4 hours, Meyer went off with the colt for 4 hours, eventually Twilight had taken charge when storm clouds had rolled in and set up the tents so the squad could rest. Course, despite several locals passing, nobody though to warn them that the rain was acid, and after several burns and the destruction of all the tents the squad had manage to huddle in a hollow under an overhang, dirty, cold and reeking of acid.
Each of the unicorns had taken turns keeping a shield up to prevent any of the foul water from getting in, but despite their efforts it seeped through the mud, past the shield and filling the bottom of the muddy hollow. "Oh god, is this where Acid duty is?" Rainbow comments a couple of the Pegisi nodding she explains for the other pony's "It's considered the worst duty, and they barely would tell us about it. If you were posted to Acid duty you had to wear heavy clothes to protect you, because the clouds would literally burn your flesh away. We all had to take classes in it in-case one of the clouds escaped their zone." The ponies look very concerned finding out that their were place in Equestria that weren't as nice as Ponyville.
Meyers get's back late, wearing a poncho and looking very grumpy. He brings gifts, acid resistant blankets and plastics, and after another hour the hollow is at least safe to hide in. Before they can ask him questions he curls up in a corner and starts snoring, eventually Twilight asks one of his senior soldiers "Is Meyers from this Valley?" the mare answers "Sorry Classified, I doubt Meyers would let us tell you unless Celestia ordered him to, though I doubt she would dare too." She moves her hoof across her lips, as if she was zipping them closed.
Other then the sentries the rest of the soldiers cuddle together, keeping warm in the best possible way, after a while, making sure to bandage Twilights injury's the Elements join them. Just as they drift off to sleep they note how odd it is to be posting sentries this deep in Equestrian territory.
They awaken in the morning, and slowly the soldiers untangle themselves from the miserable pile. It reeks, but at least it's the smell of dry soldiers. Meyers is already armoured up, apparently capable of impossible feats of speed and sleep deprivation. The elements already note he's yelling out the senior mare that Twilight had been talking to. Soon the group is formed up outside the hollow, quite a few noses wrinkling at the disgustingly strong smell of acid.
Meyers approaches the Elements and is that ever so annoying whisper-shout tells them "You will be my inspectors, I want you to check out the mine while we talk to the boss. Do not attempt to browbeat these people with any authority you think you have, I am your god, I am authority." He looks pointedly at Twilight then starts trotting back to the mine, the squad falling into formation behind him.
The green stallion was their again, but this time he wasn't along, a large blue pegisi sat nearby idly playing with a knife, Now that they are clean, cleaner in fact than the soldiers were currently, their cutie marks were on display, the green one's mark was a pickaxe embedded in coal, the large one had a hammer striking a pickaxe head as if forging it. He stands as they approach, using his telekinesis to flip the blade around a few times.
The green one tips his mining helmet "Sorry Super Trooper, their was an accident in the mines, the boss had to make his way down to the bottom of shaft seven to work it out." The elements not that Meyers eyes look angry, but before he speaks the green one continues "Looks like he will be indisposed for the whole day." the larger one chuckles as he flips his knife around. "Better waky early morrow, have to try to catch the boss before he leaves on his trip." The green one throws him a look and he goes quiet.
"After all that you... we agreed..." Meyers starts but the green one hold his hoof up "Icedew, theirs no need to get emotional, we all know how well that goes for you." The Sarge turns and starts walking off, looking annoyed.
Twilight speaks, noting that Dash is livid at this point, Rarity hair is in a mess, Apple appears to be snorting, and Pinkies hair is so flat you could cut something on it. "Really, your going to try that? With the Elements of Harmony standing just a few feet away your going to attempt to impede out progress with Red tape and Blackmail. Listen buster, we are going in and finding your boss. No peon is getting in our way."
She glances at Meyers who looks shocked, and is about to say something, the green pony speaks first. "You ain't my Harmony, and you don't want to start any trouble or some dame might get hurt, maybe one that throws the sun around."
Twilight wants to hit him, she really does, but with a crack Rainbow is no longer next to her, and both of the bad pony's lie on the ground, at best concussed. Frozen in place just past the entrance stands Rainbow who says "Meyers, you coming?" almost accusingly.
They enter the mine, no longer being lead by Meyer's who stands near the back quietly, dragging the green pony behind them. They make their way deep into the mountain hearing the sounds of pickaxes dinging off stone and ore. At the entrance to each shaft a wagon stands, pile high with metals and ore, several times Applejack has to put back something that 'fell' into Rarity's saddlebags.
Shaft 3
A few ponies see them coming, and hightail it down the shaft, not looking thrilled.
Shaft 5
As they step past the wagon every sound stops, hundreds of picks stopping in unison, not just a little creepy.
Shaft 7
The first shaft that appears to descend in a spiral a locked door blocked their path, until the door no longer had hinges courtesy of Twilight.
They descend for what seems like minutes, a torch occasionally lighting their way. Eventually electric lights start passing instead, until they arrive at another door, unlocked. Inside they find a large workroom, a large earth pony mare stands behind a desk, tinkering with an even larger cannon her cutie mark a pile of exploding metal parts. Other doors branch off, leading deeper into the mine. The pony behind the desk turns to her guests her smile anything but friendly. "Apparently ponies are degenerating, losing all sense of manners." she sips some tea, and everyone can feel Rarity cringe.
Rarity walks out and slaps down the ingot Magpie Gem had given them "We need to see all your records of all your clients, specifically who you sold this ingot to, we have a serial number so just give us access to the records and we will deal with it and be gone." Rarity even attempts to stare down the Pony like Fluttershy does, but well...
"Well that put's me in a spot of trouble doesn't it, we don't keep records, never have, just stamped the serial numbers on the bars at random. We have so many clients that I couldn't possibly remember them all." A smile, a real insincere smile, Discord himself couldn't do better. "So I guess run along, I can't help you, and I got work." She leans over and starts tinkering with the cannon again.
The silence is deafening broken only by the tiny metal tings of her tools tapping the cannon. Twilight spreads open her wings and points at them "Seriously? did you not notice or..." The mare looks up from her cannon "Your problem not mine, are you lost?" she twisted another bolt then looks back at her work.
More silence, they stare almost not believing their eyes. Anger bubbles under all of them, Dash and Apple are shaking in anger. Twilight quickly tries to remedy this "We're not leaving until we figure this out, and with the power of Celestia we require your help." The mare sighs "Damn it you really aren't going, didn't want to have to risk..." Taking a few steps she swivels the cannon, moving with more grace than Rainbow Dash.
"Suck on it Celestia spawn." She says pointing it directly at Twilight's head.