Sweetie - The Magical Little Bot

by Grimweird

The deep king

The classroom was a dome, big and tall enough, for the three giant fillies to enter without having to lower their heads as they entered through one of four archways, Each one preceded by an corridor that the fillies had first mistaken for an alleyway, as it led down between two factories. Each one just wide enough that Sweetie could pass unhindered, saddlebags and all.

Yes, the dome was smacked down wall to wall right in the middle of four machine factories.
One could actually see the heat of the furnaces glowing through the walls.

This had been incorporated into the design. As the walls were filled with murals that had been cut into the stone – so thin that the red heat from the factory next door shone through, making the images glow with a certain red light that also served as the only illumination in the big round room.

It certainly had an enhancing effect, and made the images seem almost alive as the light shifted and shimmered.

“Gather round now children – And I shall teach you the tale of our people” Said the teacher.

There were no benches in this classroom, just solid stone floor that the many steps of the mole children echoed across as they gathered in front of their teacher.

The three fillies took extra care not to step on anyone as they moved to sit roughly in the middle of the room, at the back of the herd.

The elderly teacher was standing in front of a large image of the city itself. It showed the towers of moletown rising high in front of a red background, with lots of dis-proportioned moles smiling happily towards the red sky.

“As you now doubt see - we now live in a prosperous age. And age of illumination. Where out people can walk safe.” The teaches said, as she raised her face similar to those in the stone image.

“Sadly – It was not always like this. There was a time - The dark times - when our people were scattered amongst the earth. Each one alone in their own eternal tunnel. Digging for scraps and worms.”

She crossed the large room – and the class followed like a tidal wave to what was perhaps the darkest corner (despite the room being circular) of the dome. This was because the image in the wall let through almost no light from the factory on the other side, rendering this part of the hall very dark.

What could be seen looked similar to a till image of ant farm, with individual moles digging through individual tunnels.

“I remember my grandmothers stories like they were my own.” The teacher continued with a somber tone ”I remember how I though the earth in front of me would be all I ever knew. The eternal darkness of the earth – That was … until we found this!”

The next image showed a mole holding up a crystal. It was still a very dark image except from the crystal – which had been cut out so deep that it glowed intensively red, illuminating the tiny cave the mole was standing in.

“The earth mother had blessed us, she had given us light. A warmth filled out lives like one we had never knew before. And for the first time, Our eyes were opened. ”

She gestured out across the next image. An even better illuminated image of a tribe of mile gathering around the light in the center.

”Around the light we gathered, Drawn to its welcoming warmth like a call from the earth mother. And around it, communities sprung up.”

“But we were not safe.” Chanted the class.

The teacher nodded.

“Always we continued to move forward. Digging into the great eternal void of the earth. For we were not alone. In its endless moist there laid a darkness waiting. A darkness wanting to snuff out our light. And send us back into the age of darkness.”

The next image showed monsters and darkness grabbing after the moles.

“Demon Dogs. Worms Tunnelers, all servants of the dark, coming to take us away one by one. We were still a scattered people. Though we may have been gifted with light and warmth, it was a fleeting comfort for we we were still blind. Blind to the possibilities of the future.

“The age of blindness!” The children chanted.

“Aimlessly we struggled – digging through the earth eternal. Roaming in small packs. Communities no bigger then families, going here, there and everywhere. Ending up nowhere.”

“That was – until he came along.”

“He?” asked the girls.

“The mole king!” The class sang out with one voice.

“The one who did the impossible. He who dug to the edge of the eternal earth and broke through to the sky!”

She moved to an image which showed one mole in the center, addressing all the others. His features was a simple silhouette that had been carved so deep that he glowed like a beacon of light.

“He spoke of a place where … Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you about it, my honored guests. You are from that place after all.”

“He who reached the sky and returned.”

“There he learned things. There he saw things. And he saw what out people could be.”

The teacher turned directly to the girls.

“He returned with the knowledge gifted to him by your people. And he lifted us up into the age of Illumination.”

“Illumination!”

“The earth mother blessed us, and sent her children to guard us.” The teacher continued.

“What children?” Scootaloo asked.

“The worms of course.”

“Oh.”

“But if everything is so great? Why are you digging?”

“To reach the age of the sky” One of the children answered.

“Oh – Its super easy to reach the sky – you just dig up.” Scoot said, and she pointed towards the roof.

