Fluttershy Digs Deep

by MagicS

You Don't Wear Sunglasses at Night

A march through a tunnel turned into a climb down a very steep, almost vertical, cliff face. The only one who didn’t have any trouble navigating the treacherous hoofholds and outcroppings was Maud. Everyone else had to be careful where they stepped until they got to the bottom.

Upon which Daylight Gleam glanced over at Fluttershy and her wings.

“Uh… Fluttershy? Why didn’t you just fly down?” She asked.

“Hm?” Fluttershy blinked and then looked at her wings. “Oh! Well, I prefer to walk if I can. I like my hooves on the ground unless it’s really necessary or I’m stepping through something uncomfortable.”

“Couldn’t you have carried us down one at a time?” Amethyst Star now asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh… you’re probably right,” Fluttershy blushed. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m still not thinking like we’re a group now. And to be perfectly honest I’m usually the one who’s quiet and takes orders and suggestions during something like this… not the one making any of her own.”

“Don’t sell yourself short!” Amethyst Star grinned. “I bet you can really be a great leader! Better than me at least.”

“That’s an incredibly low bar,” Daylight Gleam muttered.

Amethyst Star rolled her eyes. “You can shut it.”

“Now, now, let’s be friendly,” Fluttershy giggled at the two unicorns. They may have still been trading barbs with each other but it wasn’t as mean-spirited as before.

“So where are we now, anyways?” Daylight Gleam asked as she looked around the bottom of the cliff and at what awaited them, shining her light all over the cave walls around them.

Fluttershy looked too, seeing mostly smooth black rock all over. It seemed like they had entered a new and different portion of the cave after coming down the long tunnel from the mole’s farm. There was almost no dirt around them, stone had taken the place of every surface and material that made up this subterranean world. Fluttershy and the others’ hooves clacked along the hard ground, Amethyst Star tapping it a few times just out of curiosity. Angel Bunny meanwhile was just looking around in total boredom. He was still too annoyed to walk on his own, instead choosing to be a grump and punishing Fluttershy. Daylight Gleam also dragged a hoof over the ground to feel how slick it was. Her eyes then lifted to Maud, who was standing still with a blank expression on her face in the middle of the group.

“Maud? What can you tell us about these caves?” She asked.

Maud blinked while the others all turned to look at her. Fluttershy was actually a little surprised she hadn’t said anything yet. Maud was reticent but very passionate about rocks and loved to explain them.

“My apologies. I was excited because we haven’t seen any rocks of this type down here yet,” Maud said with absolutely no excitement in her voice. “This black rock is obsidian. It looks like most of the cavern down here is made up of it. And granite. That’s what the non-obsidian portions of the cave are made of. Obsidian has several unique properties to it and-”

“Okay, thanks Maud. We can probably get moving now though, right?” Daylight said.

“Of course. There’s nothing dangerous about obsidian when it’s smooth and in this state. Although it indicates that at one point there was volcanic activity down here,” Maud said.

“Volcanic activity?” Fluttershy asked.

Maud nodded. “Yes. Obsidian is formed from rapidly cooled lava. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about though, even down this low ponies in Ponyville and elsewhere would’ve noticed if there was any recent volcanic or seismic activity. These obsidian caves were likely formed centuries ago.”

Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. “Well at least that’s one thing we don’t have to worry about.”

“Yeah, you’re not kidding,” Amethyst Star said as she grimaced at the walls of obsidian around them. “I don’t exactly like the idea of a volcano existing below Ponyville. Even if it was in the past.”

Angel squeaked out something that sounded suspiciously like “Good riddance” to Fluttershy.

“A volcanic eruption would be interesting to witness,” Maud said. “In fact it’s always been a desire of mine. Many types of rocks are only found due to volcanic activity, it often leads to a change in the landscape, and lava after all is nothing more than superheated molten rock. So you could say I’m passionate about it too.”

“Thank you for the information, Maud,” Fluttershy smiled to her. “But Daylight is right that we should get back to moving on through these caves. Don’t be afraid to share anything else you know about rocks while we’re down here though, you’re the only one of us who’s really in her element.”

“Ash can also lead to the creation of petrified wood, so I believe my boyfriend would also be interested in volcanoes.”

---

“-and that was what happened last time I was near a volcano. Practically the whole island was torn apart by the eruption. It was crazy,” Daylight Gleam said, relating an old story to the others in the group to pass the time as they walked.

“I don’t have any experience with volcanoes but I traveled over a pit of lava in a booby-trapped temple once,” Amethyst Star said.

Fluttershy looked over at her. “Your little sister told me you had gone out on some sort of an adventure once when she was in my class. How did that go?”

