CYOA - Just Another Day Ch. 24

>>25897543
Lunches for all 3 of us

Ask if any of the spiders know their way around or would like to come

>>25897543
Lunches, light source (lantern? Candles? And an ignition source), maybe some rope, our shield.

>>25897566
We'd be like the guy from Sorcerer's Son!

>>25897614
We can always throw it in the faces of our enemies. Lets also take our element because it might attract other ones.

>>25897543
This
>>25897629
We definitely need our element along.

>>25897629
That's what Sorcerer's Son would do, he'd flick spiders on badguys like boogers and they'd cocoon them.

>>25897614
As long as Ember and wispy have enough for the lunches

>>25897543
we should pick up tex and walk august to satins

>>25897736
Silly anon. We aren't strong enough to pick Tex up.

>>25897565
>>25897614
>>25897643

>You'll definitely want food, and you figure since it's your specialty, you pack enough lunches for everypony. Your shield would serve you well, also, though you hope you don't run into anything in the mines that might warrant its use. You're not sure how useful the lanterns you use for your inn will be in a mine, but you decide to pack one with you anyways, along with some oil and a flint-lighter.
>Rope would be useful too, but you don't have any on you, at least not of the variety that you'd entrust to carry a pony's weight. The mine's outfitter will have some available, though, so you just make a note to pick some up when you get there.
>Lastly, you decide to bring your element along, too. You're not sure if it'll serve any purpose, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
"Okay girls, wish me luck!" you announce to Wispy and the others.
>As you step out into the streets, though, in your haste you wind up running smack into somepony else.
>You hear a high-pitched squeak upon impact, and you notice Cutie Swirl sprawled on the ground at your hooves.

Input action.

File: Tex.png (4MB, 2771x2372px) Image search: [Google]

4MB, 2771x2372px

>>25897763
lol he can pick us up though

>>25897822
> Pick him up and say sorry

>>25897822
Apologise and help him up. If he's heading to the dairy farm, invite him along.

>>25897822
Gather Cutie up in your arms, set him back upright, brush his mane back out of his face and make sure he's OK.

"I'm sorry, Cutie! What's up?"

>>25897852
I wonder if he wants to go mining with the big boys

>>25897840
>Kiss the boo-boo to make it feel better

>>25897855

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry Cutie!" you profess your deepest apologies as you offer a hoof to the fallen pegasus.
>"N-no, it's my fault...I was in a hurry," he stammers back, taking your hoof and pulling himself up. You smile to reassure him that there's nothing for him to apologize about. You help dust him off, which makes the bashful pony quickly avert his gaze.
"So what are you doing out this way?"
>"W-well, I was...uh, I was wondering, cause I overheard the stuff from last night, that..umm, you and Tex and Diamond were, um..." he drifts into silence, tapping his hooves together nervously
"Cutie, are you asking if you want to come mining with us?" you ask with a playful smirk.
>Cutie Swirl blushes and nods in silence.
"Then I wanna hear you ask it," you whisper teasingly.
>"Poooot!" the pegasus whines. He pouts for a few moments, struggling to work up the courage. "I...I want to go out to the mines with you."
>It was barely audible, but you figure it counts.

Input response?

>>25898160
Sure! Lets help qt baker become most badass of bakers. Grab him and lets rush off the dairy.
We've got a real adventuring party going.

>>25898160
Grab a spider and another bit of lunch then hurry to Tex and August

>>25898160
He wants to spend the day getting sweaty with 3 other guys in the dark?
Sure, who are we to deny him? Can he swing a pickaxe though?

>>25898234
>>25898232
>>25898228

>>25898160
GRAB MY FLANK AND WE GO

>>25898295
ADVENTURE!

>>25898228
>>25898234

"This isn't a picnic, cutie, this is a mining trip - it's going to be tough and sweaty work, tight confines, and dare I say even a little bit dangerous. It'll be long, hard, and hot...are you sure you're up to this?"
>Cutie Swirl swallows hard and then slowly nods. You're not sure if he's nervous or excited...maybe both. But he's willing, and you're not going to turn him down.
"Let's get going then!"
>You give Cutie a reassuring pat on the shoulder and the two of you continue on your way to the Longhorn Ranch.
>When you arrive, you already find Tex and August outside.
>"Are you sure about this? I mean, some of the south fence needs to get fixed up after last week's stampede scare."
>"I can take of it, Tex. You're not the only one who can nail some pieces of wood together."
>"W-well, what about the kitchen? You've always been bugging me to get that un-even table fixed."
>"It'll be there when you get back."
>Seems like August has her hooves full trying to convince Tex to stick to the plan.

Input action.

>>25898415
"Not scared are you Tex? We are going on an interesting adventure with bonding, August is as capable as she is pretty, unless you disagree"
> When he agrees (Cause he has to)
"Then lets go"

>>25898415
Ask him if he's claustrophobic.

>>25898480
this but also give a little push to August to get a dress when we are gone as shes earned it.

>>25898487
Isn't he afraid to leave the farm because of the cowman thing? He needs a confidence boost! Tell him we will be with him every step of the way and we will protect him if anything happens.

>>25898480
+1 on complementing to get some rosy shades

>>25898533
she did say she would

"Hey there, Tex. You're not thinking of getting cold hooves on us, are you?"
>The Longhorn siblings turn their attention to you for a brief moment. Tex just gets huffy but August giggles a bit.
>"My hooves are just fine," Tex insists. "There's just a lot of work that needs to be done around here, and I'd rather get those things done than waste my time scampering through a bunch of ratty old mines with a bunch of ponies. Um...no offense."
"None taken. But think of this as an opportunity to branch out and relax for a change."
>"I thought you said this was hard work," Cutie interjects.
"Have you seen the size of this guy's arms? He could probably punch a hole through bedrock without breaking a sweat."
>You turn back to Tex.
"Plus, this'll be a good opportunity for August to treat herself, too. Cause there's no way in Tartarus she'll go off to have a nice day getting prettied up by Satin Sash if you're still here toiling away. You know she's too nice to be selfish...so you gotta take time away if she's going to take time away."
>"I...I guess I hadn't thought of that," Tex says, scratching his head in embarrassment. "I'd hate to be the reason August doesn't get a vacation day."
>"Exactly. So you boys go have a good time," August says, giving her brother a shove (not that her tiny hooves can do much against such a weight difference).
>With some reluctance, Tex joins along with you and Cutie. The three of you then head off to the mines to meet with Diamond.
>The mines for Ponyville are a short distance outside of town in the hills to the northeast. You find Rough Diamond quite easily as the big blue stallion waves you down the second he spots your towering minotaur friend.
>"Heya Pot! Glad to see you finally made it! You ready to strike it rich?"

Outside the mines are the forepony's office, the outfitters, and a mess hall for the miners. Input action?

>>25898739
I don't know what outfitters are but go get standard gear and rope for everyone.

>>25898739
ask the d man for advise and follow his lead

>>25898739
"Hey Diamond i don't know if you have met Tex before but here he is and QT is with us to help find the wealth in those ruins, so how do you want split the wealth, equal, finders first pick or finders keepers?"

>>25898739
Get a map

>>25898739
GRAB ON TO FLANK AND ADVENTURE!

>>25898806
>>25898851

"I hope you don't mind if I brought some friends to join in on our little adventure - you've already met Cutie Swirl, and this is Tex Longhorn in case you haven't met."
>"Hey, the more the merrier, I always say. It'll be nice to have some new faces to hang out with. You can only hear the same coal joke a hundred times before it gets boring, plus I now I get to use all my old material on you folks."
>"This is going to be full of rock puns is it?" Tex remarks.
>"Oh, don't take them for granite - they can be a lot of fun when applied correctly," Diamond replies with a cheeky grin. "Anyways, first step should be to sign you folks in with the outfitter's."
>The outfitter's serves as the one-stop shop for picking up and off-loading. A dusty old mare sits behind a counter as you walk in.
>"Good morning, beautiful," Diamond greets the mare with a flashy grin and a playful wink. "Got some friends along who want to try their hoof at the ol' pick and axe."
>"Oh well that's just wonderful to hear," the mare replies. "Are they interested in the paid or pay for package?"
>When the three of you inexperienced miners raise a puzzled eyebrow, the mare goes on to explain.
>"The 'paid' package is that you'll earn fifty bits for each half-days work, and everything you find you bring here to hand in. The 'pay for' package is that you pay us 75 bits per half-day, but you get to keep anything that you dig up during your time below, which you can sell to us or keep for your own whims."

Which package will you take?

>>25899042
The pay, keep our stuff

>>25899042
The pay for package.
That way we get to keep anything important if we find it.

>>25899077
>>25899071

>>25899042
Ask if Tex/QT need us to pay for them

>>25899042
Pay for, and hopefully we can cover our friends who weren't expecting to pay a fee either.

>>25899160
>>25899104
Agreed worst case we take a bigger profit.

>>25899174
>>25899077
>>25899071

>As much as you'd like to get paid for work, you think the potential rewards for taking the gamble makes the risk worth it. Besides, you are feeling quite lucky today.
"Well I'm up for the pay for package," you reply. "How about the rest of you?"
>Everybody's feeling pretty confident and lucky today, so you decide to all go for the 'pay for' package.
>You are each given the standard gear to borrow - a helmet with a mounted crystal light, a length of rope, a dozen pitons, a rock hammer, a whistle, a pickaxe, and a copy of the mine's current set-up. The helmet, hammer, and pickaxe need to be returned at the end of the day or you'll be charged ten bits for each missing item. The rest can be return, kept, or left in the mines.
>"You know, with the four of us working together, we might be able to get a good haul - how about we pool together everything we find, and split it evenly four-ways?" Diamond suggests.
"Sounds like a fair deal," you nod in agreement.
>Tex and Cutie Swirl agree to this prosposal as well.
>You check over the map to see how the mines laid out - there are three major mine shafts to choose from. Section A is a relatively shallow mine, but it's got good iron, copper, and mineral veins running through it. It's safe, but the overall payout is generally the weakest. Section B runs deeper, promising more valuable ores like silver and gold, but it's closer to Diamond Dog territory so it has greater risks involved. Section C goes the deepest and into uncharted territories, but it's littered with gold, diamonds, precious gems, and more. There's no telling what you'll find down there so be ready for anything.

