Chapter 13: "The Evil Beneath."
It was an odd sensation being down here. The air felt strangely cool, and there was a great lack of dust anywhere. As if this place had been preserved somehow. Trapped in time, not aging a day since it was unearthed. But the question was, who unearthed it?
The only sounds we heard echo off the walls, were our own hoofsteps. And then we stopped.
I was brought out of my thoughts when I noticed something in front of us: A large makeshift campsite had been set up in a clearing. At first I thought it was the campsite of whoever else was down here. But then I saw what kind of shape the place was in. Tents were torn down, tables overturned and pieces of rubble scattered across the stone floor. This camp had been abandoned for a few years now. No way it was set up recently.
But then it hit me. "If this isn't their camp...that means someone else was down here, before them. Someone discovered this place, before they did!"
Gold Digger prodded a destroyed tent with her hoof. "Well they weren't very good at setting up a campsite." she scoffed.
I rolled my eyes at her. "They didn't do this themselves! It must've collapsed on its own after being down here for a few years, unattended." I explained.
"Well...maybe this can tell us something."
She had found a small tattered looking journal nuzzled under a path of destroyed fabric from the tent. Its pages were worn and damp with water damage, but I could still make out the very neat and proper looking hoofwriting in its margins.
It read as follows.
Thursday, 8th of February, X002.
Cape Cold, aboard SS Wakeful
Were finally away. Our parents came to see us off. Well...me off. They couldn't know about Debby. After all what was the point of running away if your parents ended up dragging you back the moment they caught sight of you? They'd drag her back to Ponywood, and have her stay the prissy little star they've always wanted. But there is so much more out there! Adventure to be had all over the world.
And they'd have her stay in that city, and act out for a bunch of rich, nobodies.- Poor kid.
They think I'm crazy. Obviously. They wouldn't be my parents if they didn't think the daughter who travels all over the world hunting for treasures in old ruins was in the least bit sane. I know what they think of me. and I don't care. Just because I never became as pompous, and stuck up as them, that makes me second best.
But this will change everything. This time I'll be back with proof that even they wont be able to deny.
And Debby's along for the ride!
- Do,welle Divine
The name struck a chord with me so strongly I could swear it actually hit me over the head. My eyes swelled as the realization came to me. "Divine!? I knew I'd heard that name before!" I exclaimed.
The whole thing rushed to the forefront of my brain. Debby had been De'belle Divine, the starlet who had gone missing 15 years ago. The one who had been standing with Mr. Regal in that torn up photograph.
And the year this passage was written: X002. That was exactly 15 years ago! She had gone missing that exact year. And she had run away from home to go with her adventurous sister on some sort of trip. And had never been seen again.
My hooves shook as I read through the next passage, eager to finally uncover what had happened to the starlet from the photo.
Saturday, 10th of February, X002.
In the Atlantic, aboard the SS Wakeful.
The weather is fine and the captain promises a quick crossing to Lisbon. The red tape involved in organizing this expedition tried my patience almost to the breaking point, but Debby is enjoying herself. Shes been talking non-stop about how excited she is to finally be going on a real adventure with her awesome sister. The Omani authorities shouldn't give us much trouble. I can only hope that my sheaf of documents (and ready cash) will be enough to placate that aristocrat when I arrive.
Wednesday, 21st of February, X002.
The western Mareiterranean, Aboard the SS Wakeful.
So far so good. Uneventful crossing. Melanin was waiting for us in Lisbon with the aristocrat- with the welcome news that he had perfected his electrical sensing apparatus, which is now safely on board in its crates. If it works as well as he claims, this may save us weeks or even months of excavation work.
Monday, 5th of March, X002.
Alcalti, Just outside Mareiposa Bay.
Still waiting to finish hiring our team of diggers. I am trying to keep Debby together, but she's so excited to start digging, she insists we should dock now and start digging ourselves. She hasn't grown up at all. Still just as bright eyed as ever.
We are so close now- but patience is a virtue. And we both need to have it. We'll find what we came here for. I know it.
Wednesday, 14th of March, X002.
Mareiposa, Warehouse 13A.
Finally! We docked yesterday and have been unloading at a feverish pace. Any more delays and we will be in danger of having to postpone until the summer heat has passed. I couldn't do that to Debby. Not when shes stayed positive all this time. We both need to do this. There's no more time to waste.
