Briquette

Chapters

Chapter 1: The Fall
Chapter 2: Rise of the Machine
Chapter 3: Static

Chapter 1: The Fall

~Chapter One~

It is a well known fact that ponies can be very on-the-nose when naming their children. If you are a farmer that grows fruit, for example, you would probably name your child Applejack, Strawberry Fields or perhaps Mango. If you were the child of someone who worked on the railroad, your parents might name you Golden Ticket, Rising Steam, or even Box Car.

So it's not hard to imagine what the father of Charcoal Briquette did for a living; mining deep in the ground to keep the Equestrian wheels of progress turning. Ever forward the kingdom kept pushing and pushing, creating new things never dreamt before to make the ponies’ lives much easier.

Such wonders, of course, depended on ponies like Coal, Charcoal’s father, doing what he did best: mining. Today, he was walking with his two children to his job site. Like most fathers at some point in their lives, he was having second thoughts as to why he had wanted children so badly.

“Shut up!” growled the pitch black unicorn to his younger brother, stepping closer so he could hit him. “We’re just friends!”

“I saw you walking with Hay Storm the other day,” teased his younger brother, Diamond Shard. He was a dusky colored unicorn, a gleam of mischief glinting from his eyes. “You like her, don’t you? You gonna kiss her at the harvest dance next month?”

“It’s not like that,” Charcoal whined, his voice wavering. He hoped his younger brother wouldn’t notice.

Truth be told, he did have a small crush on her; he had ever since they started school together all those years ago. He had felt something for her. After all, what was there to dislike about her? She was young, pretty and smart. Heck, she’d won the Princess of the Fall Festival contest for the last three years. Even more surprising was the fact that when he’d asked if she would accompany him to the harvest dance, she’d said yes.

Not that he was ever going to admit that to his little snot of a brother.

“Charcoal and Hay Storm, sitting in a tree!” Diamond Shard sang, clearly enjoying himself. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a foal in a tiny carriage!”

“Shut up! Dad!” Charcoal cried, knowing that his father would stop it. He was remiss to do so earlier so as not to let his brother know he had upset him so.

“Stop teasing your brother, Diamond.” Coal said absently, not paying close attention, but instinctively knowing it was time to put his hoof down before it turned to blows. His coat was colored black, much like his eldest son, but lined with streaks of grey, his age beginning to show.

“He started it,” Diamond grumbled after a moment of silence, sticking his tongue out at his brother while his father couldn’t see.

“Did not!” argued Charcoal.

“Did too!”

“Did not!”

“Boys!!” The fathers voice rose exceptionally high, letting the two know they were starting to strike at his last nerve.

A pall of silence surrounded the small group as they walked onwards, the boys following their father to the coal mine. Coal enjoyed the brief respite from the arguing, knowing that the two would start up again in a moment. He often enjoyed his walks to work in silence. It was a nice day and fall was approaching, already carrying the chill of cold days ahead. Soon they would have to break out the winter wear and clean the fireplace in preparation for the cold days ahead, but right now, it was his favorite time of the year.

But still...

“You know,” said Coal, taking a moment to clear his throat and make sure they were paying attention. “You two come from a long and proud family of miners. Me, your grandfather, your great-grandfather...”

“Yeah, I know, dad,” Charcoal said, rolling his eyes. “You’ve told us the story of our family every day for the past week.”

“What would Equestria do if they didn’t have the Briquette family to mine their precious coal?” Diamond Shard mocked, jumping into the conversation. The anger of their father was instantly forgotten when the prospect of a new game to annoy somepony presented itself.

“Why, I’m sure Equestria would just shrivel up and die without us.” Charcoal chortled, joining in with an expression of feigned terror on his face.

“The horror! The horror! The tragedy and weight that is placed upon our shoulders!” Diamond Shard taunted with a better imitation of his father than Coal would like to admit.

“Today is my birthday,” pleaded Charcoal. “You can go a day without telling us, you know.”

“Well then, that makes you old enough to mine with your dear old dad,” chuckled Diamond “And when I’m old enough, I will too.”

“Yay! Equestria is saved,” smiled Charcoal, jumping in mock joy.

“You finished?” Coal interrupted, “I mean, if the both of you want to continue making fun of your dear old dad, then by all means, keep going. Then he’ll be depressed, and he’ll quit his job, and we’ll all go sleep in the gutter.”

“Oh, dad, we were just kidding,” said Charcoal, earning a harrumph from his father, who couldn’t hide the smile on his face. The truth was that he loved his boys and was very proud of them. They were the reason he kept going.

“Anyway, unless you have more comments to make...” he paused, watching the two mime zipping their mouths shut. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that mining, it’s been in our blood for generations. We are the ones who keep Equestria going…”

“You're rambling again, dad,” said Charcoal as he rolled his eyes. He never was one for long speeches.

“Okay, okay,” Coal said, defeated. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, happy birthday, son. Today is not only the day you turn ten years old, but also the beginning of you being an adult and following the family’s hoofsteps. Aren’t you excited? It's a glorious time for you.”

There were so many things Charcoal wanted to say, but he just couldn’t let them out. He couldn’t bear to tell his father that he wasn’t sure this was what he wanted out of life. Knowing how his father talked nonstop for years about him joining the family trade put a lot of pressure on the boy. It would probably break his dad’s heart to tell him about his own goals and dreams. Better to push them down deep into the depths inside his heart. “You know it,” said Charcoal, forcing his lips into a smile. “I can’t wait.”

The mine wasn’t too far away. Most would say it was a pleasant walk cutting through the edge of the forest, stopping at the foot of the nameless mountain by the town. It once had a name, long ago. Probably named after some famous pony, a mare who probably did something great enough to have a mountain named after her. But over time, newer and newer generations came about. The name and the deeds were slowly lost, trickling away until it just became known as ‘the mountain.’

