A Cultural Exchange

by Illiad_Easle

An Exchange of Silver

When Illiad reached the boulder it started to seem a bit more familiar to him, but he couldn't seem to muster the courage to knock. He simply could not bear to intrude on her time and space. He sighed as he partially turned away, considering his other options.

"Mr. Easel! What a small world! Well, not really so much as a small world, but more like one that seems to put the two of us together again!"

Silver was over beside one of the large steel and iron struts that helped hold the boulder in place. Not that there was any threat of it moving... but apparently, safety was paramount. She was wearing goggles, and there was a bit of a smudge of what looked like soot across her right cheek. She also had on a toolbelt, and there were a number of tools hanging from it - a few of which looked highly technical. Currently hanging from a length of twine around her neck was a small sackful of steel cords; behind her, there were a number of holes where these cords had been twist-tied together.

Silver smiled at the unicorn.

"So, what brings you all the way out here? Nothing bad, I hope - We've only got two foreponies on the clock today, so we have to be vigilant for any trouble. It's not trouble, is it?"

Illiad turned to face Silver directly, a slight smile on his face to hide his earlier insecurities. "Oh hello there Silver. It isn't trouble that's brought me here today, I'm just walking around as Dax is off in Canterlot with his mother for the day. Though trouble did take me to the doc yesterday if you aren't too busy... Are you about to blast that rock? It certainly looks like it."

Illiad noticed that he had begun to ramble and decided it would be best to stop talking for a bit as he got more acclimated to the situation.

Silver looked back at the rock, then turned to face Illiad again with a wide-eyed look.

"What? NO! No no no no no! I'm not setting up for blasting; I've just put a polymer on this strut, and I'm using the ties to hold it firmly together while it dries. No big thing... well, not really that it's no big thing, as it's HUGE, but more like it isn't really a hassle. I've actually just finished up here - let me get my tools and we can talk a bit, if that's okay with you, of course."

With a sunny smile, she trotted back over to the massive beam jutting from the ground. Now that she mentioned it, Illiad could indeed see a hairline fracture in part of it - but it was expertly sealed with what looked to be some kind of putty. The ties were holding the crack tightly shut. She deftly gathered her tools together, putting them in place in her toolbelt before nodding to herself and trotting back over.

"I've been playing catch-up this past week, but I think I've finally gotten everything under wraps. It feels good to finally get everything done. Oh, there will be more tomorrow... but for today, this mare is finished!"

She made a show of dashing her hooves together, as if clearing the dust from them. Grinning, she gave the stallion a sweet grin.

"So, trouble yesterday? It looks as if it wasn't fatal, which is good, but I certainly hope it hasn't soured your visit?"

Illiad's disposition improved as he learned that he was not intruding on Silver's time. "No it hasn't, if anything the experience has made this trip all the more memorable. Mr. Blackwater had me and Knee take care of a danger in one of the caves and it turned out to be a bit more than we expected, both of us were out cold from magical exhaustion for a few hours."

Silver gave Illiad a look of concern.

"Magically drained? Must've either been a REALLY big boulder, or a whole LOT of little spiders!"

She laughed, trying to cover her grin as she did.

"Oh, I'm not trying to belittle your effort! On behalf of the Blackwaters, I thank you so very much for your assistance... especially because, well... you're probably not getting a thank you from them, but help should be thanked, so..." she shrugged, then the grin returned, looking quite at home on her muzzle.

"Well... seeing as my work here is complete, it looks as though I have a free moment. We could chat for a bit - I mean, if you aren't already busy, that is? I mean, let me know if I'm bugging you... well, not so much as an actual insect mind you,but more like being annoying and such. You'd tell me if I was bugging you, right?"

Her emotions were as honest as her smile.

Illiad actually gave a slight laugh at her comments, "Don't worry, I was actually worried if I would be bothering you by coming over. I'm actually not busy for the rest of the day or until Dax and Mrs. Blackwater return from Canterlot. So I'm free to talk with you for as long as you'd like. Is there any particular thing you want to talk about." He sincerely hoped so as he lacked topics of his own.

"Well..."

She glanced about a bit. From anyone else, it might have been a touch of paranoia, or perhaps a hint of skullduggery; with Silver, it was simply a rote gesture - she wasn't afraid of being overheard.

