Humble Pie galloped frantically through the tunnel, his legs burning as the flame of the torch he still held in his mouth flicked at the side of his face, stinging his skin as it singed his fur. Regardless, he pressed on, desperate to outrun the diamond dogs that would surely be closing in from behind.

Even as he ran, the earth pony made notes of his surroundings. The tunnel didn’t proceed straightforwardly; rather it twisted and turned with many ups and downs. It was obvious the diamond dogs dug it without regard to the rock formations they would come across. Each time they had come across a tougher formation that would take more time to dig through, they had simply dug around it. Up, down, right, left, right, right, down…Humble Pie kept a running tally in his head as they plunged further underground. If they were going to find their way out, he figured, they would need to have at least a rough idea of where they were.

Suddenly, Humble Pie felt nothing but air beneath his hooves. Before he could get past his abrupt sensation of panic he hit the floor of a small cave, just a couple lengths below the tunnel that he had just exited out of. Swift Cloud and Thunderhead followed shortly, opening their wings too late to avoid landing on top of the earth pony, who let out a loud, pained grunt.

“Okay…” Humble Pie groaned as the two pegasi slid off of him. “Next time, if you’re falling, try putting those wings to use instead of crushing me.” He looked up, expecting a retort from Thunderhead, but noticed that both of his companions looked deeply alarmed; even frightened. Thunderhead had a grimace and was sweating profusely, casting his gaze frantically about the cave with his wings folded tightly against his sides. But he looked calm and composed next to Swift Cloud, who was hopping from one hoof to the other, flapping her wings rapidly like a chicken trying to take flight. Her eyes were wide and she was taking heavy, ragged breaths, her chest heaving as if each breath was her last.

“What…” Humble Pie blinked. “What’s wrong with you two?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all!” Thunderhead snapped, though his expression betrayed him.

“I can’t breathe…” Swift Cloud whispered fearfully, taking deep gulps of air. “It’s so stale down here, I can’t breathe!”

“What are you talking about? It’s fine!” The earth pony looked from one pegasus to the other, at a loss for what was going on. Sure, being on the run from diamond dogs wasn’t the most comfortable situation he had been in and the air down here wasn’t exactly fresh, but the way Swift Cloud was acting it was as if the walls were collapsing in on her. Surrounded by rock, Humble Pie felt like he was in his element, whereas the pegasi-

“Oh my word,” he gasped. “You’re both afraid of enclosed spaces, aren’t you?”

“NO, I AM NOT!” Thunderhead shouted, causing Humble Pie to forcefully shove a hoof over the pegasus’ mouth.

“Shh!” the earth pony whispered urgently as Thunderhead pulled away. “Are you trying to attract the diamond dogs?!”

“No, no, no, no…” Swift Cloud muttered quietly, curling into a twitching ball on the ground. “I can’t feel the wind, I can’t breathe…there’s no escape! We’re trapped here!”

“Get a hold of yourself, private!” Thunderhead commanded sternly, his demeanor slightly returning to normal. Humble Pie glanced at Swift Cloud before pulling Thunderhead to the other side of the cave.

“Look Thunderhead,” the earth pony said determinedly, “as disagreeable as it is for all of us, you’re going to have to listen to me. All of this – rocks, mining, caves – this is my domain. If we’re going to get out of here, we’re going to have to work together. And right now, that means getting a hold of yourself.”

“Don’t you-“ the pegasus began angrily.

“Please,” Humble Pie interrupted, his tone becoming desperate. “I need your help in this. You need to set an example for Swift Cloud,” he added in an undertone, jerking his head towards the twitching mare behind him.

Thunderhead gave Swift Cloud a long look before closing his eyes and taking a deep, long breath. He exhaled slowly, and when he finally opened his eyes Humble Pie saw a newfound determination in his expression. He trotted over to Swift Cloud and knelt over her figure.

“Swift Cloud?” Thunderhead said in a gentle tone, placing a hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “Swift Cloud, listen to me. This place is just getting to us. But I assure you, this is all in your head. We’re fine. The air is fine.”

