Chapter 1
Morning. The arrival of a new day. For many its the dawn of a new chapter in their life. The first stepping stone on their path to greatness or in the very least, a better life. For us though, it's time once more for the daily routine we all have become so painfully use to. The mind numbing routine that has been pounded into our skulls like a sledgehammer to concrete. Beat repeatedly into us until our will crumbles and we accept it as a part of life. For us, the miners of Courtson, an unknown mining town about fifty miles away from the big city of Cantrerlot, this wasn't a fresh start like it is for so many. This was another day to go through the motions of surviving in this town.
This was life for many of us. None of which enjoyed it. Every once and a while we'd get a dreamer brought into this town speaking of the possible wonder and opportunities that awaited us outside of this town. We'd always turn a deaf ear to them. Of course the message would be received and although none would admit it, it did fill us with hope. But we'd never act upon it. Most of us if not all were born in this town. For generations now this has been the norm. You're born, you go to school until you were about twelve years old and then you start in the mines. Although it wasn't always this way. People say that before 'Flim and Flam', a company owned by two brothers, came into town things were much different. But that was so long ago no one truly remembers what it was like, or accurately what it was like. I've heard people tell tales of a chocolate river that used to flow through main street. Silly, but it's a nice story. Of course things changed to what they were to what they are now after those brothers discovered our town was incredibly wealthy with the rare minerals the entire kingdom desired. Quite possibly the largest deposits ever seen. How can you pass up such a business venture like that?
For those few dreamers in town, they would continue to spew out wishful thoughts at those who decided to follow the same path of generations had done before until they would give up trying to convince us and head out on their own. A phrase was always cried to us as they walked down the main street of town as they left, as if they were a one pony parade. "I'll show you all!" was it. They would shout it at the top of their lungs at anyone and everyone that would watch from their front porch or walking down the street, staring at them as if looking at a jigsaw puzzle. They always seemed to have such high hopes at first. But like everyone before them they would return months down the road, broken down like the rest of us.
I was one of those hopefuls. I had been working since I was ten in the mines. Earlier than the rest of my friends. I would have joined them at the same age if not for loosing my father in a collapse one month after I had turned ten. Bills started to pile up and my mom would no longer be able to afford supporting me and my sister at the current rate we were living. I couldn't stand us loosing our house, nor could I stand having to put my sister through being without a home to grow up in, I decided to beg to the corporation that owned the mines. Pleading to them on my knees, sobbing all the while to allow me to work. After considering they agreed to let me work even though I was under aged. And that's been my life since...
A loud screech that echoed through the vast, open range of the mining site bellowed for all of us to hear. A 'Let's get a move on!' would always quickly follow from the sites morning foreman as he exited the mobile office located roughly fifty or so feet from what we called the 'drop'. The drop was a large metal tower that stood above all else. A good fifty foot elevator shooting straight up into the air. And although we only needed the lift to just barely touch the surface, the extra forty feet added additional stability and safety for those who were dipping below.
I slowly lifted myself up from the ground level log bench that rested smack in front of the drop at the bottom of the slope created by the drop. Grabbing my bag with my teeth, I slung it over my neck I started my walk towards the steel structure.
A symphony of gravel crunching and churning beneath the hooves of all the workers could be heard for all to enjoy. It, like everything else, was a ritual to signify the start of the work day. Within a few moments a crowd had gathered around the 'drop', lifeless and soulless. It was always such an uncomfortable silence as we would all stand around looking at one another while we awaited the night crew to emerge from the drop. Nopony spoke a word, just some coughs could be heard partnered with more gravel shifting as some ponies would kick the small pebbles around, avoiding the tension among the crowd.
The drops lift finally arrived to the top and stopped abruptly half way above the surface. With an immense metal crash it would snap up and get into place. That part always killed my ears to no end. From what I could tell I wasn't the only one. Others would pin their ears back and grit their teeth.
With the lift fully stopped the security chain fence gate flung itself upwards to let the night crew out. Some of us would move out the way to avoid being bumped from every which way before getting in the drop themselves while others could care less. Just as quickly as the lift would empty, it would be filled right back up.