To be quite honest, it wasn’t a pretty or remarkable lump of rock sticking out from the ground. As plain-looking as the outside was, however, its true beauty could only be seen from deep inside, hidden under several tons of rock. It was one of the largest deposits of coal on this side of Equestria, which countless families of ponies had built their lives around extracting.

As Charcoal entered the cave, before his eyes could adjust, a loud bellow caused him to almost jump out of his skin. “Well, well... If it isn’t the birthday boy!” It took him a second to realize that it was the foreman.

Charcoal liked him. He was a friendly and open sort of stallion, sporting a large gut and a long bristly mustache atop his matching beard. The most notable thing about him, though, was that he was loud. The one thing Charcoal remembered the most from him when he had visited the house was how his voice echoed through each and every room when he spoke.

“Are you ready to start your first big day?” the foreman asked, slapping a hard hat on the boys’ heads. “We have a big job planned for the special pony.”

“You bet,” Charcoal blushed, embarrassed at being the center of attention. Thanking the other ponies congratulating him, he didn't notice that the foreman had been holding a pickaxe in front of him for a good few minutes.

“Grab it, ya ding-dong,” his younger brother teased, “or are you just going to look at it some more?”

“Oh, right,” Charcoal chuckled sheepishly, carefully taking the tool from the foreman’s hooves. It was heavier and more unwieldy than he thought it would be. The handle was smooth, but the head was littered with scratches and chips from end to end. Holding it up made him wonder how he could possibly wield this for hours at a time, the way his dad did every day.

“You’ll grow into it, don’t worry,” replied his father with a wink, steadying his son. “A little practice is all you need.”

“And we happen to have a place for you to try it out,” interrupted the foreman. “Follow me.”

He waved, leading the group to a metallic elevator. The elevator was old; Charcoal could tell it had served many ponies up and down, far below the land of Equestria in order to bring precious ore and minerals to the surface. It was painted red, but the coat had chipped off and faded with exposure. He could see the black colouration of the metal where it had been chipped.

The four of them climbed in the old lift. Coal slid the door closed before scolding Diamond Shard to stop jumping up and down in the hope of scaring his brother. “I was just having some fun,” he whimpered, giving his father that pouty face that had cleared him of trouble multiple times prior.

Truth to be told, Charcoal didn’t need his brother to scare him as he stood silently watching the countless tons of rock seeming to move upwards as the elevator took them further and further into the bowels of Equestria. The sensation of all that stone hanging over and surrounding him was scary enough on its own. Already, his often overactive imagination was working overtime, creating images of him stuck under all that rock, unable to return to the surface.

“Steady,” his dad said with a gently reassuring pat on his shoulder, “I know this can be hard for a first-timer, going this deep underground. Try not to think about it. After you grow accustomed to it, you’ll take to the caves as a duck does to water.”

Charcoal nodded to his father. He was thankful that his brother seemed to be having the same problem as him now. He noticed that Diamond was staring at the ceiling with his mouth open, letting out a small moan as he watched the light grow fainter as they went lower and lower. Charcoal made a mental note to seek revenge on his brother using this information when the time was right.

Further and further it took them downward. Charcoal imagined it taking them past the center of the planet and through to the other side, where ponies walked upside-down. He wondered what land was on the other side of Equestria and if he would ever be able to see it someday.

It felt too long a ride, but Charcoal knew that it had probably only been a few minutes by the time it finally stopped. They were in a large chamber, branching out into seemingly countless tunnels stretching endlessly out towards the inky blackness in front of them. Stepping out slowly, he felt himself start to relax. The tunnels felt wider than the elevator, and the air from the surface pumped through special filters smelled fresh and clean. These comforts drove out the oppressive feelings from before.

“So, this is where you work?” asked Diamond Shard with a low whistle. “These go on forever. Like, all the way to the center of Equestria, I’d bet.”

“Don’t hope too hard, Diamond,” said Coal with a chuckle, leading them toward an older tributary. “We’re not even a kilometre down. This section has been mostly mined out by now, but today being Charcoal’s birthday, tradition dictates that we bring them here to try their luck. It shows what they have inside of them.”

“Guts and boogers, most likely,” Diamond joked.

Charcoal had a retort ready on the tip of his tongue; a carefully crafted one. He’d been waiting for the perfect time to use it. As he opened his mouth to unleash his newest, meanest creation upon his brother, another pony suddenly joined in the conversation.

“You really shouldn’t be taking your children down this way,” said a gravelly voice from behind the group. “It isn’t safe.”

“I authorized it. They’ll be fine,” interjected the foreman, jumping into the conversation, “The children aren’t going to be down here for that long.”

Charcoal didn’t like this stallion who randomly decided to jump into the conversation, but he couldn’t figure out why. Other than his light brown mane hanging loose against his tan fur, he looked no different than the other miners in the area. It may have been that he looked like somepony who was always ready to fight someone over anything and everything, or perhaps it was the polished horseshoe and rabbit’s foot hanging by a chain around his neck. Whatever the case may be, Charcoal just wanted him to go.

“They shouldn’t be down here,” he said glaring at the kids. ”There are ghosts in this section of the mine, and they don’t like it when ponies take what’s theirs. If they take even a single rock, they could bring doom down upon us all.”

“Do you have a problem with my kids?” Coal asked, puffing out his chest as his temper rose. “It’s his birthday today. Let him have his fun.”

Charcoal was expecting a fight to break out between the two stallions. It was well known that his father could be very stubborn when angered, and this strange pony speaking of doom and gloom was trying his dad’s patience. Instead, the pony let out a loud snort before heading away from them, muttering to himself as he disappeared into the shadows of the mine.