“No, it isn’t…” Swift Cloud was still shaking and the irises in her eyes had shrunk to a fraction of their normal size. “Can’t you feel how stale it is? Can’t you feel that awful heat?”

Humble Pie glanced at Thunderhead. The pegasus’ brow was drenched in sweat. For a second Thunderhead looked as scared as Swift Cloud before he gulped and gave his fellow private a level stare.

“No. No I don’t, private. And neither do you. It’s all in our heads.”

“I-I can’t…” Swift Cloud mumbled, trailing off before she could finish her thought.

“Swift Cloud, close your eyes,” Thunderhead commanded. “And take a deep breath.” Swift Cloud did as he said, inhaling slowly. “Now, imagine you’re flying. Unfold your wings and glide through the air, just like normal.” The mare grimaced as she kept her eyes shut, slowly extending her wings out as she remained lying on the ground.

As she did so, Thunderhead unfolded his own wings and gave them a soft flap, just strong enough to lightly rustle the feathers on Swift Cloud’s wings. “Do you feel the breeze?” he asked softly.

“Yes!” she cried, her voice suddenly filled with joy and relief.

“Good. Keep your eyes closed. Just keep gliding.” Thunderhead gave his wings a few more flaps as Swift Cloud softly exhaled and her body relaxed. Humble Pie watched on in astonishment as she folded her wings and opened her eyes. Her gaze wandered around the cave for a moment before settling on Thunderhead.

She gave him a small smile. “Thanks, private.” The stallion returned her grin, helping Swift Cloud to her hooves. “Now tell me, am I going insane or is there a lantern hanging on the wall?”

“Don’t be silly,” Thunderhead chortled. “There isn’t-“

“A lantern!” Humble Pie yelped in surprise, staring at it. In all the panic, it had gone completely unnoticed by any of the three ponies when they entered the cave. The lantern consisted of a large glowing red stone embedded in the wall. The light it gave off wasn’t particularly pleasant, but it was a welcome sight from the constant flickering of their torches. It sat above the entrance to another tunnel leading out of the cave.

The sound of something large coming towards the ponies reached their ears, and they turned towards the tunnel they came out of, hearing the scraping sound of claws racing along the ground.

“Hurry, behind here!” Humble Pie whispered urgently, pointing at a space behind a large boulder. The two pegasi promptly hid there as he grabbed their two torches and tossed them into the tunnel beside the lantern before hiding himself.

The three of them held their breath as they heard a trio of diamond dogs scamper into the cave, only a couple of steps from where they were hiding. “The ponies are close!” one of them said excitedly. “They were here, I can almost smell them!” Humble Pie gritted his teeth and tensed himself, hoping against hope they wouldn’t look behind the boulder. But if these things could smell them, it looked like he may have just doomed them…

“Look! Their torches!” another cried out. “They must have gone this way!” This was met with grunts of agreement and they all promptly continued on their way down the other tunnel.

As the sound of their steps faded, the three ponies sighed with relief. Swift Cloud peeked over the boulder. “They’re gone,” she confirmed. “Good idea with the torches, Humble Pie. They didn’t even take them or put them out, they just left them there.”

“Diamond dogs aren’t supposed to be the smartest of creatures,” Humble Pie muttered. “Now, if the lantern is here that means we’re venturing closer to the heart of the diamond dogs’ territory. But if they’ve lost track of us, we now stand a chance. If we proceed quietly, we might evade them yet.”

“Then it’s a plan,” Thunderhead stated, picking up one of the torches in his mouth and nodding at the earth pony. “Lead the way, groundling.”

***

Humble Pie proceeded down the tunnel, torch in mouth, as Swift Cloud and Thunderhead followed behind. They trotted slowly and softly, careful not to make any sounds that could reverberate through the rock in case the diamond dogs would hear. Neither of the two pegasi felt comfortable, but Swift Cloud at least wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack now. Thunderhead was still more standoffish than normal, but he too had calmed down. He was now glaring at the earth pony walking ahead of them, an activity he found himself growing used to on this journey.