I looked over my should and could see our foreman, Stone, talking amongst the night shift foreman. We never bothered to learn the night foreman's name. His wasn't easy enough to be clever with. To all the newbies that would come aboard we'd ask them a question. "What's tougher than Stone? Diamond.". It started out as a morale thing. We figured if we could deal with diamonds all day we could put up with how much of a hard ass Mr. Stone was. Doesn't really mean much to us anymore though. It's now used exclusively to tease those who were still wet behind the ear. A joke that most never catch onto the first go 'round.
I tried to make out what the two foremen were talking about, but with all the hustle and bustle now moving about I couldn't make out a single word. I just chalked it up to being general chit chat and nothing more.
I turned my head back over as I saw Mr. Stone making his way over to the lift. Averting my gaze I could see the lift was just about full. With most ponies well positioned in the back I made my way in. Mr. Stone was always the last to come in, since he was the one that closed the gate to lower the lift down to a predetermined level.
As Mr. Stone lowered the gate down, all of our heads in unison raised up to the sky. For the next ten hours you'd see no sun. Feel no wind. Breath no fresh air. No, you'd be surviving in the dense hot caverns of the mine, working for less than your worth but just enough to keep you coming back for more.
As I looked up at the sky, I could see the sun trying to peer it's head through the clouds. Just begging to brighten up our days. I hated these morning shifts to no end. No matter what day, month, season, this place seemed to be where the sun had grown blind. I can't ever recall seeing a single ray of light pierce through the veil of early morning clouds that plagued this area every morning. I don't know why I even bother looking up anymore, I should have come to expect it by now. I suppose I'm just a hopeful for these kinds of things.
I drew a heavy sigh and lowered my head back down. I always took less of the view in than everyone else. Few realized this was where you could spy the newbies like a soar thumb. They'd be confused as to why we would be staring at the sky like we did. So rather following our lead, they'd look at each of us individually for some kind of sign.
Looking to my left, then my right I could spy three newbies right off. One was a stallion. A posh life thus far from what I could tell. His hair was a royal blue and more radiant than any mares I've ever seen. The other two were mares. One nothing was special. A grey coat, and black mane. She'll fit right in. The other had a deep red mane with an accented streak running through it. She huddled within herself as she gritted onto her lunch pail as tightly as possible. I could see her chest expanding out a mile from the rest of her. That was never a good sign to be seeing that kind of response before we even dipped in. We call those kind screamers. Before the first day is over they'd have a mental break down and freak out to no end. Sometimes screaming louder than most of our equipment. Didn't matter how loud you'd scream, you wouldn't be able to get out. Not until the shift was over. The company didn't care about that, they weren't about to ruin the constant diamond runs just for you.
This had become second nature for me to look for those newbies. You didn't want to be near them when they had their break down. Worse yet, you didn't want to be paired with them. Everyone of us had partners. Safety reasons of some legal BS like that, and it just so happened my partner quit the day prior to today. Luckily if you were out of a partner, you typically weren't the only one. Ponies came and went like clockwork. It made this job all the more shallow, you could never truly learn to appreciate somepony or in the very least remember their name before they were gone.
"Alright everyone! Last gulp!" Mr. Stone yelled out to us. Just like every morning.
You could already feel yourself getting more and more claustrophobic as everyone made everyone feel cramped. 'Last gulp' was Mr. Stones way of saying to us, take your last breath. Enjoy the cold feeling of the air filling your lungs once more. As long and as deeply as you could you would take in your last breath before going down.
Mr. Stone pulled the lever in front of him, clanging the metal with metal. The lift stalled for a moment before stumbling a couple feet downwards before snapping back into it's intended motion. Worming around Mr. Stone made his way around to face us to do the daily sound off. We all got a glimpse of his face before it became overshadowed by the lack of light.
"Alright so we had an incident last night. Level four is going to be off bounds for now, an apparent cave in almost took out three of our own. So, that being the case we're going to be moving downwards to level five. Now when I sound off your name I'll let you know which tunnel you'll be taking today. If you are currently without a partner, make sure to listen carefully. I'm not going to repeat myself."
I closed my eyes and leaned on the neighbor next to me, letting the turbulent rattling of the lift caress me. I cared too little about this part. The other ponies names were nothing more than white noise to me. As the lift continued to descend I could see the light sources from each level through my eye lids only to be replaced with blackness again a few seconds later. Further and further I could feel myself sink down this hole. The deeper it went the more the humidity and heat became abundant.
"Heartstrings, Lyra." I let my eyes open up if only just a sliver, "You'll be taking tunnel 'N' with newbie Roseluck." He announced before flipping the page on his clipboard.
