1. I have a box!
The weather was rather unpleasant today, a miserable downpour that only slowed down Twilight's expedition. A team of fourteen ponies followed behind the Princess, carrying all sorts of camping gear and tools. Everypony was wet, tired, and resigned, they all knew that they could be in the Everfree for days.
“Everypony keep up,” Twilight gestured, “We’re almost there” she gave an exhausted sigh and continued walking, her raincoat getting heavier as it struggles to keep the rain off.
“Princess, what exactly are we doing in the Everfree?” A white unicorn asked, adding “If you don’t mind me asking, Princess” The mare tried her best to hide her blush under her soaked mane.
“Don’t worry Raven, you’ll be briefed when we get there” Twilight nudged her assistant’s shoulder.
= = = = = = = = = =
“Shit! . . . Literally, something took a shit here” Peter put down his shovel “Smells… shitty, Ha!”
Pip slapped a palm across his forehead “Peter cut it with the bad jokes, the only shit here is you.”
It’s been a long day. At this rate, the tropical atmosphere will exhaust us before we even find the ‘artifact’. Out of all the other people available why was I assigned to an expedition with these clowns?
I raise my shovel and chipped away another chunk of earth, only to have it turn into mud upon mixing with the rain. Trying my best to ignore those arse-holes and get the job done is probably the most difficult thing I’d done so far in my career.
“Tony, what are we even looking for?” Peter leaned on his shovel and scratched his chin.
“Your mum’s lost dildo” Pip fell into a coughing fit trying to suppress his laughter.
After putting up with those guys for a day, I finally snapped “Both of you! Get back to work!” I stomped down my foot “The faster we get this job done the faster we get home!”
“Cunt” Peter whispered, both Peter and Pip exchange chuckles.
I kick the base of my shovel and break off a chunk of earth from the ground. A glint of rusty red caught my eye. “Guys, I think I found it”
= = = = = = = = = =
“Everypony set up camp! After that we’ll start looking for it” Twilight announced.
The atmosphere changed as soon as the ponies got busy setting up the camp. Tent posts and canvas were put up very quickly.Ponies running all over the place trying not to disappoint the Princess rather than doing their jobs as usual, Twilight observed, sighing "At least they’re getting the job done."
“E-excuse me princess,” Raven cautiously approached Twilight “You mentioned a briefing before?”
“Oh yes, I’ll give you the details and you’ll inform everypony,” Twilight explained “An anomalous magical signal has detected all over Equestria last week, the source was traced back to here, in the Everfree forest. We currently don’t know what the source is or what it looks like, but it’ll have to do”
Processing what Twilight had said, Raven and spoke her thoughts “Have you informed the other Princesses? I think that would be a major priority”
“Yes I have, don’t worry Raven, the princesses are informed” Twilight assured “Oh! inform everypony to try not to make physical contact with anything found”
“Yes of course, Princess. I’ll be at my tent if you need me” Raven bowed and went towards the camp.
“Oh,” Twilight was surprised when saw the camp was already set “That was fast, I underestimated you guys.”
The expedition team had already started searching the surrounding area, although no-pony had any idea what they were looking for. Groups of twos were already paving through the forest like ploughs through a field, everypony eager to impress royalty.
= = = = = = = = = =
“What is it?” Peter peeked over my shoulder “Looks ugly, like you Tony”
I chip away more dirt from the object, the more I chip away the more it resembles a cube with patterns carved all over it.
“Looks like a rusty box,” I wipe my brow and pass the shovel to Peter, “I’ve been doing most of the work, your turn”
“Aye Capt’n, you look as if you need a rest” Peter saluted, passing the shovel back to Pip “Don’t want to disappoint him do you?”
“We’ve been doing that all day,” Pip chuckled and shoved the shovel back at Peter “you’re not slacking off that easily, mate. We’ve gotta dig up your mum’s lost dildo”
I screw off the cap of my canteen “Pip, it’s not funny the second time” I took a swig from the container.
_ _ _ _ _ Sometime later _ _ _ _ _
The sound of rope stretching and grunts only to muffled out by the rain, it’s the first time today that I’d heard anything besides those two being smart arses.
“Dude, I don’t think we’ll be able to pull it out of the ground” Pip gave the rope a solid tug.
“The thing is slightly elevated, gravity will make our job easier” I assured, joining Pip tugging the rope.
“Okay I’ll count then we all pull, alrighties?” offered Peter, he coiled the rope around his arm and handed over the remaining length of rope to me.
“Aye Aye Captain Twat!” Peter and I chanted in unison.
Peter tightened his grip “. . . . . Three . . . . . Two . . . . . One!”
All three of us heaved with all our strength, grunting and heavy breathing littered the atmosphere. With each tug the object slid out of its earthly embrace an inch. Inch by inch, it draws out of the dirt, our efforts being put to good use for a change.
A groan came from the ground as it gave way for the falling cube as it slid out of its earthly embrace. The rusted cube dropped down into the dirt. . . . only for it to sink into the mud below it.
“OH COME ON!” we all screamed in unison.
I face-palmed at our failed attempt, I noticed an odd face on the near symmetrical cube “Oooh hey, the box thingy has a lid!” I clasped my hands together in excitement.
= = = = = = = = = =
Twilight paced around her tent, although it could be worse, Twilight would rather much stay in her new castle. The humid atmosphere and the downpour outside only distracted her from the approaching hoofsteps.
Raven burst through the flaps, startling Twilight “Princess, one of the teams found something. We’re not sure if it’s what we’re looking for”
Surprised by how fast her team has progressed in just the first day, Twilight hesitated “Tell them to hold on, I’ll be there soon” Twilight prepared her backpack and levitated several scrolls to her “Where is it?”
“Yes princess, I’ll have the area ready for your arrival, I’ll be back soon to escort you” Raven bowed and left the tent.
_ _ _ _ _ Sometime later _ _ _ _ _
“Where is it?” Twilight approached a team of two ponies, Raven quietly following behind her.
“Right here your highness,” A green pegasi replied, “It’s half submerged on the edge of this pond,” she gestured at the rusted cube protruding from the shore of the pond.
“This is it! I’m sensing magical residue around it,” Twilight picked her pace towards it.
Examining the cube, Twilight levitated a quill to parchment, taking notes on the object’s physical properties. Her quill sped across the parchment, filling it with her observations.
‘The object gives off a magic signal, higher in frequency than any known magic. It is cube in shape and has dimensions of roughly 1x1x1 meters.’
‘It appears to be made of iron and copper, primarily iron; this is clear because of the red and green rust. Geometrical shapes have been engraved on its surface, some overlapping each other, all faces are symmetrical.’
Twilight levitated her parchment and pinned it up mid-air to dry, “Step back everypony, I’m going to lift it out”
The cube was engulfed in a purple aura and started to buckle and the team of ponies backed away. The buckling grew into a violent shaking as the aura around it grew more vibrant, eventually the cube slowly inched its way out of the ground.
“Almost there. . . . .” Twilight clenched her fists and concentrated her magic.
The earth released the cube from its embrace and the cube bounced right out of the ground, leaving behind a square shaped hole in the ground.
“Princess. . . .” Raven mumbled as she gestured her hoof to a particular side of the cube “. . . . .I think the cube has a lid.”