Which mine do you want to venture into?

>>25899213
Diamond's

>>25899213
If section C is the Abandoned Ruins section, we go that way. (InB4 c-section jokes)

Consult Diamond about the ancient ruins, then follow his lead.

>>25899239
If thats a C then lets go

>>25899257
Yep this head to the ruins because we might just trip over treasure

>>25899213
Section c

>>25899213
Lets go single file into the deep dark cave and if d-man stop we all bump into each others privates.

>>25899239
B-but the pickaxe can't even fit in there!
Not yet

>>25899279
Good idea.space is tight, and its inefficient to mine for more space than you need

>Go big or go home, you figure. If you're going to make this outing worth it's weight, you'll need to go to where the most treasure is.
"I like the looks of section C," you announce, jabbing at the map.
>"S-section C? But...that looks a bit dangerous," Cutie says as he points to the little skull motifs drawn all over it.
"Don't worry, we'll keep you safe," you reassure your nervous pegasus friend. "Plus, Diamond is an experienced miner, I'm an experienced danger-confronter, and Tex here is an experienced um....uhhh..."
>"Let's just get going," Tex suggests. "We ain't got all day."
>You all don your helmets, shoulder your picks, and file off towards Section C. A few of the other miners give you wary looks as you head off inside, perhaps worried about your prospects or maybe just curious because there's a minotaur with you.
>You enter the mines and follow Diamond's lead to the main elevator.
>"Now the important part is to stick together. You don't want to get lost down here because there's a lot of unmarked tunnels in the lower parts," Diamond explains as the elevator begins its descent. "We'll wander about, find some good prospecting sitse, and then get to work. If you see anything suspicious, don't hesitate to shout it out."
>You all switch on the crystal light on your helmets to provide some illumination as you descend. There's plenty more glowing crystals fitted along the walls to provide continual light. You notice some of the natural crystals in the rock wall provide a bit of extra light as well.
>The lift lurches to a halt and the four of you disembark. Diamond leads you through a series of tunnels until you start noticing the walls become more natural and less pony-dug.
>"Well, here's the start of those tunnels I mentioned to ya before," Diamond says. "I feel all excited now."

You see tunnels leading off ahead, to your left, and to your right. Ahead seems the most open. Right seems a bit crampt. Left you can hear the occasional skittering noise. Input action.

>>25899448
First of all mark every place we go and make sure our friends know about it.

>>25899448
Go left.
More danger means more loot, obviously.
Or maybe cute pupper.

>>25899448
can we grab a bunch of those natural gems to put up in our inn?

>>25899448
Hang our Element of Harmony out so we can easily see it if it begins to glow or something. Tex needs his space, so let's not go right. Skittering is bad too. let's go straight ahead, for now.

>>25899477
Sure but lets creep up on it so we can see what it is.

>>25899485
Sure but the big area kind of scares me

>>25899448
"Diamond your the pro where should we begin our adventure?"

>>25899477
If its possible, we could put them on tables for a atmospheric glow.

>>25899516
True enough, the larger the unsupported area is, the greater the danger of cave-in. But I imagine Diamond will be able to warn us if we're mining unsafely.

I second the gathering of random non-mine-infrastructure glowing crystals (And otherwise cool mineral formations) for inn-decorating purposes.

we can always put some of the glow rocks on the ground to lead us back here if we get lost.

>As usual, you decide to defer to the expertise of your experienced colleague.
"What do you think Diamond?"
>"Well the bigger areas are more likely to have been explored before by other miners who just haven't bothered to make anything down...but they are generally safer."
>You take some time to examine the tunnels that lay before you, then spend a few moments examining the walls themselves. The crystal specs embedded in the walls help provide some light, but upon closer examination, they are pretty small. Crystals are really only useful if larger and intact...a bunch of small ones don't do you much good.
>Besides, the four of you will only be able to carry so much ore with you, so you don't want to weigh yourself down with less valuable stuff...at least not until you're on the way out.
>"Let's head down the left path," Diamond eventually suggests.
>Diamond takes the lead again as the four of you head down the tunnel. You don't get very far before you hear Cutie belt out a sudden shriek.
>You look to the pegasus and see that he's jumped into the arms of an unamused minotaur.
>"Something brushed past my leg!" Cutie yelps.
>"That was my tail," Tex sighs.
>"O-oh...m-my mistake." Cutie chuckles nervously before being unceremoniously dropped to the floor.
>The tunnel opens up slightly to a larger cavern. A new path forks off to your left, though it looks about the same as the path ahead.
"So what's a good site look like?"
>"Well, it's...difficult to explain. A miner will look at the patterns of the walls, see if there's pre-existing tool marks...things like that. Like that section of wall over there looks...okay-ish for some mining. It's iffy, so it's up to you if you want to keep moving or try some digging."

Input action.

>>25899608
Lets keep moving till he gets the D-man feel

>>25899608
I don't wanna settle for "iffy". I say we let the large blue miner find a darn good spot before we settle in, I trust his instincts. After all he makes his living this way and finds giant silver nuggets. The interaction between Cutie and Tex is awesome BTW

>>25899631
>>25899629
Agreed "Diamond lets continue I will only settle when your instincts say its a good place"

>>25899608
to bad about those glowy gems

>>25899649
We might dig up some king-size mondo glow-gems once we really start digging. This is an ancient tunnel system no doubt filled with awesomeness of all kinds!

Also, check our Element periodically for signs of doing anything as we progress.

>>25899663
might as well and mark which way we are going

>>25899673
I'm relying on Diamond to find the way out, though that may be a failure-prone plan.

>>25899677
Got it! Make sure our eyes are on the flank the whole time so we don't get lost

>>25899700
Remember to take in every detail. It could be important later on.

>>25899710
Its the key to exploration after all

"You're the expert here Diamond, I'll entrust you to lead us to our riches."
>"Well okay, no pressure or anything I guess," Diamond replies.
>"So what made you want to spend all your time down here?" Cutie asks as the four of you continue in your journey.
>"Well cutie marks aside, I just enjoy that sense of discovery. There's so much hidden down here, some of it having never been seen by pony eyes before. Plus there ain't nothing like the look on a pony's face when you show them a big honkin' gem you dug up that morning."
"You two doing okay?" you ask to check in on Cutie and Tex.
>"I...I'm good," Cutie replies.
>"Yeah. This place ain't so bad. Kinda nice actually," Tex adds. "Feels kinda homey."
>Suddenly, Diamond raises a hoof, bringing the convoy to a halt. He gestures for everypony to be silent - in the echoes of the caverns, you can hear something that sounds like a...gurgle. Diamond slowly leads you closer to the source. You peek around the next corner, and in the distance, you can see something that looks like a...blob slowly inching across the cavern.
>"Yes, a slime...and it's green," Diamond says in a hushed whisper.
"What does that mean?"
>"They like to snack on things like gemstones, so if there's a slime here, then there's gems to be had," he explains. "We just gotta get rid of it."
>"What, like kill it?" Cutie asks, nervously.
>"Nah...just gotta scare it off. Maybe give it a few kicks. They're mostly harmless."
"Mostly?"
>"Well they digest rocks, so take a guess."

Input action?

>>25899732
What to do, maybe kindly ask it to leave?

>>25899732
Follow it to it's feeding ground for the gems, then wallop the hell out of it to scare it away! Picks, kicks and hurled projectiles should do it, from the sound of it. Give it a right bloody good thrashing!

>>25899750
Smart to follow it! But I say we try talking to eat and make a trade that if we do find some we will offer it a few in return.

>>25899732
>>25899732
They must be acidic or something then. Maybe we can lure it away.
Is there anything else around? More slimes? Any GREAT GIGANTIC GEMSTONES?(conveniently located in the other direction)

>>25899760
Sure, I'm open to diplomacy first. But a talking slime is something I'd put in the Very Rare category. Regardless, give it a shot.

>>25899732
"I have an idea, lets follow it and then reason with it."
> Actions
"Mr slime, I mean you no harm but I would like to offer you a business proposal. I notice that you are unable to dig through walls and retrieve food that you enjoy, so lets make a deal, you know where the best sources are located and we have means to break through walls so you help us and we help you and we are all happy"

>>25899789
This

>>25899789
I was just going to shout about gems while pointing in the other direction, but this will be good too, if it works.

>>25899825
>>25899822

worse case we scream like a girl

>>25899789
>>25899747
>>25899760


"Tut tut, Diamond, there is no need for such violence," you assure your colleague. "I will try my hoof at the tried and true method of diplomacy - surely it'll leave us be if we offer to trade it some of the gemstones that we dig up."
>"I dunno if that's a great idea, Pot," Diamond says.
"We must always try first for peace," you state with confidence.
>You trot out towards the slime, confident in your plan.
"Greetings there, Mr. Slime," you start off, "My friend here has informed me that you are quite adept at sniffing out precious gemstones for your diet. We, too, seek these gems and we would be willing to share our bounty with you if you're willing to offer us your keen sense of gem-perception."
>You're not sure if the slime understands anything that you just said, though it doesn't seem to react to your presence at first. It has no face so you can't gauge its response, or if it's even looking at you.
"Um...Mr. Slime?"
>Then suddenly, the green blob entity throws itself at you, completely smothering and engulfing you before you even had a chance to let out a yelp. You now find yourself suspend in its green gelatinous body, upside-down to boot. You can sorta see your friends in a green-hazy distortion, no doubt all shocked by this.