“Uhh...” Amethyst Star sweated and looked away. “Let’s uh—let’s just not talk about that. Like I said, adventures and I don’t mix and that sentiment should pretty much sum up how my adventure went for you. Also it’s just really embarrassing. I prefer the simple life in Ponyville now.”

Fluttershy nodded a few times. “I can really agree with that.”

“Heehee,” Amethyst Star giggled. “Hey, you remember when everyone in town was going crazy because of the friendship journal that Twilight gave out to everyone? Well I was one of your fans during it! So don’t worry, I’ve always really thought you were special and awesome all on your own. I even had a Fluttershy shirt and hat and everything!”

“Um, thanks,” Fluttershy smiled awkwardly and looked away. Amethyst Star didn’t seem to realize.

The five (six including Boulder) were walking through a cave of obsidian. There had been multiple caves and pathways they had seen after coming down that cliff, but Fluttershy made sure they were going in the same direction of the air. Maud also seemed to intrinsically know the best route. At the moment they had seen nothing new of note, with Daylight Gleam lighting the way and Amethyst Star saving her energy for now since there wasn’t as much space to light up. Maud was still looking around at the walls and inspecting the makeup of the obsidian. If she was looking for anything in particular when it came to the rock, Fluttershy couldn’t tell.

Angel had taken up residence sitting on top of her hardhat now instead of her back so he could look around better. Seemed he was getting bored.

Amethyst Star, after finishing talking to her, started tilting her head from side to side like she was thinking of a song. She absentmindedly looked over the walls but didn’t seem to have anything else to say.

When they had been walking for a few more minutes, the ground beneath their hooves started to change. And slowly so did the walls around them. From sleek black obsidian to a grainy granite, the entire tunnel had morphed. And widened up at the same time too with them now in a cavernous tunnel that could’ve fit multiple carriages.

“Is it normal for the mineral that makes up a cave to change so suddenly, Maud?” Daylight Gleam asked her.

“No, it’s not,” Maud said as she looked down at the granite ground while she walked. “I’m happy to have discovered something unusual.”

“I’d be happy if we could explain anything that was going on down here...” Amethyst Star frowned.

“From what Fluttershy told us about what she’s seen, I doubt we’re going to make sense of anything we trot upon,” Maud blinked at her.

“I just think we should be thankful this isn’t as crazy as some of the other things I’ve been through so far,” Fluttershy added.

“I guess,” Amethyst Star shrugged.

“Does anyone else hear that? Feel that?” Daylight Gleam suddenly said.

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, stepping right up beside her.

“It’s colder, and there’s a breeze coming from the opposite direction, further down the tunnel, and... I swear i can hear waves of water.” Daylight said.

“Waves? You don’t mean running water like a river?” Amethyst Star asked.

Daylight nodded. “Yeah. I’m telling you I hear what sounds like small waves breaking on a shore, listen.”

The four ponies and one rabbit stopped together, listening in to see if they could hear what Daylight thought was coming from further down. Since there was nothing else down here making any noise now, it was easier for them to make out the sounds that Daylight had described. The sloshing back and forth of water and the sounds of it breaking and crashing against rocks and each other. There was an oddness to it that Fluttershy felt in her gut, something telling her that the source of water was far larger than the small underground rivers and lakes she had already seen on her journey so far.

“It’s coming from a little far down but I can still hear it,” Daylight said, she then focused her horn forward and tried to illuminate as far down as she could. “I’ll get us there soon.”

“I’m not sure if there’s any reason to really hurry, let’s just be careful,” Fluttershy said.

“Right,” Daylight nodded.

The party then continued to progress through the wide cave with the light from the white unicorn providing more than enough to completely see around it. The sound, and smell, of water grew every minute, as did the cool breeze coming at them start to chill the air. The granite tunnel became wider and wider and eventually the gaping maw of its exit could be seen. Despite the light from Daylight’s horn reaching all across the stone walls of the tunnel, it couldn’t fully penetrate the darkness of the cavern beyond.

Fluttershy gulped while Angel Bunny clamped his hands on her head and stared. “I think we’re here.”

The group stepped out of the granite cave and onto a wide open shoreline of solid rock that stretched to their left and right a good two hundred feet each. A few dozen paces in front of them the rock ended in a slice and was replaced by black water that lazily beat up against the bank. When Fluttershy looked up she had to crane her head back to see just how high the ceiling went, the light from Daylight only barely being a strong enough source to dimly illuminate the top of the cavern. But that didn’t remotely tell them how big this place was. Darkness was all they could see if they tried to look out over the water. Even Daylight’s spell faded away before they could see the opposing shore. It was impossible to tell how big this underground lake was, and even just looking at it already it almost seemed more like an ocean than a lake to Fluttershy. Imposing, dark, cold, and surely deep.

