The Story of Aperture

Aperture led the way through the caves, with a gentle gradient up. The sheer enormity of it stunned him; the tunnel could easily house 2 trains on top of each other. He felt a slight amount of apprehension at the thought of what had gouged it out. It was much too big for ponies, and the river didn’t flow this way. Whatever it was, it was big enough to carve through solid rock, and that wasn’t a pleasing thought. “Well” Aperture thought, “At least whatever-it-was, it’s gone now.”

His ring picked out a new tunnel in the rock going up towards where Zayelx thought they’d fallen through, so they turned off the huge centre tunnel and up the significantly smaller new caves. This new tunnel was a tight fit, and they each had to take off their saddlebags to fit through. Aperture held his knife out ahead of him to fit through, also for protection. Zayelx took a dirty green scarf he had found in the caves and wrapped it round his neck. Suddenly he disappeared. Aperture reared and gave a cry.

“What’s up?” asked Zayelx. “Does it really look that bad?”

“Where did you go!” cried Aperture.

“Nowhere. I’m still here.” replied Zayelx. “It’s not that dark.”

The tunnel broadened into a small cave. Aperture turned to look at the source of the voice. In the light of the cave he saw the muddy scarf floating in the air. He went to move his hoof above it, and met with resistance.

“What did you do that for?” asked Zayelx angrily. He took off the scarf, and suddenly flashed back into view. Aperture jumped in the air and gave another shout.

“Stop doing that! I think that scarf of yours is making you invisible. The two experimented with the scarf in the cave, whenever it was wrapped round somepony’s neck, they were invisible, but for a faint shimmer and shadow.

“Neat, I know what I’m gonna do with this” laughed Zayelx. “Joking aside, if this is the kind of tech buried in these caves, we’re onto a winner.”

After the discovery, the two ponies moved on through the narrow caves, gone was the faint bioluminescence that had granted them some sight before, now all that remained was the soft green light from Aperture’s ring. The caves were also becoming noticeably warmer, and the air gained a slight sulphurous tang of burning. Finally, after what seemed like days of walking, Aperture forced himself through a ridiculously small crack in the rock into a larger passage. He and Zayelx tumbled out onto the floor, and gave a cry of relief. There were hoof prints leading up the track. With renewed vigour, the two began to sprint at breakneck speed to catch up with their squad mates. They ran for ten minuits solid, then, just as they began to give up hope, there was a cry from ahead. Lightning and Kestrel were sat on the floor by two tents.

Kestrel leapt to his hooves, a huge beam on his face, sprinted down the cave and grabbed the two new arrivals in a huge warm embrace. For a while they just stood, wallowing in the relief that they were all still alive. Eventualy, Kestrel stepped away and blushed slightly for his outburst of emotion. However, he and Lightning had not escaped the mine attack unscathed. Both had lost a lot of feathers, lightning was bruised and sore, Kestrel had a gash on his cheek that, without medical attention would surely scar.

“I kinda like it.” He said when prompted “It’ll be a huge chick magnet. I’m like a wounded war hero”

“You’ll have to survive the war first Kestrel” Laughed Lightning, but there was a slight edge to his voice. It wasn’t entirely a joke”

Whilst Aperture and Zayelx rested at the camp, Lightning filled them in on the details of their escapades since they had parted. It wasn’t nearly as exciting as Aperture’s tale, but important none the less. Back at base, Matrix had scanned the hub’s annex tunnels and found something very exciting. There was an air based transport system leading to a storage unit near their location. It was useful for moving heavy equipment, but not so for ponies, as the changing air pressure would suffocate them. The Sanctum had somehow managed to triangulate the hub’s location, and were currently attacking the bulkhead. All personnel had been evacuated by other roughs to the valley below Canterlot to await further instructions, all except 4. Twilight was still on the road to recovery, Nurse Hope and Bowdler had stayed to make sure she was safe, and Matrix stayed to protect the hub’s technology and assist Delta team for as long as possible.

“So what did you do whilst we were doing all of this, Aperture?” Asked Lightning.

“Well” Began Aperture “It all started with a depth charge”