"I heard that a number of miners saw Princess Luna here yesterday; did you hear anything about it or-" she gasped, "did you get to see her? Oh, I wish I'd gotten to see her... ANY of the princesses, for that matter! I was raised in Canterlot, and I NEVER saw them - can you believe that?"

Illiad's eyes seemed to widen a bit as his smile grew slightly, these were topics he could work with. "I did hear that Princess Luna was about the mines, I even know an interesting story about why she was here, but I'd need Mr. Blackwater's permission to tell it. I've met Princess Luna before and she is quite nice despite what the history teachers would want you to believe."

He turned to face Silver a bit more directly as he got a bit more excited. "You were raised in Canterlot? So was I! What part did you live in? My family lived close to the archives and I worked there for a while before I moved out."

It was clear that the concept of their common past experience excited him.

Silver shook her head and gave a short tweet of a giggle; it was a weird sound, but not an unpleasant one. Silver, however, covered her mouth with her hooves. Looking at Illiad, she saw he had indeed heard her squeak, and she had the civility to blush a bit before clearing her throat and continuing on.

"I was also kind of... wondering about that Ministry you spoke of last time? I mean, not that I've changed my mind about staying or anything; I'm just... curious, is all."

He could indeed feel little pulses of interest bubbling in her about the subject - a fine opportunity to speak on the matter.

He calmed down a bit as the focus shifted to the TrUST. "The ministry... did you mean the TrUST? Sure, I could answer your questions about it."

In all Illiad was just glad to have someone to talk to, and he was glad it was someone smart and passionate about what they did like Silver.

Silver considered her words carefully, seeming to chew her food for thought thoroughly before speaking.

"Well, I've never really looked into anything like that before... I mean, I've been certain they existed, of course, but I've never really had the time to check into things like that; the quarry's always calling. It's not a bad thing, really - it feels good to be needed, and there are ponies here I'd really be lost without sometimes, but..."

She gathered a serious wool on her muzzle, her mind open and curious.

"... I've never really considered what I might be capable of. I mean, my work is everywhere here - from the mine lights to the rotating cooker at the lunch trailer - and that's just out of what I have available here. I can only dream of what I might do if I had the chance to work with REAL materials..." the sunny smile came out from behind the woolen clouds, beaming at Illiad, "... as well as others who not only understood what I was doing, but could help me make it the best it could be! Oh, wouldn't that be FUN?"

She swept herself in a circle, lost and semi-swooning for a moment at the prospect of working in such conditions, almost dancing... then, not as quickly, the slow realization set in of some form of reality weighing her formerly dancing hooves down.

"But... I sort of... owe Mr. Blackwater a bit of loyalty on my end. He helped me... well, my parents... out of a bind, and I agreed to work here to pay it off. He declined letting me work for nothing, so he simply offered me a job directly - which, of course I took. He's never taken what he gave them out of my check, and he's never mentioned owing him anything. That, at least, earns my respect... but still, maybe I could correspond with them by scroll? Would that be feasible?"

Illiad pondered for a moment before responding. "Well... I of course have never worked with them directly, I'm not inventive enough for that sort of thing. From what I know in working as a recruiter, their mission is to aid the progress of science so as long as you continue doing science they should have no problem with supplying you aid in whatever way you need."

His face shifted to be a bit more curious, "If you don't mind me asking, what did Mr. Blackwater do for your parents? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Also, why do you think Mr. Blackwater won't let you repay him? It seems like the kind of thing he would accept if offered."

"Hmmmmm... well, I could try simple correspondence with them at first; if they would accept such, I'd be more than happy to drop them a line! Well, not insomuch a drop them an actual line, but more like directly send them messages... but I'm sure you know what I mean, right? I mean, you're a smart stallion - I'm sure of that - and it helps that you're cute also, because-..."

She stopped abruptly, and a slow blush crept across her muzzle as she realized what she'd just allowed to slip out. She quickly recovered by clearing her throat and going on with her words... but the blush persisted.

"WELL, uhm, I... be... cause you can do those things, with... with other ponies... that could sort of... yeah, that's about right..."

Getting to answering Illiad's question, Silver gave a small smile before answering.

"Well, my parents were originally well-to-do socialites - charity work and such - and they actually had a charity organization for helping local businesses stay on their hooves. They were so kind, they would help out anypony in need... even to the point of being blind to obvious ploys. They hired on a stallion who promised them he'd be able to run the charity, so they let him... and he ran it, alright - right into the ground. By the time my parents found out what was going on, he'd run off with most of the bits they'd had ready for charity. It came at the worst possible moment, right before Hearthswarming Eve; there were a number of businesses that had come to depend on my folks' generosity during their hard times... and there was nothing to give them."