“Don’t let him bother you,” said the foreman, placing a reassuring hoof on Charcoal’s shoulder. “He’s just trying to scare you.”

“That pony’s a jerk,” muttered Diamond.

“We're burning daylight,“ said Coal, looking down at his son. “Why don’t you give the ol’ pickaxe a swing and see what you find.”

Charcoal’s mood had been soured by that stallion, and he just wanted to go home, eat his cake and open his presents. He was willing to bet that his father had given him mining gear. And yet, he wasn’t ready to quit just yet. The strange stallion’s words had broken something loose in him. Charcoal wanted to prove him wrong, perhaps as a result of his father’s stubborn influence rubbing off on him. He approached one of the walls, striking with his pickaxe with all the might he could muster.

“CLANG!” came the sound of the mining tool hitting the stone wall. “CLANG!” He struck again. “CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!” Again and again and again. His muscles were already starting to ache as he kept striking the rock face over and over again. Vowing to himself that he would either find something big or burrow his way to Canterlot, he continued until a massive chunk flew off and collided with his shin.

“Ow!” he cried, dropping the pick and holding his leg. “Did it cut me?”

“You're fine,” Diamond Shard said after a quick once-over, for once not teasing his older brother.

“Already found something?” asked Coal. Coming closer to check, he shined his light onto the ground where the rock had landed. It was a large piece of coal, about the size of Charcoal’s head. The inky surface seemed to absorb most of the light shining on it. “You did a good job, Charcoal,” he said proudly. “This isn’t gold, but something just as valuable. Once we bring this up to the surface, I’ll show you just how great it is.”

The world seemed to swim around Charcoal. The sensation of magic and power running through his veins shook him to his core as the feeling of some new power was unlocked from deep inside his body. It all came pouring out, overloading his mind and almost causing him to black out. It took a moment for everything to finally return to normal. When the world stopped spinning, the first thing he noticed was his father’s grin, stretching from ear to ear.

“HA! I knew it!” his father said proudly. “Mining is in your blood.”

“What?” Charcoal asked, not sure what just happened. “What’s going on?”

“Look for yourself,” said Diamond, pointing at his older brother's flank.

Slowly, Charcoal turned to see what they were talking about. Across his hip, he could just make out in the low light the outline of his cutie mark. At first, he thought it might be a smudge, but as he moved into the light of the main tunnel and wiped himself clean, it didn’t come off. It was his cutie mark, and it matched the lump of iridescent mineral he’d just pulled from out of the ground exactly.

A smile of amazement spread across his face while the approaching crowd congratulated him. He knew his dad was proud and his brother was even being nice to him for a change. But still, there was some part of him questioning if this was what he wanted. If this was something he was going to do for the rest of his life, he needed to be sure. The warmth of not just his family but the other miners as well seemed to envelope the young pony, making him forget his worrisome question for the moment. He was so overcome with congratulations and head pats ricocheting through his hard hat that he couldn’t help but smile.

The foreman came forward and took the lump of coal from Coal’s hooves and placed it in Charcoal’s. It was really big, and really heavy. “You hold onto that. I’ll show you how to process it when we haul it back to the surface.”

Deeper down, in one of the tunnel’s other tributaries, the miner that had warned them against pulling stone from that section was working his way through a vein of iron. As his pick came down across the vein, it cracked and splintered. A very large boulder shot out of the wall and flew behind him, striking the support beam. This was an uncommon occurrence, but it did sometimes happen. Usually, the support beams were strong enough to withstand the force of big rocks, but this one had a hefty knot in it. It was strong enough to support the force laterally, and even withstand the impact force of big stones like this. However, when a big enough rock hit it in just the right way…

The ceiling began to chip away as the stone couldn’t handle the tensile force coming from above. The miners had tried to vault the ceiling to help keep them safe, but there hadn’t been a chance to do so yet at this juncture. First, dirt began to rain on them. Then gravel. Before they had the chance to run, or shout out a warning, they were all buried under the collapsing earth.

It all happened so fast. Mountains of rock, gravel, and stone had been finally freed to move again. The breaking of one support put too much pressure on the others as they, too, began to collapse under the weight of all that earth.

The screams and cries of the miners filled the air. Charcoal could hear words here and there, but in the chaos, they just joined in the symphony of incoherent noises. He could feel the rough touch of somepony, possibly the foreman, grabbing and holding him while the world around Charcoal began to move away, like a movie was being played in reverse.

Five ponies, including Charcoal, had made it onto the elevator cage safely. As the cage moved up, Charcoal could see the rocks moving down around him. In a way, he was more terrified riding the elevator up to the surface than he had been on the way down. Instead of heavy boulders rising around him, they all seemed to be falling. How could he be able to determine whether or not the ceiling was about to collapse on him, too, when the walls always looked like they were trying to crush him.

As the elevator doors opened and Charcoal made his way out into the light, he couldn’t feel the sting in his eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to move without the foreman pushing him forward. When he finally regained control of his body, he looked down at the large block of coal in his hooves. There was no questioning now whether or not he wanted to go into mining. The field was forever tainted.

That evening, Charcoal and his mother stood outside of the mine. A second crew had come in to search the collapsed tunnel and rescue any survivors. It had taken the better part of the day, but they’d managed to save the lives of no less than fourteen ponies that had survived somehow, whether injured or just shaken up. Unfortunately, a dozen of the bodies brought back up were already cold and lifeless. A spark of hope lit up Charcoal’s eyes as his father and brother were brought out into the evening sun, but in the lifespan of a breath did his world change forever. As the rescue team placed their mangled bodies on the ground among those lost, he knew things would never be the same again.

