and lets her horn power down. “Oh, I am sorry, Doug, I’m just not used to walking around this late at night.” “Heh, maybe next time we’ll have to leave a little earlier. That will let us- what is that!” At Doug’s horrified expression Rarity spins around, horn flaring again. She doesn’t see anything along the forest edge, and a rapid scan leaves her more frantic as she can’t make out anything in the dark. She turns around to see Doug continuing to walk along the tracks, laughing. Rarity gives out a huff and trots up to him. “That was not funny, you, you… ruffian! Playing with a mare’s fears like that!” “Just admit, I got you good. There wasn’t anything out there.” Doug saying this does nothing to calm Rarity’s fears, as she knows that Murpony has heard him. She continues frantically scanning the forest edge, again coming dangerously close to bumping into him. “Would you feel better staying close to me?” Rarity can hear the apologetic tone in Doug’s voice as she turns to look at him. He has his arm raised in an inviting manner, and Rarity happily trots next to him, almost rubbing her flank along his. His arm comes down and she gives a slight shudder as his hand starts rubbing her withers. Doug breaks the silence, "Do you do a lot of the cutting of the gems yourself?" Rarity nods; Doug scratches his chin with his free hand while Rarity looks up, feeling a little more nervous without the contact. Doug puts his hand back on her as he asks, "Do you think you could cut me a set of dice from the gems? I mean, I'm assuming the gems we found aren't incredibly valuable or anything." Rarity laughs, "Oh dear, no, I would not mind that at all. What kind of dice are you talking? Six sided?" Doug gives Rarity an admiring look, "Oh, you know of the different dice? I didn't know I had a connoisseur of the fine art of gaming on my hands." "Oh, I wouldn't go that far, darling, I just happen to... know a pony or two who may have asked me to dabble in their depravity." Doug clutches his chest, "You sure know how wound a man, Rarity. I don't know if we have enough extra gems from this trip, but I was hoping to get a set of dice in at least six colors. A set as in a four, six, eight, twelve, twenty, and two ten sided dice. The clarity wouldn't matter that much, and in fact I would probably prefer ones with more imperfections." Rarity thinks to herself before responding, "Well, I'll have to take a close look at the gems we found tonight. If you don't mind waiting, then I'm sure we will be able to find enough on our later expeditions. How soon do you want these dice?" "Oh, no rush. Just something I've been thinking about preparing, but Applejack keeps me quite busy at the farm." Rarity nods and the pair continue the rest of the journey home in relative silence, Rarity feeling much better with her proximity to the towering biped. As they near Rarity’s house she looks up to him as he adjusts the straps on his backpack. She finds herself missing the contact already as she opens the door to the Boutique. She walks in, though Doug hesitates a little as he follows her inside. “Where would you like these gems?” Rarity ponders the question. Something doesn’t feel quite right… she feels herself get a little flustered at the thought of ordering Doug around. “Oh. My bedroom will be perfect.” Doug gives a shrug as he walks through the entryway. “Which rooms is yours?” “Up the stairs. Just give me a moment to freshen up.” “Alright. By the way, how did you keep your mane and tail looking like that the entire time?” “Oh, you like it? I’m afraid a mare can’t give away all of her secrets.” Rarity walks out of the room with a coy smile on her lips. Doug shrugs again as he heads upstairs, peering into the various rooms until he comes to one that he guesses is Rarity’s room. He puts the heavy pack down in the least used corner, but doesn’t dump it out just yet. He sits down, stretching his legs out ahead of him. Moments later Rarity comes in, a smile on her face. “Oh. Let’s get the gems over… here, shall we?” She points with her horn to the opposite corner by her sewing machine, and Doug stands up, grabbing the backpack. “Right here?” “Yes, that will be marvelous. Now, let’s take a look at our haul, shall we?” “As you wish, Cap’n!” Doug replies with a mischievous grin. He takes the pack and upends it, a cascade of gems flowing out. Rarity estimates the pack contained over sixty pounds of gems, a sufficient number for her upcoming line; not bad for a day’s work. Rarity pushes herself up against Doug as they watch the gems fall and bounce around on the carpeted floor. She looks up at him, asking, “So, see anything that you like?” Doug drops the pack off to the side, one arm coming down on the mare’s side while the other idly scratches his chin. “Well, I’ve always liked reds and blues, but none of these gems really catch my eye.” “Oh? Are you looking for something more… purple?” A sultry look comes over Rarity’s face as Doug continues to scan the pile of gems. “Hmm…” Doug scratches Rarity’s side, the look on her face disappearing into a contented moan, which she attempts to stifle. “I think it would be more like a cobalt, or dark blue.” This snaps Rarity out of her stupor. This stallion was either completely oblivious to her advances, or he… wait, her advances? She stops pushing against his hand, which is rubbing deeper into her side. While it feels really good, and she wants to feel those hands rubbing all over her, she won’t go behind her friend’s back like that. So, maybe he is resisting her advances because he doesn’t want to disappoint her or make her feel bad? Well, it isn’t working very well, because she feels just awful now. Doug voice rouses Rarity, “Hey, everything all right? You went quiet there.” Rarity does her best to smile up at him, “I assure you, everything is fine. I just… I think it would be better if you were to leave. It is late, and I am sorry for the suddenness, but you know how mares are with their beauty sleep.” Rarity tries to give Doug a winning smile, but she feels it comes out hollow. Doug seems to notice, a hint of sadness on his face. “Hey, it’s okay, Applejack likes to get to bed early too. I guess I’ll see myself out. Have a good night!” He tries to end on a cheery note, some disappointment briefly appearing on his face. Rarity tries to go for a goodnight kiss but reconsiders halfway through, planting the kiss on his shoulder instead. Doug laughs as he gets up, ruffling the top of Rarity’s mane. “Hey! Watch the mane, mister, I spend hours on this style!” Doug just chuckles and waves as he walks out of the room, leaving a slightly fuming Rarity to grab a mirror and check her mane. “Stallions,” she mutters to herself before taking another glance at the pile of gemstones. She decides to leave the sorting for tomorrow during one of the unfortunately frequent slow periods at her store. She will also need to ask Applejack more formally about courting him, if she still feels that way in the morning.