Input action.

>>25899836
"Well thats just rude, I was hoping we could come to a peaceful agreement"

>>25899836
It's just trying to hug us!
Or trying to digest us. Start struggling if we feel burning

>>25899845
Hahaha, this give it an inside hug back!

>>25899836
Swim toward the nearest edge! Try to escape through the side!

>>25899845
"I love you to my new friend but could you please put me down?"

>>25899845
clearly the poor things hungry and its giving us a kiss as thanks for helping it out

>As you seem to free-floating in the jelly, you slowly start paddling your way to the nearest edge. Eventually, you're able to push your muzzle free of the slime and breath in some of that sweet, stale tunnel air.
>"You okay there Pot?" Diamond asks.
"I'm good. It's all under control. He's just so overwhelmed with joy he's smothering me hugs."
>"Feel any tingling sensations?"
"I think so."
>To be honest, you do feel a sort of warmth, smothering tingle all over you. It actually feels kinda nice.
>"Well that's it trying to digest you."
"Digest me?! Oh you son of a bitch! After I tried to be nice to you and everything!"
>"Is...is he going to be okay?" Cutie asks.
>"Only if he decides to sit there for the next decade or two. Slimes don't exactly digest something so big very quickly," Diamond explains.
"Well could you get me out then?"
>"Leave it to me!" Tex says as he steps up to the slime. You see the minotaur clearly winding up to deliver a powerful bow.
>"Uh, I wouldn't suggest--"
>Sadly, Diamond's attempt to warn Tex isn't fast enough as the minotaur punches the slime, which accomplishes little as his fist just sinks straight into the gooey mass and he winds up punching you right in the gut.
"Ow...ie..."
>"Just pull him out," Diamond instructs.
>Tex follows the advice this time, grabbing you by the leg and pulling you out of the slime with one swift heave. You're dropped onto the ground, a slime-covered mess now. You gasp and wheeze for air, watching as Diamond starts shooing the slime away by batting at it with the broad side of his pickaxe.

Input action.

>>25899928
Well we can cross slimes off the 'talk to' list.
Let's follow it's trail and see where it came from

>>25899928
"well that was fun, perhaps you could make a slime bath as it wasn't a bad feeling. Well lead the way"

>>25899956
agreed, if we can't just go wherever

>>25899928
So back to adventure.
> Thank Tex

>>25899981
>My hero!
>smooch

>>25899928
Hm, think we could reach? He already punched us once, too... Ah well why the hell not.
>>25899990

"Thanks for the assist, Tex. You guys know me, I have to try reason before violence. But I think that time I went Full Retard with it. From now on, slimes are off my list of potential business partners."

>>25899990
Did wack us in the stomach

>>25900007
>You bastard!
>slap

"Ughh...thanks Tex...gotta say, you pack a mean right straight," you groan still in a heap on the ground.
>Once you do manage to get back to your hooves, you give the minotaur an appreciative pat on the side. He gives you an apologetic grin in return.
"So what's the word, Diamond? How does this site look?" you ask, already noticing that Diamond is examining the nearby walls.
>He's tapping his chin in thought, but he's grinning as well.
>"I think this'll make for a good place to start. Why don't you all grab your picks, and we can start taking this wall apart. It looks softest about here, so that's where we'll focus our efforts."
>You all nod in agreement and grab your tools, each of you excited about the idea of what treasures might away for you below.
"You sure you'll be okay with that pick there, Cutie?" you ask as you watch the pegasus try to heft his tool.
>"I-I'll be okay," he insists, struggling to balance on his hind legs while raising the pick at the same time. He brings it down, striking the wall with a loud clang, but the force of impact jars the pickaxe from his grip, and the recoil causes the poor pegasus to lose his balance. He winds up falling on his rump, squeaking in distress.
>Tex and Diamond can't help but chuckle a bit at Cutie's attempt.
>But at least Cutie Swirl is determined, as he's soon picking up his tool to try again.
>Soon, you're all chipping away at the rock, making for a steady pace of clacking of metal on stone.

Some conversation or maybe even singing might help pass the time while you work. Input words?

>>25900076
"So Tex, how the cats going as I heard they started buying milk?"

>>25900076
There's no way I'm gonna go for "whistle while you work", so we're gonna have to come up with something else.

Yeah we could banter with Tex about the cats a bit, first.

How about we try singing the Devo style mix of Workin' In A Coal Mine [goin' down down down]? Seems appropriate, considering.

>>25900081
this butter up tex and invite to inn sometime

>>25900086
kek to that singing

>>25900096
That or "Blue Sky Mine", that'd be another good one.

>>25900076
Lets see if our name is worth a lick of salt with this mining!

>Some singing might be nice. Too bad you left the lute-playing gryphon back at the inn, though you do recall that Airy mention she was going to do some adventuring work with Azura today.
>Instead, you make do with just striking up a conversation with your colleagues while you try to strike it rich.
"So Tex, your sister tells me that the cats have already bought their first orders."
>"Yeah, that Tom fellow even brought some younglings along so he can butter up August," Tex grunts between swings. Unlike you and Cutie, Tex's brute strength is making easy workings of the rock.
"I think Tom is just trying to make peace and show those kittens that you and August aren't the 'meanies' keeping them away from the milk."
>"Feh!"
"Come on, Tex, they got the bits, you should just treat them like the customers they are."
>"I'm sure they stole those bits from somewhere," he scoffs. He's about to add something else, when he halts for a moment and takes a closer look at where his pick lays in the rock. "Hey Diamond, got something shiny here."
>Diamond stops what he's doing and goes over to check on your friend.
>"Hey, not bad!" he says, giving the minotaur a playful punch on the arm. "Got yourself some copper ore there. Just try to dig that nugget out and it's all yours."
>Spurred on by Tex's success, the rest of you re-double your efforts, chiseling away at the rock wall. After almost an hour, you're all sweating and panting to catch your breath.
>Your namesake seems to pay off as you manage to pull out a hoof-sized nugget of gold from the wall.

You've Gained:
Copper (x2)
Gemstones (x1)
Gold (x1)

You're all pretty tired after the work, but you got a good haul. Input action.

>>25900156
Lunch?

>>25900156
Rest break, then resume? If it's only been an hour or two, that's not quite lunch time yet, but if everyone's worked up an appetite then call it lunch, too.

Lump of gold size of pony hoof would be worth probably ten grand in humanestria, but if bits are gold it's probably worth somewhat less in equestria.

>>25900174
>>25900182

This seems good food = strength

>>25900156
poke people with gemstone? but yeah show off our lunches so they know we care about them

>>25900156
During Lunch "So Tex how did you like my burger yesterday or was there something I could improve upon"

>>25900182
>>25900218

>"Not bad, not bad at all," Diamond remarks, admiring a chunk of rock with a gemstone embedded within it. Not quite as valuable as your gold, but nonetheless will fetch some good bits when he turns it in.
>Though it's understandable to want to keep pressing on with your good fortune, when you look to your friends you see that Cutie is nearly passed out on the ground in exhaustion. You're feeling quite weary yourself.
>You find a rock to perch yourself upon, then help yourself to some water and a small snack from your packed lunch.
"So what'd you think of the burger that August brought back for you?" you ask, figuring more conversation makes the time go by faster.
>"Not bad. I can see why August thinks so highly of it," he replies. "Personally, it could've been a bit more filling, but I think that's just more a matter of portions when it comes to somebody like me."
>Indeed, you realize one burger would probably seem more like a snack to a minotaur like him. And as August said before, bovines (and by extension related species) are grazers so they rely on bulk eating.
"I'll be sure to pack more next time for you."
>"You okay down there Cutie?" Diamond asks, nudging the sprawled-out pegasus.
>"Hooves...numb..." he pants back. "How do you...do this all day?"
>"Well if you did this all day, too, you'd be all big and strong like me," he explains, giving a little flex of his hoof to demonstrate. "Instead of all, you know, tiny. Maybe ease off the baked goods too," he adds with a teasing chuckle and pokes Cutie in his plump, baker rump.
>"H-hey! Are you saying my butt's big?" Cutie snaps back.

Input conversations.

>>25900268
"Hey! You didn't mention mine"

>>25900268
>No, it's uh, beautiful!
Is what Diamond should say

>>25900268
Ether eat lunch or get back to work! Moneys to be had and we can't pay for wispys adventure scholarship looking at asses

>>25900268
hows business treating you qt

>>25900268
"Diamond do you know how much our current finds are worth?"

>>25900268
I like where this is going, but maybe we should wait until we have something to celebrate before, uh, celebrating. But some innuendo's always fun anyhow.

"My forelegs are pretty tired too, swinging a pick really takes it out of a pony. Slinging burgers is alot less taxing! I have to say though that this is fun and interesting for a change, getting out of the kitchen once in a while is good for the soul, eh Cutie?"

Once everyone can move again, go back to it. There's bits to be made and right now, time is money.

