//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three: Emerald Blast 
// Story: Cobalt and Emerald 
// by Cerulean Swirl 
//------------------------------//

EMERALD
Getting permission was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. First I had to convince my mother to cancel all my photoshoots, because she’s my manager(I didn’t ask her to be, and she’s an annoying manager). Second, after the photoshoots were cancelled, I had to somehow get out of Ponyville and into Canterlot castle without being bombarded with fans. Third, I had to ask Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the most powerful mares in Equestria, to use their private mine to mine for a jewel to wear for the Diamond Gala. Piece of hay. 
Plus my mother would probably get lots of angry mail saying about deadlines, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.
The first morning I had free I got up before the sun and flew as fast as my wings would take me to Ponyville Gem Shoppe, and of course, Cobalt wasn’t there. I borrowed a quill and scrap of parchment and wrote Cobalt a note:
Cobalt: 
Went  to  Canterlot   castle  to  ask  permission  to use  the  mine.  Will visit when have answer.
-Emerald
I went back to the Golden Horseshoe for my sunglasses and a black fedora and my bit bag. Then I flew to Ponyville Train Station and bought a ticket for the seven a.m. train to Canterlot. I had to sit in the station for a bit, but I bought a cup of hot grass juice and sat enjoying it. 
The train finally got to the station and it was surprisingly all empty. The only other ponies there were an old stallion with a polka dot bow tie and glasses and a mare and her sleeping foal. I found an empty train car at the front of the train and sat down. I had nothing to do so I laid down right there on the train seat, and though it was a short journey to Canterlot, I took a little nap. Before I knew it, the conductor pony was saying we had reached our stop; Canterlot. 
I was the first off the train and into Canterlot Train Station. The grand city was just waking up, and I knew Princess Celestia would be raising the sun very soon. I hoped nopony would spot me and recognize my black fedora. I had once confided in a reporter pony that I always wore a black fedora when I was out in public. That’s how so many fans could spot me because my favorite hats were fedoras, and I had a green fedora, but today I had opted for black. 
I grabbed a taxi and the taxi pony quickly took me through Canterlot up to the castle, where there were guard ponies everywhere. I paid the taxi pony some bits and got off. The taxi pony and his taxi sped off in the direction of the city. I was alone with all those burly guard ponies, who eyed me, suspiciously. Great. Now what? I was here, but there was no way I would get an audience with the princesses unless I requested it. I’m not sure if she’d see anypony this early. I trotted up to one of the guards.
“Excuse me, do you know where I could see the princesses?” 
The guard looked at me before responding gruffly:
“Do you have an appointment?” 
“Uh, no.” I said, squeezing my hoof.
“Then you can’t see the princesses.” he responded, and resumed his post of watching around him.
“Where might I go to get an appointment?” I asked.
“Go to the Canterlot Offices.” he said, shortly.
“Okay, and where might THAT be?” 
“Second building to the left of the flower shop.” he said.
“Thank you.” 
I walked down the steps of the castle and walked back in the direction of the city.
From the castle I decided to save my bits and walk to the flower shop, but since I’ve never been to Canterlot…I had to get another taxi. I counted two buildings until I reached the second, which was a grand white building with purple designs and a golden turret. I went inside.
There was a long entryway, and a big desk near the end of the hall. I walked all the way down the hall to the big desk, where a mare in a suit with a Hooftooth was looking at something on her desk that was invisible to me. I cleared my throat. She looked up, spotted me, and then remained expressionless and businesslike.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes. I would like an appointment with the princesses.” I declared.
“Okay, the next appointment with their highnesses is in six hours. You can wait there.” she said, pointing a white hoof over to a row of velvet seats. 
“But there’s nopony here! What could the princesses be doing for six hours! I can’t sit there! I have plans and other things!” I protested. She looked at me, and rolled her eyes.
“I’m sorry, sir. But the princesses have important business today. Their only shred of free time is in six hours. Take it or leave it.” 
“Fine. I’ll take it. I’ll return in six hours.” I said, turning to leave in a huff. 
“What name should I put you under?” she asked.
“Blast.” I said, turning. “Emerald Blast.” 
“THE Emerald Blast?” she said, and I detected a hint of giddiness to her voice.
“Yes.” I said, and began to trot out of the building.