The teacher gave them as sad smile.

“Oh – For you I'm sure its easy to return. But for us, well ...”

“We have to dig” said the class.

“But – I thought you said that you could not reach the surface. Because of the Diamond … Demon Dogs of whatever.” Said Sweetie.

“Surface? - We never said anything about surface.”

“But... you talked about the sky? The sky and the surface are all up there.”

The class blinked at her for a moment, uncomprehending. Before one of the spoke up.

”No silly. This is the surface.” The mole child gestured out around her ”What do you think we are walking on if not the surface?”

Sweeties brain froze for a moment.

-:: Error – Does not compute ::-

Sensing that Sweetie was going through some recalibration – Applebloom stepped in.

”But. There is a whole world up there. Above these tunnels. Where we came from.”

She pointed upwards.

“I know” Said the mole we call it the sky. That's where the mole king says all moles go there … eventually.”

“All good moles.” someone in the back corrected “But not some.”

“Some like Sim”

There was a giggle at the mention of the troublemaker.

“My mom and dad went there.” Said a girl in the front “... they did not come back.”

Sensing a darker subject approaching – Applebloom decided to steer her course elsewhere.

“Oh … I see.”

She took a step back. Apparently journeys to the surface were dangerous for someone so small.

“Have you seen them?” another girl asked.

“What – who?”

“My parents.”

Before any of them could answer. Another mole asked a similar question.

“Have you seen my father?”

“Or my grandpa?”

“Or my mother!”

Suddenly the whole class were shouting at them after family members.

The girls could only shake their heads.

“No.... Sorry. We have not seen any of them.”

“What does your father look like?” Scoot asked one of the outspoken children “Where is he now?”

“Oh! He … left for the sky long ago. “

“But … I though you said you could not reach the sky?”

The mole looked down into the floor.

“We are all digging towards the sky.” She said in a weak tone, barely more then a whisper. “The rest of us are simply trying to join those who left for the surface long ago.”

All of the kids who had spoken up started mumbling similar things, and they all looked down into their desks.

The tone in the classroom suddenly became very somber.

Even the teacher lowered her eyes.

Applebloom and Scootaloo could only look at each other, and at Sweetie Belle – who was not looking at anyone, as her eyes had turned into two spinning circles.

“We … don't understand ...”

But their questions, and Sweeties recalibration, were cut short by the blowing of whistles. And from the archway behind them, two rows of armor clad horn blowers entered. A red carpet was rolled out as the blowers raised their tiny trumpets and blew a fanfare of different tunes that broke the heavy tone in the hall – And would certainly break a few eardrums given how the sound was amplified by the echo in the dome.

As the ringing in all organic ears subsided, a very proud figure entered.

There he was – in all his glory.

Just another mole.

Truth to be told; the mole king was nothing special. At least not from a pony perspective.

He was no bigger then the other moles. Nor was he of a different color that might have indicated something regal. He was not even a different shape of brown.

He did not even wear a crown.

The only thing that might set him apart was a bundle of slightly longer whiskers, that had been woven together in a mustache of sorts.

Yet, The very roof of the hall, which was already high, seemed to be lifted by his presence.
At the very least it lifted the spirits of the class. Who in an instant leaped up and surrounded the figure like a herd of fillies might have surrounded the ice cream pony.

“Your highness. Your highness” they chanted one by one as they flocked around him.

The mole king chuckled warmly and attempted to hug the whole group at once. Failing that he picked one of the children up in his arms.

“My children” He said “Brave scholars of the mechanicus cast, I hope you have all been good moles today.”

His voice was a tad bit deeper, yet still squeaky by pony standards. Scootaloo made an effort to hide her smirk behind her hoof, before an elbow from Applebloom wiped it clean of.

“We have, your highness.” The children answered in chorus.

“We were just telling our guests all about how awesome you are.” said the one currently in the honor of being in the kings arms.

“So I see” the king answered. “No doubt your teacher is doing the finest job in that regard.”

“Just doing my duty your highness” sad the teacher, and bowed.

“Nonsense. You have always been one of my most favored scholars. You shall be most handsomely rewarded for showing our guests our glorious history before bringing them to me.”

The children cheered at this.

“Our teacher is the best!”

“Is that why you have come, your highness? To hear her teach your glorious history.”

“Sadly no my children.” The kind said, and put the child back down with the others. “I have come to present myself to our most prestigious guests.”

