World of Silver
Chapter 1 - Found
Equestria, a land of ponies, a land of magic, a land of friendship. A paradise of a country and a country of paradise, where strife is fleeting and happiness falls as readily and regularly as the rain. In this shining, ideal land live tens of thousands of ponies. Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns living in the sort of harmony one would only expect them to, being blessed as they are with plentiful food, plentiful friends, and the chance to follow the call of their cutie mark, no matter what that call may lead them to do. Each pony with a story to tell, one of fulfilled dreams and wonderful friendships made along the way.
But this story does not start in such a wonderland. Far beyond the borders of Equestria, past the verdant fields and lush forests, past the desolate crags of mountains once ruled by an exiled race of shape shifters, and seperated from the prosperous Egallypt by a vast desert, lies a small county nearly forgotten by the greater world. To even call this barren spit of land a country is almost agrandizing, as the whole of it can be described as a single mining town surrounded a hundred-thousand miles of rough bedrock and infertile top soil. The capital, Silver Town, lying roughly in the middle of the country and exactly in the middle of an ever expanding pit, born of the sole purpose the town and its ponies had ever known.
Silver Town is what could be generously called a mining community, every building devoted in some way to the removal of gems and precious metals from the rock faces surrounding them. Rows of metal refineries, smelting facilities, and gem sorters broken only by the living quarters of the ponies who ran them. In an irony not lost on its residents, the fact each family was given its own home was one of the few luxuries afforded them. Despite its chief export being high quality gemstones, Silver Town saw very little income. The combined costs of mining, refining, and transporting the gems provided just enough monetary income to keep the town afloat and its citizens fed.
And much can be said of the citizens of Silver Town. Or rather, the types of ponies who occupy its facilities. Just as in the rest of the world, there are three types of pony in Silver Town, but the duties of most are vastly different. The pegasi still steward the weather, but in this land that amounts to keeping the clouds shifting from one end of the country to the next, barely picking up enough moisture to prevent a drought. The earth ponies and unicorns tended to all aspects of the mining process. The unicorns would find the gem deposits, blast away large pieces of bedrock with concentrated magical blasts, then break those pieces to a managable size. The earth ponies would haul carts of gem-filled rocks to the refinement plants, where any valuable gem or usable metal would be removed and sent to be either appraised or refined. Eventually, anything worth selling would be carried to neighboring countries by teams of pegasi, teams specially trained to handle the flight through jagged mountain peaks or across a scorching desert.
With such a limited range of jobs, very few ponies were able to answer the call of their cutie mark. There were those blessed few whose mark reflected a talent for the job they would inevitably recieve, but many were only able indulge in their special talent in what scant free time they were allowed. Most did not even get their cutie mark, having little time or reason to explore their personal interests in the face of a work load that, quite literally, never ended. No humor was spared for the children either. Why bother filling them with hope that would eventually be crushed by the responsibility of keeping their town alive and their families fed?
Nopony could be faulted for being confused by Silver Town, much about the town makes little sense at a glance. Why build a town in the middle of a wasteland? Why live in a town that was barely able to hold itself together? Why work a job with no future and no chance to follow your dreams? Why is a town which mainly exports gemstones named Silver Town? To answer, a quote from "Silver Town Educational Series: Book Three, Chapter One."
"Silver Town was founded in Year 563 of the New Celestial Calendar. While on a Canterlotian commissioned expedition beyond the Changeling Crags, a group of brave, pioneering ponies discovered one of the largest natural mineral deposits in the known world. Quite by happenstance, one pony, tasked with digging a latrine, stumbled upon a massive vein of precious metal and gemstones. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, amethyst, and diamond mere inches from each other, lying between massive veins of gold. But more plentiful than any gemstone or goldline, was silver. So much silver was infused in the land one could hardly kick a rock without uncovering a piece of the shimmering metal. And so the pioneer ponies made to report their find as quickly as they could manage, and not two months later the first mining facility was established. Because of the natural obstacles between the facility and Equestria, most ponies opted to build their homes within trotting distance of the facility, and so Silver Town was officially founded."