“I suppose I could squeeze you in, since you ARE a busy celebrity….and I wouldn’t want to waste your precious time.” she said, hesitantly.
“How many hours do I have to wait?” I asked, turning and ready to whip out the celebrity attitude. 
“No wait,” she said, and handed me a slip of paper with purple scribbles on it. “Go right to the castle.” 
“Thanks,” I said, and gave her my best smile. I turned to leave.
“Before you go,” she said, and I heard rummaging in the desk. “Can I have your autograph?”


I found my way back to the castle. I was used to that treatment. Once that pony knew I was famous, they let me right in. Just an ordinary treatment, as a matter of fact.
I was in front of the surly looking guard I had spoken to earlier. I had only been at the Canterlot Offices for about an hour. Thirty if you don’t count me giving that pony autographs on all the Post-It notes she had in her desk, and there were quite a lot of them. I only wrote my autograph on five, the rest I just wrote random phrases like ‘Hello’ or ‘Cheese’ or stuff like that. I’m sure that pony will sell them no matter what they say.
“I have an appointment,” I said, and showed the guard my slip. He took it from me and read it.
“Go right in,” he said, and his horn glowed. The grand doors opened.
Once I was inside, the doors shut with a great bang and scared me right out of my fedora.
“May I help you?” asked a majestic voice from across the room.
I turned to face Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on thrones across the room. I trotted over in front of them and bowed. 
“Your majesties,” I began, removing my fedora and sunglasses. 
“Ah, Emerald Blast. What brings you to Canterlot?” asked Princess Celestia.
“I do hope you like this wonderful city.” said Princess Luna. “It is a marvel, isn’t it?” 
“Yes, very much, your majesty.” I said, turning to Luna.
“Your highness, as you know, your Diamond Gala is coming up.” I began again. The princess nodded.
“I was searching for the perfect gem to wear to your gala in the Ponyville Gem Shoppe, and the mare there, Cobalt Star, told me the perfect gem for me was the Shamrock Sapphire. The only possible way for me to get the gem is to mine it, and it says in the mineral book that it can only be mined in the Canterlot Mine. I came to Canterlot to ask you if I may mine with Cobalt in the mine for my jewel?” I finished, and looked at the princesses. 
They looked at me. Then they looked at each other. They seemed worried. 
“Would you kindly excuse my sister and I for a moment?” asked Princess Celestia. The two spread their wings and flew behind their thrones. I couldn’t hear much of what they were saying, because they whispered heatedly. After what seemed like hours, they came back and resumed their places on their thrones.
“You see, Emerald Blast, that mine…it is very old. It has been around since Star Swirl the Bearded’s time. There are a lot of deep dark trenches that if you fell down, it would end your life if you weren’t a pegasus. It is very dangerous….” said Princess Celestia, her face full of worry and seriousness. 
“The only reason we are granting you permission to go into the mine is so you can get the gem. I haven’t seen a Shamrock Sapphire in ages!” said Princess Luna.
“I hate to think about what might happen to you. I badly do not want you to go into the mine, but you are a pegasus, and you are taking a companion. But I am giving you this.” said Princess Celestia, levitating two things to me with her magic.
One was a cord. The other was a pretty chain. Each held the same crystal shard that was glowing green, pink, and blue tightly onto one another.
“If anything were to happen to you or your companion, you are to squeeze this shard and my sister and I will come rescue you. If you are going into the mine, I will send extra security down with you. But you must promise that whatever happens, you will be extra careful in that mine. Do you understand?” said Princess Celestia.
“Yes, your majesty.” I said, carefully.
“Good. We will see you tomorrow, bright and early, in front of the mine.” said the princess, and with that, she opened the grand doors with her horn. I spent the rest of the day in Canterlot, enjoying the scenery and the shops. I never got to do this on a regular day, so it was like a vacation. I took the three o’clock train to Ponyville. 

Back in Ponyville, I was on my way to the gem shop to tell Cobalt we were going mining when I bumped into my mother, whose face was filled with anger, worry, and stress.
“Just WHERE in Equestria WERE you today?” she cried, angrily.
“I told you I was going to Canterlot for the day!” I protested.
“Do you have any idea what I’ve been doing all day?” she cried. Before I could answer, she shouted: “LOOKING FOR YOU!” 