The words of the stallion that had warned them against going down that stretch of mine were echoing in his head. This was his fault. His father and brother were dead, and Charcoal could only think it was his own fault. He closed his eyes and began to weep. Standing there, a statue among the bedlam, a part of him wondered if he would ever stop crying. In a way, he knew he never would.

Chapter 2: Rise of the Machine

~Chapter Two~

The rain poured down heavily outside, each drop seeming to slam against the side of the building, only adding to the endless white noise. Soon, the gentle thrum was cut off by the sound of a door opening, followed by metal hooves scraping against the ground as two stallions dragged a lifeless metal pony.

“Alright, come on Bolts…one…two…three!” grunted the taller stallion as the two of them lifted the metal pony across various piles of metal scraps and old worn down electronics. They were halfway across the room when they found a spot where nothing covered the floor. The stallions took a step back as they once again laid their eyes on their new find.

The pony was covered in metal plates that protected all the wires and electronics inside, leaving only slight edgings for limbs and joints to move freely. It took the shape of the average pegasus mare, and if it were awake, it probably could move and act exactly like one. It was in surprisingly good shape, unlike the other junk the scrappers had collected over their careers.

“So, how much do you think we’ll make with this, Nuts?” asked the shorter, more portly scrapper.

Nuts sneered. “Do you ever think before you speak, Bolts?” he asked, smacking the back of his head. “Just look at it!”

The heavy chunk of metal plates and wires they’d just carted up here in the rain stood stoically in front of them, its face completely blank. In the dim, flickering fluorescent light, you could barely make out the light blue colour of the many metal plates that came together to form the outer skin of the pony. The rainbow-coloured fibres spewing from her head case and flank resembled the novelty rainbow wigs that anypony could pick up at a Wonderbolt’s event. Furthermore, plastered on her chest was a well-recognized symbol, a puffy white cloud with a rainbow-coloured lightning bolt.

“What we have here is a life-sized Rainbow Dash-themed toy robot. Note the many sections between the plates where the frame is covered by rubber seals. That makes this whole thing easily posable.”

Bolts lightly lowered the jaw. “It has a tongue. You’re sure this thing’s entirely mechanical?”

“Of course I’m sure; It was probably just owned by some lonely animatronics engineer.”

Bolts quickly retracted his hoof, making a note to wash its rubberized parts thoroughly. “You still didn’t answer my question; How much do we sell it for?”

Nuts shook his head. “If we can make this thing run again, and we found just the right buyer, then I would say we can close up shop for about a year and go on a really long vacation”

“Just you and me?”

Once more, Nuts struck the back of Bolts’ head and strode away. “With mares, dummy.”

As they walked away, they were unaware that the metal pony they had just picked up was in much better condition than they thought, and now that it was out of the rain, its wires and metal dry without the water jumping the circuits, its functions finally started to come back to it.

“S-s-system onli-li-li-li-line. Weeeeelcome, Dyyyyyynaaaaa--”

The metal pony’s eyes slowly started to pick up the little light around her as her system booted up. She only saw the backs of the two stallions who had just dragged her through the rain as they walked out of the room and closed the door behind them. She tried to move her body, but it was unresponsive as the stiff metal joints hadn’t moved in what seemed like years. Mind you, she didn’t know that for certain, as she couldn’t remember when she’d last been online. As the stallions were far out of her sight, all she was left to look at were the piles of metal around her, accented by the white noise of the rain against the roof.

As some time passed, the metal pony soon saw her hooves start to move again. She slowly stood up as the gears and servos in her joints began to shift after keeping still for so long. She felt sluggish, as if she had just woken up from a long sleep. She even yawned slightly once she could open her mouth.

She couldn’t help but be curious of the first thing she heard; that voice that seemed to call her Dyna. The metal pony shook her head, her thoughts already telling her that the name sounded weird and incomplete. She started adding words and letters to what she heard, and finally, a combination seemed to make sense to her.

“Diana…I like that.” Her voice was slightly robotic, though her tone sounded as if she were no more than a young filly. Finally, with her new name decided and out of the way, she could finally turn her attention to where exactly she found herself.

Random piles of metal, wires and electronics that looked worn down from time and neglect were scattered all over the floor, all held in a room of old brick. She could hear the rain falling on the side of the building, though there weren’t any windows around. Diana couldn’t stop herself from being more curious as she pulled herself over to the piles of metal and electronics.

Diana stopped with each step she took, looking down at the piles she walked over. Her metal hooves scraped across the scrapped and dismantled electronics. She couldn’t help but pick up a few of the old odds and ends, her curiosity only growing with each one she found.

Diana stopped yet again as she found another oddly shaped piece of metal that caught her eye. She turned to see an electrical heating element she had seen and not picked up before. Diana looked around, once again seeing there was no one around other than herself. She didn’t question this, only saw it as a reason to take whatever interested her along with her. Diana picked up the piece of metal she saw, turning around and picking up the odd electronic device she had looked at earlier. Soon enough, she had to carry things on her back, only for them to slide off as she was distracted by the next shiny and interesting thing that lay among the pile.

Finally, Diana’s eyes caught sight of the door at the end of the room. Her curiosity was starting to grow more as she glanced back at the pile of random items scattered around the room. Considering everything that had lain around where she woke up, who knows what other little trinkets she could find in just the next room?

Diana took a step forward to the door, though was unaware of one of her hooves becoming caught on a few tangled wires from some of the electronics. The wires let go of her hoof quickly, but pulled back with enough force to make it slip out of place. Diana managed to catch herself before she slammed onto the door, though even her fall didn’t slow her curiosity.

Diana thoughtlessly stood back up and reached for the door handle, shaking her hoof around it until she found a good, solid grip. Without thinking, she forcefully shoved the door open, the entire frame shaking as it swung open and slammed against the brick wall it was attached to. The hinges of the door rattled loudly as it nearly fell off the very wall that held it up.