The herd split apart as he stepped forward towards the three fillies.

“When I hear that our guests had arrived, I wondered how I would be if I did not come and greet them.”

“You would be our king, Sire” someone shouted.

The girls twisted a little uncertainly. As someones who live in a monarchy they had at least some understanding about how one should behave in the presence of royalty.

On the other hoof – That royalty was Twilight Sparkle.

“So – you're the king huh?“ Said Scootaloo. ”That's neat. we've heard your pretty awesome.”

“You flatter me” The mole king chuckled. “I am but a humble little mole.”

Sweetie looked up at the picture of the illuminating mole shining out over all his fellow moles, the back to the mole king.

“Awww, Don't, sell yourself short sire.” the children cried “You're the best of all of us.”

“You are too kind, my children” said the king “But if, you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with our guests. We have mush to talk about.”

“We do?” asked Applebloom.

“While of course. I'm sure your must be tired and hungry after sightseeing our fair city. And from the looks of it your time in the mines have not been the kindest.”

Sweetie was one again reminded of just how dirty they were.

“Now – If you'll please follow me' you'll will find that there is no better host the me for three lovely foals such as they.”

At that moment, Appleblooms stomach decided to make itself known.

“Well … we could use some refreshments” she said with a grin.

“Wonderful.” off to the palace we go then!”

With that, he turned around and marched out on the red carped he had arrived at.

After a few seconds of hesitation, and some encouragement from the mole children (“Hey – go after him!”) the foals followed.

The escort of horn blowers did not start to roll up the mat until they had left.

***

The streets outside were emptier now. Safe for the Fillies, the king and his escort. Suddenly seemed all but deserted.

Strange – thought Sweetie. Normally, whenever Celestia is around, everypony always gather around to see her. You would think that the king would cause quite an audience, given how they had praised his very name earlier.
On the other hoof; this was just one king in one village. And it was not like Twilight Sparkle caused any fuss when she walked through Ponyville.

When asked where everyone had gone, the mole king simply answered that he had sent everyone of to sleep.

“You'll have to excuse my people, they can get quite existed at the smallest occurrence, and you'll three managed to cause quite the fuss when you arrived.”

“Yeah. We noticed” Said Applebloom

“Not that we minded” Scootaloo added. “Right Sweetie? … Sweetie!”

“Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

Their escort consisted solely of stone faced moles clad in armor. Not unlike the Royal guard one could see in Canterlot. A far cry from the over exited faces that had followed them before.

The king himself was humble, and quite chatty. And seemed to have some grasp about Ponies and their lives under the open sky. He had been there once before, in his youth. On that note he could not stop asking questions about how life was up there now. And he fired of these questions in such a rapid fire volley that the others barely had time to ask their own.

“Do they always do exactly as you say? All the other moles I mean.” Sweetie pushed in, when the king had to stop for breath.

“Oh yes. They look to me for guidance you see. The king said proudly. “I have had quite a lot to teach them. Why – without me, they'd be completely lost in the age of blindness. Would you believe that all this was accomplice in the last decade?”

He gestured around the city.

“Granted I admit my accomplishments must make me seem like a deity In their eyes.”

Sweetie thought of the image in the school again.

“But … As long as I can keep my people prosperous and happy, that's a role I'm happy to fill. Now, I'm sure you have a thousand questions, and so do I. Please, you simply must tell me of your journey here. It must have been quite an adventure.”

Scootaloo, always welcoming a chance to bolster, began to paint up their excavation project in the most excessive way possible.

The king chuckled along with the story, and fired of a ton of questions in rapid fire order, further fulling Scootaloo's tale.

Sweetie tried to ask some questions of her own. But they were lost in the general discussion.

Not feeling to keen of listening to their bravado, Sweetie hung back a bit and let the king and her friends walk in front of her.

Letting her mind drift off to the side, she noticed something down one of the otherwise empty alleyways.

Her ears picked up the muffed voices of someone having a very heated discussion.

Curiosity made her slip into the alley without saying anything

What she heard was something she did not want to interrupt by talking.

Perhaps because of how much she din NOT like what she was hearing.

Beatings.

And rude words.

...“that's what your dad believed in – and what did that get him. Dead and buried somewhere. Said a deep squeaky voice. Easily identifiable as male.

“I guess you can say that he really found the sky after all.”