>>25900304
this

"Diamond, leave Cutie and his volumptuous round butt alone," you call out.
>"Ey, I'm just giving you a little tease there Cutie," Diamond reassures the pegasus, helping him back onto his hooves as a show of good will. "Besides, lots of folks like a pony with a little junk in the trunk."
>He lets out a boisterous laugh, giving a few playful nudges as Cutie turns several shades of red.
>"Besides, mum always said never trust a skinny baker," Diamond adds before heading over to pick up his pick.
"Say Diamond, what do you think what we've managed to get is worth?"
>Diamond takes a moment to look over your current haul. "Well, keep in mind this stuff still needs to be refined and smelted, so it's value is a bit less than you'd expect. Still, I'd say you can probably get about 75 bits for that gold nugget you got there. The copper probably about 20 bits in total, and this gemstone will fetch another 25."
>Once you're a little more rested, the four of you take another run at the site, heaving away with your pickaxes. With some experience under your belt, your able to work at a slightly better pace, striking the stone with better angle and force.
>As you toil away, you and Tex are able to pull up several chunks of copper ore to add to your tally, while Cutie Swirl manages to find something nice as well."
>"Hey Pot, check this out!" Cutie Swirl exclaim, holding aloft a chunk of silver ore. "This is all me baby! Oh yeah! Uh-huh!" Cutie's quite proud of his little accomplishment, prancing about with his prize, giggling gleefully all the while.

You've acquired:
Copper (x7)
Silver (x1)

Input celebration?

>>25900268
I wonder if our pick swing is right. Maybe Diamond could step up behind us, grab our hoof and help us improve our swing. Or maybe he could demonstrate on Cutie. Of course, Tex is good at it, he could show us while Diamond's showing Cutie. It might be for the best, to make sure everyone's doing it right.

>>25900354
Yeah get some "tips"

>>25900352
That's awesome, Cutie! Silver's one of the best conductors of heat, and electricity, so I hear. That heat conduction is why lumps of silver always feel so surprisingly cold- It's conducting the heat away from your hoof and dissipating it!

>>25900352
GIVE A HOOF BUMP OF AWESOMENESS

>>25900352
have another go at the wall and afterwards ask if its better to find another spot or keep going

I estimate we got just over 200 bits so far. We need another 100 to start earning them profits and 200 more to make more then the other option.

>>25900361
Yes, proper form is important.
Don't want to strain anyone's back swinging that heavy pickaxe.

>>25900363
Since when did Pot get to read about metals?

>>25900378
Shopping for pans, maybe? Heat conduction of pans is real big with chefs.

>>25900354
>>25900361

"Hey, good job there buddy," you congratulate the pony, clapping your hooves as he continues his victory dance.
>"Sweet! The lil' pegasus managed to pop his cherry," Diamond adds in, giving Cutie Swirl a strong pat on the back, almost enough to knock him over in the process. He begins to fluster a bit under all the praise, but he's smiling back to you. "You should probably hold onto that - keep it as a souvenir to remember this trip."
>"I...suppose I could, if you all don't mind," Cutie replies.
"You found it, you get first dibs on it," you reassure him.
>Between the excitement and all the hard work, Cutie Swirl decides to take another breather while the rest of you keep hard at work.
"Say Diamond, I don't suppose you could give some pointers - I feel like my swing isn't as good as it should be," you ask whilst picking up your pick again.
>"Sure, not a problem," Diamond replies as he saddles up alongside you. "The key is you gotta hold it just right."
>You feel his powerful hooves wrap around, helping guide your hooves into position along the pickaxe's shaft. You feel your heart pick up its pace a bit as Diamond's frame presses up against you...the heat of overworked muscles radiating off him like a bonfire.
>"Now you just lift up your axe like this..."
>His hooves continue guiding your form, lifting the tool up and then back down again in slow motion.
>"Now just give it a shot, with all your strength," he adds, stepping back and giving your flank a reassuring pat.
>Following his advice, you lift the pick once more and then bring down with all your force. There's a heavy 'thunk' as the metal buries itself in the stone, followed by a sudden and loud crank and groaning beneath you.

(cont)

>>25900412

"Does rock normally make that sound?" you remark as glance back to you colleague.
>Before he can say another word, though, the floor beneath you suddenly gives out. You let out a yelp as you fall through the opening, tumbling down a shaft for several meters before it winds up spitting you out into another cavern.
>You land with an odd splash, landing face-first into a puddle of water. Somewhere in the fall your helmet fell off, though you eventually see a light source come tumbling out of the hole you fell from, landing in the puddle next to you.
>You glance around, barely able to see anything without your helmet's light. No sign of the others though.

Input action.

>>25900415
Grab light source next to us?

>>25900415
Call out to the others, see if they're alive

>>25900415
Go get the helmet.
If there's anything else down here, I don't want to attract their attention.

>>25900415
Oh god I hope that wasn't cutie next to us! Help them up like a panicked mother.

>>25900415
lets dig up like the crafting of mine games teached us

>>25900415
We have our candle cause some anon was smart, light that bitch up

>>25900424
>>25900427

>You shake out the cobwebs and stagger back to your hooves. You don't seem to be badly hurt from the fall, aside from a bit of soreness around the sides from all that tumbling. You spot your half-submerged helmet and pick it up.
>As you set the helmet back upon your head, it's light shines upon the wall ahead of you. And that's when you realize that somethings definitely not right - the stone before you is perfectly smooth. You pan the light to the side, noting the wall continues on.
>You see some signs of what look like paint...or some sort of colouration in the stone. It's too worn to make sense of it, but you think it might be some sort of image.
>You keep following the wall along until eventually you reach a section that seems to be carved out from the wall. It's worn and dusted by time, but you can make equine-like shapes in the stone. At the center is a crystal-shaped carving with a U-shaped impression in the middle of it.

Input action.

>>25900484
use investigate to get a better picture of surroundings

>>25900484
Might as well touch it and anything else that might look buttony.

>>25900484
Put our element into the impression

>>25900484
Ask around for a spider to help us out, trade our lunch if necessary.

>>25900491
I also wouldn't mind more details of the area.

>>25900484
U shaped is for a hoof I think.

>>25900491
>>25900543

>You continue to take stock of your surroundings. Behind you is the hole you fell in through; the rock face it's a part is more natural, and judging by the water around you, most of this area was slowly carved out by the erosion.
>The floor is smooth in some parts, eroded in others. You see some rubble and debris on the ground...some of them are spherical...almost pot-like. If you had to guess, this use to be a store room, maybe a pantry?
>"Hey Pot, are you alive down there?" Diamond's voice echoes from the hole you came in through. "I mean, if you're alive, say something, would ya? And...um, if you're not then...uh...I guess say nothing."
"I'm okay," you shout back up the hole. "You might be interested in coming down here, though. It looks like I found some old ruins."
>"Ruins? Oh sweet! Dibs on anything valuable!"
>You hear some rumbling noise coming from the hole, then a glowing light, and then finally a high-pitched shriek as Cutie Swirl comes tumbling out of the hole, landing straight upon you.
>You both get knocked to the ground, leaving you a bit dazed in the puddle once more. You open your eyes again and seeing the pegasus sprawled across in a dazed heap.
>When he realizes where he is, or rather who he's on, Cutie quickly scrambles off.
>"S-sorry!"
"It's okay. Maybe a little warning next time," you reply.

Input Action.

>>25900610
"Cutie can you check the pots for anything worth while, if you find an intact pot it could even hold historical value"

>>25900610
Touch the u

>>25900610
see if we can't find a door in the room.

>>25900650
>>25900646
>>25900630

I'm fine with these

It's getting late. We'll continue again tomorrow.

>>25900704
True dat

bed bump

>>25900970

>>25900970

page 10 bump

>>25902468
Good work

>>25900610
If Diamond is still up there ask him to use his rope to make another way to get ou

>>25900610
"I wonder how old these pictures are and when the last time somepony was present"

>>25906868

>>25907446

>>25908196

Might be a bit late, but let's get a session going, eh?

>>25909598
There's never a wrong time for capitalism.

>>25909598
No

>>25909598
>>25909627
YES

File: Toilet_Sparkle_Cleaner.jpg (115KB, 792x1008px) Image search: [Google]

115KB, 792x1008px

>>25909598
Sure!

>>25909598
I'm never gonna give you up or let you down.

"I hope your plan is a bit more than just following me down."
>"Don't worry, I brought rope."
>Cutie turns to the side slightly, revealing the rope tied around his tail, which leads back up the tunnel he came down. He unties the rope and secures the end of the to the wall with a piton.
>"We're all set down here," Cutie shouts up the tunnel.
>"Okay, we're coming on down!"
>Judging by the noise, and excessive amounts of profanity, the other two - larger - members of your team have a bit more trouble making their way down the shaft.
>Your focus, however, remains on the mural before you. You carefully trace your hoof across its surface, feeling the counters of the stone...smooth, yet oddly warm. You return you gaze to the U-shaped sigil at the center. When you place your hoof over it, the stone suddely begins to glow. There's a loud 'clunk' echoing around you, and then the stone slab before you begins to slide aside.
>Looks like you've found out how to open the door.
>As the door opens, you are hit with a gust of air...warm and stale, but also a bit dusty. A warm light greets you as you slowly step into the next room. It's a larger chamber, square with a pillar near each corner...though one of which has been smashed and lays across the floor in pieces.
>Your first few steps get interrupted when you tap your hoof against something. Glancing down, the sight makes you almost jump back a step - it's a skeleton. An equine skeleton, clad in cracked armour, and judging by the twisted, black metal sword lodged in its upper spine, you can venture a guess what happened to him.

(cont.)