“What the-!” Bolts nearly shouted as the two heard the loud slam of the door.

Diana’s eyes wandered around the other room of the scrap shop, seeing a few wooden tables and some more electronics and mechanical pieces that were much more organized than the room she woke up in. Diana’s wandering stopped as she saw the two stallions that brought her into that room standing in shock at the now moving automaton.

“Oh, hello!” Diana said, happy to discover she wasn’t the only one around.

“That thing’s alive?!” Nuts shouted.

“Of course I’m alive. Why wouldn’t I be?” Diana couldn’t help but respond sarcastically as she was completely unaware of her situation.

“Who cares? Just grab her!” Bolts rushed at Diana. She quickly stepped out of his way just before he was close enough to grab her. She couldn’t help but giggle as she saw the stallion nearly fall flat on his face.

Nuts managed to snap out of his shock and chase after Diana. She just jumped out of the way, managing to dodge the other stallion easily. “Is this a game?” she asked curiously, already set to start running.

The stallions turned and started rushing at her again. Diana effortlessly dodged them yet again as both of the stallions had to stop themselves from running into a table that was piled with priceless finds. Soon enough, more ponies heard the ruckus form elsewhere in the shop and went to investigate, only to join in on the fruitless attempts to catch the metal pony.

“Stop moving!” one of the customers shouted out of frustration.

“But that’s not the point of the game!” Diana giggled back as she dodged the stallion jumping at her.

“This isn’t a--” Bolts let out a groan as he ran into a table and missed Diana again.

The ponies didn’t give up trying to catch her as she kept leaping around the tables. Diana giggled with joy from the game, even as the stallions grew more and more irritated. The two stallions and their customers tried to corner Diana by one of the tables; she started looking around for a chance to escape. With no other option, Diana opened her wings and leaped over the stallions as their hooves didn’t even manage to scrape against her metal shell.

“Oh great, she can fly!”

“Then just jump for her!”

The stallions shouted at each other as they kept chasing Diana around.The chase carried on for several minutes longer. Soon enough, Diana found herself having to climb and jump over the tables and desks, knocking over a bunch of stuff that only strengthened the stallions’ goal to stop her.

Diana opened her wings again as she attempted to dodge one of the stallions, but for once, she was just too slow. Bolts managed to grab onto one of her hooves and pull her back onto the ground. Diana tumbled onto the ground and into one of the tables, smashing it down the middle.

She leaped up with a smile. “You caught me!” She said happily, as if it were nothing more than a game of tag. “I’m it!”

Diana made a quick dash for one of the ponies she could easily tag. Nuts didn’t even have time to move one of his hooves out of the way before Diana slammed into him, sending both of them flying through the shop directly towards one of the few windows.

Just outside, the rain fell lightly, though it created a large enough stream just by the various buildings draining into the street’s gutters. A few fillies and colts ran alongside a toy boat they had placed in the stream, following it with joyful chatter.

The children suddenly froze as they heard a loud sound, turning their heads to see two ponies flying directly out of the front of one of the nearby shops. In an instant, they completely forgot about the boat they were chasing as they watched in horror to see a metal pony standing over what they guessed to be a dead pony.

“That was fun! What game do you want to play next?” Diana looked down at the pony she had just pushed out of the window. He was breathing, but didn’t respond. His eyes were closed completely, his breathing was slow but constant.

“Hey, are you awake?” Diana shook Nuts gently, but found no response. He was completely unconscious. “Wow, you tire out quickly.” Diana couldn’t help but giggle slightly.

Finally, Diana lifted her head to see a group of small children running away from the sight that appeared to be her killing that pony, despite the fact that he was still breathing. Diana tilted her head in confusion. She looked up at the rain, thinking that perhaps they were just running to seek shelter from the pour somewhere dry. After all, she had to keep herself mostly dry to avoid breaking down again.

The ponies inside the building could only stare in horror as they looked through the now broken window with rain falling into their shop and damaging their electronics. None of them wanted to jump out and chase that metal pony, now that they saw how easily she could knock one of them out and still think this was all just some game. Bolts could only utter a single line, “Oh, Nuts…”

The sound of the glass crashing soon attracted the attention of other ponies around the town. A few opened their windows and doors to look around and see what that noise was. Those who looked found themselves watching Diana step away from the unconscious pony and stare up into the sky as if she had completely forgotten about what just happened.

Diana watched the rain fall onto her metal covering that protected the wires and gears inside her. The rain was a new feeling to her; in her mind, she hadn’t existed until she woke up in that shop. Her curiosity began to pique as she looked around this unfamiliar town in this brand new world.

Diana’s eyes finally caught sight of the toy boat that was only just a moment ago being chased by the fillies and colts that had run off. She stepped away from the unconscious pony as she watched the boat float down the small stream that formed just near the sides of the buildings.

Diana couldn’t take her eyes off of the boat as her curiosity grew. Who did the boat belong to? Why is it just sailing down the stream? Questions filled her head as she began to follow it.

As the metal pony started following the boat, the ponies leaving their nearby homes and looking out of their windows noticed her, and saw Nuts lying in the street.

“What is that thing?!” one pony questioned.

“Somepony, call the guard!” another shouted.

“Is that pony dead?!”

“Where did it come from?”

“Should we call somepony to help?”

The questions and concerns continued on and on as new ponies saw the unconscious stallion and watched as Diana followed the toy boat.

Diana paid no attention to the ponies’ panic, her focus was now only on the odd boat. Where was it leading her? Did it have a clear direction or was it simply following the stream? These questions continued on in Diana’s head as she didn’t take her eyes off the boat, following it until the rain stopped and the stream continued on no further. The boat had run aground, and just sat there on the side of the road.