“Na” said another voice. “He became A demon dog – A bad bad demon dog that's gonna come and eat his bad, bad daughter alive!”

“I can't believe you believe that! You really are dumber then you look!” Squeaked a third, distinctly more female voice.

Sweetie rounded the corner, and saw two bigger boys ganging up on a third figure.

The had her pinned against a wall, and she was only half their size.

The one pinning her threw a punch. And the little one did not even get to squeak as the air left her belly.

Spoons and tiaras flashed before Sweeties eyes.

Sweetie, having a long and aggressive history with bullies and bad guys, (not to mention everypony who seemed to wanted to judge her for being a robot) had little patients for these kinds of people.
In fact: she once had to install a subroutine to NOT make her eyes go literally red when she came across these people.

That subroutine was taking a time out right now.

“Hey! Stop that!” She called out stepping forth.

The three moles all looked up at the giant machine filly with glowing red eyes.

The bigger moles dropped the little one, and stared from Sweetie, to their victim, and back at Sweetie again. Before smiling.

“You're gonna get it now Sim!”

“Sky children are gonna punish you good!” They scouted – and ran of.

Sweetie stopped in front of the little one, and let her eyes return to normal.
The little mole looked like she also wanted to run away, but had not caught her breath quick enough.

“Are you ok?” Sweetie asked, extending a hoof.

“Yeah.” The little mole squeaked, and got up without taking Sweeties hoof. “But just so you know, I could have taken those two on my own.”

Sweetie took a good skeptic look at the mole in front of her. And she realized now that those other two had only been mole children themselves – small by pony standards – But this little mole was like a mouse. Easily the smallest thing Sweetie has seen all day, except for glow worms.

Even so – she wore a bag on her back that was easily as big as she was, and she had a rope across her solders and the tiniest utility belt sweetie had ever seen. Complimented with a tiny red vest and a pair of goggles that held up a distinct white tassel of hair.

Still – there was something familiar about this mole.

“Wait a second – They called you Sim!”

“Yeah? So?”

“So? You're the one who shot that green snot at me!”

“Yeah, Sorry about that. I didn't know you were cool before.

“Cool?”

“Yeah! You spoke out against the king. You called him stupid. That makes you all right in my book.”

-:: When did I do that? ::-

Don't change the subject. You're the one everyone is hunting – They said you made that loud noise that made the worms act all weird.”

“Whatever. I got to make a tower out of tunnelworms, so there’s that.” Sim said with a proud smile.

“They said you were trying to trying down the roof!”

“They exaggerate as always, I was just trying to show these fools that there is only one way you should dig.”

“And which way is that?”

Sim pointed upwards.

“To the heavens! That's the only way you should be digging. I mean … Its real, right?”

“What is?”

“The sky and the surface, are they really real? I mean … It actually exists?”

“Yes of course.”

“I knew it!”

-:: Question mark ::-

“You are all acting really strange.”

“Look – I can't explain more .. But … Oh shit!”

Swift as lightning, Sim reached inside her bag and threw a smoke bomb

Sweetie only coughed out of reflex – not so much because the particles of whatever that smoke screen was made of irritated nor nostrils or lungs – both were currently in offline mode.

“Where did you go Sweetie?”

She looked around the alleyway, Applebloom, Scootaloo and the king and his guard were poking their heads around the corner, but the strange mole had pulled a Trixie and disappeared.

“Oh – Nowhere." she said "I just had to stop a bullying.”

“Bullying?”

"Yeah. Some moles were ganging up on someone else here, but they ran of."

But where? There was nothing but solid walls on either side. The floor was of solid stone with no manholes to escape down. And looking up revealed no one climbing the walls.

Where had that strange mole gone?

“Cursed be my children” Raved the king. “Sometimes they just never do as there told. You'd think that after everything I have taught them they would learn that we must work as one.”

He took a deep breath and collected himself.

“Sorry. Please forgive my children. Its just that some of them still live in the age of darkness.”

***

The archway to the castle was even bigger then the one to the school. To the girls, It was like walking into a giant sand castle. Everything – from the architecture to the furniture was thoroughly carved out of the sand colored mountain.

Everywhere there were moles working, mostly on the architecture itself. New rooms were being excavated in the back. Statues were being carved out into the walls and patterns were being carved into the many pillars that held up the roof in the main hall. A hall that by pony standards could qualify as a barn.