She sighed, then her mind turned to happier things, and the grin returned.

"Mrs. Blackwater had been shopping in Canterlot that day, and had heard about the troubles in passing; she got in touch with Mr. Blackwater, and he showed up at the corner office my folks owned. He didn't argue or try to wheel-and-deal; he simply turned over about 5000 bits for the time being, and gave them an additional 20,000 to pad the accounts with. My parents were in shock - they couldn't thank him enough... and neither could I. Without him, a lot of those businesses would have gone under - not to mention my parent's reputations."

She looked into Illiad's eyes, the soul behind them untarnished by life's burdens and anxieties.

"I know a lot of the other equines here have harsh opinions of the Blackwaters... but I've seen the truth, and I know they are far better than most would give them credit for. I'll bet you've seen a hint or two about them, haven't you?"

Her attitude was amicable, her smiles bright, and her emotions were light and happy.

Illiad blushed a bit too at the cute comment, though he wondered where exactly she was going with her revised statement. "I'm sure the TrUST would be more than happy to interact with you via letter. And if it helps any, I think you're smart and cute too."

Not even pausing he continued right on to his next comment despite the blush on his own face growing a bit brighter.

"Your parents are certainly generous ponies, it's a shame they got scammed. As to the Blackwaters, I've caught glimpses of the truly kind and caring ponies they can be, I just wonder why they would choose to hide their feelings, to act so cold towards others when they can boost productivity and overall happiness here by showing that same kindness and caring to their workers. But I suppose he would know better than I how to run his business."

Illiad decided he would Empathically prod at Silver's feelings to see how deep they ran, if there was any depth to them at all. If she noticed anything it would be a thought asking how much she liked him.

With a simple mental touch, the Trojan could almost see ribbons of affection coming from her; oh, she was interested, no doubt. There were some colorations of hesitancy and curiosity... but the feelings were there, even if still in the foundling stages. If there was any question, the 'cute and smart too' comment made her muzzle beet red, and the gush of attraction rippled in her emotional state.

"Oh, my... OH, you!" She simply giggled a bit and shyly turned away... but her emotions couldn't lie to an Empathic.

Straightening her composure, she tried to keep her calm by responding.

"Well... I have no idea why they hide their hearts like they do. I've thought about it a bit, yes - but it's never really occurred to me to actually INQUIRE of such. Though, if I had to ask anypony, I might ask Slapper - he was one of the first employees Mr. Blackwater hired when he took over the mines, so he's been here longer than anyone I know...except maybe Chuck and Taps, that is. Chuck was THE first new hire, and Taps... well, she's just sort of always been here; maybe even before the quarry changed hooves. I'm not certain on that one, though. Maybe they would know more about it than I do, but that's all I can think of. Well, you could always just ask the Blackwaters directly, but... I have no idea how Mr. Blackwater would react."

She got a thoughtful look for a moment. "Hunh... I have no idea why I never asked before..." She shrugged, then simply shook her head and smiled again - she seemed to be quite comfortable with a smile on her face.

At her reaction Illiad's smile grew from its standard slight smile to one a bit larger, anyone who knew him would know he was quite happy at this point.

"I'll be sure to talk to Knee or Taps the next time I see them. Personally I wouldn't ask Mr. Blackwater directly as he scares me a bit with his cold demeanor and how well he hides his emotions and intentions.Llike a blank wall, his face betrays nothing other than that he has something he considers worth hiding."

He decided he would switch topics a bit to see if he could learn more about Silver, maybe she would even ask questions about him too. "So you decided to come work here after Mr. Blackwater helped your parents right? What did you do before you came here?"

"Who, me? Oh, I was splitting my time between helping out my parents with the charity and working in my own workshop at home. You should SEE it! I've got all sorts of gizmoes and gadgets there, all things I've been working on since I was old enough to levitate a screwdriver!"

She giggled at what was apparently a happy memory.

