The years after the fall

The wind was cold, and the snow colder. The mountain was said to hold an ancient key, a key to unlock the secrets of Equestria... But they were decieved....

"Hey Preacher give me an update on the mining progress"

"At once Tribute!" Preacher galloped to her side and immediately started informing her. "Our mine carts can only go so deep in the mines, but we have almost succeeded in our task of bringing out the key. By the end of the day we shall have it."

"Good job Preacher, and if you can get it out sooner, you and your crew will get an extra raise."

Tribute seemed very anxious to get her hooves on the key thought Preacher, although he said nothing. "Thank you Tribute" he replied.

"No" Tribute looked into his eyes for a moment. "Thank YOU. You and your fellow miners have done this kingdom a great service today."

Preacher looked away and tried not to blush. Tribute WAS a very beautiful mare, even if she was a royal speaker he could help but to stare sometimes.

He shook the feeling off. This was official business only. There was no time for such petty things like love to get in the way of progress.

"We will bring you the key by nightfall" Preacher stated, not meeting Tributes gaze.

"I certainly hope so Preacher. The kingdom depends on it"

Preacher's ears perked up and suddenly he looked startled

"What do you mean, 'the kingdom depends on it'?"

"There are some things that you should leave to your betters Preacher. And it is none of your concern" Tribute replied, narrowing her eyes as she spoke.

"Oh well if you say so..." Preacher didn't look convinced

"Just do what you are being paid to do, and everything will be fine" Tribute's mood had lightened a little bit, Preacher thought. She certainly didn't look as mad as before when Preacher had asked why the kingdom depended on the key being used. But he couldn't help but wonder what it was, regardless of what Tribute told him.  He also had an odd feeling that she was somehow not telling them everything, deceiving them if you will, about what the key contained. She had told them that the key was an artifact built by an ancient race called "humans" and they built it as a key to their refuge after the ponies came into Equestria. Now they are all mixed in with the changelings and diamond dogs, sentenced to an eternity of nothingness. Preacher thought she might of been correct on those things, but was lying about her motives to acquire the key.

As they both walked farther down in the cave, it got warmer, and Preacher caught many miners sneaking glances over at Tribute, but he said nothing. How could he when he, himself did the same thing? Besides, Tribute didn't notice, or she just didn't say anything about it either. They stopped in front of  a mine cart full of miners just getting off to go to the mess hall.

"How is it going Preacher? You got a new girlfriend?" The pony working the mine cart controls laughed.

He regretted it after Preacher kicked him hard in the ribs

"Shut the fuck up" Preacher said to him "And if I EVER hear you call a high official, and not only that but our EMPLOYER my girlfriend ever again, I will throw your worthless plot out of this cave so quick you won't even know what happened!"

"It's fine" Tribute looked amused after the incident, "Now lets get back to business shall we?"

"Yes, of course ma'am" Preacher said. "Control, request to dock at section one-oh-three-two."

"Permission..... Granted...." gasped the control pony, who had just gotten the wind knocked out of him from Preacher.

Tribute stepped into the mine cart, as did Preacher, and soon the two of them were of on their way to the center of the mountain.

"So uh Tribute, you didn't take offense to the comment back there right?" Preacher asked, begging for an answer.

"Well if you have to ask, not really no." Tribute responded, blinking.

Preached looked up in surprise. "Really? I mean uh.... Why didn't you feel offended?"

"Because a mare can never get too many compliments" Tribute said with a tone that dissuaded any further conversation.

What does that mean? Preacher thought to himself, does that mean she thinks I'm good looking? 'No Preacher' a voice in the back of his head said, 'She doesn't. She just doesn't want to offend you.' But does that mean that she thinks being my girlfriend is a compliment? Preacher asked himself. Any further thoughts were interrupted by the screech of the brakes, as the cart neared the platform. "Approaching destination number one-oh-three-two" a monotoned robot mare's voice blared over the loudspeaker and workers were standing in line, waiting to go back to the barracks.

"We don't get many ponies coming out at this time of day" the Control pony said after assisting Tribute out of the cart. "Right this way" and he showed them the way out. It was a narrow path, leading basically up the trail where the mine cart should have gone, if it had kept on going. "Good luck down there" the Control pony said as they were leaving "It's pretty busy, and the stallions aren't exactly friendly to mares, no matter what your social status is." The last part was directed at Tribute, who in reply said "Oh I know how to deal with ruffians." They both continued down the path, and left the crazy mine cart station behind them.

The noises of the workers in the mine was almost unbearable. Clashes as miners dug with their special digging pick axes, and the grinding of machines smelting valuable rocks were the loudest of the noises. Tribute looked disdainfully at the crowd of untidy ponies, who all looked like they hadn't showered in weeks. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the lovely princess we've all been waiting for to save us from this place" a miner said in a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Goddam-" Preacher was cut off by a Tribute, who covered up his mouth with her hoof. "Don't worry" she told him, "I will handle this".