Just my luck I thought. I lifted myself up straight and looked around some. My eyes met with one in particular mare that seemed to be searching for her partner too. Her hair no longer carried the deep red it did outside. It was just another grey mane like mine, like Stones, like everyone else. Down here you seemed to loose color and just become another tool.
'The Screamer...' I thought to myself. It just had to be her.
I let a puff of air escape my lungs as I leaned back onto my neighbor and closed my eyes once more. As the lift continued downwards past level four I let my mind drift off a bit.
I could try and lead her astray to another tunnel... Or maybe never show up to announce that I'm her partner. No, that wouldn't work. Even if I didn't she'd know that I'm at tunnel 'N'. '
A crashing boom of the loose metal gate rattled everypony inside. My eyes slowly opened and I could see the familiar sight of a poorly lit tunnel way, awaiting us to enter it. Mr. Stone wormed his way back around and raised the gate, secured it at the top of the lift and walked out.
"Alright, you all have your tunnels. You all know your assignments. If you got a newbie, show them the ropes of how we do things around here. Remember call out if you run into trouble." Mr. Stone waited a few moments for any kind of questions or comments. There was never any. He knew that but he still did it every day. With none he continued, "Alright, then get to work."
I stood there and let the others make their way around me. Some bumped into me but I could care less, wasn't like my tunnel was going anywhere, I wasn't in any rush to get there. All the others would crowd at the cubby box. For those who didn't have any of their own equipment they'd pick up what the company issued out in the cubby boxes. There was always plenty of buckets, pickaxes, candles, even water. No need to be first in line there. I sauntered out of the lift towards the box where the crowd had begun dying down a bit. A slam of the lifts gate could be heard as Mr. Stone closed it behind me.
By now most everypony had gotten their equipment, gathered their partner(s) and headed off into their respective tunnel. Well that is except for my partner. She was awaiting for somepony, she didn't know who yet, with a look on her face that resembled a foal loosing her mother in the middle of nowhere. She perched herself on her hind legs, looking left and right. With each swish of her head she knocked the large hard hat around, whipping it in front of her eyes. Her forelegs awkwardly held the pick axe she had picked out from the cubby box. She was already struggling with carrying it.
I rolled my eyes at her stance as I made my way to the cubby box. I lifted the top of the box and grabbed my usual. One pickaxe with two replacement heads, a water and a bucket. I tossed each one on the ground and slung my bag that held my lunch across my chest. With little to no care I tossed each item into the bag and slung it back over my back.
"E-excuse me, are you Lyra?" I could hear the voice of my partner. Looking over my shoulder I could see her looking back down at me with a concerned look. "I-I'm suppose to have a partner. I think I heard her name right on the ride down here. I couldn't really tell though, the thing is so loud." She finished her words with a painfully forced laugh. I gave no response to her. Her face changed from a smile as she gulped down. "I figured that, that was you. Seeing as how we're the only others still here."
"Yeah I'm Lyra." I eventually let those words spill out before I got back up to all fours and started making my way to tunnel 'N'.
She stood there for a few moments before she realized that I wasn't going to wait up for her. "Oh, well I'm Roseluck," She said as she bumbled her way to my side as she caught up. "but you don't need to call me that if you don't want to. Most of my friends call me Rose, or Rosie if you'd like."
I didn't respond. It wasn't that I was trying to be mean to the girl. Truly I wasn't . There's just a way to go about this job. Being friendly ain't one of them. You get here on time, you go down, you come up and you get out. There was no time to make friends. I couldn't even tell you my last partners name even if I wanted to.
She spoke up again after seeing how I wasn't interested in responding. "Uhh, so how long have you worked here for?" Quickly followed by "What's it like being down here for so many hours at a time?" followed by a few others that I just didn't even bother hearing.
"We're here." I finally spoke to her.
"Huh? Where?" She asked oblivious. as she bumped into me. Her helmet tilted over and cover her eyes for a moment. Readjusted, she arched her head back and looked up, finally noticing we had been walking into tunnel N this whole time. She must have been so focused on striking up a conversation with me that she hadn't noticed us passing each and every other tunnel up to this point.
"Settle in and get grinding." I told her as I took the sack that was hanging from my neck off. I swung it against one of the walls letting it, and all it contained fall where it may. I got up on my hind legs and grabbed my pickaxe for the day with my forelegs while I clenched the bucket with my teeth.