Friday, 16th of March, X002.
Mareiposa Cathedral, Collapsed basement.
Removing the rubble was easy. Dealing with those paper-shuffling bureaucrats to get legal permission to start digging under the Cathedral though, that was hard. I really don't get it. This Cathedral has been closed for years. People visit to take tours and junk. No one actually goes to it. But it doesn't matter. Me and my sister are finally here, and nothing stands between us but the earth.
Thursday, 29th of March, X002.
Cathedral Excavation.
The dig is going well. Our diggers are bringing up rubble from the excavation to make way for the equipment, so we can start moving rock with the dozers. I keep hearing our diggers talk about getting chills down there, but I sum it up to them just needing to wear a coat. Tomorrow, we see if Melanin's apparatus works. Debby's excited to see it. So am I.
Saturday, 30th of March, X002.
Cathedral Excavation.
Melanin's apparatus has been balky- rocks in the delicate workings no doubt- but he has obtained favorable readings down further below. Heat during the day is tremendous, even for us Ponywood folk. Its amazing how these Mareiposians get along so well with it. We'll set to work tomorrow and see what we see.
Monday, 2nd of April, X002.
Cathedral Excavation.
Nothing yet. Melanin swears that it wasn't a false reading. 2 more days and I might have to grab a shovel myself.
Tuesday, 3rd of April, X002.
Cathedral Excavation.
WE FOUND IT!! A few minutes ago, our diggers struck worked stone. Carved stone. Apparently the edge of a large circular structure. As excited as I am, I cant help but notice how uneasy everpony's feeling now. At first it was just chills, but...call me crazy, but the more we seem to dig, the more odd the air seems to feel. I doubt its much of an issue, but I'll keep my eyes open.
Friday, 6th of April, X002.
Cathedral Excavation.
I'm now convinced we have found Ubar itself! We've uncovered several fragmentary inscriptions, with runes that match the ancient texts. We've made excellent progress clearing part of what appears to be a monumental plaza, but it seems to go much further down. Looks like we still have a ways to go.
Wednesday, 18th of April, X002.
Cathedral Excavation.
All work has stopped - One of our diggers has gone missing. He was surveying one of the deeper parts of the site, and was last spotted studying a set of glyphs on the wall. Hopefully the poor fool just activated a trap door and we'll need to get him out of a pit of snakes or something. Everpony is uneasy due to the disappearance. I've assured them that we would find him soon. I hope I'm right.
Friday, 20th of April, X002.
Our guys grow restless, as our missing digger has yet to turn up. The guide is becoming very troublesome - some of the diggers are beginning to listen to his tales of ancient curses and forbidden secrets. Even I'm beginning to believe there is more down here than we had thought. Debby's excited of course, but I can't shake the feeling that we may not be prepared for what we find.
Saturday, 21st of April, X002.
Debbys Gone. She went into the site to look for that missing digger. I'm going in to find her. I don't expect anyone to stay here anymore, and I don't care. All that matters is my sister.
To my dismay, the rest of the journal was blank. This had been Do'welle's final entry before she had gone to search for her sister. The pieces all fit together: This temple had been discovered by Do'welle and her team. Her sister had tagged along, and was subsequently lost in the ruins, causing her sister to go and search for her. I was desperate to learn more, but I knew the only way I would get more answers was to explore this place myself. I had to go deeper into the ruins. Needless to say the idea made me very uneasy.
I heard my sigh echo off the cavern walls. "So that's what happened."
Gold Digger only looked at me in confusion. I knew she had no clue what I was talking about. But that didn't matter. I had discovered what had happened to De'belle Divine all those years ago. And we were now standing in the very place she had gone missing. The thought of going any further was the last possible thing on my mind. But I had to. Whatever was happening down here, I wouldn't be finding out just standing here.
"We need to get moving." I said out loud. I couldn't tell if I was telling Gold Digger or myself.
As we made our way even further I began to wonder. Everything I had seen, all this insanity I had been through: Did it all center around something? Was all this apart of The Grand Master’s plan? But now this...It felt different.
I had no idea why, but I had the strangest feeling that The Divine sister’s disappearance held some sort of great importance in all this. I had to find out what really happened to them. To this expedition.
And I wouldn’t stop till I knew the truth.