"My mother always sort of found it silly, but she never discouraged me from doing what I enjoyed. My father..." a swell of pride rolled out of her heart, "HE'S the one who really taught me how to tinker! He used to be an architect, and had a hoof in designing a few of the mechanized defenses used by the Yaks today. Canterlot could have used many of his designs, but... well, the Princesses seem to prefer magic to mechanics, so that dream of my father's just sort of faded out... well, not so much as faded out, more like he couldn't get Canterlot approval for his devices, so he stopped trying to. Broke his heart..."

There was a pang of bittersweet sadness over that thought, but it was quickly eclipsed by the happiness of her next thought.

"... until I came along, that is! He always called me 'his little invention', and he sort of found a new sense of purpose through me. Of course, my mom had to tell me that; he'd never think to say it himself - it just isn't like him to simply let it all out. But he's my father... so it's okay."

Her heart was full of love for both her parents; she couldn't help herself but to feel the way she did.

"Well, what about your family, Illiad? I mean, what were YOUR parents like? Any brothers or sisters?" A pause, a worried yet curious ripple in her emotional pool, and then, "A wife?"

Illiad raised an eyebrow at Silver's concluding comment, "Now it would be irresponsible for me to be talking to a cute mare like you if I were already spoken for now wouldn't it? That said, I am currently single, I don't even have a special one, such is the life of the introverted intellectual."

To be honest it was touching that she would ask such a question, it was a bit clearer that she was in fact interested in him romantically.

"My family's a decent sort, we haven't talked in a while since I moved to Troy but we still exchange letters on occasion. My father is an architect, he designed some of the newer structures in Canterlot, though much of his work nowadays is building inspections for maintenance and the like. He was always interested in electricity, but like you said it isn't all that popular in Canterlot, I'm sure he still messes with it from time to time as a hobby. My mother is an artist and is really good at management. She's retired now that all us children moved out, so she spends her time painting for local contests and small time commissions. I have three siblings, a unicorn, a pegasus, and an Earth pony. We all got along when we were together and we still talk on occasion, but I guess my moving has really isolated me from the rest of my family. Sometimes I miss them, but it wasn't safe for me to live in Canterlot anymore since..."

Illiad sighed, looking slightly sad, but he perked up a bit as he continued. "Despite that, I spent most of my childhood in the archives, reading and helping out the librarians, I worked there for a few years after I got my mark. I'm still good friends with the current curator."

Illiad was at a loss as to how to proceed, it was clear he was not used to such in depth conversations, or perhaps his proximity to Silver was making it hard to think? He blushed a bit at that thought.

Silver smile widened and her emotions deepened as he spoke of what was apparently mutual attraction; she was also genuinely flattered with his attentions, and relieved that the feelings ran both ways.

"Well then, Mr. Easle... hopefully we can talk a few more times before you leave, I hope? Not that I'm done talking, mind you, but more like I'm just letting you know for... future reference." Her attempt at a slightly sexy smile came off more like a goofy lovestruck grin; it was quite funny, and it wasn't long before she realized it and went instead with a shy half-grin.

"So your father's an architect too... next time you speak with him, ask him if he's ever heard of Squeaky Gears - that's my dad. Who knows? Maybe they know each other?" A soft chuckle at this thought, then a sigh. "Your family sounds nice... and if you don't mind my saying, quite diverse! All three kinds of ponies from the same family? That sort of makes your parents like collectors, right? At least one of each make a full set!"

It was a good-natured joke, and she laughed sweetly... but as she wound down, she grew concerned.

"It sounds like Canterlot was a bit rough on you; I sympathize with you for it, whatever it was. If you want to share, I'll listen... but I won't poke a painful scar, okay?"

Her concern was quite genuine; there seemed to be not a scrap of lying in the mare.

Illiad sighed as he thought back on why he left, the scars on his back ached slightly for a moment. "I suppose I could tell you, just din't tell anyone else okay?"

He decided to keep going before he lost his resolve. If she was one of those that hated Empathics, then it was simply not meant to be between them. "In case you didn't already know, I am Empathic, That means I can feel the emotions of those around me and influence them to some extent. I can either pull an emotion that another is feeling to lesson it a bit, or I can push an emotion I'm currently experiencing or have pulled and stored to affect their emotional standing. Knee Slapper is an Empathic too, just not to the same extent as me."