"Get grinding?" The mare paused for a moment rolling over my words in her head. "But, wait. Hey!" She called out to me as I begun walking away. She scurried back to my side and continued on. "Aren't you suppose to teach me the ropes? Ya know, like the dos and donts of the job? Mr. Stone did pair me with you after all."
I could feel heavy sigh was building up within me. I spat the bucket out of my mouth, letting it hit the floor. "The only reason he paired me with you is because it's required by the company. Nothing more, nothing less. Is it his intent that I teach you? Maybe. But, I'm not going to, I shouldn't have to. You should have already taken the instructional course before getting hired." I turned my head to glance at her for a brief moment.
"Right, I did." She began explaining. "But, it say's here-"
I lifted my hoof up to her face to stop her from her speaking. Lowering my hoof I asked, "What is our job?"
She stared at me for a moment, one of her hooves half way in her bag before blinking at me a few times. "Uhh, well our job is to mine gems. Such as sapphire, ruby, emerald, topa-."
"Good. Now why are we mining them?"
"T-to sell them to a multitude of companies. From Jewelry stores to clothing even to restaurants for those who eat them. Such as drag-"
"I really don't need to know who eat them..." I took a large gulp of air. "You seem to know the basics. You don't need my help." I declared as I tilted my head back to the node I had been eying prior to our discussion.
"But, my book says," She started with again, rummaging through he side bag she pulled out a worn yellow paged book. flipping to a page she seemed to have already memorized by heart. "all employees will rely on their partner while encountering their work. In the event that you are a new employee, you will be partnered with a more experienced employee until it is deemed by your superior that you will no longer need such supervision." She slapped the book back shut and looked back up with a satisfactory smile.
"Uh huh." I didn't want to bother giving her a further explanation as to my reasoning. Instead I simply started my work by striking the first deposit of ruby for the day. The clang of metal to the stone surrounding the precious stone echoed through our cavern quickly followed by the sound of collapsing pebbles hitting the floor.
I heard her give a puff of air off as a retort. I didn't look back but I could feel her eyes glaring at me with a pouted expression on her face. I heard a slamming of her bag to the floor next to mine. "Fine, don't teach me. Doesn't mean you have to be rude."
Those were her last words to me before she turned around and headed to the apposing side of the tunnel. I stopped my striking and watched her as she made her way over. With an elongated thrusting motion she struck with a forceful blow into pure rock. I admit I snickered a bit at her ignorance to the job.
Damn girl doesn't even know how to find minerals. She'll be done before lunch. Turning back to my work I continued striking towards getting the ruby out of the wall.
A little while passed and nothing more was said. every so often the newbie would come beside me and grab my bucket only to bring it back a moment later. Each time she came by I could just feel a glare coming my way. From what I was hearing she was moving a ton of rocks. Probably still looking for a deposit to begin carving out.
She dropped my bucket by my side again and walked back to her mining site as another drop of sweat beaded its way down my nose and onto the ground. My fur had become matted from my sweat and the humidity in the air. My breathing was strained and my muscles were getting weak. I tossed my pick to the side and collapse on my rear end. My hooves were completely blackened by the dirt flying at me from each strike. As I sat there sitting on my end, admiring how far I've come along with my current deposit. It was almost fully cleaned out now.
Must be lunch time. I thought to myself. It's right around the time where I begin to feel exhausted. I admired my progress thus far for a minute longer before moving. I took a few deep breath and closed my eyes a moment before lifting myself back up. I walked towards my bag and rummaged through it for my lunch pail.
"Alright newbie," i Drawled out. "how about you stop striking into stone for a bit and have some lunch." I got no response other than another strike at pure rocks. "Oh come on now, you gotta be tired by now..." I chimed to her as I opened my lunch pail and started taking out my lunch. I heard another strike from her. "Ah I see, I won't talk to you so you wont talk to me eh?" Another strike. "Okay okay. Look kid, sorry if I acted that way earlier. There's a certain kind of culture that comes with this job. You'll learn it-"
What I saw left me speechless. The newbie had already piled through what looked to be twenty feet of solid stone into the side of the tunnel. "Stop!" I called out as I began a erratic sprint towards her, knocking over my lunch pail along with all the contents that remained inside. From the looks of it she didn't hear me, she had already begun winding up for another strike. I called out for her again to stop, this time much closer to her. This time she heard me.