“What do you see in him?” he grumbled, quiet enough that Humble Pie wouldn’t hear.

“Sorry?” Swift Cloud replied, looking bewildered.

“The groundling,” Thunderhead muttered in an undertone.

“Oh, for crying out loud. Look, he’s nice, okay? Why won’t you give him a chance?”

“I don’t trust him,” the stallion answered simply.

“Commander Tempest does,” Swift Cloud pointed out.

“Commander Tempest trusts him to be smart enough to take what we’ve so kindly offered him. Not to save our lives.”

“He’s already saved my life.”

“And I just saved his from that thing back there.”

“Your point?” the mare retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“He’s a tool to be wielded against the dragon, like the sword or the unicorn’s magic. Not a friend to play with.”

“And what’s so wrong with making friends, huh?”

“What do you think is going to happen when our mission is complete?” Thunderhead growled. “Do you think you’re going to keep contact? Are you going to try to visit him? Once we’re done he’ll take his farm and we’ll go back to Pegasopolis. That’s how it has to be.”

“I…” Swift Cloud swallowed. She hadn’t given any thought to what would happen when this journey was over, but now that it had been brought up she couldn’t think of an argument against what Thunderhead was now telling her.

“We’re military ponies, private,” Thunderhead continued. “We don’t have time to make friends outside our ranks, something you’ll learn in time. Don’t get too close. Before you know it you’re going to have to leave them forever.”

***

“Can you still sense them, Star Swirl?” Commander Tempest asked while following the unicorn as they continued to climb up the mountain, coming closer to the steep summit of the ridge.

The magician had his horn pointed straight down towards the ground, glowing softly as he concentrated. “Yes, but it is very faint. They…wait…” He paused, focusing on his spell as he waved his horn back and forth across the ground for a bit, but finally the glow subsided. “It’s gone. I’ve lost sight of them…they’re too far underneath now.” He looked up at the pegasi fluttering alongside him. “They’re beneath the mountain itself.”

“If they continue on the direction they’re traveling, they would emerge on the other side of the mountain, yes?” Tempest inquired.

“It’s the only logical possibility,” Star Swirl muttered in agreement.

“Assuming they make it that far,” Hurricane stated evenly, drawing uneasy looks from the other three ponies.

“We must maintain faith, General Hurricane,” Silver Lining offered.

“Faith is one thing, General Silver Lining, but reality is another. Look, I don’t want to lose anypony; Private Thunderhead is a close companion of mine. But they are now apparently in the heart of a diamond dog mine; we must at least consider the possibility that they won’t make it and what it would mean for the mission.”

The other three exchanged glances as Hurricane went on. “We have the sword and we have the magician. Are those not our keys to defeating the dragon of Fortune’s Peak?”

“We also need the pony from Fortune’s Peak, so that he may show us the safest route in,” Star Swirl pointed out.

“But do we?” Hurricane asked, raising an eyebrow at the unicorn. “Yes, his knowledge was going to prove very valuable, but was it truly necessary?”

“We are not leaving Humble Pie here!” Star Swirl thundered. “Nor the two pegasi!”

“Not yet, anyway,” the pegasus replied. “And hopefully not ever. But we must consider what will happen if we don’t find them. We’ve come too far to give up the mission and turn back now.”

There was an uneasy silence for a moment, which Tempest finally broke. “I must admit, you are a braver warrior than I am, for considering the worst. I do not think I can bring myself to ponder the loss of my soldiers.”

“Let’s ponder it only if it becomes necessary,” Silver Lining insisted. “There’s still hope yet.”