“Well, this is something,” Amethyst Star said, rubbing her head.

Fluttershy nodded. “Mhm. I’ve seen plenty of water down here already but nothing like this.”

“It’s far too big of a chamber for me to light up completely,” Daylight said.

Meanwhile Maud was looking over at some large growths of rock coming out of the granite walls and shore. The growths were of a lighter color than the granite and stuck out like a sore hoof, but the others were too busy looking at the water to pay these other rocks any notice. Instead the three other ponies and one rabbit walked to the edge of the water and Daylight used her horn like a high-powered flashlight to see as far over the water as she could. Amethyst Star added her power as well and Fluttershy took to the air slightly to try and see anything from a higher vantage point.

But even with the extra light being focused across the water she couldn’t see far enough to make anything else out.

“I’m sorry, but it looks like it just keeps going and going,” Fluttershy said to the others.

“And I don’t think swimming across it will be remotely safe,” Daylight Gleam said.

“I could try flying across, but I could only carry one of you at a time with me, and without knowing how far it is to the other side I might get tired in the middle of the water and... well, that wouldn’t be a good thing,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah I really don’t feel like drowning,” Amethyst Star grimaced.

“Pumice,” Maud said.

“We don’t even know if there is another side,” Daylight Gleam said. “For all we know it could just be a big wall at the other end with nowhere to climb or go into.”

“Should we go up and down the shore here and check out to see if we can find any other tunnels?” Amethyst suggested.

“This other rock is pumice,” Maud said.

Fluttershy floated back down to the ground. “I’m a little scared but I think maybe the best thing to do would be for me to go flying a little more to see how big this ocean is.”

“Maybe... I could try lighting up as far ahead as possible for you, but after that it might get dangerous,” Daylight said.

Fluttershy was about to open her mouth again when she felt somepony tapping on her shoulder. She and the others looked to see Maud trying to get her attention.

“Um... yes, Maud?” Fluttershy asked.

The grey pony pointed over to one of the large boulders she had been inspecting while the others ignored her. “I’ve been trying to get your attention. That rock is pumice. It’s all pumice.”

"Pumice?” Daylight said and looked over to where Maud was pointing.

“Yes,” Maud nodded.

“Uhhh, so what?” Amethyst Star shrugged.

Maud’s blank eyes drifted over to her. “Pumice floats.”

“Uhhhh...” Amethyst Star continued.

“We use the pumice as a boat and float across the underground ocean. You two can propel and steer us with your magic,” Maud said, pointing at Amethyst and Daylight.

“Not that I think that’s a bad idea, Maud, but even if pumice floats it’s still just a bunch of big boulders of it stuck in the ground. We can’t use that as a boat,” Daylight said.

“I didn’t get my Rocktorate because I can shred on guitar like nopony else, or because I can shred rocks for that matter either, but I’m pretty good at that too,” Maud said as she turned around and walked to the nearest deposit of pumice.

“What does she mean by that?” Daylight turned to Fluttershy and asked.

Fluttershy merely smiled. “I think you’re about to see.”

Maud approached the pumice, a boulder the size of which that if it was made out of nearly any other type of rock would probably weigh a ton, and lifted her hoof. Both Amethyst Star and Daylight Gleam watched in confusion before Maud rapidly began striking the pumice like a jackhammer, breaking off chunks and creating cracks all over it. The two gawked in disbelief as a cloud of dust was kicked up by Maud’s rock demolishing demonstration. When it was all over, the former boulder of pumice was gone and in its place was a rudimentary boat made of pumice. It was a little angular at places and looked rather uncomfortable to ride in. But it was indeed a boat.

“Let’s rock,” Maud monotoned.

“Hooray!” Fluttershy cheered and clapped her hooves together. “Thank you Maud!” She said as she gently trotted over to her before blushing slightly and looking at the ground. “And, um, sorry for accidentally ignoring you earlier. Usually I’m the one who gets ignored.”

“It’s alright. I’m used to it too.”

“So I guess we just push this thing into the water and hop in? Will it really work?” Daylight asked as she and Amethyst also followed over.

“It will stay afloat,” Maud said.

Angel Bunny squeaked and started shaking his head on top of Fluttershy.

“Oh, don’t worry Angel, just trust Maud. She knows what she’s doing,” Fluttershy tried to convince him.

Angel gulped.