But this barn was not filled with hay – It was decorated with tons of crystals. The pillars and statues were properly dressed in them. The walls and roof had brilliant Mosaic made from gemstones.

There was no need for any gem powered lanterns, as the room itself shone like the surface on a clear blue day .

That was what the overall theme of this hall was. like a big drawing of the world above, with green emeralds forming the grass and blue sapphires forming the sky. The pillars were like threes, and in between them statues of moles dancing in joy at the sight.

Still … something was missing.

“Do you like the view?” The king asked. “I'm sure its but a crude imitation of what you are used to. But its all we got down here.”

As they reached the end of the hall was a big double staircase. The king took a left and began acceding those steps towards the second floor.

“I assure you, the view is much more impressive from above. And don't worry – these stares will hold for such little fillies as you.”

He stopped for a moment to look as his three guests looked around the great hall.

“Where's your throne” Asked Scootaloo “Should you not have a throne?”

“My what?”

“If you are a king, A big important chair where you sit and make all the important decisions about your people?”

Sweetie noticed something else. In between the two staircases, at the very back of the hall, was another archway. An archway that through which an ominous glow was spewing out. As she watched, two big tunnel worms pulled two equally big wagons through that archway. Wagons filled to the brim with red hot rubies

“And where are they going?” she asked.

Applebloom raised her hoof.

“Can I also get a question? Earlier when all the worms started acting all weird, there was a massive … sound filling the cavern. What caused it?”

The king sighed. And then chuckled again.

“My friends, I can answer all three of your questions at once.”

He hopped down from the stairs – And showed them into the back rooms.

It was further back then Sweetie would have thought. By her estimation they must be the deepest room in the whole castle.

And what greeted them back there was nothing less then a thousand pipes.

A massive organ was filling the entire back wall of the back hall. It spread out like a giant machine. Air bags that would have belonged in a pony smithy was being pumped by automated hydraulics. There was a constant ticking of clockwork and a hissing of steam in the air as moles worked at the base of the machine – Hurling fuel into a big open furnace. Fuel made not of wood but of Red hot rubies. Crystals burning like fire , whose internal heat would fuel the massive machine until their energies were spent..

“This” the king explained. “is the holiest and most magnificent of our engines. It is the sound of the deep. You think you might have seen my people command the earths children with their flutes. But they are but a part of the equation.”

He gestured dramatically.

“This my friends – is what truly allows us to tame the earths children. It is the deep song that makes them love us instead of hate us. The flutes are but individual instruments in a grander orchestra that has ensured out peoples prosperity. But this, This is the podium of the conductor. The base of all the music. Without it. There would be no music. And no harmony.”

-:: Music?::-

-:: Odd soundwaves detected ::-

A strange vibration filled the air. Her friends seemed unfazed by it. But sweeties hyper sensitive ear settings could not help but to pick it up.

It was a tune as deep as the mountain. A sound that resonated into the bedrock, rolling like the endless waves upon a beach.

Looking up, Sweetie saw several if not most of the pipes extending into the roof, and subsequently, into the very bedrock.

“You mean... this thing control the worms?” Applebloom asked.

“It is both our blessing and our curse. It is the real reason we must scrounge for every last crystal we can get. For if the sound of the deep where to falter, the worms – Our greatest allies – would, Im afraid to say – No longer be our allies.”

“Oh!”

“But – You need not worry yourselves about our troubles.” The king said with a smile. “I don't know about you, but all this talking has made me hungry.”

The promise of food made the fillies quick to prance to the kings march. Sweetie took one last up at the deep room. At the very top, in the roof, another mural had been made. It depicted a single mole, holding out his paws towards a big yellow glowing circle.

Still – Sweetie could not shake the feeling that something was missing from all these depictions of the surface …

Where were all the ponies?

***

When the girls got up to the upper floors of the castle, they saw several moles hard at work excavating the castle from the cavern wall. Digging out its form from the sand colored rock with little more then their bare claws and some basic tools. The sound of tiny chisel's was like a constant buzzer as every detail was sculptured from the bedrock.

A new tower rose up the wall, though it was little more then a carving in the bedrock. An idea of where the tower was going to be, once it was dug out.

The finished area was like a massive balcony, hosing nothing less then a big rectangular swimming pool.

Here – the girls also found their stuff waiting for them. Their helmets and bags unpacked and cleaned to a polish.

