CHAPTER 4

I know, I know...I promised another last time that another chapter would be posted forthwith. My life is very unpredictable, and I don't even know what I'm gonna be doing from day to day. I can say that usually, I can post a chapter or two a day through the week, but Friday and Saturday, I don't even write. That's about the norm. As for this story, it's actually turning out better than I'd originally thought it was going to be. I have about half of The Drake Chronicles actually written out. The other half exist only as plot bunnies in my mind. This is one such story, meaning that I'm pretty much writing it from scratch, with little more than a good idea about the general plot, and a vague concept of all the details. I hope that you've all been enjoying it, what precious few readers you are. I do appreciate you all, and I'm greatly honored by the ones of you who have followed Drake's story from the very beginning. SO without further ado, here is chapter 4 of volume 7. Enjoy, and don't forget to drop me a review, everypony!

The opening in the hillside stood there like an open mouth, ready to swallow whole anypony who dared enter. Of course, that's just me waxing poetic again. It was just a simple mine opening, which started in the side of a small hill, and descended at a slight downward angle into the ground. I walked to just inside the entrance to the mine, and peered inside. I perked up my ears, listening for any odd sounds. It was impossible to see more than a few yards into the mine shaft, and my ears could only pick up the steady drip-drip of water coming from somewhere inside the pony-made cave.

"So this is the portal to hell?" I asked, turning to Carbide Bit, the forepony of the mine.

"That's the main entrance." He replied. "I have a plan of the mine...a map I can give you, if you plan on going in and checking things out."

"Yeah, we'll need that...and some lanterns...three hardhats, and anything else you think we'll need in there." I said, looking back into the mine. "Hey sis...what do you think about this place?" Budder walked up beside me and gazed into the darkness of the mine.

"I dunno...could be haunted." She answered. "Sure looks creepy enough."

"Creepy and dark do not a haunted mine make..." I muttered. I turned to the forepony. "So this is the only way in and out of this mine?"

"Yeah. Now that we have a fairly extensive underground operation, one of the side shafts is scheduled to be dug back to the surface a little ways from here for use in emergencies, or during busy shifts. Like I said, there's two air shafts, but they ain't big as anything. So for now, you're looking at the only entrance."

"Alright. We'll set up in one of those cabins for the night." I stated. "See if we can't catch these ghosts of yours."

"Umm..."

"He doesn't think it's really ghosts." Dashie said to Carbide Bit. The forepony looked at my marefriend and back to me.

"I always like to assume somepony's up to no good before I start looking at any other angles." I explained. "If it is ghosts, it's my sister's problem."

"Oh." Carbide Bit said, confused. "Well, I hope it ain't really ghosts, myself. Easier to throw a living pony out of the mine than a...ghost one."

"That's what I'm hopin'," I said dryly.

…...

The cabin was a rough lumber structure with a wooden floor, and had obviously been built to house several mine workers at a time, albeit not in any style or comfort. The structure was comprised of one room, about five yards by seven yards in size contained two bunk beds, a table and two chairs, a cast iron stove and nothing else. It wasn't the spacious lodgings the Princesses usually put us up in while on investigations, and it sure wasn't home sweet home. Still, the little shack had everything we needed for our stay: Beds, a table, lanterns, and a window to watch the mine entrance from. So that's what we did.

As soon as the sun started to set, the three of us covered two of the three windows in the shack, leaving only the one facing the mine unobstructed. We didn't light a lantern, or even a single candle for fear that if there was a rational explanation for all of this, somepony would notice us. We had to be invisible, and hope the culprits (hopefully living ones) would take advantage of the mine being deserted, and stumble into our grasp. That meant sitting quietly in a dark cabin for Celestia knows how long. The darkness was nothing to me. I had bigger problems. I wanted a cup of coffee so bad, but couldn't light the wood-burning stove.

"So...how long do we have to sit here in the dark?" Budder asked between the quiet crunch of the sunflower seeds she was eating.

"Dashie asked me the same thing the first time I took her on a stakeout." I answered in a low voice.

"Really?" My sister asked.

"Yep." Dashie whispered from somewhere in the darkened room.

"Know what I told her?" I asked.

"Huh?" Budder inquired.

"You can sit and wait for hours, even days, and nothing will happen. Or, BAM...it can happen all of a sudden. You never know, and you gotta be ready for both..." There was silence in the inky blackness for a few moments, then I heard the sharp pop of a sunflower seed hull.

"Bored." My sister voice sighed.

"I know." I groaned quietly. "Perps never make things easy. I wish the asshats would hurry up and get here...and bring me a double espresso when they come." I sighed. "Dashie...time." There was the dim strike of a shielded match in the corner of the room, followed by the click of a pocketwatch, and the light was quickly extinguished. Good Dash...you remember what I taught you about light discipline.

"Midnight. Or ten till, actually." My marefriend whispered back.

"Ugh...damn. Sis, you're right, this is going nowhere. You guys want to go skulk around and see what we can see?"

"Sure." Budder said.

"I'm game." Dashie answered.

"Alright, come on. A lantern each. Both you guys take a hardhat too. Ugh. I've been undercover a few times, but this is the first time I've ever gone underground to solve a crime."

So ends Chapter three, and our trio are now officially on the case. And now, they're preparing to venture into the dark chasm below. What will they find in the mine, spirits or malefactors? I will have the next chapter up soon, I promise. And I promise it will be longer and more entertaining. Until then, thanks for reading, everypony.