The train raced by through the desert of Southern Equestria. Its destination was the village of Somnambula, named after the famed ‘Pillar of Equestria’ who had protected her people from many evils in the past.
Inside the train were Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Mrs. Cake, and Flurry and her five friends. They were all vacationing in Southern Equestria with Spike and their mothers, serving as chaperons. While the mothers talked amongst one another, Spike was sprawled out on his seat, snoring. The kids were all admiring the sights outside their window.
“Whoooah!” said Storm Streak, “Look at those big pointy things out there!”
“Those are called pyramids, silly!” Flurry giggled as she put down the book she was reading.
“Er, right. What are they for even?”
“Ancient Southern Equestrians built them to bury old kings known as ‘pharaohs.’ They’d put them in coffins and wrap them up in cloths.”
“Oooh, you mean mummies! Cool! We could go in and fight zombies then!”
Flurry rolled her eyes and shook her head back and forth teasingly as Stormy flew around speaking.
“Yeah, I don’t think those old pharaohs are gonna awaken in there, bud,” Pound told Stormy. “We’re here to see the pyramids from the outside along with the sphinx statue and plenty of other stuff, but I’m not sure they’d allow us into the pyramids. It’s okay though; there’s still plenty of great things to see.”
“Plus they’ll have some really cool souvenirs in the marketplace!” said Pumpkin.
“And we might even see Somnambula there,” Annie added.
“Somnambula? You mean the place we’re going to?” Stormy asked.
“No, he means the pony Somnambula. They named the city after her a long time ago,” Chip said.
“Oh, yeah. Her. Well I mostly just know about Flash Magnus. Mom always told me about how cool he was back when they all came back to stop the Pony of Shadows!”
Stormy flew over to Rainbow Dash to nudge her as he spoke. She smiled and patted him on the head.
“Flash was something else, Storm,” she said. “Somnambula’s also pretty neat. She’s a pegasus just like we are.”
“And she and the Pillars sure were the talk of the town over a thousand years ago,” Applejack added.
Suddenly, the train began to slow down and let off steam. Spike was startled from the light jolt and began to wake up.
“Ugh…we there yet?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“We’re there, big fella,” Mrs. Cake told him. “Alright kids, who’s ready for vacation?”
The kids all cheered and made their way to the door of their cab. Spike picked up the big suitcases and started carrying them while the mothers carried some smaller ones with their mouths and the kids carried backpacks. They walked out the door and stepped onto the station platform. There were many other ponies at the station. Some were from afar, while others appeared to be Southern Equestrians boarding to travel or waiting for loved ones to exit the train to greet them.
“WHOO! Man it’s a lot hotter here than Ponyville!” said Chip, fanning himself.
“That’s the south for ya, buckaroo,” Applejack told her son. “We farmers don’t even feel the same kinda heat the Southern Equestrians do, but at least we came prepared.”
“It’s hot but it’s still so beautiful seeing what the desert looks like!” Annie said, staring at the horizon out on the edge of the platform.
“Maybe we’ll see a giant sphinx roaming around!” Pumpkin said, bounding in next to her.
“Uh oh. I hope not,” Annie said, nervously.
“Pump, don’t scare her like that,” Pound said, elbowing his sister. “Don’t worry Annie, I heard the sphinxes keep to themselves in the mountains nowadays.”
“According to what Twilight told me, the sphinxes live out in places like the wilderness, the mountains or out by the sea where they have access to water. They’re pretty wild like the dragons, but they’re at peace with Southern Equestria now.”
“We’ve got nothing to worry about,” Spike told the children. “I think everything’s gotten better ever since Somnambula stood up to Anatankha.”
“Alright now, everypony and dragon. We don’t wanna be late for our check-in at the hotel,” Mrs. Cake told them as she flashed her ticket to a nearby guard who let her through a terminal.
“She’s right. Let’s go get checked in and then we can go shopping in the market!” Spike said as they all followed Mrs. Cake.
A few hours later, they had already gotten checked in and dropped off their luggage. Now was the time to go sightseeing in town and look for nifty trinkets. Mrs. Cake had already bought herself a sun hat while Rainbow Dash was wearing new sunglasses. The kids couldn’t help but stop to gaze at some of the wonders of the town of Somnambula. There were ponies in the streets doing amazing acts like fire-blowing, dancing, and snake-charming. Spike was in charge of the camera and used it to take photos of the things the kids seemed to love most.
“This place sure is cool!” Stormy said.
“Good thing we picked it for a vacation spot with Flurry visiting this year!” Chip replied.
“Hopefully we can make it next year, though I wouldn’t mind trying Baltimare too.” Flurry said.
“There’s a really cool Daring Do convention next year in Baltimare so I have a feeling Dash and Stormy are really wanna go there,” Spike said.
“THERE’S A DARING DO CONVENTION NEXT YEAR?!” Stormy squealed.
“There is kiddo, but we’re gonna need to save up our money if we wanna make it,” Rainbow Dash told her son. “It’s happening this year too but we all decided to come to Southern Equestria this time while your father, Tex, and Mr. Cake are gonna take you kids to the park in a few weeks.”
