The Queendom Below

There are some parts of the world that have yet to be discovered. Waiting for someone to find them, either by fate or just plain dumb luck.

- Anonymous

“Aw crap...” A miner groaned when he saw that the tip of his pickaxe chipped off.

“Broke another one?” Another miner said next to him, using a big power drill.

“Yeah…” The first miner sighed, “That’s the fourth one already. It's like these walls are made of titanium or something!”

“Tell me about it, I’ve been drilling this damn wall for ten minutes and I barely made so much as a freaking dent with this drill.” The second miner said.

“Why don’t we take a lunch break and head our way back to the surface afterwards, sound good?” The first miner suggested.

After putting their equipment away, the two miners grabbed their lunch boxes, sat down and began eating their meals.

While eating, one of them decides to strike up a conversation.

“So I heard this place was shut down years ago.” The first miner said.

“Yeah, and the Rich family opened it back just recently.” The second one added.

“Makes no sense ya know? I mean, why shut it down when it was doing so well and then after many years later, start it back up again? Doesn’t make a whole lotta sense.”

“Frigging one-percenters rarely do.” The second miner said, “Though, there have been rumors…”

The first miner arched an eyebrow, “Rumors?”

“Yeah, about people disappearing in these mines or something like that.”

“Hope it doesn’t happen to us.”

“Same here…”

Little did either of the miners know however, they were being watched by a mysterious figure before it slipped back into the shadows.

“I swore it was this way!” The first miner groaned looking at a map.

After finishing their lunch, the two miners then decided to leave the mines and head back to the surface. That was the plan of course but the two can’t seem to find their way out of the cavern.

“I knew we took a wrong turn back there…” The other miner grumbled.

“Look, we can still get out of here. We just have to… to…” The first miner was about to finish his sentence when he stopped and looked up in shock.

“What? Why did you… stop…?” The second miner asked his friend before looking ahead and saw what his partner was gawking at.

What they both saw was a cavern entrance but not just any entrance. What they saw beyond was something completely out of this world.

It was a massive area with man-sized crystals that each illuminated a bright color, a crystal clear river running down, and vegetation neither of them had ever seen before.

“Whoa…” Both miners have said.

While the two miners were too busy admiring the beauty of the place however, they failed to notice a figure sneaking up on them.

The figure then lets out a loud feminine shriek and attacks the miners…

“I still don’t know why you brought me along for this.” Said a young man with spiky green hair and eyes who looked to be around eighteen. For attire, he wore a purple tank top with a symbol of a dragon on the front, green jean shorts, and red hiking shoes. He was sitting in the passenger’s side of a lavender colored convertible.

“Because Spike, I think it would be good for you to get out of the house during Summer Break.” Replied a 21-year old woman in the driver seat. The woman had purple eyes behind a pair of glasses and long violet hair with purple and pink streaks that’s done in a ponytail. The attire she was wearing looked like a camp counselor. “It’s certainly a lot better than sitting in your room all day and playing video games.”

Spike fought the urge to groan but at least he brought his Nintendo Switch plus he knows that his sister’s boyfriend has a PS5 and has also brought a few games for that as well.

“Besides,” His sister began, “All of your friends are either out of town or doing something for Summer Vacation. So it’s only fair you do too.”

Spike had to admit that this was true, all of his buds have gone off to do their own thing this summer. His best friend Thorax has gone to tour around Europe. Button Mash is currently participating in a video game tournament in Seattle. Rumble has gone with his brother’s baseball team, The Wonderbolts, on their country wide tour while providing food for them. Pipsqueak has gone on a seafaring cruise with his adopted mother, Celaeno. Lastly, for Snips and Snails… well, they have to do summer school due to poor grades otherwise they’ll have to repeat the whole school year.

After thinking about this, Spike resigned with a sigh, “I guess you’re right Twilight.”

“Trust me Spike, it’ll be fun.” Twilight said, “It’s your last summer vacation before you go to college. So why not enjoy it?”

“I suppose.” Was all Spike said before he looked out the window and decided to enjoy the view of the coming forest.

After a few hours of driving, the two siblings had finally reached their destination; Camp Everfree.

It basically had everything a usual summer camp always has; a mess hall, large tents, a rock climbing structure, and a dock where the canoes are.

After parking the car and getting out, Twilight and Spike took all the nice fresh forest air all around them.

It was then that two individuals, a man and a woman respectively, came out of the mess hall to greet them.

The man was around Twilight’s age and had green hair and grayish green eyes. For attire he wore a red t-shirt with the camp logo on the front, green cargo pants, grayish green socks, and brown hiking shoes. This was Timber Spruce, one of the camp’s councilors and Twilight’s boyfriend.

Woman next to him is his older sister, Gloriosa Daisy. In appearance, the girl has light green eyes, framed by large eyelashes and freckles, long hair that reached past her waist in two shades of moderate raspberry. For attire, she wore a wreath of white flowers over her head, yellow flowing summer shirt, white short jeans, and brown shoes.

“Twilight! Spike! You guys made it!” Gloriosa said happily.

“Of course, we wouldn’t miss this for anything.” Twilight said with a smile before walking up to Timber and hugging him, “Hey there hot stuff.”

“Hey there babe.” Timber said before the two kissed.

Spike couldn’t help but gag before deciding to grab the luggage from the trunk of the car with Gloriosa coming over to help him out.

“So Spike, are you going to partake in the Camp’s activities or just gonna hang around?” Gloriosa asked.

Spike just shrugged before replying, “I don’t know yet. Kinda hadn’t decided, though I might get involved in some of the activities.”

“That’s good to hear at least.” Gloriosa said with a smile as they both headed towards a large cabin to place the suitcases.

Later on when everything was settled, Timber approached Spike and asked, “Yo Spike, what games did you bring for the PS5?”

“Let’s see I brought Spider Man 2, System Shock, Mechwarrior 5, Returnal, Gori: Cuddly Carnage, and Tintin Reporter: Cigars of the Pharaoh. Twilight wanted to bring that last one.” Spike replied.

“Sweet. Can’t wait to play them.” Timber said excitedly.

“Timber, can you help us with this?” Twilight called out to her boyfriend as she and Gloriosa are trying to hang a sign that says: “Welcome Campers”.

Spike shrugged before deciding to give a helping hand but not before he got a good look of the great outdoors again and said, “Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.”

In the place where the miners used to be, there was nothing but hard hats and mining tools that were stained with blood and the sound of something being dragged off…