>>25910147

>It's not the only sign of a long-forgotten fight. At the center of the room stands a massive crystal, or at least what's left of it. The upper half of the diamond-shaped crystal has been shattered and is strewn across the floor in a thousand pieces. The main piece still glows, flickering like a dying flame.
>You continue examining the room. To your immediate right is a spear, its tip embedded in the stone wall, but you can make out that the end of it appears to be made of crystal as well. You give it a slight tug, but it doesn't move.
>What force could've been so great as to lodge it solid rock?
>You see several more armour-clad skeletons across the room, some shattered, some torn apart. In one of the far corners, a large crater has been left in the wall. At the center lays a wreck of twisted metal.
>At the center of each wall is another mural much like the one you just came through. More doors, you figure.
>What happened here, you find yourself wondering.

Input action.

>>25910179
Ask diamond if the broken crystals are worth something

>>25910179
grab sword if it's still intact

>>25910179
I'm getting a necromancy vibe here. Push all the skeletons into a corner so that they have to untangle if they come back to life. Examine the twisted metal boss heap.

>>25910212
Its smart but I don't think our friends would improve of us playing with corps.

>>25910179
"Hey Tex can you give a yank on a spear"

>>25910212
From the disruption it looks like something attracted 99% of all metal objects and smashed it into a wall. Perhaps we should be cautious around the metal objects or at least carrying them.

>>25910179
Look at the mural, maybe it can give a clue about the room

>>25910355
Yeah for all we know the glowy crystal stops anyone who is hostile (Carrying weapons) and its got the answers

>>25910179
Seconding asking Diamond what the crystal is and if it's worth salvaging any- Or in fact, re-assembling it. It might be a bad idea but if there's a chunk that obviously fits somewhere on the broken base piece, fit it there and see if it bonds.

>"By the stars..." you hear Diamond mutter as he steps into the room, with Tex and Cutie following in his hoof steps.
>Tex looks on in silent wonder, while Cutie immediately notices one the nearby skeletons, lets out an 'eek' and glues himself to Tex's side for safety.
>Though a bit wary, you decide to grab hold of the sword.
"Sorry about this," you whisper quietly.
>You give it a tug, dislodging the sword, though shattering a large part of the skeleton in the process. Examining the sword it feels...strangely cold, despite everything else in the room being warm. It's crude in design, and made of some metal you've never seen before, but looking into it reminds of you staring at a starry night sky. It's a heavy blade, single-edged, like a cleaver perhaps. You stow it away in your pack - it could be worth something.
>You notice Tex trying to dislodge the spear, but he's having no success. It's just not budging.
"So what do you think, Diamond? Is any of that big crystal valuable?" you ask.
>"I dunno, to be honest. Ain't never seen crystal looking like this before," he answers. "Maybe if we could get the big piece out of here intact, but that's gotta be like...a thousand pound of crystal. That ain't fitting out the hole we came in, even if we could lift it."
"What about the smaller pieces?"
>"Spectral Prism might like them, but I don't know how much he'd pay."
>"You think this might be...from the Crystal Empire?" Tex asks.
>"It could be. It's old and crystaly - fits the usual description. But Crystal Empire things are usually only valuable if it's intact - a broken crystal is like a broken jar. It's useless unless you want something to just look at."

(cont.)

>>25910515

>You continue searching about the room. You see more signs of the struggle left in the walls - large gouges carved out like...claw marks. Some are small, and some are wide enough for you to fit your whole hoof into and still leave plenty of space on the sides.
>Eventually, you make your way over to the crater in the wall. A twisted heap of metal lays in the center, shattered into several pieces, some of which are embedded in the rock still.
>A lot of brass and bronze on it, huge dents in the tubular framework that composes the largest fragment of it.
>You notice a piece of brass at your hoof. It's got an intricate molding to it...an almost equine-like face on it, or half of one at least. Maybe it comes from a helmet.
>At the center of the largest piece, you notice a cage-like device hanging from an opening. There's a crystal inside its metallic lattice...though shattered into a number of pieces. Maybe a power source? You remember hearing that the Crystal Empire used their magic crystals for a lot of things, including as a source of power.
>Your pondering is interrupted when you hear a snap and crackle, followed by a girlish yelp.
>"What happened Cutie?"
>"I...I just tried touching the big crystal - it zapped me."
>"No touchie the big crystal then," Diamond murmurs.

Input action.

>>25910530
Grab the heart chamber. Prism might be interested in any remnants of enchantment hanging about it. Toss a small bit of the crystal at the bigger bit. See if it reacts.

>>25910548
Yeah lets grab some smaller pieces, maybe we should see about connecting the by gem to the power source thing?

>>25910561
Powering up latent/dead things is typically a bad idea. If anything we should have QT go grab Prism and get him to come down here. It's not that far out of town after all.

>>25910573
We should ask Prism for a way to talk to him over a distance

>>25910530
I second tossing a piece of smaller crystal at the larger crystal, despite the warning that they generally stay broken. If that doesn't do anything positive and assuming we survive, head through the next door. Honestly I'd like to equip the sword, or if it's too heavy for us, pass it to Diamond or Tex, in case of trouble.

>>25910580
Considering how often we seem to be running into magical items these days, that might now be a bad idea.

>>25910580
Seriously. We find so many things he's interested in, it's only common sense. Let's try summoning him with an incantation.

"Spectral Prism, calling Spectral Prism, I've found something that'll make you jism!" might be worth a shot. Maybe he's got supernatural senses or something.

>>25910583
Yeah find the next door

>>25910602
> that chant

Anon, I like you a lot.

>>25910530
Why doesn't Tex just break up the wall a bit until the spear falls out?

>>25910573
I agree with this, if anything goes wrong(which it will) we won't be able to handle it.
Getting help is the smart thing to do

>>25910573
>>25910602
I'd say sent QT (pegasus) off while we explore a few rooms in but don't go to deep. Every wall is a door apparently, so we should be able to go in pretty shallow in three directions without issue.

If the chant doesn't work of course.

>>25910629
I like this idea. Pickaxe wall around spear.

>>25910655
Watch it be some kind of control rod.

Should we give the sword to Silver or Sundance?

>>25910674
If we can swing it ourselves, well, we've been needing one!

>>25910674
Have our tiny blacksmith examine the properties of the metal. If she can learn something from it then she can keep it a while.

>>25910690
I like that she might get that spark to repair her career

>>25910690
She could probably reforge it into a rapier for us, a little gladius for Wispy, and still have a bit left over to experiment with herself!

"I think we should get Spectral Prism down here."
>You reach into the mangled wreck and grab hold of the lattice chamber. You give it a few tugs, but it doesn't come out - it seems to be a rather sturdy construct. You might be able to get it out if you use your pickaxe and hammer to start dismantle the outer superstructure, but you decide to wait until Prism arrives before you start breaking things apart.
"Yeah...we definitely need the wizard."
>"I guess we'll need to send somepony back to town to fetch him," Diamond replies.
"Unless you think we can summon him with an incantation?"
>Diamond gives a shrug. "Oh Spectral Prism, oh Spectral Prism! We call out to you, Spectral Prism. We have found something that will make you jism!"
>Unsurprisingly, nothing happens.
>"Well I tried my best. Let's send Cutie to get him."
>"O-okay, if you think that's for the best," the little pegasus nods.
>He hurries off, back up the shaft, to fetch the wizard. It'll be a while before he arrives, unless the wizard can teleport this deep into the earth.
>You hear a clack, clack, clack and notice that Tex has decided to take his pick to the wall in an attempt to dig the spear out. He's really motivated to get it.
>Diamond keeps his attention on the crystal in the center. He brings his hoof closer to it and, unsurprisingly, a small arc of electricity zaps him. He tries tapping it with the end of his pick and gets the same result. He then tries tossing a piece of crystal at it - it bounces off without any effect.
>Not much else of interest in the room from what you can tell. Still three unopened doors, ahead and to your left and right.

Input action.

>>25910769
Lets go left again, that way we will be facing the direction back towards the mining camp area.

>>25910769
Just in case weird magic crap happens, pick up a rock and scratch an arrow into the floor pointing to the outside door. Then mark every door we go through with an arrow back.

>>25910794
this so they can find us

>>25910769
I say we assist Tex in removing the spear carefully from the wall, then open the leftmost door. Left to right kinda thing is my thinking here.

>>25910803
Sure thing

>>25910769
"Diamond use your treasure finding instinct and point us the right way"

>>25910769
I spy with my little eye...

>>25910844
something beginning with D

>>25910769
see if any of the armor fits pot or diamond. if it does, suit up.

>>25910857
With Tex lumbering around, something beginning with D is probably swinging around face-level all the time.

Seconding trying to assemble an armor suit from remaining bits.

>>25910769
I just recalled that Sundance was visiting Prism this morning. I wonder if he found anything about those gems.

"You think we might be able to do something with the armour?" you ask as you gesture Diamond's attention towards the remains.
>"You mean...put on the suit that a dude was killed in?" he asks, looking a little mortified at the idea. "I dunno, Pot. That just feels all kinds of wrong."
>Not that it's a very workable idea. Looking at the armour that's left, most of it is completely ruined - huge rends torn through the plating, some of it smashed, or just plain twisted beyond recognition. The armour look crystalline, so you're skeptical a blacksmith could even do anything with it if you brought some back.
>"Ha! Finally!" Tex's voice shouts from the far side.
>You watch as the minotaur finally pries the spear free. As you suspected, the end of the spear is fitted with a crystal-like head, though it's been left cracked and flattened. Likely from when it was driven into the wall.
>You figure it's time to start exploring some of the other rooms. You take out your pick, deciding you can use it to scratch markings in the wall so you can be sure to find your way back.
>You step up to the first door, and press the hoof-button in the center. Same as before, the sigil glows and the door parts for you. It's a singular chamer it leads you too, however. A long room with large stone slabs running along the length on both sides - each slab perpendicular to the wall, and equidistant from each other.
>If you had to guess, it looked like living quarters, with the slabs serving as the base for beds.
>There's more skeletal remains much like in the first room, broken and shattered bones of at least...six ponies by your count.