She turned to the miner "I AM THE ROYAL GUARDIAN OF PRINCESS CELESTIA, AND PROTECTOR OF EQUESTRIA. IT WOUlD BE WISE OF YOU TO WATCH YOUR MOUTH IN MY PRESENCE." She shouted in the royal Canterlot voice. Preacher looked startled and looked up at the beautiful  white Unicorn is awe. He had never heard her use this tone of voice on anypony, and with her small form, he didn't even know she had it in her.

"Lets, erm, continue to the vault shall we?" Preacher suggested to Tribute, who by now had the attention of everypony in room (which in fact, was pretty big)

Tribute nodded her head and followed him, the eyes of all the miners still trained on her. They continued down a tunnel off the main room and eventually got to the 'vault'. In reality it was just a steel door busted open by a locksmith.  The steel door hung to one side, and was completely rusted over. Inside the room it smelled like something crawled in and died, and besides Tribute and Preacher, there was only one other pony in the room. Nopony knew his name, but everypony called him "the Seeker" because he was always looking for something. And it always was the same. The key.

The Seeker was hunched over a control panel and his back was to them. "Hmm" muttered Seeker"it must be here somewhere" he had a voice that sounded like a creature that had been nearly starved to death, and could barely speak. "Sorry to bother you Seeker, but I brought a guest for you." Preacher said as Seeker turned in surprise. "This is Tribute, and she is looking for the key, same as you. Perhaps you two can work together on this one?" The last one was a suggestion to Tribute saying that Seeker was the best pony of his class.

"Certainly Preacher." Tribute seemed fascinated in the fact that somepony besides her wanted the key. "How far are you to finding it?"

"Oh not far, not far" Seeker replied. "Only a few more minutes and the stars will have aligned correctly to give away the position of the key. Until then we wait."

"I see" Tribute look annoyed that it would be longer than she hoped.

Suddenly, a bright light shined through  a crack in the ceiling that Preacher didn't notice before. It shown down at a spot where sand covered the floor, instead of rust.

Seeker seemed to get more agitated the longer he stared at the sand, Preacher thought, and Tribute seems excited to get the key.

"Time to dig I guess" Preacher said with a sigh as he started to dig up the sand. The longer he dug though, he noticed that while Tribute seemed only mildly excited, Seeker was going crazy, almost throwing things around.

Thud.

Preacher's shovel hit something hard. He quickly shoveled up the rest of the sand, and unburied a chest. "Ahahahahaha" Seeker cackled," it's time to pay a visit to the Princess"

"Seeker what are you talking about?" Asked Preacher as he began to open the chest.

Tribute had been silently watching the entire time.

"No!" Shouted Seeker, "It must be me who opens the chest, ME! Ahahahaha" and he jumped around some more.

"Seeker what the hell are you talking about?"

Then Seeker rushed Preacher at an alarming rate and pushed him over. Then he flung open the lid. As soon as Seeker opened the chest a bluish glow came from the bottom. Then the wind started up. It was a cold, harsh wind, and a voice came out of the chest in an unknown language to Preacher. As he picked himself up, he looked over at Tribute. "What the hell is going on?" Preacher asked. Tribute suddenly looked fearful, and turned to Preacher, who was shouting to be heard over the wind.

"Run!" Tribute shouted over the wind "Run now if you want to live!" And she ran out of the vault. Preacher glanced over at Seeker, whose gaze was locked with the contents of the chest. The control panel he had been working on was now sparking and ruined, wires everywhere. Preacher fled the vault, dashing after Tribute. By now, the wind had picked up, even more then what was normal. All the miners were freaking out and there was chaos in the mine.

"What the hell is going on?" A miner asked Preacher, as he came to a stop in front of him. Preacher's eyes quickly scanned the room for Tribute, who he saw was running up the corridor to get back to the mine cart. "If you want to live, get to the mine carts".

The miner nodded and shouted "EVERYPONY GET TO THE CARTS!"

Fortunately there were not many ponies still down there, Preacher thought, or getting to the surface would be a challenge. He ran down the corridor and shortly arrived at the station. He saw  that Tribute already had gone a decent way up the line to get to the carts. He pushed his way to her. The poor controls pony was working had to keep things under control, but to no avail. "Sorry sir, your cart is waiting" he said as he recognized Preacher and Tribute. "Thanks" Preacher replied, as the wind picked up even more. They both got on, and the control pony sent them on their way. The metallic mare's voice at this point could no longer be be heard over the wind. As they whisked away on the tracks, Preacher turned to look at Tribute. "What. The. Fuck. Was. That?"

Tribute looked very, very scared for some reason. "Well?" Preacher snarled, "What was it?" It was a few minutes before she replied, the wind now blocking out the noises of the cart on the rails. "It was a changeling" Tribute finally said, not meeting Preacher's glare. "I wanted the chest because it would secure the kingdom's guaranteed victory against the humans and changeling army." But Preacher still was confused "So who, or what was in the chest?"