Diana gently kicked and pushed the boat along the side of the road, confused and disappointed that it just seemed to suddenly stop. Her mind didn’t seem to process the rain coming to an end until she pulled her head away from the ground to look up at the sky.

“Where did the water go?” She couldn’t help but ask aloud, even though there wasn’t another pony around to hear her. By the time the rain had stopped and the boat no longer had a stream to travel, she was in a completely different section of the town. Before Diana could fully process just how far and how long she had been chasing the boat, she was already distracted by the scenery around her; the various buildings lining the streets, the small critters scurrying around, and the few large green trees that stood tall next to each building.

Her curiosity never seemed to end as she looked around. Her gears and wires seemed to move on their own as her hooves started carrying her through the town. She didn’t care how long she was walking nor how far, as everything she saw pulled her through the town. As long as she had the energy and a new sight to see, she had no reason but to keep walking endlessly.

Chapter 3: Static

~Chapter Three~

The days seemed to pass by faster than one would care to keep track. The cheery days with the warmth of the sun high in the sky and the endless celebrations and parties that spanned across Ponyville felt like an annoyance rather than the joyous tidings they were intended to spread. The food was tasteless and bland, and any familiar meals only served as a painful reminder of the haunting memories of the past. Everything felt completely pointless.

It had been years since Charcoal's brother and father died in those mines, but even as Charcoal was now a teenager, the memories of that day haunted him as if they’d happened yesterday. His dreams only reminded him of running through the mines in a blind panic, the rocks collapsing everywhere he looked, and only ending as he looked to see the bodies of his father and brother being dragged out of the debris. Ever since that day, Charcoal’s life felt gloomy and dull. He held no motivation to do anything, from furthering his own education, even to the things that brought him joy in the past.

Charcoal laid almost motionless in his bed, staring up at the ceiling for hours on end. Everytime he turned his head, his eyes would stop to stare at the pictures on his nightstand, each one only seeming to worsen the endless sorrow and dread in his mind. In the past, he was at least able to distract himself from that horrible day by being with the ponies he knew well and considered friends, but as the years went on, he felt himself pulled further and further away from all of that.

Charcoal turned his head away from his nightstand and looked out the window, seeing the sun shining just over the horizon in the distance as the night drew closer. If he was capable of thinking past his gloominess, he might have seen it as beautiful.

His body suddenly flinched slightly as he heard the door open behind him. He knew it was his mother entering his room to check on him, but considering the time, he falsely hoped she would just see him as asleep and leave him be.

“I know you’re awake, Charcoal.” Despite what she’d said, her tone was still soft and kind, as it was easy for her to read her son’s thoughts. Charcoal let out a quiet sigh as he slowly turned his body and lifted his head to face his mother. “Are you feeling alright?” she asked as she stood just by the door. “Dinner’s been waiting almost an hour for you.”

“I’m not hungry,” Charcoal muttered just loud enough for his mother to hear. It was clear she wished he would speak up more clearly, though that was an issue for another time.

“Why don’t you come and have something to eat? I know you haven’t left this room all day.” Charcoal’s mother walked further into his room and sat down next to him. Charcoal remained completely silent. While he wanted to let out every thought that was sitting in his mind at that moment, he knew that whatever his mother had to say wouldn’t help him.

Charcoal’s mother sat silently for a little while as she looked at the pictures on Charcoal’s nightstand, waiting patiently for a response from her son, even though she knew she may not hear another until she spoke again.

“I know you’re still upset, but you can’t hide in your room all day and night.” She lightened her tone in the hope of telling Charcoal that she wanted to help him. “It’s been years since the accident. We both need to move on and enjoy life… for both of them.”

Charcoal didn’t respond. There may have been something inside him that took what his mother said to heart, but he only found himself staring, unmoving, out into the hall just by his room. His mother was silent for a little bit longer, once again waiting for a response that she knew wouldn’t come.“You know, Hay Storm came to visit you. Why don’t you say hello and pull yourself out of that bed?” she suggested.

During the recent years, Hay Storm and Charcoal had finally come together by bizarre means that Charcoal may never understand. Somehow, the mare he had his eye on, even at a younger age, decided to join in a relationship with this depressed, hollow stallion. If things were different, he may have seen it as a dream come true, but now, the only reasoning he could come up with was that Hay felt sorry for him.

Charcoal laid unmoving as he thought silently. Eventually, he finally came to accept that he needed to leave his room, at least for a little. “Alright.” He finally spoke again as he managed to gain the strength to pull himself off of his bed and onto his feet. His mother smiled brightly as she held out one of her hooves to help Charcoal off of his bed.

Charcoal’s mother led him to the kitchen table, where he finally lifted his head to look away from the floor to see Hay sitting impatiently in one of the chairs.

“Well, look who’s finally up on his hooves!” Hay spoke happily, as if the impatience she once showed was gone in an instant. Charcoal managed to crack a small smile, though even the most oblivious pony could tell he was faking it.

Charcoal sat down on the opposite side of the table that Hay had, his eyes looking back towards the ground. His mother brought him a bowl of some soup that was still warm enough for steam to rise from the broth and vegetables, which had been sitting on the stove for so long that even the more resilient chunks had become mushy.

Charcoal held a hoof to his stomach, the hunger he had been ignoring for so long becoming more than he could just brush under his thoughts. Even though the mushy vegetables sitting in the darkish brown broth didn’t look the most appetizing, he knew some food would help to satisfy him. He carefully picked up the spoon and began to eat.

The soup tasted flavorful, but somehow bland at the same time. Ever since that day in the mines long ago, the food he once shared with his family was nothing like how it used to be, and only reminded him of the longing he held for the days before he entered that mine with his father and brother.

