//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - Mines // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// I was struggling to set myself free as the unicorns levitated me to somewhere. Soon though, I retired from trying and simply took a look around. Aside from the few stares we have earned, I noticed that we are heading towards the falls. The foals were simply staring at us though as the unicorns dragged me to the cave behind the waterfall, where the large cave's entrance is being guarded by two armored unicorns. Hidden behind the loud crashing noise of the falls is the echoing metal sound hitting tough stone. Clanking sound echoed all around as we entered. The cave was lit with shining gems that were stuck on the walls of the cave. They're mostly blue and white and yellow. They gently put me back on my hooves. Not really, no. They levitated me in front of their eyes, and simply dropped me back on my hooves. Good thing that I landed on my hooves and not on my back or stomach. I looked around and found myself in a corner of the cave where large wooden open crates and wagons sat on the cave's ground. Within the wooden containers are pick-axes, helmets, chains? "Hurry and gear up," one of the unicorns said boringly. It's useless to resist. They could simply use their magic to bring me back, or worse... I slightly shook my head as I started scrambling my hooves trying to grab a helmet. 'How to ponies grab stuff with these?' I thought as I looked at my hooves in front of my face for a few seconds before trying again. Somehow, failing to grab a hold of a helmet is making me nervous. The unicorns might be losing their patience. I heard a sigh and one of the helmets was enveloped with magic. It levitated in the air, and locked its place on my head. "Earth ponies..." one of them whispered in frustration. It looks like I'm trapped here for a little while. I need to talk to Twlight again, but with my current situation, that ain't happening, so I might as well play along for a little while. The pick-axe is a bit easy to grab on, and I rested it on my shoulder as my hoof held it's handle. I turned to see the unicorns talking to another newly-arrived unicorn. I heard them say that they're needed back in the meeting hall to discuss their battle plans for the incoming battle. Is the war a phalanx-type of war? As the unicorns walked out of the cave, a very huge and dirty unicorn was walking towards me with a powerful bored expression. "You," he said, pointing his yellow-coated hoof at me, "get back to work, now." It would have been scarier if his tone was angry than boring. I nodded nonetheless, and walked on the path, slowly and carefully not touching him as I walked pass him. As I walked on the wide path of the cave, the echoes of the tools digging through the cave is getting louder, which is starting to give me a headache. At the end of the path is a wide circular space where the ceiling is up high and the ground is dug way down below, probably fifteen meters down from my standing point. Unicorns called my attention, and I walked towards them. They told me to stand on the metallic elevator shaft. With their magic, they lowered the shaft down below in a comfortable pace. As I was lowered, I looked around. Shining gems were placed around the wall of the digging site, shedding enough light to see everything. In the middle of the lowering, I noticed the magic aura surrounding the shaft changed color. I took a peek below, and noticed two unicorns staring back at the shaft with their horns lit up. Maybe those up above could no longer reach the shaft with their magic this far. The metallic elevator shaft landed on the ground soundlessly, and as I walked off of the shaft, the unicorns lifted the shaft back up. Clanging and clacking sounds echoed all around as I stared at the large number of earth ponies digging the earth while some pulled metallic wagons full of metal and gems. In the center of it all was a very familiar white unicorn mare. Her cout was white, almost buried from the dirt that was stuck on her, and her blue mane and tail was short and, unstyled. Her horn was glowing crystal blue, and different parts of the area is glowing from her magic where the earth ponies dig. "Hey," I heard a dark male voice, even though how loud the area is. I turned and saw two muscular earth ponies leaning close and grinning slyly to a surprisingly familiar pink earth mare, though her mane and tail are straight. The mare however, grunted in anger and continued swinging her pick-axe. "How 'bout after today," he continued, leaning close, but a pink hoof pulled him away. It's my nature not to mind other's business, even though I felt in my heart to help them. I have a lot of problems of my own, and I do not want to add other's problems to deal with. It's their own, and they should solve it by themselves. ...I just hope Twilight won't tell me those to me when I get the chance to ask for