Illiad sighed again as he prepared to revisit his past. "In Canterlot there was, and still is, a general hatred towards those that are not normal unicorns. I hid my abilities well, but one day I told someone I thought was a friend. It didn't end well. Later that week he and a group of my old classmates ambushed me, held me down and poured boiling tea on me." His faded scars ached again at the memory. "When a guard came around the corner they scattered, but he was in on it, he did nothing to help me and just kept going. It was then that I knew Canterlot wasn't safe for me. So I left, I filled out the immigration paperwork and left for Troy where they accept diversity far openly."

He looked over at Silver, hoping beyond hope that she was not one of those that hated Empathics, he didn't want to have put Knee in danger. "Anyway, that's my story. I suppose I can understand if you want me to leave you alone knowing that."

Silver stared at Illiad for a moment, then spoke in a small voice.

"There is never ANY reason why ANY pony should have to endure that sort of treatment; that's deplorable! And to simply be left there to suffer like that? OUTRAGEOUS! No wonder you left Canterlot - your poor back!"

An outpouring of sympathy flowed from Silver's heart as she spoke, an almost motherly instinct to comfort him was in a gentle war with the respect she was wanting to make sure he received... but it was obvious to an Empathic that she wanted to give him a comforting hug to end all comforting hugs.

"Though, I will ask you not to tell me something like that, then offer to leave if I am offended. Illiad, that almost makes me feel like you would assume I'm almost no different than those who hurt you; I hope you really didn't believe I'd send you away, did you? Did you really?"

A slightly disapproving glance at that, but he could read her like a book - and she wasn't actually upset with him, though she did seem a bit stung by his assumptions. Not hurt grievously, just stung.

"Besides, empathy is merely a different form of magic, in my honest opinion; there's no stigmata on Unicorns or Alicorns, so I see no reason for there to be any associated with Empathics. And you say Slapper can do this too?" A quick ribbon of irritation. "And he didn't tell me? Well, I suppose I understand, given the nature of what happened to you - but he may have some explaining to do."

There was an almost sisterly irritation that came with those words - apparently, Silver and Slapper were good friends, because the very sibling-like irritation she was expressing had a jovial, almost sing-song edge to it.

"But that explains why you live in Troy, now. I cannot say that I blame you, frankly... but didn't your parents do anything? Or was this one of those things where the stallion has to prove he's big and strong by keeping it all to himself?" She teased, then a look of shock at her own words leapt onto her muzzle. "Of course, in all seriousness I'm certain they did all that they were capable of doing; I don't mean to sound accusatory."

She wanted to joke with him and make things lighter, yet at the same time she wanted to be eminently respectful and make certain not to actually offend him. It was almost comical, especially with the gentle war of emotions taking place under the surface of Silver's personality.

Illiad was genuinely glad at how understanding Silver was, the smile returning to his face as she spoke. "In regards to offering to leave, I suppose I was being a bit paranoid, you having been raised in Canterlot I didn't know if you had been raised to hate Empathics like most others were, I thought if you had you would at least allow me to depart in peace. I sincerely hoped you wouldn't, but I prepared for the possibility."

Illiad briefly considered taking her up on her unspoken offer of a hug, he did enjoy hugs, but he decided he would wait to see if she actually offered it first. "Slapper is a special case, before I came along to tell him he didn't really know what he was capable of, he isn't as powerful an Empathic as me, but enough so that he could run into the same stigma if discovered. I think he thought he was unique and thus didn't tell anyone. You're right that my Empathic abilities are a different form of magic, others can replicate the push/pull effects and even the sensing to a small extent, but Empathics are naturals at it to the point where we can't stop seeing the world this way, that's why my horn is always glowing ever so slightly."

Illiad looked a bit surprised at Silver's words about his parents. "My dad wanted to beat those ponies into the ground, but my mother didn't want to risk being discovered as well. They helped me move to Troy and gave me enough bits to get started in my career. I've since paid back their starting funds. In all it turned out for the best, I have a good life now and I know so much more about the world than I would have if it had never happened, despite the fact that I can't stand tea anymore."

Illiad was particularly happy at how caring Silver was, it wasn't often that someone cared so deeply about him, that wasn't a changeling, though he appreciated his changeling friends too as they were also looking out for his emotional well being, if only so he would continue to be a very productive food source.

She gave him a teasingly stern look. "Oh, but of course... don't you know it's mandatory to teach your children how to hate if you're a couple of philanthropist parents?" She giggled a bit. "Of course my parents would never teach me a thing like that, silly... but I can understand your hesitancy. It's okay - I dig you... not as in, like, you're a garden or anything, but more like I understand and sympathize with your plight."

