The Dream Mine

Crashing New Year's

...

Reliving the memories only accomplished to piss me off even more. How the hell could this have happened?!

I'm going to beat the SHIT out of Zeke when I get back! I thought as I continued to stroll through the dark caverns.

The thought if I got back came to my mind, but being a pessimist won't solve anything.

My Ipod had died awhile ago and I was now using my phone's flashlight app. The only other thing I had in my pocket was the old pocket knife I got from my dad.

I had lost the feeling in my fingers long ago, I would start to suffer the symptoms of hypothermia soon.

As I trudged forward, I thought of my dad and mom, probably worried out of their minds. I guess they did have a reason to worry after all.

I had to hurry, my phone only had 40% of it's battery life left, if I don't find an exit soon, i'll be left in the dark. As I kept walking, I came across what appeared to be small train tracks. For a mine cart?... A mine cart! If I follow these tracks they will undoubtedly lead me to the exit!

But, to my horror, the tracks spiraled downward, and it looked like a long fall to the bottom. The planks on the tracks weren't spaced out to far, besides, I can't just wait here, i'll die for sure.

Tentatively stepping on the planks to make sure they could hold my weight, I started to slowly walk along the tracks.

Squeak "Jesus!" Hearing the plank I just stepped on creak against my weight, I decided to continue on my hands and knees.

This is going to take awhile...

...

I kept crawling on the tracks for what could have been an hour. Having many, many close calls as some of the planks would snap from my weight.

Sweating from the exertion from crawling up another incline along the tracks I looked forward as my heart dropped into my stomach.

The tracks had broken off here.

"Uhhhhggnnn" I groaned, but as I looked down, I could see it wasn't a bad drop, maybe about 15 feet, but looking around, the mine didn't continue forwards. Where would the tracks have led to?

I looked in all directions trying to find a way out, but found no other passageway. But then I looked up to see a small circle of dark orange light coming in from the ceiling. A part of me wanted to thank god that there was a way out. But what I actually said was, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

That small... dot... of light was my only hope. I could see that the small portions of crystal along the walls could make excellent foot and hand holds, provided if they could hold my weight.

But to start climbing the wall I had to get down on the ground, and there was no way to get down except for the forever present force of gravity.

I inched towards the broken end of the tracks and let my legs hang off the edge. Brace for impact.

I let go. I free fell for about one and a half seconds.

*thud* Upon landing on my feet I immediately crumpled up and fell on my side. "Ow! Son of a bitch!" I yelled while clutching my foot.

Was my ankle broken? No, it must be sprained, I can still swivel my foot around relatively well, but each time I did I released a gasp from the pain.

Looking up towards the ceiling and seeing how far I was going to have to climb made me want to give up my escapade. But it was either this, or die.

"God damn you, Zeke. My mom was right about you, you bastard." I mutter as I forced myself to stand up.

I limped up to the wall slowly and placed my hands onto a pair of purple crystals jutting out of the wall that were about head level, I then proceeded to place my foot on a crystal at knee level, and hoisted myself up.

Success, the crystals held me aloft. But for how long?

...

I struggled to keep on climbing, but as I kept gripping the smooth surfaces of protruding crystal, my hands started to get sweaty, and thus harder to hold my grip.

As I was about a quarter of a way up the wall, I hoisted myself further up with my left hand, but as I set my right foot down into a crack in the wall, my foot slipped.

"Gah!" I started to slip down, but before I started to fall I lashed out for anything that could hold me up. I did happen to catch onto a particularly sharp piece of crystal that cut the flesh of the palm of my hand.

"Agggghhh!" I exhaled through clenched teeth as I tried desperately to find a foot hold as I clung to the wall with all my might.

I managed to find a new foot hold for my right foot. I looked towards my hand while panting from the pain, it was bleeding quite badly.

I had to keep climbing despite the stinging pain in my deeply cut right hand, though.

"This. Is. Bullshit." I panted as I continued to climb upwards.

Every single time I hoisted myself further up I felt a mixture of pains; from the soreness in my ankle, to the cut in my hand, to the general exhaustion of my body.

I was getting so exhausted from the climbing I oh, so badly wanted to give up, let myself fall to the ground and rest, and try later. But looking down I could see I was three quarters of the way up. Falling down from here would mean death. I was Almost there.

The pain in my hand was driving me insane. It was still bleeding quite a bit. Not to mention the blood was making it even harder to keep my grip.

Ready to pass out from the exhaustion, I propelled my arm upwards to find another grip, but instead, found a ledge.

Giving myself one last hoist, I set both hands over the ledge and pushed downwards, hauling myself upwards, and over the edge.

The light from the exit was near blinding. But it didn't matter, I was free.

Laying down for a moment to rest, I relished in the fact I was finally out of the cave, and eventually I would find myself at home. But first, to figure out where I got sent to in the first place.

Jesus, there should be a law against performing experiments on people without their consent! I'm going to inform the authorities, and put, ALL those sons of bitches right in the slammer, especially that one guy on the intercom! What was his name again? Roper? Yes... I'll be sure to remember you...