Sweetie added her bag to the pile. Emptied it of crushed glowing worms, and pulled out her skin.

A group of servants were quick to sweep up all of the content. And, like a group of tiny waitresses, grabbed hold of Sweetie's skin. which they placed upon a stone tablet like a hunters pelt. And began brushing all the gravel and imperfections out of the fur.

Sweetie wanted to protest. She was reluctant about letting other people touch her skin when it was not attached to her body. But the king reassured her that the servants knew their job, and would be careful.

Sweetie, somewhat reluctantly, left her organic shell in the tiny paws of the tiny servants, as they clearly used water jugs to very finely clean only the outside of her pelt.

She and her two friends were instead led over to another table - this one also a square stone tablet cut directly from the stone, and with several cushions spread out around it.

The king to his place at the end of the table, with Sweetie seated on his right side, followed by Applebloom and Scootaloo – so that they all had a view out over the pool and the city beyond it.

“I don't know about you, but I'm starving.” He said, and clapped his paws.

Instantly, some servants appeared from off screen, each carrying a silver platter with lid on their backs. A full grown mole could easily have curled up inside one of those lids.

Clearly moles ate big compared to their size.

The lids were lifted – and the girls faces fell. A green light spilled out over the table as glowing worms tumbled over the plates and onto the table. Having been stacked as high as the lids would allow.

Well – now they knew exactly where the contents of their bags had gone.

Scootaloo put on a brave face and put one of the things in her mouth, before turning the same color as the worms themselves.

Sweetie asked politely if she could have some gems instead.

The mole king clapped his paws again, and a plate of gemstones were produced for her. And after a kind reminder of the herbivore nature of her and her friends. They too were presented with a limited selection off special plants that grew underground.
A lot of muchrooms and moldy cheese like stuff.

However the main course seemed to be lots and lots of glow-worm

Applebloom tried politely not to touch those

Good thing Sweetie could turn of her gag reflexes, for she seemed to have suddenly lost her appetite.

Watching the king eat, Sweetie learned that moles had a really big appetite.

After he had finished his own plate he happily dug into theirs as well.

The girls happily parted with theirs. And then they sat back and watched with some amazement and disgust how the kings belly doubled in size.

And he did not stop until he had licked the plates clean, and the servants had scrounged up every last worm that had fallen onto the floor.

All the while he spun stories about his life and his people – So wild that parts of worm flew from his mouth as he talked and ate at the same time.

“You must forgive my peoples cooking skill. They are not very bright. You could almost say they have never been blessed by the illumination of the sun.”

He chuckled quite loudly at this joke. But quickly collected himself when nobody else joined in.

“Forgive me. And my people. They have never seen the sky. They don't know what the sun looks like, how grass feels under your paws, or how water runs in a river, or how the wing feels in your hair”

His eyes grew long and dreamy.

“I have almost forgotten it myself … Oh to be back there once more.”

The girls looked at each other

“Is it that you are trying to dig towards the surface?” said Scoot

“Yes.” King said dreamingly “Yes it is.”

He shook his head and coughed.

“I want to gift my people with that … I want them to be able to see the sun.”

“Some of them seem to believe that the sun is like a big crystal.” Said Applebloom.

Aw – Yes. A simple misconception. They do not know what the sun looks like – I do my best to explain it to them – but when all they have ever known are the crystals that give us warmth and light – what else are they going to compare it with?"

“But … Why is it that some of them call this the surface.” Sweetie asked, and gestured out across the chasm.

“Aw yes, another simple misconception... for you see – the ground they walk on here is a real to them as the ground you walk above us. Hence it becomes their surface. It is no different from how you always walk on the floor even as you ascend up a building. Even though its above you – you don't start calling it the roof, now do you?

“Makes sense” Scootaloo nodded.

“They also said that you said that there should not be any stop buttons on the machines.” Said Sweetie “That they must run forever or something.”

“Did I?” The king asked dismissively, before chuckling it of. “Forgive my people, they can be a little bit literal. Yes its true that we must always dig for more resources. It is our livelihood after all. And you must Forgive us. We try our best , but we are not exactly engineers. We are not able to build machines of such magnitude as you.”

He put his paw on Sweetie Belles hoof.

“On that note – There is a favor I would like to ask.”

“Favor?” asked the girls. “What could you possibly need a favor for?”

The king smiled like an uncle about to share his greatest stories.