***

Humble Pie continued down the tunnel, examining the rock walls as he walked. The walls, which had been made of fairly porous rock when they started, were now becoming more dominated by hard granite. This kind of tough rock was rare on the surface in this area, so he knew they had to be underneath the mountain by this point. The earth pony marveled at the sight; the crystals embedded in the granite seemed to sparkle in the torchlight and Humble Pie felt a thrill at the thought that he was seeing something no other ponies had laid eyes on. How many ponies could claim to have plunged into the heart of a mountain? Humble Pie only wished he had different companions to share this moment with; the idea that there were thousands of tons of rock sitting above their heads was unlikely to give the pegasi any comfort.

He rounded a corner only to stop short. “Hey!” he whispered to the pegasi behind him. “Snuff your torch!”

“Why?” Thunderhead asked.

“Just do it!” the earth pony insisted, taking the torch from his mouth and shoving the flaming end against the wall until the flame was snubbed out. Darkness fell in the tunnel as the pegasus extinguished his torch and their eyes slowly acclimated to the dark, when they began to notice a faint glimmer of light coming from up ahead.

“What is that?” Swift Cloud wondered aloud.

“Shh,” Humble Pie said softly, creeping forward. The tunnel opened into a large cave that was lined with lanterns, giving the whole room an eerie reddish glow. The three ponies peeked inside to see a massive cavern with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and piles of gleaming gemstones scattered around the room. Most noticeably, however, were the several diamond dogs pacing through the cavern.

“Look!” Humble Pie whispered, pointing at the other side of the cave. “Tunnels! Lots of them!” Indeed, the walls of the room were lined with entrances to passageways that led out of the cavern. “We must be near the center of the whole mine!”

“Yes, yes, all well and good,” Thunderhead muttered absentmindedly, “but which of those tunnels lead to the surface? For that matter, do any of them lead to the surface?”

“Careful,” Swift Cloud breathed, pulling the two stallions back into the tunnel as a pair of diamond dogs emerged out of a tunnel and turned in their direction. The three ponies watched as the diamond dogs met with the guards in the center of the cavern.

“Have the ponies been found yet?” one of the guards inquired.

“No,” the new arrivals grumbled in unison.

“Do you think the ponies already made it back up?” another guard muttered.

“They may have! You two!” a guard ordered, pointing at two diamond dogs who promptly stiffened and stood more upright. “Stay here! The rest of us will go to the surface to stop them!” The rest of the diamond dogs nodded and grunted, most of them following the leader as they made their way through one of the tunnels.

“…Well, that was simple,” Thunderhead commented, looking astounded.

“Bless their stupidity,” Humble Pie whispered, grinning widely. “Now all we have to do is follow them!”

“How? The guards are still there,” Thunderhead pointed out. “They’ll see us if we cross the room.”

“We could rush them,” Swift Cloud suggested. “There are only two of them. Just take them by surprise and make our escape!”

The pegasus stallion shook his head. “Too risky. We would have better luck creating a diversion.”

“Actually,” the mare muttered thoughtfully as she glanced at Humble Pie, “I might have a better idea.”

***

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Humble Pie grumbled under his breath.

“You told me earlier you were open to this idea,” Thunderhead growled.

“Would you both you be quiet?” Swift Cloud whispered urgently. “They’ll hear us!”

Lacking the power to overcome the diamond dog guards and unable to come up with a suitable diversion that would buy them enough time, the two stallions had reluctantly agreed to go along with Swift Cloud’s plan: flying over the diamond dogs, which required carrying the earth pony between them; something said pony was not at all happy about.

Both of the pegasi had their forehooves tucked under Humble Pie’s, holding him upright while his hind legs dangled uselessly below him. It was an awkward position and the earth pony shifted uncomfortably. They were now hovering near the ceiling of the cave, having silently flown up out of the tunnel when the diamond dogs had their heads turned.

“Stop squirming,” Swift Cloud admonished, gripping Humble Pie slightly tighter to hold him steady. “You’re making it harder for us.” His ears folded against his head and he swallowed, trying to hold himself steady. They were passing by a stalactite at the top of the cavern, out of sight of the two guards on the ground.