What you won't find until much later in the text is how Silver Town was quick to fall from grace. After two years of steady growth, an unfortunate discovery was made. Because of the abundant silver in the soil, no mining could be done without setting countless tiny particles of the metal airborn. As the ponies worked they slowly inhaled more and more of the silver, gradually poisoning them. Silver built in the ponies' systems, depositing throughout their bodies and causing a blue-gray discoloration of the skin, fur, and eyes. The condition was named argyria, after the first pony to contract it, an earth pony by the name of Argyle Geranium. Argyria was not a deadly condition, but a disfiguring one. And as the paranoid, distrustful creatures ponies are, many were quick to condemn the afflicted and the very soil they had lived off of. All but a few hundred families fled the town, leaving only the original settlers and the most practial, faithful, and desperate ponies to tend to the many facilities left behind.
So now, nearly four-hundred and fifty years later, the rotting remains of a town lie, nearly forgotten, sustaining itself on meager wages and the ghost of a dream. Filled to capacity with broken ponies, no dreams to follow, no future to hope for, a lifetime of toil or abandonning their family the only options given to them.
But a short distance from this ever expanding graveyard of the living, two unicorns slowly make their way toward the town. One, an unassuming stallion with a short black mane and gray coat, his cutie mark of a clip-boarded check list with multiple items checked off, the other, a somewhat small mare with a long light blue mane and gray-blue coat, offset by her cutie mark, a large pink heart surrounded by a shimmering silver ribbon. Each carried a large pack and a pair of saddle bags, laden with either mountain climbing gear or some tool of science. The two came to the edge of the pit surrounding Silver Town, and began to survey the numerous factories and dim gray homes.
"This is it, Silver Heart." The stallion spoke as he turned to his wife, "This is our new home."
"And," the mare said in return, "where we will change the world."
Author's Afterword:
Well, after a lot of procrastination, a lot of obsessive fantasizing, and a little more planning than I'm used to, here's my first piece of writing in some time. I'm really out of practice, so any criticism, friendly or harsh, is greatly appreciated. Especially in regard to spelling and grammar, 'cause it bugs the hell out of me when I let stuff like that slide! Hope some of you get a kick out of this, and I do plan to write more, I'm just not sure if it'll take me two days or an entire week to finish the next chapter.
And a big thank you to everyone who's giving this fic a chance to shine like silver!
World of Silver
Chapter 2 - Meet
"You're sure you know how to get there?" A mare spoke, breaking the near silence of the currently unoccupied southern residential district, "That map at the entrance didn't look very new."
"Yeah, but from what we saw from on top of that cliff the town hasn't changed much." A stallion responded, his hoofsteps adding to the sound of faintly howling wind between long abandonned houses.
"But this place has definitely gotten bigger since that map was drawn," the mare said, irritation beginning to show in her voice, "and I'd rather not spend another twenty minutes trotting in the wrong direction."
"Relax hon," the stallion calmly spoke, "Town Hall should be in the center of town, and we've been following these tram rails which should head straight there. It took us a bit longer than I thought to get through that industrial section, but hey, it's a mining town. Makes sense that would be the place to grow larger over the years."
"Right," The mare replied shortly, "but it'd also make sense to have an up-to-date map."
"Oh come on now, don't be all down. We're brand new ponies in a brand new town." The stallion chimed back.
"Quick, please don't start rhyming. I'm really not in the mood for-"
The stallion cut her off, and in a sing-song voice continued, "Oh nopony likes a sad clown, so just drop that sad old frown, perk up, cheer up, and turn yourself around!"
"Hehehe!" The mare giggled with a hoof over her mouth, "Ok, ok, I get it Mr. Musical. No more gloomyness."