Maud then carried the back end of the boat while Amethyst Star and Daylight Gleam lifted the front with their magic. Fluttershy floated along and guided it to the shore, making sure they were putting it in a spot where the water was calm. Tossing it in, the ponies watched as it bobbed up a couple of times and then—floated. Safely.

“See?” Maud said. “I know my rocks.”

“And let’s see how it works with us all in it,” Daylight said and tentatively stepped in.

The pumice boat dipped slightly before righting itself again, other than that it seemed perfectly fine and didn’t struggle to carry Daylight’s extra weight as well. Fluttershy and Amethyst Star then stepped in (Angel clinging onto Fluttershy’s head for dear life) and lastly Maud stepped in and used her hoof to push the boat away from the shore and out into open water.

“This is going to be an event...” Amethyst Star muttered.

“I’m sure we’ll be alright,” Fluttershy smiled. “Um, Miss Daylight? You should keep using your light to let us see ahead. The rest of us can move the boat, Amethyst Star with her magic, me with my wings, and Maud can paddle.”

“Okay,” Daylight nodded and used the light from her horn like a searchlight, illuminating a huge slice of the ocean in front of them.

“Oh boy, not used to moving stuff this big but here goes,” Amethyst Star said as her purplish magic grasped the boat and tried to push it along.

Fluttershy and Maud got to the back on each side and Maud reached in a hoof to paddle while Fluttershy gave some wind by flapping her wings. And little by little their improvised pumice boat made its way over the water. The waves were very minor and the boat was only rocked slightly by them so far, the water lapping up against the porous rock. With them all working together it turned out to be a decently easy journey so far.

“Is the water cold, Maud?” Fluttershy asked.

“Very,” Maud curtly replied, but didn’t seem to be bothered at all.

“Hey just saying but I probably can’t keep doing this forever, might need a break at some point,” Amethyst said.

“That’s alright, the two of us can keep going. Maybe you can just try to steer the boat and make sure we’re always going straight?” Fluttershy said.

Amethyst nodded. “Okay, that sounds good to me.”

“And I don’t see anything yet,” Daylight chimed in. “Just water out there.”

“I’ve read about a number of underground lakes that can be found in Equestria, but this is far larger than any of those,” Maud said.

“Leave it to Ponyville to have something crazy under it,” Amethyst said.

Fluttershy actually smiled a little at that. She couldn’t deny all the strange occurrences and coincidences that seemed to center around Ponyville. It didn’t all just have to do with Twilight or her arrival in town either. Living in Ponyville the last few years wasn’t as quiet as it used to be, that was certainly true. She didn’t expect her life to get so noisy (and she certainly did complain about it) but Ponyville was still so nice and friendly she could live with it.

For a second, Daylight tilted her head up to check the ceiling of the mammoth cavern they were in. It was well over a hundred feet above them and Fluttershy could hardly see a slope to it at all. Maybe they were dead center under it. The black water of the ocean was still so imposing though. Fluttershy was almost afraid of it. She was very happy she didn’t have to swim in it.

Daylight then looked down instead, moving her light so it shined directly down into the water.

“I really can’t make out anything, this thing could easily be a thousand feet deep, even more,” she said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were extremely deep subterranean holes like this,” Maud said. “There are things called blue holes in the ocean that go straight down very far.”

Fluttershy looked over at Maud with a raised eyebrow.

“I studied underwater rock formations briefly when getting my Rocktorate,” Maud answered the unspoken question.

“Oh, that makes sense,” Fluttershy nodded.

Angel Bunny rolled his eyes and for the first time jumped off of Fluttershy’s back and into the middle of the pumice boat. Kicking back, he lied down in it and relaxed. Obviously annoyed with all the movement Fluttershy had been making lately. Fluttershy frowned at him but didn’t say anything. No need to make things worse.

“Well at least there aren’t any huge waves from nowhere and no crazy currents or whirlpools,” Amethyst Star said. “Little bored though. Would be nice to get across this ocean and find some food, you know?”

“Saying something like that is just asking for trouble,” Daylight Gleam frowned at her.

Amethyst merely rolled here eyes. “Oh come on, it’s nothing but water and it’s all placid and stuff. If there was something crazy going on in this ocean or whatever we would’ve had it happen to us by now, right?”

“Oh dear… I know it’s a little silly but I’m all too familiar with tempting fate...” Fluttershy grimaced.

“Well I’m really unlucky so something terrible would probably happen to me if I was alone, but I’m sure the luck of someone as important as you balances it out,” Amethyst Star smiled at Fluttershy. “When I try and do something big, and special, and adventurous, it blows up in my face. But you’re Fluttershy.”

“I have been very unlucky on this adventure so far...” Fluttershy whispered.