Suddenly, Swift Cloud’s grip failed and she released Humble Pie, allowing him to fall towards the ground for a few inches before catching him again. The earth pony, not expecting her fumble, let out a small squeak of fright as he fell.

“Did you hear that?” one of the diamond dogs rumbled. The three ponies froze, pressed against the stalactite as they waited. Humble Pie began sweating, his teeth gritted as he held his breath. If they were discovered because of him…

“…Nah. I don’t hear anything,” the other guard said. All three of the ponies let out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry,” Swift Cloud mumbled, giving the earth pony a guilty smile as he glared fiercely at her.

“Private Swift Cloud, would you mind not scaring the groundling?” Thunderhead muttered, a small grin crossing his features. “If he squeals like a pig again we might find it difficult to escape.”

“I did not squeal like a pig!” Humble Pie whispered indignantly. Swift Cloud was now almost shaking with mirth, desperately trying to hold back her laughter.

Thunderhead leaned around the stalactite, carefully taking a peek at the diamond dogs below. He nodded at Swift Cloud and they quietly made their way across the ceiling, waiting a moment before dropping silently towards the tunnel entrance and darting inside before the guards could spot them.

Once they were safely in the tunnel, Humble Pie promptly flopped onto the ground and let out a long, relieved sigh. He patted the ground reverently, looking like he never wanted to part with it again.

“Oh, get a hold of yourself,” Swift Cloud chuckled. “You were in the air for only a couple of minutes.”

“Never…again…” the earth pony muttered.

***

The end was close now; Humble Pie could almost feel it. The granite had given way to the more porous rock he had seen earlier, indicating they were closer to the surface. Not that he could really see the rock; lacking the torches they had earlier, he had to feel his way along the tunnel and judge solely from the stone’s texture.

It was slow going for the three ponies. Save for the occasional lantern they were fortunate enough to come across, there was very little light for them to go by and they had to proceed carefully to avoid slamming into the walls. The pegasi were actually at a slight advantage, as their outstretched wings made it possible to feel the walls of the tunnel while still walking on all four legs.

However, the pitch blackness they were blindly stumbling through soon began to take its toll on all three of them, particularly the pegasi. Behind him, Humble Pie could hear Swift Cloud began to breathe rapidly again before she bumped into him for the third time in the past couple of minutes.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“It’s fine,” Humble Pie replied. “Maybe we should stop for a moment and rest-“

“No!” Swift Cloud yelled abruptly. “I mean…no, let’s keep going. I want to get out of here.”

“But we’ve been walking for hours,” the earth pony pointed out. “I’m not even sure how many hours. It may have been a whole day by this point.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Thunderhead grunted. “We’re leaving this wretched hole.”

“Suit yourself,” Humble Pie said, deciding to drop the subject. They remained silent for a moment before the earth pony collided into the wall for what felt like the hundredth time in the last couple of hours. “Blast it!” he cried out, nursing his snout. “If only I could see!”

“Here, let me help,” Swift Cloud offered, draping one of her wings over the earth pony’s back as she extended the other to reach out to the wall. She began steering him, her outstretched wing brushing against the rock as the other held Humble Pie close. At her touch, his heart began to beat faster.

“Th-thanks,” he mumbled before clearing his throat. “I appreciate it.”

“Thank me if we get out of here,” she responded, her voice carrying a hint of fear. “I don’t like this. There’s nothing to see, but I know the walls are still there. I’m trapped in and I can’t even see it.

“I can’t fly and I can’t see,” she continued, taking faster as she went on. The earth pony could feel her beginning to shake as her fear of this place threatened to take hold again. “What good am I down here?”

Humble Pie leaned his head over and nuzzled it against Swift Cloud’s. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to be so forward – until now it had been the pegasus who had initiated the few times they had touched – but in that moment it seemed like the obvious and natural thing to do. The mare trembled for a second before resting her head against his, her wing holding him tighter as she calmed down again.

“We’ll make it. You’ll see.” Humble Pie was glad Thunderhead couldn’t see them as they walked side-by-side, plunging further into the darkness before them.