Charcoal slowly took a few sips of the soup. Somehow, that was all he needed to make his stomach stop growling, but he kept slowly eating until Hay finally broke the unending silence. “You’re not even going to say hello?” It was clear she was joking, though Charcoal lifted his head with some surprise as if what she’d said was sincere.

“Right, right, sorry.” Charcoal made an attempt to hide the thoughts in his head, though it was hard, as anything that he could think of only worsened his mood.

“You know, it’s been a few days since we last talked. How are things?” Hay tried to stop the silence from building again with some conversation.

Charcoal practically had to force himself into continuing to speak. “Alright, I suppose.” His words were muttered very slightly as he spoke, looking down at his bowl of soup before taking a few more sips. “So, how about yourself?”

“Can’t say much else is new.” Hay shrugged her shoulders slightly. “School’s finally starting to die down enough that I can focus on life. I’ve actually found a part-time job!”

Charcoal lifted his head very slightly. “Oh?” His response was an attempt to show interest, though his tone came across more along the like as disinterested, or simply wanting the conversation to end and for the pony speaking to him to leave. Hay didn’t seem to pick this up.

“It’s just some classic customer service in a shop nearby; helping keep things tidy, making sure things look nice, you know how it is.”

Charcoal only nodded his head slightly, eating a little bit more of the soup in front of him in order to gain the strength to speak again. “Sounds fun…” Despite his mellow tone, he was still able to force out a little bit of sarcasm.

“It doesn’t seem too bad. I’ve only just been accepted to the job a few days ago, and it’s been pretty easy so far, minus the occasional rush. I’m still waiting to see what happens.” A slight smile began to grow on her face. “Besides, the pay’s good, and I’ll still have plenty of time to enjoy the summer!”

“Oh?” Charcoal gave the same response from before, though a couple more sips of his soup gave him the strength to add to it. “Any big plans?”

“Several.” Her smile remained. “I’m thinking of exploring around Equestria, maybe taking a visit to the shore and the beaches, maybe some of the more barren places.” She paused for a second before letting out a slight chuckle under her breath. “Of course, that will have to wait until I earn a couple of weeks off of my new job.”

“Of course…” Charcoal paused his thought as he looked down at his soup, looking less and less appetizing each time he saw it. He took a couple more sips. “And when you don’t have that time…?”

“It’s Ponyville; there’s always something to do around here!” She paused her speech as she looked out one of the nearby windows, giving Charcoal a chance to take a few more sips of his soup that was now lukewarm. “I have yet to explore too far outside of town, and I still haven’t visited some of the more ‘fancy’ shops and restaurants around.”

Charcoal could practically sum up every word she said after that as Hay wanting to explore as much as she could, whether it be with her family, friends, or just on her own. It was obvious that she was hinting at some of her plans involving Charcoal within them, but he practically lost all interest and continued silently eating his soup. It gave him enough strength to pretend he was still listening, though not enough to speak again.

“So, do you have plans of your own, or are you just going to stay in that room of yours all day?” Hay was clearly speaking in a joking manner. It was no secret that Charcoal had been skipping out on days of school, and even avoiding Hay and his mother. The days when he couldn’t find solitude at home, he would usually find a place where few ponies walked or somewhere just outside of the town, hidden by bushes and trees. It gave him the chance to be truly alone, to move away from what tore at his mind day after day, and where he could feel something else besides emptiness. The only thing that kept him from hiding in those places for the rest of his days were his need for food and the feeling of a bed with blankets to sleep on.

“I don’t know…” was all he managed to say. He lifted his head away from his soup to see that familiar impatient look on Hay’s face. He let out a quiet sigh and took another sip of his soup, quickly thinking of an excuse. “I haven’t made many plans…figured I’d have a more clear path once the school year’s over.” Charcoal hoped that would end things, but it was clear Hay had other ideas.

“If you have no plans, then maybe we can enjoy the summer together while I’m off my new job!” She said excitedly, pausing for a second. “Speaking of which…”

“Yes?” Charcoal lifted his head slightly, taking another sip of his soup as he attempted to give Hay his full attention.

“I’ve heard there’s a big party planned in a week or so.” She still held a bright smile on her face. “Why don’t you come with me? We can eat, dance, you know how it is. Just you and me, how about it?”

The moment Charcoal heard that, something snapped in his head. He thought back to the last conversation he had with his brother years ago before they entered those mines, remembering vividly his teasing of he and Hay being friends when they were younger. Of course, that wasn’t the only time his brother ever did that, but besides that, it only made his head revisit the grief and pain he felt when he first saw those bodies leave the debris and collapsed mine.

His brother’s teasing tore at his mind with enough pain that he nearly dropped the spoon in his hoof to hold his head. He lifted his head to face Hay, watching her sitting and waiting for his answer. Charcoal didn’t know what to say or do as his head fell back to staring at the bowl of soup in front of him. Even as he sat unmoving, he felt like he was running ten miles uphill just to open his mouth to speak. He didn’t have a choice as he spoke the first thing that came to his mind.

“I would prefer not to waste my time.” He spoke quietly, though it was loud enough for Hay to hear clearly. As Charcoal finally took control of his body again, he lifted his head again to see Hay’s expression change in an instant. The joyful and friendly face she normally held was replaced with disbelief. It took a moment for Charcoal’s mind to fully process what he’d said. He knew he didn’t mean it the way he had said it, though there was a voice in the back of his head that kept him from apologizing and taking back his words.

“Excuse me?” Her eyes were widened with some frustration she must have been hiding ever since she entered Charcoal’s home. “‘Wasting your time’? Really?!” She nearly slammed her front hooves on the table and pushed herself off of the chair to stand. “Here I am, trying to help you, and you tell me I’m a waste of your time?!” She was in complete disbelief.