Her smile was sunshine; Celestia herself might have been jealous.

"I have to say, I am very much enjoying your company, Illiad - I mean, you're so astute - while some of the other ponies around here could lose a debate with the mining equipment, to be honest!"

Laughing, she reached over and readjusted the straps on her toolbelt, tightening them fully before she simply stopped where she was, a blank look spreading across her face like ink in water.

"Wait... waaaaaait, wasn't I supposed to have released the pressure valve on Hopper #6? OMIGOSH! Come on - if we don't hurry, there'll be more excitement than you can shake a stick at! Well, not exactly shake a stick at, but more like-OH HAYBALES, just FOLLOW ME!"

She suddenly took off running for the big factory-like building with the smokeless smokestacks sticking up out of it.

A smile spread across his face at the compliment, he knew he was pretty smart from all the time he spent in the archives, but to hear it from someone he considered actually smart really brightened his day. He took off after Silver still with a slight smile on his face, his robes flapping against his body as he did so, the material he wore wasn't made for running as it was a stiffer fabric made for holding enchantments. It also had a bit of air resistance as it was wrapped looser than normal. That plus his mostly sedentary life made chasing after the more fit mare a bit of a challenge, but he loved every moment of it.

Silver made a dash across the main yard, heading for the big factory-looking building with the smokeless smokestacks. She didn't even slow down, but her horn gave a glow as she reached the doorway, and the double doors swung wide as she ran straight through them.

Inside the place was a mechanic's dream! Everywhere, there were gears and conveyor belts, pistons and levers, valves and gauges. The belts had a line of crude-cut emeralds on one end, but on the other end they came out clean and ready for professional-grade cutting. There were no other gems visible on the belts; only the emeralds seemed to be the only thing being handled here.

Silver booked her way through the factory floor, sliding over tables and under conveyors with practiced ease. She displayed an agility that would normally be seen in an athlete, yet it was just a unicorn mare who was sprinting and passing hurdles like a champion. She surged ahead, making her way to the front of the beltline.

At this end, there were several gigantic machines standing tall against the wall and stretching to the ceiling. Each one had a large number on the front of it, and Silver was headed for number six... which was putting off a bit more steam than the others there, Illiad noticed.

Skidding to a stop, she gave a light kick to the left side of the hopper, and a panel on the front popped open. Instantly, the front half of her body vanished into it... leaving Silver's shapely flank sticking up in the air as she worked.

"It's down here... oh, yes, yes, yes... hold on, I'm coming - don't you dare blow that pipe again, or so help me Celestia, I will cut your intake for a week, mister!"

Silver... was talking... to the machine. Like a child. It was fairly cute, all things considered.

Rather than attempt to follow Silver through the factory floor, no doubt it would prove disastrous if he tried. He watched her weave through and waited for her to stop. Having locked on to her emotional trail before he could find her within the factory. He moved far enough so that he could see where she was, then warped beside her in a safe spot. As machinery was not something he had much knowledge on he practiced the policies of 'Don't touch anything', and 'Keep quiet while I'm working.' Looking about as he waited for Silver to do what she rushed in to do, and keeping his eyes off her flank like any gentlecolt, he was rather impressed with the workings of the factory, somewhat surprised at the level of automation they managed to implement. He found it quite similar to the machinery that Carbon described in the Trojan mines.

Clanking and tapping could be heard issuing from inside Hopper #6 as Silver did whatever it was that her mechanically-adept mind did. As she worked, the amount of steam the hopper was giving out began to taper off little by little.

"Theeeeeere you go... there's a good boy... niiiiiiiice and easy..."

Silver almost sounded like she was cooing at a baby, the way she was carrying on under the hopper's lid. Then again, chances are good that she was probably the only one who worked on them, so of course they'd be her foals.

"Easy... eeeeeeasy... eeeeeasy..."

There was a tiny, controlled hiss of steam from inside, and a cloud of it billowed out from the hole Silver was in. There was a giggle from inside.

"Oh, YOU! That's quite enough of that, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow, number six - sorry about being late today!"

She pulled herself from the hole; her mane was dripping wet, her coat coated with little beads of moisture, and her goggles were beaded with water droplets. Her muzzle, however, wore that ear-to-ear grin, and she levitated a few tools out of the hopper before closing the hatch back up.