Input action.

>>25910982
Examine the corpses. Try not to throw up.

>>25910982
Living quarters might have loot, look around for anything worthwhile.

>>25910982
lets go right this time and put a x mark on its entrance to tell people nothing is there

>>25910982
Check for anything valuable or useful, and if there are no further doors off this room, try the next room afterward.

>>25911016
>>25911014
>>25911003

>>25910998
Nothing but bones here. But worth a closer look anyway. We might find out if there's anything to look out for. Maybe another mural or something? I don't think any paper would have survived

>You breath a heavy sigh, marking the wall near the door with an X just so the others know that it's been looked over. Then you head further and start looking for anything that might be worth taking.
>You can't help but feel a bit guilty though. This is more than just ruins...it's a grave now. Does this make you a grave robber? Even if it's for money, you wonder how these ponies might feel about you picking over their remains like some vulture.
>Trying to keep your hooves to yourself, you look over the remains. You find much the same as the others, broken armour and bones. Each of them has a small pendant, consisting of a flat metal disk with worn engravings on them, and a small crystal charm.
>One of the remains has a small book clutched in its hoof. It's small, like something you keep in your pocket. You gingerly open it up, but there's little there...the pages have long since crumbled to dust.
>In the far corner you find the last of the skeletons. It's slumped against the wall, one of the hooves is missing...you find its broken remains laying on the floor several meters away. You look closer and find it's holding something in its other hoof. It looks to be some kind of container, disc-shaped but about the size of your hoof.
>You carefully ease it out and examine it more closely. It's made of a silvery metal. You find a latch and gently ease it open. Inside each have is a crystalline sheet, a preserved etching inside it details a face...a young mare's face by the looks of it. Soft, gentle features and wide, vibrant eyes...her mane tied up in large curls above her head.
"She's pretty," you remark as you look to the skeleton. "The pretty mare waiting for you back home, huh?"
>You let out a quiet sigh, and put the disc back into the skeletons hoof.
"She's definitely a keeper."
>You trot back to the main room.
>"Anything in there?" Diamond asks.
"Nah. Just dust and bones."

Input action.

>>25911156
maybe we should ask the mine manger to bury them when we leave

>>25911156
Lets go to the right room this time.

>>25911156
Ask if they have ideas on what happened here.
The skeletons all seem full sized, but who can be sure when most of them are just fragments?
The armour and weapons indicate some kind of fighting, maybe that caused a cave-in that sealed up the entire ruin?
But then what about the doors? They were closed, not collapsed or anything.

>>25911189
Thats a good point, we see possible crystal soldiers but no enemy combatants.

>>25911189
Obviously not the entire place caved in, just the upper stories of it. We're in a lesser-damaged lower level where even some of the power is still on to work the doors, probably from what's left of that crystal.

I'd go for middle door but right door's fine too.

>>25911202
>>25911197
>>25911189

> armour-clad skeletons across the room, some shattered, some torn apart.

Time to warn the others that we think some beast killed them all and that we should proceed quietly and with extreme caution.

>>25911205
"Diamond, Tex what manner of creature could do this to this many troops. I think we should put our ear to the floor and doors to make sure nothing is their before entering"

>>25911205
The wreckage of that golem in the crater indicate that this could have been a civil war, or a Terminator scenario. Beware still-functioning mechs. The lack of enemy soldiers could simply be that the combatants were all crystal ponies, too.

"What do you think might've happened here?" you ask, taking a look at the wake of the chaos.
>"Who knows. If these are soldiers of the Crystal Empire, then this fight is centuries old," Diamond answers."But those claw marks on the walls and doors? There's nothing in here that could've left marks like that. And obviously something big would've had to have smashed that thing in the corner around like a rag doll."
>He gestures to the mangled wreck in the corner. Judging from the impact marks and the way the broken pillar is angled, whatever it was...it got tossed around by something in a bigger weight class.
"I'm going to check the other room."
>You head across the chamber to the room on the opposite side and head inside. It's another singular chamber, another bedroom. But whoever belonged here had to be more important because it was large but with only a single bed. There's a desk on one side and more signs of struggle, though thankfully no bodies. Just broken furniture and large rends in the stone walls.
>You examine the desk. There's not much there - old remains of books, wiped of value by the ravages of time.
>You find one item of note, though. A ring, made of gold and brass with a very tiny crystal embedded in the center. It's sized for a unicorn's horn.

Input action.

>>25911311
Lick it.

>>25911311
Well I guess we wait for prism to check out our bling, maybe we should just wait for him?

>>25911317
licking is for horns anon

>>25911330
And that goes on horns. It's an instinctive thing for Pot.

>>25911311
Geez I wish we had a unicorn along. Have Prism try it when he arrives. Check the third room!

>>25911332
Maybe we can find out who it belonged to (or their descendant) from the residual horn-taste

>>25911335
Alright sure, but carefully

>>25911311
When we get back out to Diamond and Tex remark to them that they should be happy we're all splitting the reward. After all, we're the one that fell into it- I mean found it.

>>25911349
Yeah, no way Pot could have carried it all out by himself.
Ruins are quite hard to move

>>25911341
Friggen lol

>>25911341
>>25911335
>We hand it to Prism when he gets here
>"Why is it damp?"

>Well, it's sitting on a desk, so you don't feel quite the same moral conundrum about taking it. Plus it is just a ring, unless there's more to it than that. Of course, you can't find that out until you get your resident wizard down here to take a closer look at it.
>What's taking him so long anyways? Well, considering how long it took to get down here, you reckon that Cutie is probably only just reaching Ponyville by this point.
>You head off to check the last of the doors, making a little mark on the wall on your way out.
>The last door is the one with the largest rends in it. When you press the button, the door is much slower to open, almost grinding in protest as it does so. It seems it might've been damaged long ago. In fact, it only opens about half way before it gets wedged and grinds to a halt. There's enough room to squeeze through, however.
>The last chamber is a rather curious sight. It is a near empty chamber, except in the center stands an empty pedestal.
>And beside it...a crystalline pony. Not like a crystal pony, but a pony...completely crystalized - mane, clothing, everything. It's a unicorn, a mare by the looks of it. She's turned away slightly, as if averting her gaze from something that came in through the door. Judging by the clothes (or crystalized clothing) she wears, the tiara upon her head, she was some sort of royalty. Somebody important.

Input Action.

>>25911476
Well. She has a horn. Suck it. Put a ring on it.

>>25911379
But since Pot has only tasted a few unicorns so far, he has to lick more horns to find the right match.

>>25911476
Well can we find a mirror?

>>25911489
Why not put the ring on the unicorn

>>25911489
We don't know what that will do. It might awaken her, it might activate some kind of trap.
We should wait for Prism to arrive before we do anything with that one.

>>25911492
Shine our shield and bring that sucker out and hide behind like the brave warrior we are

>>25911506
That sounds reasonable, make our shield reflecting why we wait.

>>25911476
The empty space scares me

>>25911506
I agree with this. Turn around and tell everyone what we found. That pedestal gives me a bad feeling

>>25911476
does she look like the mare in the locket and is she hot?

>>25911476
Is she normal sized? I'd wonder about a crystal medusa being somewhere about, except that this pony is the only one in this condition. Obviously her and the ring are a temptation too great to ignore, but unfortunately we do need Prism present just in case things go all pear-shaped when we try it.

Are there any other doors in this chamber to follow? Check the room for items while we wait for Prism. Also look for something to prop the door open with, in case we need to.

>The room fills you with a sense of unease, and not just because of the lifelike statue that occupies it.
>You look at the ring, and then you look at the statue's horn...and then back to the ring.
"Maybe when Prism gets here," you conclude to yourself.
>There doesn't appear to be anything else in the room, so you trot back to the main hall to check in on Diamond and Tex.
"It's weird," you remark as you join your friends. "Aside from the tunnel we came in, there doesn't seem to be any way into this structure. Like, at all."
>"Teleportation maybe?" Diamond suggests. "Find anything of interest?"
"There's a crystal pony statue in the room behind me, and I found this ring, but that seems to be all there is at the moment."
>"A ruin without much of value and no doors in," Diamond comments. "It's like a...like a..."
>"A shelter," Tex interjects.
>You and Diamond nod in agreement.
>After a solid half hour of waiting, you finally hear some noise coming from the tunnel leading in. First out pops Cutie, and a few seconds later Spectral Prism comes tumbling out of the hole.
>"My word, that is certainly not the most comfortable means of egress," the unicorn comments. When he looks up and sees what he's been brought to however, his eyes widen in amazement. "By the stars is this..."
>He goes silent as he slowly walks into the room. His eyes sweep across the room, wonder and joy etched into his expression. It's like a colt in a confectionary shop.
>"This is a piece of the Crystal Empire! This is incredible - I never imagined they had installations as far south as Ponyville. I mean, this is rather small but it's clearly been crafted by their hooves. It's...it's...this is fantastic. This is stupendous! I don't even know where to begin!"

Input action.

>>25911616
"I knew you would love it hence why we called you here. First have a look at the sword and spear, then the ring and then the crystallized mare."

>>25911616
The petrified pony, horn ring and locket?

>>25911644
Locket should probably be left with the dead but yeah with the pone.