After many minutes of rest, I stood up and slowly limped forward towards the exit of this godforsaken cave.

Squinting from the sunset's bright light, I walked onto an inclined dirt path, that led upwards towards my left, or downwards towards my right. As my eyes got used to the light, I looked in awe at the sight before me.

The first thing I noticed is I must have came out of a mountain, as ground level was easily hundreds of feet below me. But I could see for miles, plains of snow covered fields, and majestic mountains over yonder. Is that a village over there?

I could see a small town miles away, with a huge dense forest behind it. This doesn't look like anywhere in Utah I could recognize, where the hell am I?

The smarting pain in my hand reminded of my injury, it had stopped bleeding, but it was still susceptible to infection, I need to get it looked at soon.

I would choose to go down the mountain and head towards that village, but it will be night soon. This dirt path hadn't been used in awhile, but why would the path lead upwards? It had to go somewhere, it's my best option for right now.

I started to limp up the dirt road, despite the exhaustion in my muscles. I can't wait to be able to rest, and get something to eat. Shit i'm starving.

...

Limping up the steep incline proved to be an exhausting endeavor, after hours of walking up the path that spiraled up the mountain side I was quite ready to fall asleep for a few weeks, it didn't help that it was night time, and it was pitch black outside, with very little light coming from the moon. But as I continued forward I saw something that kept my spirits high, a train chugging along through the neighboring mountains, heading towards my direction. Could there be a train station up here?

As I limped along, the dirt path started to turn into cobblestone. I must be close to something! I could also start to see a faint glow emanating from over a sharp incline of the road up ahead, the lights of a city.

I started to walk faster, and faster, until I was going at an awkward jog up the incline to get to this new found sanctuary as fast as I can. I was not quite expecting what I saw when I climbed over the small hill.

"Oh, my..."

Calling this city "grand" would be an understatement, the city's entrance was a drawbridge that gave passageway over a moat. The city was brightly lit up, and I could easily see many gigantic towers made of white polished stone, and was that a castle I could see?

Am I in some foreign Disneyland?

Seriously, I have never heard of something like this, a... Palace built on the side of the mountain? With how well lit the city is there has to be people there.

Breathing a deep sigh I weakly started to limp towards the drawbridge.

...

Canterlot Castle

...

It was New Year's Eve in Equestria, a monumental occasion for all, especially the ponies of Canterlot.

The year would be 3 L.R. The third year of Princess Luna's return to the diarchy.

Once Princess Luna's moon reached it's full height in the sky at 12 o' clock the pyrotechnic unicorns will cast a colorful light show for all to see.

The entire population of Canterlot was on castle grounds, including the guards, many of the guests spending their time in the dining room, and famous statue gardens, listening to the symphonies played by the best musicians in the city.

The Alicorn diarch, Celestia, sat in the castle foyer, greeting the prestigious guests as she would during the Grand Galloping Gala.

"It's good to see you here, tonight!

"Good evening i'm glad to see you made it!"

Celestia gave each individual guest a pleasant welcome, albeit not personally knowing most of them.

Celestia was finishing greeting a duchess from Trottingham when her sister, Princess Luna, flew into the room and landed by her side.

"Ah, Luna! Just give me a moment to..." Celestia turned to greet the next guest, but apparently everypony had arrived.

Luna chuckled slightly, "Don't worry, sister, all guests have been accounted for."

"Good, then let us proceed to the gardens. The fireworks show will start any minute now."

...

This is goddamn weird. I had just crossed the drawbridge into the city, but there was no person in sight.

The city was as strange looking on the inside as it had been on the outside. The buildings looked like they were from times of old, and the lights of the city were coming from oil fueled streetlights on top of a tall pole. These kinds of street lights hadn't been used in decades. What is with this place?

My tennis shoes and socks were soaked from the slush covered streets, but besides the snow on the ground, there had been evidence of a celebration of some sort, streamers and empty drink bottles of all kinds littered about. But still nobody in sight.

I walked up to many of the buildings and peered inside. All types of different kinds of restaurants and confectioneries with strange names such as "The Golden Bridle" or "The Stuffed Saddlebag".

I walked down the street further and discovered what might have been the cause of the town's celebration; a sign that read:

Happy New Year!   3 L.R.

The year... 3? Where am I?! Some strange secluded foreign country? But the sign is in English...

Wait. The old timey architecture. The primitive technology... I could have been only sent one place.

I was sent back in time.

"NOOOooooo!" I yelled up towards the sky.

I buried my hands in my face. A time machine... It's perfect, It explains why the people back in the Dream Mine had been so secretive. A time machine... I'll never see my family again... I'll never be able to kick the shit out of Zeke!

I angrily tried to kick an empty drink bottle with my sore ankle. Causing me to grunt in pain. "Ah!" I backed up and leaned against a wall and sulked for a few minutes.

I suppose i'd better get used to my new life in the year "3" but still, this doesn't answer where everybody is!

Kicking myself away from the wall I continued to limp down the slushy streets towards the huge-ass castle I saw earlier. Maybe everybody is in there? I limped down the street towards the castle entrance.