"That's my girl." He said, giving her a playful bump
The two ponies continued their trek through the desolate section of Silver Town. Before long they reached the occupied part of the district, the boarded-up and obviously abandoned houses transistioning to less neglected ones. Though these homes were still far from being well kept, dull metal walls and grimy windows attesting to years of exposure to the hot, dusty winds. In this part of the town, form had definitly been neglected in favor of function. Each house had a single door at the front, a pair of windows on each side of it, the walls otherwise featureless. Each house was placed three feet from the next, just enough room for a full-grown pony to comfortable walk from one street to the next.
After trotting past several rows of homes, the pair arrived in the main hub of Silver Town. Featureless houses gave way to more adorned shops and store fronts, seemingly made with the same weathered metal as the buildings before them. However, many shops also seemed to have been abandoned in the same fashion as the houses of the outer residential district. Clothing stores, furniture stores, a music store, all their doors barred and their windows either covered or absent. The only places that may have been in business were a sparce few general stores and grocery stores. But even those buildings that did not look as though they had been deserted entirely were not open at the time.
"Quick," the silence was once again broken by the mare, "this place is really starting to creep me out. It's like a ghost town, no wait, it's like every description of a ghost town anypony has ever given."
"Come on Silver Heart, relax. I'm sure everypony is out working right now. And besides, I thought scientists were immune to superstition?"
"Science can explain everything from the forces that move atoms to the magics that let the Princesses move the heavens, but it can't make this place any less spooky!"
"Heh, can it explain why the surveyor is being is being more realistic than the scientist?" The stallion's remark went unanswered. He turned to see his wife had stopped, looking intently at the haggard remains of a toy store. Through the darkened window the shadows of cloth dolls and wooden toys could be seen, covered with dust but still arranged to catch the eye of any passing young filly or colt.
"Silver Heart?" The stallion carefully approached his wife, "Are you alright?"
"...Even the toy stores." Silver Heart said.
"Huh?"
"Even the toy stores are closed. Quick Results, what kind of place are we moving to?"
Quick Results solemnly replied, "A place without dreams. I knew this town would be dour, nopony at the travel agency was subtle about that. But this? This really sums it up."
"How can it be that not even foals are given a chance to play?" Silver Heart turned to her husband, a new found determination in her eyes, "We need to fix this. We need to do everything we can to bring life back to this town."
"Heh, isn't that half the reason we came here?" He said, "Remember our plan, I'm here to bring Silver Town life, you're here to bring it glory."
"I know, I know. I've never met a pony as organized and practical as you. Or one with a better business sense. You'll have no trouble getting this town back on it's feet. But there's no telling whether or not I'll make any progress in my research."
"Seeing this place in person I'm beginning to think it won't be so easy, but I'm not concerned. You believe in me, and I know I can succeed because of that. I may be the organized one, but you're the brilliant one. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll figure out everything you set out to, no matter how far over my head it goes."
The mare perked up at Quick Results' consolation, "Quick, you always know how to cheer me up."
"It's almost like we're married, right? Ow!" His wit earned him a hoof to the back of the head. "You don't have to be so harsh."
"Yes I do. It won't get through all that practicality if I'm not."
"And you know how to make a point. Let's go, Town Hall should be just up ahead."
"Right." Silver Heart said, and the two ponies were back on their trot toward the center of Silver Town.
Before long, Silver Heart and Quick Results found themselves before the unassuming control center of the workings of Silver Town. Save for a few distinctions, one could hardly tell Town Hall from the shops surrounding it. The building was made of the same metal as the majority of the town, though it looked far less neglected. It was adorned with the familiar raised dome common to places of government, as well as several columns that formed a veranda at the front of the structure. Aside from these additions though, it was as plain and simple as any of the stores which formed a circle around it or the numerous empty houses beyond them. The two ponies entered through the only door and found themselves in what seemed to be a living room turned office. A large, old looking couch sat on the left side of the room, opposite a common magic-fueled stove, styled to look an old fashion wood-burning stove but with no exaust pipe. At the back of the room were two doors, in front of which was a simple wooden desk with a mare listlessly reading a book. The two approaced the desk, hooves sounding loudly on the hardwood floor but doing nothing to break the receptionist from her torpor.