>>25911616
show him around

>>25911616
"Hey, Prism, welcome to the party! Welcome back, Cutie! Hey Prism, this place still has working power-doors, so some of it still works. We've found a few lesser artifacts." show him the sword, spear and maybe the locket, see what he thinks. "But the oddest thing is back here in this room..."

Show him the pony, and the ring, and explain your plan. There's no way we found all this without at least trying the ring, unless he recognizes the statue as some historic evil villian or something.

>>25911616
So we want to put a ring on that mare, does that mean we are horse married when we do.

>>25911664
If she de-animates when the ring's off, she may be the perfect spouse.

>>25911664
Make Prism do it then.
Or we could put the ring on Prism instead

>>25911663
>>25911639
I think he would fall in love with the power source that we found and its all thanks to Pots fat ass that we found this place.

>>25911616
Let's not forget to show Prism the broken golem, and let him examine the huge power crystal too.

>>25911705
Hopefully we make a profit off this scientific discovery

>>25911673
We need mores rings to throw at all our unicorn friends

>>25911727
Prism might need two

>>25911768
Igetit

>"This is...so incredible," Prism continues, almost ignoring you and the others as he wanders around the room. "This...this here is one of their transportation crystal arrays! I'm sure of it! The markings on the ring base here is identical to the set-ups they found in the catacombs near Stalliongrad. If only it was so badly damaged, it could still be useable."
"Transportation crystals?" you repeat.
>"Yes! It was one of their most useful inventions. You see these crystals project a sort of energy field around them. And the ponies of the Crystal Empire could use them to teleport vast numbers between them. It allowed them to create a network across all their territories. Imagine being able to send an entire army from one side of Equestria to the other! With it, you could control a huge amount of territory with a much, much smaller force as you can mobilize them in an instant."
>"Can you fix it maybe?" Diamond asks.
>"Sadly, no. Not without the knowledge of how these crystals are forged. Believe me, better ponies than I have tried but...there's something about the crystals that we can't seem to replicate."
>You bring Prism over to the mangled wreck in the corner, as usual he is bright-eyed in amazement.
"So what it is?"
>"It's one of their magitech constructs - a war machine infused with crystal energies. The Crystal Empire had mastered the art of making living machines..."
"What, you mean like that golem I saw at your place?"
>"Good heaven's, no. What I have at my home is like a cave scratching compared to the Pona Lisa. We've never been able to find one so intact..."
"It's like in...ten pieces, Prism."
>"Yes, but at least all the pieces are still here."

(cont.)

>>25911787

>You eventually lead Prism into the room with the unsettling crystal pony statue in it. You don't even get a word off before gallops up to it to take a closer look.
"Any ideas?"
>Prism taps his chin in though, examining the details of the figure closely.
>"Judging by the clothing, she appears to be a member of the Crystal Empire's Royal House, or perhaps one of the lesser noble houses. It's hard to tell without seeing a cutie mark."
>Which sadly, is covered by the aforementioned clothes.
"So...this pony used to be alive?"
>"I believe so. What magic turned her into this, though, I cannot say for certain. I don't know if there's even any way to reverse the effects. After so many centuries, the magic residuals have long since worn away."
>He sets his hoof upon the statue's cheek, running it along the pony's features.
>"If only I could see what you have seen, my dear..."

Input action.

>>25911795
Show him the ring

>>25911795
Put the ring on the horn. It's begging for it.

>>25911804
This do it without asking him, it will be more fun that way.

>>25911804
get horse married

>>25911795
Pimp slap the crystal off her and make her wear a skimpy maid outfit.

>>25911795
Show Prism the ring, ask him to examine it. See if he's willing to let you try it on her.

Knowing she might be savable if undamaged, we shouldn't chance ignorantly trying on a ring which might be designed to amplify magic on a live unicorn or something and maybe shatter her, it would be irresponsible for now.

>>25911851
Thats true. I'm just sitting here dying to find out what happens.

Sorry for delay. Went longer than I expected.

==========

"I found this in one of the other rooms."
>You take out the ring and show it to Prism. His expression is less joyful than the previous ones, though his mood as a whole has dampened since entering this chamber. He levitates the ring over and looks it over.
>"I sense a faint...magical aura within it," he muses quietly. "But I can't quite discern what it is exactly...definitely Crystal Empire in origin. Trying to decipher their magics is like trying to read a book in a different tongue."
>He lets out a defeated sigh and gives the ring back to you. All he has to offer is an uncertain shrug.
>You then both turn to the statue, panning your gaze between it and each other. Though not a word is spoken, you both know what the other is considering.
>You step up to the statue and carefully ease the ring into place. The ring begins to glow, a light flowing through it that begins to spread through the statue. The light intensifies with each passing moment, until it's almost blinding the two of you. Then suddenly there's a burst and a shockwave of eldritch energy blasts outwards and blinds your vision.
>When your eyes re-adjust, you see before you not a statue but a young crystal unicorn. She shimmers like the morning sun, her body a golden amber wrapped in silks of violets and silver, and pale blue eyes gazing back at you.
>She is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen...

(1/4)

>>25911991

>"My goodness," Prism gasps. "This...this is incredible. I never would've imagined this. It is such a privilege to--"
>Prism reaches out to grasp at the pony, but his hoof passes through the mare as though it didn't exist. That's when you realize she's not looking at you, but past you.
"This...isn't real?" you murmur, passing your hoof through her face like there's nothing there.
>There's suddenly a loud thud behind you, coming from the door. You hear something raking against stone, then the door begins opening...forcefully as something on the other side pries it open.
>Through the gap in the door, you see a massive, monstrous creature. You can't make much of it out, as it seems to be nothing but shadows and smoke, save for two piercing red eyes that glow from within the abyss. It snarls, a mouth full of black teeth appearing as it roars.
>That's when the crystal unicorn steps forward, and from her horn she unleashes a beam of energy that pierces through the creature, vaporizing it almost instantly.
>Yet despite the victory, the mare does not look content. Her expression turns to wariness as a second figure emerges through the opening.
>This time, though, it is a pony - a unicorn, clad in full black metal armour of a material that looks not too dissimilar from the sword you had picked up earlier. A purple mist seems to pour out from the openings in the helmet. You feel a sense of cold dread flow through you as the armored pony marches in.

(2/4)

>>25911995

>The crystal unicorn unleashes another blast of energy, but this time it seems to strike against some invisible barrier, splashing around the armoured pony but nothing coming even close to him.
>The stallion says nothing, but fires back its own energy bolt that strikes the unicorn in the chest, knocking her back into the pedestal. You can tell she's badly injured now - she struggles to get back to her hooves, as black crystals now cling to her body where the energy bolt had struck.
>"Please father...stop this madness...I know you can still hear me," the mare calls out.
>"Your father is gone, only nightmare remains," the armoured stallion replies, his voice a hollow echo like cold steel. "Now where is it?"
>"Someplace where you will never find it," she sneers back.
>"Why do you still struggle? Can you not see that it is hopeless? Your Empire is dust...your army is gone...and once I am done killing you, I will kill everyone else."
>"As long as there is light, there is still hope."
>"As long as there is light, there is shadow."
>The mare looks away as the stallion charges up his magic once again. There is another blinding flash, and you find yourself standing before the crystallized statue once again. You look behind you to where the armoured stallion was but instead you see Tex and Diamond looking at you with some confusion and puzzlement.

(3/4)

>>25912001

"Was that...did we just see--?"
>"I believe so," Prism replies with a somber nod.
"Who was that?"
>"That, my friend, was Sombra...the last Emperor. The Emperor who ground his own kingdom into dust to fuel a warmachine that would try to spread the darkness across all of Equestria."
>You turn abou to look at the statue again, and you see that the eyes of the statue are still glowing. And then suddenly, it speaks...
>"But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your hooves. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."
>You raise your hoof to speak back but the light disappears from the statues eyes...and then suddenly the statue begins to fall apart, crumbling into dust at your hooves.
>"Pot! What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything! I didn't even touch it!"
>It's too late to do anything. There's but a pile of crystal now laying at your hooves. But that's when you notice something else, sitting in the dust is an intact piece of crystal. Well, intact would be the wrong word. It has a round, tear-drop-like shape but the jagged edge along one side of it suggest it's been broken like so many other crystals in the room.
>And that's when you notice a faint pulsing light coming from your pendant...

Input action.

>>25912005
Understandably Innkeeper. Long read as well.

Touch it?

>>25912013
ether that or go on poke quest starting with prism

>>25912005
> Use Element to try and repair the thing

>>25912005
Poor girl I think we should ask Prism to bury the bodies or something like that.

>>25912005
Recover the teardrop piece, have Prism check it over. See if your pendant is reacting to that piece or if it is leading you to the other half of it somewhere else.

>>25912051
Thats good go find the other parts, i hope we have some time to keep digging for more gems.

>>25912005
ask prism if he needs those weapons for anything if not lets take them to Silver

>>25912068
It's entirely possible that we're now the owners of Sombra's Sword. Phew, what a monster that's gotta be. I can't wait to see what it does!

>>25912079
You could be right! Lets double check with prism if its the same one.

>>25912021
That lady certainly had some very powerful magic to put her last memories into the statue like that.
Why not start with the most magical unicorn in town?

>>25912121
How funny would it be if we go up to all our friends and poke them with it and we can't tell them why.

>>25912132
"Hey, it glows! OK you're in Secret Crystal Club now. Don't tell anybody, and keep this on you at all times!"

>>25912151
Kek that. we need a super secret name for our super duper secret club.