"Well... that was exciting, eh? We made it with a few minutes to spare; last time I didn't make it in time, the hopper blew a pipe through the roof - about twelve stories straight up! That took a couple of weeks to fix, but the steam valve release is still a hassle. It's not the equipment - that's up to par - but the aquifer that the equipment gets fed from. It occasionally has... surges of pressure, let's say... and I haven't managed to come up with a decently reactive compensation unit for... uhm..."

She blushed a bit. "Sorry - I get a little technical sometimes; I know it's just tinkerer-stuff, but I can't help but share. It's in my blood... well, not so much IN my actual bloodstream, but more like it has always been something my entire family line has had experience with."

Illiad turned to face her as she emerged from the machine. "I don't mind, I think it's cute actually. I was wondering though, what makes this one different from the others that it needs this maintenance regularly while the others I would guess do not? Forgive me if that question is obvious to you, I just don't have much experience with this sort of complex machinery." His current worry was that he didn't feel as smart as Silver was, he hoped there was something in him she could appreciate as much as he appreciated her intelligence. It didn't hurt that she was cute too, and while he didn't consider himself too handsome it made him a bit self conscious.

"Oh - OH! Actually, it has more to do with the pipes initial installment... almost 200 years ago. The pipe leading to Hopper Six breaches a part of the aquifer that tends to stay colder than the rest, due to its depth inside the mountain. As the miners dig deeper and deeper, it causes vibrations that... well, they shake some of the ice loose, and the air trapped inside that ice builds up near the pipe. When the Hoppers run their typical workdays, the pipe heats up a bit, causing excess steam from below to start coming through the pipe and backing up in the release valve. The other hoppers are juuuuuuust far enough away from the coldest part to avoid such issues, or at least the excess steam isn't enough to cause any problems. Hopper Six is just a special snowflake, is all."

She reached up and gave the machine a gentle pat on its side.

"Silvah!"

From the doorway, Chuck List called out to the mare. The stern look on his muzzle was seemingly set in stone, yet his emotions were fine and dandy; apparently, it was just a common look for him.

"Oh! Excuse me a moment, Illiad... yes, Chuck?"

"Dat fix you did on doze lights da udder day? Doze morons onna morning shift tripped over it - an' it's busted again. Dunnit figure? Think you can get dat thing onna straight-an'-narrow b'fore Lunch?"

Silver rolled her eyes, but smiled in good humour. "Well, working down in the dark like that, I'd have thought they all had plenty of time to let their eyes adjust!" Silver gave a giggle, but Chuck simply gave an impatient sigh. "Okay, okay... I can get to that, Chuck. Shouldn't be much of an issue... unless somepony sat on it, of course."

She turned back to Illiad. "Well, I suppose I have to get to work now... but I THOROUGHLY enjoyed your company! I do hope we'll get to speak again soon; good conversation is hard to find.... and speaking of which, if you wanted to ask Chuck about those questions you had earlier, he might have some answers. And don't let him fool you; Chuck's a good guy, he just has to act tough so the other miners will listen to him. Well, I have work to do - until next time!"

Silver smiled sunnily as she waved to the Trojan, exiting the factory. Chuck watched her go, then turned back to face Illiad. The look in his eye was hard, but Illiad didn't have to rely on looks alone to figure him out; Chuck's emotions were a chunk of curiosity with a dash of genuine interest thrown in, both covering the surface of what felt like a mix of acceptance and determination.

"Yeah... whasamatta witchoo? Y'see somethin' green?"

He looked annoyed, but he wasn't annoyed; maybe he just didn't have good social skills? This should certainly be interesting.

Author's Note:

Another look into the lives of Illiad and Silver.

I try so hard to post updates on a regular basis...

As always, don't be afraid to ask questions.

Comments

[Randimaxis]

I enjoy watching things escalate; a love story being among the top ten.

Illiad and Silver do make quite an adorable couple, do they not? The way Silver tries to be charming and comes off cute, not to mention Illiad's chatter as he babbles in her presence. Awkward, goofy love is some of the most fun love to write about.

The idea for Silver's backstory came on a whim; it started by thinking of the Jimmy Stewart classic "It's A Wonderful Life", and making the lead character and his wife just like Silver's parents... which would make Silver as Zuzu. Modified it on the spot, worked the rest out as I wrote.

I have no idea if my description of Hopper #6's issue is even scientifically valid... but it sure SOUNDS good, doesn't it?