“ I understand that you girls came here looking for gems. Especially you, my darling, have quite the appetite for them. Almost as big as our biggest machines.”

Sweetie blushed.

“But. I'm sure you are also painfully aware that diamonds are not, in fact, forever. The energy inside them, something that mother earth has spent centuries pressing into, can be consumed in an instant.

But there is a legend of a crystal far greater then any gemstone you'll have ever seen. One that would make the brightest diamond pale in comparison. A crystal so bright that its like a fraction of the sun came loose and fell onto the earth. And with power as old and eternal as the very orb in your sky.

A sunstone.

A crystal of infinite power. One that some would say to have been powered by Celectia herself!”

Sweetie looked up. She was already carrying what felt like a sun in her horn, A rapidly shrinking sun that was locked in but a tiny shard of magic.
If what this mole was saying was true. If there really was a stone capable of holding infinite energy. It could mean the end of all blackouts everywhere.

The king had long since been thinking along the same way.

“If we could get hold of that eternal energy source. Then we would no longer have to scrap through the endless tunnels”.

“How would you ever find it?” Asked Applebloom sceptically.

“My friend – we have already found it” It is however locked inside an ancient tomb. Now, we moles, we know how to drill. Over the years of countless trials and errors we have been able to put together a drill we believe can break through the ancient barrier. But we have yet to be able to put a machine with enough power to carry her.

“But you” – he pointed at sweetie “I believe you are able.”

And from what I've heard – you are compatible with our crystal powered technology.

“Please – you can short down a Moles struggle with a hundred years.”

“I don't know.” Said Applebloom “We honestly did just come here looking fore some crystals."

“Yes … Crystals ...”

Sweetie was salivating at the Idea of infinite power. It was uncertain if she even heard the kings promise that they would be rewarded a hundred times lifestyles of crystals if they did him just this one small favor.

“Now come on Applebloom. It will be fun!” Scootaloo shouted encouraging. “Well be like Daring Do. Cutie mark crusader Temple raiders anyone?”

She raised her hoof for a hoofbump.

“Ok then” said Applebloom, But the last one into the pool is a Cutie Mark Crusader Chicken pox!

With that, both fillies sprung from the table. Applebloom got a head start. But Scootaloo jumped over the table.

“I'll show you a chicken!”

The two of them collided as they cannonballed into the water.

“Looks like you are gonna be the chicken” the king said to Sweetie.

“Jokes on them.” she said. “I already have my mark.”

She rose from the table and walked to join her friends when the king grabbed her leg.

“About that. There is a question I wanted to ask about these “cute marks” what exactly are they?”

“Oh, that.” Said Sweetie, not expecting the question. “That is a mark we get when we discover out true selves. When we finally understand what out talent is, and how we fit into this world.”

“So its a mark for what your one true place is in the world.”

“Yes … Sorta.”

“I think that's a beautiful thing. To have such clear indication of what your role is. Then there would be no questioning, no second guessing. No disputing what what your job entails. I have tried with the cast system, But markings – It would be so much easier if we all just had them.”

He looked out over the city.

“Everything would be so much easier if everyone just knew their place.”

“Riiiiiight...” Said Sweetie, Pulling herself from the kings tiny paw.

“Oh. But, don't listen to me. He said. Go and have rest and fun with your friends now, and meet me later.”

***

“Well. They seem nice. weird, but nice.” Said Scootaloo, after the girls had been left alone in the bubbling swimming pool. Scootaloo and Applebloom were busy getting comfortable, but Sweetie was still pondering

“You could say that again.” Said Sweetie. “Did you notice something else that was weird?”

“I noticed the way those worms wriggled around in his mouth. I don't think he chewed. At all.”

“No. I mean something else. Did you notice earlier, about the way they spoke of the surface, or the sky?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean its almost like they don't think its a real place.”

Scootaloo laughed.

“That's stupid, Of course its real.”

“Yeah – To us. But we know its real. These people have never seen the sky. So its more like the sky is some distant legend to them. Like a pony tale. Kind of how Nightmare moon wasn't real to us until she turned out to be real.”

Applebloom nodded.

“Speaking of nightmare moon. Did you notice what that mole said? About the Diamond dogs? I mean, Moles do not turn into Diamond Dogs – do they? And go around eating all the bad little moles?”

Scootaloo shrugged, and leaned back into the water.

