Chapter 10: Can you dig it?

Twilight Sparkle awoke at on top of her bed with her face on the Book of Phobos. She was completely groggy, staying up all night to read and learn more about Cosmus/Screameater. She finished the book cover by cover and was done by five in the morning. The current time was eight-thirty; she was in no condition to get up.

But unfortunately for her, there was a knock at the door. She just groaned in exhaustion and looked at the dragon curled up and asleep in front of her bed.

"Spike." Twilight mumbled with her head now in a pillow. "Get the door." In response, Spike just mumbled something. The only words she could hear was "This looks...beginning…a beautiful."

"Twilight! Open up! Or even better! Little Spikey Wikey, can you open the door for me?" From the voice, Twilight could tell it was Rarity. And with that, Spike jumped out of bed and dashed towards the door.

But when Spike enthusiastically opened the door, the visitor turned out to be a green unicorn stallion Spike's never seen before.

"Why hello there little fella!" The unicorn greeted Spike as he patted the dragon's head. "Twi did say you have a thing for that Rarity lady! Guess she was right!" He then looked around the house a bit, not quite entering though.

"How'd you know?" Spike demanded the guest shocked that he knew about his crush, but then blushed while looking away. "Uh…I mean…" Spike thought for a bit but then noticed the stallion staring at all the books. "…You're this "New Element" Twilight's been talking about all night." Spike then yawned as he began to lose his energy.

"INDEED I AM! NAME'S COOCOODRILL!" Coocoo then pointed to his underground house. "I'M YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR!" Spike just looked at the mailbox and door in the ground. He then shrugged and called to the purple mare.

"This Coocoodrill guy's yours Twi." Spike called out to her as he yawned deeply. "I'm going back to sleep." He then walked back up the stairs, with Coocoo following him.

Twilight looked up from her pillow and saw the Element of Respect at the top of the stairs waving at her. She just sat up slightly annoyed.

"You seem giddy today." The mare apathetically asked her visitor with her eyes still shut. The male pony was unfazed by her lack of energy.

"In a world where we don't need to wear clothes, who wouldn't be?" The eccentric stallion replied to her proud of being naked. "I was gonna ask you if you wanted have breakfast at Sugarcube Corner with me and Pinkie. I hear they make the best pancakes ever!" Coocoo asked as he imagined himself biting into the sugary, sweet, syrup covered treats. Twilight and Spike just noticed him completely spacing out, drooling onto the floor. Twilight just used her magic to get a tissue and stopped the drooling, bringing him back to reality.

"I'm going to pass. I'm beat." Twilight told Coocoo as she faceplanted onto her pillow. She then started snoring softly. Spike also fell asleep soon after.

Coocoodrill just looked at his "Gram-Gram's" book and realized what she was doing all night. He then shrugged and left the library.

Pinkie Pie was in Sugarcube Corner's kitchen using a frying pan and spatula at a stove. She was flipping the morning pancakes. After a bit, the pancakes were all ready and Pinkie brought the pancakes out. She saw Coocoodrill sitting at one of the tables and immediately set the large batch of pancakes down and took a seat right across him. He passed the pink mare the syrup and she poured it all over their breakfast.

"Alright, on the count of three." Pinkie told her friend already giddy as they stared at the sugar coated pancakes ranging from plain pancakes to chocolate chip and blueberry. Coocoo eagerly nodded and they began the countdown.

"One!"

They tied their napkins around their necks.

"Two!"

The two placed both hooves on the table, ready to feast.

"THREE!"

The two ponies shoved their faces into the batch of pancakes, devouring every bit of their meal. The rest of the bakery noticed the two completely pigging out with their faces in their plates. Most winced, others just thought "Meh. It's Pinkie". After only ten minutes, the two ponies' plates were empty, not even a speck of syrup. Coocoodrill's and Pinkie's Pie's faces were covered in sugar and syrup.

"That was amazing." Coocoodrill told Pinkie Pie as he panted for air with a smile of satisfaction on his face.

"Thanks. I've been practicing." The pink earth pony replied also gasping for air after nonstop eating. She then took a napkin and cleaned her face. She then looked at him and giggled. "None of the girls ever wanted to just pig out with me like that. Great to have a piggy-buddy once in a while." She then pointed at Coocoodrill, who just chuckled as he wiped his face.

"Nice to feel appreciated." The male unicorn told his friend as he stretched. He then frowned a bit. "Nobody in my old town, or the town before that, or the town before that even wanted to sit with me at lunch." He then made a soft sigh.

Pinkie just gasped a little too loud to be necessary. "WHAT? WHY? YOU'RE SUPER MEGA FUN!" Pinkie then moved closer across the table until she was only inches away from his face. Coocoo cheered up a bit, knowing he had support. He then coughed a bit and began to explain in a relatively serious manner.