She swung he head back my way. Her eyes covered with her matted down man as sweat rolled off of her snout. I jumped in the air towards her, tackling her down to the ground. A large thud quickly followed by an 'oomph' could be heard as we collided with the ground. He pick axe clanged along side us and all was quiet for a second. I heard nothing until Roseluck struck up in protest.
"What the hell are you doing?! Crazy mare, get the hell off of me!" She hollered as she tried pushing me off from on top of her. I ignored her for a few seconds as I scanned around frantically. Looking left, right, up, down. Every which way I could look I was.
No faulting... Cracks... Shifting... Still looks solid.
I turned my attention back to the protesting mare below. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" I shouted, leaning in towards her. Bad mistake. She got a free shot in at me before I could snatch her hooves out of the air and pin them against her chest.
"Me?! Just what in the hell are you doing! Get off of me already dammit!" She cried again as she squirmed beneath.
"You just begun clearing an entirely new tunnel on your own, without any support beams you moron!" I slapped her across her face in payback before I got back up off of her. She was quiet now, shocked I would take a swing at her. Her hoof rubbed the stinging area on her cheek before looking back to me. "I mean what were you thinking? Look at this," I waved my right hoof above my head displaying the ceiling of the newly carved tunnel. "you think this is safe? You could have gotten yourself killed."
"I know what I'm doing..." She hissed back.
"Do ya? Cause to me it looks like you're aiming for an early death." I paused for a moment as I gathered my thoughts. "This thing could have come down at any moment. Hell if I didn't stop you chances are you'd still be hacking away at this."
"I had it under control already! The manual clearly stated that any new tunnels formed are allowed a total length of thirty feet before support beams are required."
"Zip it. I don't want to hear about the damn manual anymore. It's nothing but words, they're not the law of reality. You never even go five feet without support much less thirty. Too many ponies have been killed over that stupid manual."
"Then why would they teach us it and give it to-"
"I don't need to explain that to you. Just do as I say." I planted my hoof firmly in the ground to finalize my point to her.
Immediately the ground below me began crack. My heart froze in place as I felt the earth below my hooves shift. I jerked my head down and say shambles of what was previously solid ground. I flipped my head back up to see Roseluck with what I assumed was my same expression. Frozen stiff, beaded pupils with bug eyes, breathing strained with an agape mouth.
A last shift was heard before the ground below me caved. Time felt to slow down to a near halt as I begun to free fall down an unknown abyss below me. My sight of Roseluck became less and less as my sight was covered up by the rising ground. I could make her out still though, diving towards me. Gritting her teeth as she fell hard against the rock, forelegs extended reaching for me. Unknowingly I was reaching back out at her. I felt my weight snap from weightlessness again for a split second before I began to free fall once more. I looked up again and could see the ground that was supporting Roseluck now had shattered away as well.
~~~~
Water... Why, why do I hear water? So loud, a constant drip.
I felt a drop of water hit my snout. I scrunched it before I let my eyes open a slit. Or at least what I thought was a slit. I couldn't see a hoof in front of my face. I closed my eyes again before I opened them fully. I still couldn't see anything. My body was in agonizing pain. I couldn't feel my right foreleg at all. I positioned myself upright on my good foreleg, stumbling a bit from a slick rock. I could feel the lower half of my body had become soaked.
"Where, where am I? Hello? Anypony?" I shouted. The only answer I got was my own echo. "Roseluck?" Again only me. I looked around, pitch black was the only sight to see. I closed my eyes again and focused on illuminating my horn, hoping to see something that would hopefully give me a clue as to where I am. I opened my eyes again. I could make out a few rocks beneath me from the teal light I was giving off. I looked back at my lower half and saw it was partially submerged in an underground water hole behind me. I turned myself around as best as I could to face it. Squinting as hard as I could I tried to make out just how far it stretched out.
I must have fallen into a cavern. I thought.
I let my eyes continue to wonder about, gathering my bearings. Out in the distance I could make a small object afloat in the middle of the water. It was too dim to make it out. I concentrated harder on my light as to make out just what it was out there.
My heart sank. My palms grew cold and fear coursed like rapids through my veins. Roseluck was gently bobbing up and down in the middle of the water, her head completely submerged. Only her back could be seen above the surface.
"Oh Celestia no... Roseluck!"