>You carefully pick up the crystal fragment and look it over. It seems to be glowing in response to your Element, though you have no idea why. Just to double-check, you give the crystal over to Prism and step back. Sure enough, the light fades.
"What do you make of it? You think that might be an Element of Harmony?"
>"I don't believe so," Prism says, examining the item closer. "However, they do seem to have similar construct. It's possible that they share similar origins...we don't know much about the Elements' origin. It's possible it shares it with whatever this is."
>You decide to take out the sword you recovered and you show it to Prism.
"What do you make of this?"
>"It's a rather crude-looking sword. If I have to venture a guess, it's a bastardization of the crystal weaponry used by the Empire. You'd have to take it to somepony like Silver Ingot if you want to know more - she's the expert on metallurgy."
"I thought you said it was crystal."
>"It's...it's complicated. Like I said, Silver would know more. She'll be practically orgasmic if you bring that to her - she's always had a fondness for Crystal Empire stuff."
>You put the sword away and take another look around the room.
"Doesn't seem to be much else here," you remark.
>"I'll send notice to the Royal Court about this discovery. They can see to it that the remains are properly taken care of," Prism answers. "As for this crystal, I don't suppose you mind letting me hold onto it...at least for a little while. By rights of salvage, you're legally entitled to anything here that you wish."

Input action.

>>25912161
"I take it that you would like the golem?"

>>25912161
Of course you can study it and any other thing in here that you would like.

>>25912161
what time is it because we can use the remaining of it digging

>>25912161
"You're welcome to study all these things, Prism. Just let's keep control over the artifacts amongst ourselves, so that we get some benefits from our discovery. I'd particularly be interested in knowing what you can do with this golem, and if any derivative products you build based off of it could be useful in a hospitality industry setting." and give him a wink.

>>25912161
"Prism I was wondering if Sundance had managed to show you about these special gems she has and if you know what they are"

>>25912168
He could get the crystal too, I'm sure he would give it back if we asked.

Might want to tell about the locket too, if we want it buried with its owner.(if it wasn't obvious already) or we could have it donated to a museum.

>>25912184
...in each others mine shafts

>>25912190
>>25912195
These

>>25912195
I'm sentimental and would like the locket to be able to stay with it's owner- But then, it's owner has had it for a thousand years or so. It could be the only surviving example of crystal empire "photography" and thus very worthy of study.

So despite sentiment I vote museum for locket.

Anyone else looking forward to Augusts dress? I wanna butter her up so much.

>>25912161
Examine the statue rubble to see if the horn-ring survived. That's another fascinating artifact.

>>25912216
Yeah though Prism should also study it

>>25912218
Aye, there's no way we could in good conscience just slap it on some random unicorn "just to see what happens", especially considering what it did to that statue. But Prism has insight, and a number of magical scrying thingies, I'm sure he'd love to study the thing.

>>25912222
Quads confirms we stick by our generous nature

>You look to the pile of dust once more and notice the ring sitting at the top of it. Despite the unease of sifting through the literal ashes of some pony's remains, you pick up the ring and hold it out to Prism.
"Well, I don't think the others would mind but you're welcome to pretty much everything else here. I don't think any of us could get any value out of these things, but you certainly could. Feel free to take what you want and let us know if you need any help carrying anything."
>"Really? All of it?"
"What am I going to need with broken crystals and a bunch of old skeletons?"
>"Ohthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Prism squeels, throwing a hoof around you in a tight embrace. "Oh I could kiss you right now you magnificent stallion!"
"Nothing stoppin' ya," you chuckle and grin.
>"There's so much work to do now!" Prism lets you go and gallops over to the metal wreck. You can hear him giggling in delight as he starts poking and prodding it over. You get the feeling you're not going to get much out of him until he's run this enthusiasm out of his system.
"Say...did Sundance come by with the--"
>"Can't talk now! Study first. We can talk later!" Prism calls back.
>"Well, I don't know about you, but we could probably still get some mining done if we head back up," Diamond comments.

Input action.

>>25912246
done deal, spend the rest of the time mining

>>25912246
let pots ass find more treasure

>>25912246
Yup! Let's leave our new Head Director Of Ponyville Antiquities to his research, and resume scratching at the very ground itself for filthy lucre! This trip's been great so far!

>>25912254
kek this

>>25912246
If Pot's ever going to get a kiss from Prism, he's going to have to stop talking and start actually kissing him

>>25912257
FOR SCIENCE!

It's late, I think we'll call it a night. Had a lot of fun writing these ones.

>>25912395
Night, Innkeep.

>>25912395
Thanks as usual, Innkeeper!

Say... If Sombra had a daughter, who was the mother? The comic had that romance with Celestia. Hm.

We could be onto a royalty-rocking scandal. We better not publicize our findings overmuch.

>>25912438
Wait, what findings about daughter?

>>25912395
Just as fun reading a playing!

Bed bump myself

>>25912575
Yes, if Sombra and Celestia had a love-child, that'd be earth-shattering. Prism and us now have some extremely forbidden knowledge that'd rock the royals if it came out.

>>25912616
I'm probably just tired but where does it say that in the posts? Or is it just the comics. Bed bump as well.

>>25912628

I think they're referring to >>25912001 when unicorn pony said 'father' to Sombra.

Meaning that Sombra had a kid.

The comics had Celestia/Sombra romance.

So maybe this had said romance too, except it produced a kiddy, too.

>>25912659
Exactly, and now at least Prism and us witnessed a thousand year old recording of her "in the flesh", as it were. So this could be explosive if not widely known, and should be handled with appropriate tact if not outright terror of destabilizing the royalty.

bed bump

>>25913980

>>25913980

>>25912690
>>25912659
Completely missed that father thing! Dang.

Does Spectral Prism have spectral jism?

>>25916477
The floor will be covered the second we leave

I'm looking forward to make a couple of mares happy with Augusts dress and Silvers special crystal weapons.

>>25912690
we should send a letter to Celestia or something informing her of this information.

>>25917535
Prism said he would do that

>>25912161
>"I'll send notice to the Royal Court about this discovery. They can see to it that the remains are properly taken care of," Prism answers. "As for this crystal, I don't suppose you mind letting me hold onto it...at least for a little while. By rights of salvage, you're legally entitled to anything here that you wish."

>>25917535
Let's leave that to Spectral. Celestia might try to take over the site and freeze us and him out. He knows her best, he can tell her.

>>25918196
So should we go to Oats tomorrow?

>>25918228
We need a bump, I know that much.

>>25918859
>>25918228
Lets ask QT if he wants to cum, he needs another friend to hang out with

Time to continue the capitalism!

>>25920093
Muh InnKeeper

"Not a bad discovery if I do say so myself," you remark as the four of you head back to the tunnel. "You think any of that will be worth money? Maybe like a finder's fee if I let the Royal Court have it all?"
>You climb back up the chute, a task a bit more difficult than going down had been. You wound up climbing up the tunnel after Cutie Swirl, so you wind up with a nice view of his baker-padded rump all the way up.
>"What do you suppose that big crystal you pulled out of that dust pile is?" Diamond comments from behind you.
"Who knows. It couldn't have been a coincidence that it stayed intact, well mostly, while the rest of her crumbled. Hopefully Prism will figure out the mystery."
>Just as you get close to the top, you hear a faint 'meep' come from up ahead. It gives you a bit of warning to brace yourself as you see Cutie Swirl come sliding back down the tunnel. He must've slipped or lost his grip, but there's not much you can do other than close your eyes.
>Thankfully, he didn't have much speed, so you simply wind up getting a face-full of Cutie's backside.
"Cutieeeee! What happened?" you shout, muffled by his tail in your face.
>"S-sorry. I slipped!" he calls back. "Let me just...I can do this..."
>He wriggles about trying to get a foothold again, one of his hind legs bracing against your shoulder. After some grunting and squirming, Cutie's eventually able to get climbing again and the four of you eventually make it back to the main tunnel.
>"So which way now?" Tex asks, the last to emerge from below.
>There's still tunnel to explore, either continuing down the path you had originally set off or doubling-back to explore any of the tunnels you had passed earlier.

Input action.

>>25920220
Might as well fully explore this current tunnel

>>25920220
"Diamond how about you pick the next mining spot"

>>25920239
>>25920251
Both good

>>25920220
let the lucky plot lead the way

>>25920220
Roll the dice

>>25920220
Continue down current tunnel until Diamond finds another good spot.

Recall Cutie's rope slide fondly.

>>25920460
Sweet sweet buns

"Well we've been lucky going down this way so far, let's keep going," you suggest.
>You let Diamond take the lead as usual, but you're glad to see that the excitement of that day seems to have brought out enthusiasm in Cutie Swirl. The little pegasus isn't hanging at the back of the pack anymore, but stays up front with you and Diamond, merrily skipping along.
>"Here's a good spot!" Diamond calls out as he leads you over to a nearby blind-end of a tunnel off-shoot.
>"Riches, here I come," Cutie squeals as he races up with his pickaxe.
>"Looks like somepony's been bit by the mining bug," Diamond chuckles as he watches the pegasus begin hacking away at the wall.
>You chuckle and nod in agreement, picking up your pick and setting to work as well.
>The excitement from the recent discover spurrs a hurried pace in you and the others. You make great progress carving out the wall, though sadly your efforts are not rewarded quite so readily.
>You and Diamond manage to scrounge up some copper, but Tex finds nothing after a while.
>Cutie's lucky streak seems to be continuing on as he squeals in delight upon pulling out a nice, sizeable chunk of gold ore.

You've gathered:
Copper (x7)
Gold (x1)

You and your team are winded again, and now quite hungry. Input action.