her help. I shook my head and walked away from the pink earth mare. I saw a part of the cave was glowing where nopony was digging on, so I went there and took my time to get comfortable with holding this pick-axe with both my hooves. After a few pratice swings, where I am sure it won't go flying away, I started digging. It's not as difficult as I thought it would be. The only difficult part was to stand on my two hind legs as I dig. A loud crashing sound echoed all around as I was about to make my twelveth swing. Yep, I was bored, so I was counting the number of swings I made. The place somehow died to silence as all eyes, including mine, shifted to the scene where the two muscular earth ponies were now lying on their side a few hooves away from the angry and heavily-breathing pink earth pony. "Pinkamena!" yelled a familiar voice. It was Rarity, and she marched towards her with a threatening glow on her horn. "How dare you harm my workers!" "Shut your unicorn-blabbering mouth you white piece of ----!" Pinkie Pie angrily shouted back, making the unicornstop on her tracks with a shocked expression. I had the same expression as well. I did not believe the pink earth pony can talk like that! In the series, oh nevermind. Rarity recollected herself and glowed her horn, wrapping the earth pony with magic and violently threw her on the wall. It somehow made her anger slide away. She took a deep breath and turned to the miners with a stare. That was enough for the earth ponies to resume their work. The two muscular earth ponies stood up and went to a different part of the digging site -- away from the pink menace. Rarity turned and walked towards the slowly rising pink earth mare. "You never get tired of visiting the dungeon, aren't you?" Rarity asked icily, but Pinkie Pie simply grunted. "We are short of miners today, so consider yourself lucky, young lady. But heed my warning: harm anypony again, and you'll never see daylight again." Though calm, her voice sent ice and fear with it. "Yes ma'am..." Pinkie replied quietly as she hung her head low. "Very good, now," she trailed off as she turned and went back to the center of the digging site. Her horn glowed, and different areas of the site began to glow as well. I went back to digging. I left at number eleven, so I took my twelveth swing, and then my thir--- A pink pony stood beside me. I spooked and jumped a bit as I turn my head towards her. "Mind if I dig here?" Pinkie asked with a suppressed angry expression. I nodded automatically. If she was able to knock two muscular ponies all alone, how much damage could she give to a skinny earth pony such as myself? That made me wonder about my pony physique. I turned over my shoulder and saw my build. It's normal like in the series though. "Don't worry," I heard her speak quietly. I turned to her, her gaze fixed on the glowing part of the wall. "So long as you won't be going to my bad side, I won't harm you." She must have thought that I was looking at Rarity. But anyway, at least she assured me that she won't be hurting me. I nodded with a slightly small smile. Her respond was to begin digging. I went back to digging as well, and we kept working in silence. I don't like to get to her badside, so I kept my mouth shut, no matter how much I wanted to ask her some, or maybe a lot of questions. "What's your name?" she quietly asked, startling me ever so slightly. "J---Gold Blitz." I almost said my human name. I wonder why pony names are based on items and other things. "I think you've already heard my name," she said without stopping from swinging her pick-axe, "from that little drama I created." Eeyup, but that reminded me something. I gave a side-glance, looking at her back. It's really bruised, after being thrown by Rarity to the wall. That must've hurt. "Are...you okay?" I asked as I noticed her flank is blank from any signs of cutie marks. "Do I look okay to you?" though she kept on digging, her brows turned to anger. "S-sorry," I replied, and we became quiet after that. We kept on digging after we dug out a few large shiny green gems. She grabbed one with her mouth and walked towards the metallic containers near the center. Pick one up with my mouth? No thank you. I grabbed a hold of one with both my hooves, and tried to balance it with hone hoof. Satisfied, I started following Pinkie Pie with three walking hooves. I saw Rarity, shotting me a confused look. Pinkie Pie spat the gem in the container, and walked back towards our area. She walked pass me, and arched an eyebrow before she was gone from my vision. "Too large for your mouth, darling?" Rarity asked with a grin as I dropped the gem inside the container. I replied with an awkward smile as I walked back, and saw Pinkie walking towards the container. She was also holding the gem with one hoof as she walked. "Heh," was all she said as we walked passed each other. Not sure why, but I'm certain she was smiling, though a tiny bit.