"Excuse me miss," Quick spoke, "I have an appointment with the Mayor, is he or she in?"
At this the mare managed a look up, and as if noticing the company for the first time, spoke, "Well I'll be bucked! You actually came."
"Pardon? What do you mean?" Quick Results questioned.
"You sound surprised. We sent a letter a few weeks ago telling the Mayor we were moving here. Did they not get it?" Silver Heart added.
"Oh he got it. Came in with the last supply shipment. Took it for a prank right away and threw it in the trash."
"Is it that uncommon for ponies to move here?" Silver Heart continued.
"Lady, nopony's moved into Silver Town for years, not since the Argyria scared most of 'em away." The mare's tone soured as she spoke.
"That asside," Quick noticed the change and decided to reassert their reason for coming to Town Hall, "Is the Mayor in? I'd like to discuss our living arrangements as soon as possible, Ms..."
"Oh sorry, it's File Clerk. And your names?"
"I'm Quick Results and this is my wife, Silver Heart."
"Well Mr. Results, this time of day the East Factories ought to be shutting down for the night. So it shouldn't be long before the Mayor gets back."
"The Mayor works in the factories too?" Silver Heart once again stepped into the conversation.
"In Silver Town 'Mayor' and 'Head Foreman' mean pretty much the same thing. Besides, with me here to handle paper work he doesn't have a lot of 'mayoring' to take care of."
"Then I suppose we'll wait here until then." Quick said.
"You won't be waiting for long." A deep, gravelly voice spoke from behind them. They turned to see the Mayor standing in the door way, his large body barely fitting through the door frame. He was built thick and muscular, to be expected of a miner, with a dark gray coat, darker gray mane, and light gray eyes with a slight blue tinge to them.
"So you two are the pranksters who want to move to Silver Town, huh?" He said sharply, drawing close to Quick Results. "You know it's not too smart to pull a prank on somepony while they can look you in the eyes." As he finished he stood nearly chest-to-chest to the nearly-a-foot shorter stallion.
"I assure you, Mr. Mayor," Quick responded, not backing an inch, "we are quite serious about moving here. Or did the travel bags not make that clear enough for you?"
The towering figure scowled at his quip, and raised his massive hoof into the air.
"BWAHAHAHA!" The Mayor let out a bellowing laugh and gave Quick Results a pat on the back hard enough to buckle his legs. "You've got some guts son! Just what I like to see! So how about you and me step into my office and find you a place to stay?"
"Sure, just no more back patting OK? I don't think my spine can take another."
"Haha, if you say so." The Mayor opened the door to the right of the desk, "Now how about we get down to business? If you ladies will excuse us?"
"Of course Mr. Mayor." Ms. Clerk answered as he closed the door, leaving her and Silver Heart to converse.
"Well he was certainly more," Silver Heart paused to think of the right word, "boisterous, than I expected."
"That's the Mayor for ya, rocks and gravel one minute, drinks and jokes the next. Although, moodswings are pretty common around here."
"I was starting to notice that. I guess I'll just take a seat until they finish then."
"Actually," the mare began, "since you've got a bit of a wait..." She ducked under the desk and came back up with a dusty display filled with several old looking pamphlets. "You may as well ta-ay-ay-ah-AHCHOO!" She loudly sneezed, blowing off most of the dust covering the display.
"Celestia bless you." Silver Heart said, reeling a little from the sudden outburst.
"Thanks. You may as well read up on some Silver Town history, since it's pretty clear you don't know what you're getting into. No offense."
"None taken. Thank you." Silver Heart took one of the pamphlets and trotted toward the couch. She set her travel bags next to it and sat down, opened the pamphlet and began to read of "A Brief History of Silver Town, and Summary of the Workings Thereof."
Author's Afterword:
World of Silver: Chapter Two! Now with more dialouge! Not a very graceful ending, but I planned this and the next as one chapter then decided it'd be better to stop here. Once again, catch any spelling or grammar flubs, let me know below.
And as always, may your future shine like silver!