Sixteen Tonnes

Preface

Hello Dear Readers,

It has been a very long time since I put my words on paper. I must confess that I have not been inspired much as I have been busy in real life. But I have gotten the writer's touch again and I want to share this story that came from the depths of the mind. Many might recall of a story I wrote back in 2020 or so entitled From Cage to Belly, it was an idea of mine set in the real modern world that tried to explore dark themes, crossovers of all different types of animated shows, and a little bit of Jerza (the ship name for Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes from Fairy Tail) here and there. That had fallen flat on its knees and won't be updated anymore.  I feel that it was not worth my time for that. However, that child labor fanfic, the Jerza bits, and the crossovers still lingered in my mind, and I decided to go to what I did best, look into history. The song Sixteen Tons got into my head with its bluesy rhythms and harmony and overall expression of a time when many miners lived in company towns in poor conditions that inspired me to look through the lens of the industrial revolution. This does not take place in Great Britain or America at the turn of the century, but in a kingdom similar to Britain called Alvion. This story will focus more on the child labor aspect, but also take a look at upper society's morals and the impoverished who are forced to relinquish their children to dangerous jobs. It makes sense since both Erza and Jellal were enslaved in a place that had the same feel as a mine. As a standard disclaimer, I do not own any of the cartoons or anime used in this story. They are property of their creators and therefore rightful owners, whomever they might be. Also, the following events are purely fictional, besides the names of the nations, wonders, and great people and have no ties to any other peoples, historical events, etc. and any relation is coincidental. The ships in the FanFiction are canon to most fandoms but some are made up. Most of the character's ages will remain the same unless written as otherwise. This fic will be rated PG-13 for violence, language, and dark themes, and there are trigger warnings for child labor. Please enjoy this simple, and dark story about two children trying to make their way in the mines, with the issues and societal questions of the day.

Best Regards,Nicoville20