Charcoal only felt the ache in his head grow. He didn’t care if he meant his previous statement or not. The aggravation that had built up with him for years finally began to pour out.

“You think I like being dragged around everywhere? Pulled to events and work I couldn’t care less about?” Charcoal rose to his feet, raising his voice just as Hay did. That only seemed to make the situation worse.

“Why are you being this selfish?! I’m trying to bring you out of your room before you starve yourself to death! I care about you, and all you do is ignore me and treat me like I’m just some annoying- daaagh! You think this is easy for me?!”

“You think you’re the one having the hard time?! I lost my family, for Celestia’s sake!”

“That’s the point! I’m trying to help you before you hurt yourself or make things worse!”

“And all you’ve done is just pull me to the same parties, the same spots, the same old town!” Charcoal felt one of his hooves dig into the table. “You know what?! If you want to help me, just go! Go and stop dragging me around like your little puppet!”

“Charcoal Briquette!” Charcoal’s mother raised her voice. That alone was enough to stop the two of them bickering endlessly. “Hay Storm, I am very sorry for my son’s behavior.” Hay didn’t say a word as she only let out a scoff, turning around and walking straight out the front door. As soon as the door slammed closed, Charcoal’s mother turned her attention to her son.

“What was I supposed to do, say yes and let her drag me by the tail off to another pointless celebration?!” Charcoal nearly shouted in protest.

“What you did was uncalled for. She was helping you come out of your room and onto your hooves, and you insulted her directly to her face.” His mother gave him a glare.

Charcoal felt one of his hooves dig into the floor out of frustration as he watched his mother stand in front of him unmoving, waiting for a response that he knew wasn’t going to come.

“Now, if you know what’s good for you, you will go to her house first thing tomorrow and apologize to her.” His mother was direct, though it only added to Charcoal’s frustration.

“Why should I; why should I go and try to bring back the constant headache I’ve had every day for the past year?!”

“I don’t care!” She began to raise her voice again. “I know you are still in grief, but I will not have you taking it out on anyone else!”

“I just want to be left alone!” Charcoal nearly screamed that last sentence as he stormed off through the halls of his house right back to his room. He slammed the door shut and threw himself onto his bed. The frustration that built up in him quickly turned to tears as he started crying, pushing his face into the pillow on his bed.

Charcoal knew he made a mistake. He shouldn’t have argued with Hay and yelled at his mother, but what else could he possibly do? He spoke the truth in his words and couldn’t take it back, even if they had been twisted by his growing headache. However, he still regretted what he did. He lost his marefriend and only broke more of the few ties that held the relationship he had with his mother. No matter if he just accepted things or fought against it, he was at a loss either way.

Charcoal didn’t move until he felt his tears end, but now he was just left empty and emotionless. He lifted his head away from his pillow, looking around the same room he had seen for countless days and nights. Finally, his eyes laid sight on the photos on his nightstand, each one showing him with his family back when his brother and father were still alive. The only new picture that was added to it was one of him and Hay Storm. The picture was taken much more recently, and even then, it was clear the smile he held was fake, only to make Hay stop bugging him.

Charcoal laid silently, his body not seeming to move or breathe as he stared at the pictures. Each one brought back a memory that only worsened the emptiness he felt. After what seemed like hours of just staring at the pictures, Charcoal felt his breath return to him as a thought clicked into his head.

Everyday in Ponyville has filled him with nothing but loneliness and grief. Every picture and familiar sight only reminded him of the empty loneliness that tore him apart. The ponies he called friends and held close only stood as painful reminders of what his life possibly could be if that day never happened. Ponyville and the ponies who lived there tortured him with the endless sorrow and loneliness. He’d had enough. He wanted away from these constant sad reminders of his pain.

Charcoal had made up his mind. He was leaving Ponyville.

Later that night, with the stars and moonlight shining through the window as the only guides to see, Charcoal set off in preparation. He gathered anything he could need: food that would last, a canteen with plenty of water, some clothes to protect from the weather, any necessities that he could grab and were easily carried. Finally, he grabbed all the bits he’d made over the years. It wasn’t a lot of money, but as long as he was smart, he could make it last.

With everything in a pack he could easily carry and not a sign of his mother waking from the noise of him gathering supplies, he moved to the front door. As his hoof took the knob, however, he thought about the implications of opening it. His mother was in the next room, with the door wide open. The hinges for the door could squeak, and the spring that pulled it closed tended to drag against the lining. No, this exit would be too likely to wake her with all the noise.

Instead, he took to the window of his room. Charcoal held his breath as he carefully unhooked the latch and opened the window, moving it very slowly just in case there was a strong wind that would pick up and alert his mother to what he was doing. Thankfully, he was in the clear.

Charcoal climbed through the window and quietly closed it behind him, allowing himself to breathe again once he was outside. However, he wasn’t in the clear yet. He may be outside, but he wasn’t out of Ponyville.

Charcoal began carefully walking between the many buildings around, keeping himself low to the ground and out of sight as if he were escaping a prison. Any footsteps that weren’t his own caused him to freeze and pull himself into the grass below him, hoping the blanket of night would suffice to keep him safe.

There weren’t many ponies walking the streets this late at night, and the few who were likely wouldn’t recognize Charcoal, or would pay too little mind to care. With ease, he was finally out past the final group of buildings that stood between him and the outskirts of the town. He let out a deep breath, seeing the clear view ahead.

Charcoal walked straight ahead for a little while until he found the road that led out of Ponyville. With no other clear path, he followed the road. He didn’t care where he would end up, he just wanted away from the sad memories and grief he held. He wanted away from Ponyville, Hay Storm, his mother, and every picture of him with the family he once had. Charcoal wanted to forget all of it, and never revisit that forsaken town ever again.