“Well … Its like you said. it was just some pony-tale. Or should I say moles-tale? Something to scare foals into bed with. We have Nightmare Moon - They have Diamond Dogs.”

“Yeah. But the difference is that Nightmare Moon turned out to be true. And what they say about the diamond dogs … isn't. At least I don't think it is.”

“What are you getting at?” Scoot sighed. More interested in getting cosy then the current conversation.

“So … What if a lot of things they believe about the surface isn't true.”

Sweetie frowned.

“Its like … I can't put my hoof on it. But, what if there was a place that nopony can prove is real, yet everyone believe in anyway? Like some mystical land?”

Applebloom shrugged.

“Well … the king has clearly been there. And he seems to be doing his best.”

Scootaloo sat up, suddenly very interested.

“Yeah! And were gonna help him prove to all these moles that the surface is real. We only have to get that Sunstone, and their machines will be able to drill all the way to the sky without risk of running out of energy.”

“Yeah.” Sweetie smiled. “I wonder what it would be like to never run out of energy.”

“You would be unstoppable” Said Scoot. And nudged Sweetie's shoulder.

Unstoppable. Sweetie let the word roll in her mind as she laid back into the water. She thought about all the magical energy pent up inside the crystal in her horn. It felt like more raw energy then her entire battery could ever hold. If only there was a way to make use of all that pent up magic energy. She could eat it, sure. But her battery could only hold so much. What exactly would happen to all the surplus energy? Would it just be wasted? Or would it explode?

It was a theory she wasn't quite willing to test.

Sweetie closed her eyes and let herself glide down into the water.

Having not turned on her sense of touch and so forth for several ours now, she let her sensors reactivate so she could take in the cool relaxing moist of bath-water.

Flipping the switch- the senses hit her all at once. The feeling was kind of like the shock one gets when diving headfirst into a pool whose temperature you don't know.

All of her body shouted at once as The heat of the water ruched to her mind in an almost painfully blissful manner. Yet quickly subsides in a soothing shiver as the heat helps all of your pistons relax.

Sweetie let her head sink under the surface, allowing her face and horn to receive the same cleansing feeling as the heat of the hot spring evaporated the steam from her over worked pistons.

There was an internal hissing as the last pressure was relieve from her cybernetic muscles, (the steam escaping through her mouth as nostrils as she blew bubbles under the water.) And her body crowned in satesfaction as the metal reacted to the heat of the water (expanding ever so slightly as metal do.) The space between the plates that made up her exterior shell widening a little to let the water pour into the sealing rubber in between. Sweetie let out a relaxed sigh as the water seeped into every knock and cranny on her Titanium alloyed body.

If there had been any pores on her – they would have all been open.

It was an advantage to not have to breathe, as she could allow her face to be cleaned the same as the test of her body. As the bubbling hot spring cleaned away all the gravel and dirt from the last ours of gem hunting, while she just lost herself into full body relaxation.

***

Meanwhile, Sweeties bags, that had been laid down forgotten and conveniently out of sight – stirred as something small made its exit from a self made hidey hole in between the bags inner and outer layer (of fabric).
A small shadow fell upon the cybernetic infused skin, that lay drying on the hot stone (like a flayed animal hide on a sacrificial stone). A tiny paw swiped over the pink mane and the many plump lustrous curls of the tale. Before a screwdriver was pulled (like the sacrificial knife of the bloodthirsty priests) And its sharp end was put to the knob of wires that was the connection point between the tail and the tailbone.

Author's Note:

OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING.

Comments

[LEGION55]

Interesting

[tsaukpaetra]

The king seems to mean well, but his sanity level is dropping.
So the organ is a method of mind control but on massive scale. Taking bets that with a few tweaks it can be modified to affect moles...
Keep going! ;)

[Sir Budginton]

The king wants to put in a cast system so everyone knows their place, in which the can't do anything else. If I was American (which I'm not, I'm British) I would be shouting FREEDOM

[KVFFour]

“Demon dongs.

What.

[ferret]

Demon dongs.

Moles do not turn into diamond dogs – do they? And go around eating all the bad little moles.”

That would... technically be true. See if you're a bad little mole, then a diamond dog comes and eats you, you get digested, and now you're part of a diamond dog, who goes around eating moles!

[Grimweird]

8323166

8447283

Ups... (embarrassed)

[AyanamiRei]

Whelp this doesn't bode well AT ALL!! @.@