...

Canterlot Gardens

...

Princess Luna watched as her sister gave the "New Year's speech" she gave every year, 'this year was a great one, look forward to the next year, it's good to have my sister back for a third year now, yadda yadda.' As Celestia walked off the podium the crowd was informed that it would strike midnight in exactly one minute.

Celestia joined her sister's side at the back of the crowd as they waited for the countdown to start.

5!

4!

3!

2!

1!

"Happy New Year!" Everypony cheered as the pyrotechnic magicians let off a spectacular light show, lights in the sky forming shapes such as flowers, jewels and other things in all the colors of the rainbow.

As the crowd 'Ooed' and "Awed' at the the spectacle the two Princesses conversed to each other.

"It's unfortunate Twilight Sparkle and her friends could not have attended, i'm sure they would have made the celebration more... lively as they did at the Gala."

Celestia smiled. "I offered for her and her friends to attend, but Twilight said her friends had already planned their celebration in Ponyville."

"Ah, well, the display is about to end, and the crowd will start to return to their homes, I'll go inform the guards to return to their posts."

"Alright, i'll stay out here and enjoy the rest of the celebration." Celestia had a feeling the excitement hadn't ended just yet.

...

As I neared the castle, fireworks just started erupting from it out of fucking nowhere, scaring the shit out of me. But it did reassure me if anybody was around, it'd be in there.

Walking up the steps towards the front entrance I could see it wasn't guarded, which was weird. 'I' personally would want 'my' super castle protected at ALL times, even during a holiday.

The front entrance doors were open, so I just walked in and into the grand foyer. It was awesome. A lush red carpet that led up a set of stairs which forked off deeper into the castle. Looking towards the walls I could see many beautifully crafted stained glass windows, but the windows pictured scenes of colored horses doing different things, some horses having wings, and some with horns.

What is with this place and goddamn horses? And I still haven't seen anyone yet!

I then heard a voice from my left. "What in Celestia's name is that?!"

"Hmm?" I turned towards where the voice came from.

Holy shit. It was a trio of horses in golden armor! I could see all three of them had a short white coat of fur, and were looking at me apprehensively with HUGE eyes. They stood at about my lower ribs at the top of their heads. Yeah, what is it with this place and horses?... Wait, did they just talk?

"G- Go away! Vile beast!" The one in the front yelled at me. I stared at them slack jawed with my eyes as wide as they could go.

One of the other horses prodded the one who just... yelled at me. "I doubt the thing speaks Equestrain you dolt!"

"Oh! Um... Shoo! Shoo!" The leader of the pack started to do a 'Shoo'-ing motion with it's hoof.

We stood there and stared at each other for a few moments. I must have gone insane. What the hell?

Maybe if I ignore them they will go away. I started to walk towards them, to try to get past. But the one in the lead saw me coming towards him. "Back! Back I say!" I continued to limp towards them.

"I'm warning you!" Silly hallucination.

I was about to reach them but the three horses went into a defensive looking stance and then a two-foot long sword was brandished, floating in mid-air, and was encased in a soft blue glow.

"What the hell?"

"Y- you DO talk! Leave! Now!" The floating sword barreled towards me and stopped with the blade inches from my face.

I raised my hand and tapped the tip of the blade with my finger. It was real.

Floating swords? This could only mean one thing. These talking mini horses have ghosts in their arsenal.

"You stupid quadrupeds! Your ghosts can't hurt me!"  I yelled at them.

They looked confused for a minute before one of them muttered, "What?"

I ran past the sword and towards the trio of horses, surprising them. I shoved them out of the way and sprinted as hard as my ankle would let me down the hallway.

"Stop! Wait!" Where have I heard that before?

I was getting close to a large double door with a bright light shining from under it.

I got close until I was tackled to the ground, face planting into the shiny marble floor.

I looked up at my assailant to see one of the horses in armor, but what I didn't see earlier was that this one had a horn coming out of his forehead. The fuck? A unicorn?

"Whatever you are, you're not going anywhere near the Princess!"

The Princess? I had to get away from this crazy Equine. With my still bloody right hand I proceeded to smack him right in the face. "Bitch!"

"Augh!" Some of the blood must have splattered into his eye, with him grimacing, I shoved him off of me with my legs and stood up as fast as I could and ran towards the doors.

I could hear music coming from the room ahead of me, there must be people inside!

I quickly kicked the doors open and dashed into what looked like a huge dining room of some sort.

The music abruptly stopped. I looked around the room to see more mini horses, many of them different colors and wearing an assortment of... clothes? They all looked at me with the same look of shock and awe at the biped that had just crashed their party.

One of the horses caught my eye though. A really big one, about as tall as me, and white as snow, with large wings and a long horn poking from it's head. It was giving me a look of surprise, but not the shock of the rest of the room.

"Uh..." I started to say, but out of the corner of my eye I could see a large full bottle of liquid was tossed in my direction.

Impacting me directly in the head, I quickly started to black out. I fell onto a table face first, crushing it under my weight.

This has been the second time in 24 hours I have been knocked out. Great.