"The changeling leader, Queen Chrysalis. After the battle, Shining Armor and Cadence banished the changeling army to the far reaches of Equestria." She continued, "As the Queen was dying, they placed her in the chest, hoping to preserve her. But they had to leave after the Equestrian Army came and attacked their cave. This was their base. This is why we wanted the key so badly. Queen Chrysalis had the power to open the portal again, and if she does, the changeling army will march again upon all of Equestria, and all will be lost. We can't allow her to leave this cave." Preacher nodded "I understand." He suddenly realized what needed to happen. The company was now ruined. "We have explosives used for mining by the entrance, once everypony is through we will seal the doors." He thought back to the controls pony, who had helped them escape. He wondered if he was still alive, but he kind of doubted it.

"We need to get out of here" he said to the control pony at the final station. The pony looked startled. "Whats going on?" He said " I just heard a loud noise, and then all this wind came."

"No time to explain" Preacher looked at him square in the face, " We need to get everypony out of here NOW!"

The controls pony nodded his head and rushed back to the controls, and unloaded the next cart. "There are two more carts coming sir" the first pony off the cart informed Preacher. "Good" Preacher replied, "Get the miners to the entrance, and prepare the explosives to collapse the cave."

"Yes sir" the miner replied and he turned to his buddies and said, "All right boys, you heard the pony, move your ass to the entrance, and prepare to seal it shut. Grab all the TNT you can find!" As the miners headed off to rig the cave, Preacher glanced at Tribute. She hadn't spoken since they got off the cart, and she looked like she might go into shock. "You feel ok Tribute?" Preacher asked. "Yes... I'm... Fine" she replied, still staring off into the distance, not meeting Preacher's gaze. "Look Tribute, this isn't your fault. Nopony could have stopped this from happening. Seeker deceived us all."

Tribute just blinked at him. Something felt off, Preacher thought to himself.

The wind was still loud, and everypony besides them and the control pony was gone. "Last cart, coming in!" the control pony shouted over the wind. The cart came to a stop, and Preacher looked up in surprise as the other control pony stepped off. "We need to move. The cave is rigged to blow up in 5 minutes."

The controls pony nodded and the cave shook from a voice that bellowed from the deep in the mine shaft. "Who daresss...."

"Aw shit." The control pony who wasn't from the vault sector said. "Dale we better get the hell out of here". Dale, who apparently was the control pony from the vault, replied "Yes, I agree" and they took off.

"Well" Preacher looked at Tribute again, "We better get out of here too. Everypony is out except us."

Tribute nodded and they began to rush to the exit.

Suddenly the cave erupted with rocks flying everywhere, dirt covering everything. The miners must have set off the TNT early!

Wait, but if they did, then Preacher and Tribute would be dead. Whatever caused that explosion was not TNT. It had to be something huge. Something like a portal? That had to be it. Preacher dusted himself off and continued on, seeing that Tribute wasn't even fazed that the explosion had happened. Preacher poured out all his energy, as the cave continued to explode around him.

Daylight

Finally

They got to the entrance and the miners pulled the plug on the explosives.

BOOM!

The cave collapsed, and the explosion gave many miners concussions. "All right is everypony ok?" Preacher inquired. There had to be at least 200 hundred miners here, and he never really thought about how many worked for him. And thankfully most of the ponies were sleeping in the barracks, which was located close to the entrance, which made evacuation easier. Everypony looked at him and said "yes" in unison. He noticed that Dale had moved far away from the group, and was starting to change. A changeling! But how? Well however it happened, a good chunk of the group was doing the same thing. They had escaped! They pretended to be miners and fled the scene with them! It all made sense now! Tribute had noticed now but it was too late.   Dale had already flown away, now in the form of a changeling, going to find a source of happiness to feed on.  Shit! And the others had done the same. Preacher had two thoughts. He thought that Dale the changeling looked a little bit like a demented Seeker, maybe it was, but he had and even bigger worry.

"Celestia is going to be PISSED...."

"Shes going to be more than pissed, because this means war, and war means suffering for everpony" Tribute looked over at him. " You have failed the kingdom, and you failed me."

Those words hurt Preacher more than any physical blows could. He staggered back, and the events that had just happened finally caught up to him.

"There is nothing that can stop them now, is there...." Preacher looked up at Tribute, wondering why she had chosen his crew to work on such a high stakes mission. They were simple miners, used to simple work. Not this kind of stuff, but hey, at least the Queen was still trapped but Preacher doubted it would take long for the changelings to free her. The explosion had just covered the exit, and nothing more. A few ponies with picks could easily clear it in 5 minutes. It wasn't a permanent solution, but there were more pressing matters at hand. The kingdom must be warned of this new threat. The way to the portal was not a very high priority.

"No, there is not" Tribute had a grave facial expression, "The best thing to do is find someplace underground and try to let the Equestrian Army do it's thing"

"The Equestrian Army hasn't been around for 500 years!" Preacher couldn't believe that Tribute ACTUALLY thought they were still around.  "They are around still, even though Shinning Armor isn't their leader anymore, they have a new leader.... Sergeant Snow."