"I was born in the great city of Fillydelphia to two unicorn sailors named Ropenot and Tansand. We lived with my extremely awesome Gram-Gram Hazelhoof, the Legendary Explorer of the Unknown. You know that book Twilight's been talking about lately."

The mare nodded, still listening intently on what he had to say.

"Well, my Gram-Gram saw that island with her own two eyes and lived to tell the tale. She even wrote that book and used to read it to me every night."

Coocoodrill reminisced those times for a second before continuing on.

"But the foals there thought I was a loon for believing in such tales and called me names."

He looked down, but then perked up and smiled.

"But you should have seen their faces when my Gram-Gram asked Celesty a favor to send me to Canterlot's uhhhhh…something something of Magic. It was named something like that."

Coocoo then frowned again.

"But those fillies and colts thought I was also weird. In fact, they were even more pompous about it, calling me a "Crazed Colt of Sea Dogs". They also laughed at me for my poor magic skills."

The green pony tried called out "cinderblock" as his horn glowed red. All that he summoned was a little cottonball on the floor. He then continued.

"But one day, I was learning how to use a basic levitation spell. But for some reason, I went upside down and started drilling into the floor with my horn. I accidently drilled through four floors in one of the buildings that day."

He then sulked lower onto the table, ashamed. Pinkie frowned a bit, not wanting to see him sad.

"You should've have seen how furious the school headmaster was. He called my family immediately. We had a conference together and all I focused on was the disappointment on my father's face, the sobbing of my mother and worst of all, the apologetic look on my Gram Gram's face. All I remembered the Headmaster saying was that I was expelled."

He took a deep breath before continuing so he wouldn't lose his cool and break down crying.

"As me and my family were about to leave Canterlot, the Princess herself came up to us. She said that she knew about what happened and found a use for my drilling. I felt in debt to her since."

He began to feel a little better as he looked towards where her palace would be with a light smile on his face and hoof to his chest.

"She asked me to work in the town of Diamondale, where over half of Equestria's jewels and bits were mined. I was dropped off there by my family, who left for Fillydelphia. I quickly adapted to my environment, using my drill spell to quickly make tunnels. But those Diamondalers were always jealous of me and my quick tunneling."

He smirked and rubbed his chin as he thought about it. He then continued his story.

"My parents visited once in a while, but it was mostly my Gram-Gram, who still loved me no matter what. Always said that I was destined to do great things. And by the looks of it, she was right." Coocoodrill once again had a full grin as he made a small tear of joy. He felt like he was home. Pinkie just walked right next to him and patted him on the back, happy that he pulled himself together.

"Don't worry about those meanies. You'll always be okey dokey lokey in my book." Pinkie told Coocoodrill as sincerely as she could. She then discussed to her friend about her past as a rock farmer. She discussed all about how miserable she was until Rainbow Dash sonic rainboomed, making her as jolly as she is now. After that little story, Pinkie remembered something she had to say.

"Oh yeah! Hey Coocoo!" The unicorn's ears perked up. "Rarity's heard of your mining abilities and since she's busy with work and Spike has chores, she asked me to ask you if you could help her!" The then waited for an answer with her hooves together.

Coocoodrill just rapidly nodded in glee. "OF COURSE I WOULD!" He then thought for three seconds. "Wanna come too?" He asked his friend with complete, child-like innocence.

Pinkie just hopped away quickly to her room, when she came back less than a minute later. She had a helmet, shovel, pick and flashlight.

"Ready!" She said to the green stallion. The two ponies brohoofed and then trotted out of the bakery.

Meanwhile at Phobos, Screameater was using some of his black tendrils to polish his iron pony golem with deep care, allowing the puny prince to see his reflection.

"In on hour, you will rise for me Anvillain." Screameater told the inanimate construct with tender affection. His face then soured. "And unlike that incompetent frog of mine, you'll bash anypony who gets in your way." He then stop polishing the iron earth pony and took several steps back. The fallen prince then realized the time and was wasting that precious time.

"I'm going to get that stupid servant of mine and that magnificent magician now." He told Anvillain as if it was a little foal as he trotted out of the Archive room. He then stuck his head back in "Now don't you go anywhere now." He told his creation with a huge smile and his eyes squinted. He then scurried away. He was going to get the first part of the ritual today, and he knew who to choose first. His one and only son.

"Let's see how Blueblood's doing shall we?" He asked himself as he wondered what his son was like. He hasn't seen him since he was an infant and wanted to see if he was anything like his father. He'd better be.

Thanks for all the reviews. Now the story's going to truly start.