“I have been searching everywhere, running all over the daylights looking for you! I wanted to know where you were, because you missed ALL of your appointments and I have gotten some very angry calls from ponies who wanted to see you!” 
“Mother! I am not a colt anymore. And its also time for you to retire from your manager’s job, because I simply CANNOT have you as my manager any longer. You know what? You’re FIRED.” I said, and flew off. I thanked Celestia again silently for being a pegasus so I could fly away from my earth pony mother, who was still screaming at me to come back and how could I fire her.
It was my company. I could replace her easily, because lots of mares and stallions have offered to be my manager, but my mother always declined because she was. But the truth was, it was always sort of decent to have my mother around, even if she was really annoying. She has done a few things in my career that have really ticked me off, though. For example, the first time I got to shine on the red carpet was when my mother made me wear something other than a tuxedo, and since I was just starting out, the only thing in my wardrobe that was fancy was an orange velvet suit. To this day I am still referred to as ‘The Pumpkin’. 
I was in the shop before Cobalt could process my entrance. She wasn’t doing much of anything, just staring into space, her violet glasses askew. 
“Cobalt!” I said, completely out of breath.
“Where have you been?” she asked, quietly.
“Canterlot castle.” I replied.
“Your mother came in today.” she said.
“Oh no. Really?” I asked.
“Yes. She bought an inferno ruby.” 
“An inferno ruby?” 
“In the fire ruby family, but more intense red.” 
“I fired her today, anyway.” 
“Fired her?” 
“Yes. If you haven’t ever seen some of the things she’s made me do in public….”
“The clown suit?” 
“Yes.” I had forgotten about that one. That was even worse than the orange velvet.
“Anyway, I got permission. The princesses say that she’s sending extra security down with us, and she gave us these.” I said, holding out the necklaces.
“What are they?” she asked, looking at them in wonder.
“They’re crystal shards that we can squeeze and the princesses will come rescue us if we’re in trouble.” I explained, and gave her the pretty chain.
“It’s…beautiful.” she said, slipping it on. The crystal looked gorgeous against her cobalt colored coat.
“We meet the princesses tomorrow at the entrance of the mine, wearing these.” I said, and pulled out the shard with the cord and slipped it around my own neck. 
The shards vibrated ever so slightly, and glowed strongly before calming down. 
Cobalt looked at me with her dazzling sapphire eyes, and I felt attracted to her. She was so pretty.
“Well…um…see ya tomorrow!” I said, and whizzed out of the shop. 



COBALT	
The next morning we were both up early. I had the shovels flashlights and my minerals book and he had the food, water, smelling salts, and those cool hats with lights on them. We caught the eight a.m. train to Canterlot, and on the way there we sat across the aisle from each other. We took a taxi to the Canterlot Mine, because neither of us had ever been there before. It was exciting and creepy at the same time. 
The princesses were waiting for us at the entrance of the mine. There was no pavement. There was only dust and a few plants that grew low to the ground. There were about twenty guards there, all dressed in gleaming golden armor. They all looked at Emerald Blast and I, and we stared right back. I adjusted my violet glasses. I’m so glad I decided to wear them today.
“Emerald Blast! So wonderful to see you again.” said Princess Luna, cordially. 
“Your majesties.” we both said, bowing. 
“Do you have your shards?” asked Princess Celestia, and I held up my chain, and Emerald his cord. 
“Good. Guards! Do not let these two ponies out of your sight.” said Princess Celestia, and turned to us. “Remember: squeeze the shards if the smallest thing goes wrong.” The guards parted to reveal a deep, dark hole with a crude metal thing with a cage around it on top of the hole. It was tethered there by strong iron pulleys, and there was a similar pulley attached to the metal thing. 
“This is the only direct way down into the mine. Be careful, and we will stay here if anything should happen to you.” said Princess Celestia, motioning toward the metal thing. 
Twenty guards plus Emerald and I squeezed onto the metal thing and the cage closed around our heads. I felt as if we were in a crab trap. 
A guard near the pulley on the thing grabbed a lever on it and pulled it down, causing the lever to make a creaking noise. Before we whooshed down the hole, I took one last look at the princesses, and the sun. I knew that I wouldn’t see it for a little while.