“I’m sure we’ll all be fine,” Amethyst Star shrugged. “Even if something bad seems like it’s about to happen I bet Rainbow Dash, or Twilight Sparkle, or even Princess Celestia herself will suddenly swoop in and save the day. Aint that how things usually go for you and your friends?”

Daylight Gleam groaned and dragged a hoof down her face. “Be quiet, Amethyst.”

“Well she’s not exactly wrong-” Fluttershy started but was cut off by a low rumbling sound that almost sounded like thunder.

The water suddenly got choppier all around them and Maud and Fluttershy both stopped trying to move their boat as they looked around to see what was happening. The pumice boat shook as the ponies and bunny crowded towards the middle of it while the formerly rather still water churned and dragged it around. A current was pulling it while waves started to break across the surface of the ocean, the boat going up and down over them. Amethyst Star and Daylight both switched to trying to keep it steady with their magic while Angel Bunny leaped into Fluttershy’s hooves for safety.

“Daylight, can you try and see what’s happening out there?” Fluttershy nearly screamed in terror.

“Yeah!” The white unicorn replied and grasped the edge of the boat with her hooves, directing her light out at the water even as they were tossed and turned over it.

The black water was spiraling around in this one spot, brackish and white-tipped waves going all in a circle and carrying their boat with it. At the center of this wild circle the water was being dragged down and down in a vortex.

Daylight Gleam gulped. “Maelstrom...”

“We should probably try fighting the current,” Maud suggested.

Fluttershy and Amethyst Star both frantically nodded and did just that, using their wings and magic to try and get the boat out of the whirlpool’s grip. But for all their power they couldn’t beat the strong currents even when Maud joined in and started paddling. They fully went over the lip of the whirlpool and started to careen round and round it, going deeper and deeper towards the center where their boat would inevitably capsize and the five of them would be dragged down into the depths.

“We have to try and get out of here!” Daylight yelled as their boat went in ever smaller circles as it approached the vortex’s center.

“Got any ideas for that?!” Amethyst yelled back at her.

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy gulped as the pitch black center of the whirlpool got closer and closer. “E-Everyone hold on!”

Angel didn’t have to be told twice, his little bunny arms squeezed around her neck with almost enough strength to
accidentally choke her. Maud seemed just as stoic as ever but even she was still holding on tightly to the edge of her pumice boat. Fluttershy was shivering and begging fortune to go easy on them…

At last their boat spiraled into the maelstrom’s apex and the pumice craft was dragged down immediately, tossing all of the ponies (and bunny) off it and throwing them into the water as well. It felt like Fluttershy was being vacuumed downwards thanks to the powerful current, she held Angel Bunny tightly to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. The water was so cold and it was tossing and rolling her around like a leaf in a hurricane.

Taking a risk, she opened up one eye and saw her friends tumbling about in the water around her, Daylight’s horn was lit up and still providing enough light for her to see. Fluttershy wanted to scream but kept her mouth shut to avoid the water rushing into her lungs. She could see all the others doing their best to hold their breath as the powerful stream carried them through the ocean. Fluttershy didn’t know how this whirlpool came out of nowhere or where they were going to end up, she just prayed they would all be okay at the end of it.

She saw the water start to funnel around them all now. An even more powerful stream was enveloping them and taking them somewhere. Fluttershy had to close her eyes again because of the water’s power, and she felt herself almost running out of breath.

Just before she ran out of air she thought she could feel herself being shot up…

---

Four ponies and a rabbit panted and heaved on the rocks on the opposite side of the ocean. According to Maud they were shot up out of a waterspout and landed here together. Drenched. Soaked. Exhausted. But they were still together and okay. More or less.

Fluttershy wringed the water out of her mane as best she could before sitting down and trying to shake her feathers dry. Angel Bunny rested on his back, panting heavily.

Maud reached into her dress and pulled out a wet rock. “Boulder’s still here so it looks like we all made it.”

“Good… for Boulder...” Daylight Gleam panted.

“I guess we should be looking for another cave on this side...” Fluttershy said and sat up, first going over to check on Angel Bunny before looking for that cave.

Amethyst Star meanwhile was lying up against a rock and wringing out her tail. “Well… I was right, right? We’re all fine?” She weakly smiled to the others.

Angel and Daylight both glared at her.

“Shut up, Amethyst,” Daylight said.

Comments

[AppleKit]

Underground sea... Journey to the Center of Earth, yes

[redmar]

Amethyst really shouldn't have tempted fate. Of course this might be just as good a result as getting across the underground sea.

[RoboRed]

And I bet Daylight thought she was done with the seas and boats for a while...