“Aw, okay,” Stormy said. “Least I get to finally go on the big kid rides this time!”
“Hey, everypony, come check this out!” Applejack said as she stood with a crowd that was watching an acrobatic show. Some of the kids and the mothers went over to join her while Spike and Flurry decided to watch from a distance.
“You glad we came here, Flurry?” Spike asked the little princess.
“I really am, Spike,” she replied. “I never got to see Southern Equestria, I just wish Mom and Dad could’ve been here. It’s too bad they still have a lot going on in the Crystal Empire.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll be able to join you someday. You miss them a lot?”
“I do miss them, but I’m glad they let me stay with you guys for the rest of the summer. It’s been a lot of fun and we’ve had quite a few emotional turns like with Cozy the other day. I hope we can help her soon. I’d hate for it to happen while I’m gone this fall.”
“Hopefully she comes around. For now, things like this are a good distraction from some of the chaos.”
“Hehe, don’t say that in front of Discord.”
“Spike! Princess!” said a voice off to the side.
Spike and Flurry turned to see Somnambula standing a few yards away from them. She was just as Flurry had remembered; she just had a different headdress and necklace now and had her tail tied up with several metal rings. She smiled warmly as she greeted the familiar faces.
“Somnambula!” Flurry said as she rushed over to hug her.
“Hey, Somny! Long time!” Spike replied, walking over.
“It’s so good to see both of you! I heard through a letter from Starswirl that Flurry Heart would be here along with the new friends she’s made. I was in town and I thought I’d stop by to say hello.”
“Well hey, is that you Somnambula?” said Applejack as the others began to walk away from the performance, wondering what Flurry and Spike were doing.
“It is! Great to see ya again, Somny!” Rainbow Dash said, giving Somnambula a hoof bump.
“Guys, we found her!” Flurry told her friends, excitedly. “This is Somnambula, the Element of Hope!”
“Wow! Great to finally meet you, ma’am!” Chip said, bowing politely with his sister.
“Hi, Miss Somnambula!” Pumpkin said, joyfully. “It’s awesome getting to see some of the Pillars of Equestria like this. We finally got to meet Starswirl the other day and now you!”
“Pretty neat, right Stormy? Uh…Stormy?” asked Pound as he looked up.
Stormy hadn’t spoken a single word for he was too busy staring at Somnambula. He had never seen a mare so beautiful as her. Not even thinking about how grown up she was compared to him, he was already smitten. His eyes and mouth had been wide open the entire time the others were talking, but he finally blinked them and revealed heart-shaped irises, while tiny pink hearts started floating out of his head.
“Wow…guys, she’s…she’s sooooo pretty,” said the enamored little colt.
“Oh dear. Take it easy there, Casanova,” Rainbow Dash laughed, “She’s a little bit outa’ your league.”
“No Mommy, she’s perfect…” Stormy said, continuing to stare.
“Hehehe. You’re too late, Dash. All it takes is one look and he’s sold,” Spike told Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah, you would know, Mister Rarity’s-Number-One-Fanboy.” Applejack teased as she poked his belly.
“Sorry about Storm Streak over there,” Flurry whispered to Somnambula while trying not to laugh. “He’s the youngest.”
“Hehe, that is all right. I do tend to turn some stallions’ heads,” Somnambula giggled. “Anyway, I’m happy to see some familiar faces, and I hope you don’t mind if I join the troupe if you’re sightseeing.”
“We’d be delighted, Somny! We’re already having so much fun!” Applejack insisted.
“This guy certainly wouldn’t mind,” Spike teased, pointing to Stormy who was still love-struck.
“Anypony wanna look in this shop? They’re selling some pottery and other decorations and I think Mr. Cake would love some!” said Mrs. Cake, pointing to a nearby shop with tons of Southern Equestrian ceramics and other hand-crafted items on sale.
“Ah yes, this place always has some really good heirlooms. Let’s take a look!” Somnambula said, leading them in.
They all went in to the shop to look around. The mothers bought a few nice little vases and some shirts for their kids while Stormy kept begging Rainbow Dash for a special headdress that resembled Somnambula’s.
“Mommy, can I get this? Pleeeeease?!” he begged.
“Alright, if you get this, that means no ‘I Heart SE’ shirt like the others, okay?” Rainbow Dash told him.
“Okay, I’ll take the hat! Somnambula might think I look cool in it!”
Rainbow Dash giggled and put the Somnambula hat on the counter for the cash register and paid for it with a few bits. Stormy squealed with excitement and put it on. It was made mostly out of cheep cloth, including the small moon on the golden band, but Stormy didn’t mind. He had already seen a few tourists wearing one earlier and thought he would find one to buy. It was something many shoppers would get to show their appreciation for the Element of Hope, and now Stormy had it to show his admiration for Somnambula.
“I look so awesome! She’s gonna love this!” Stormy said.
“Stormy, what are you wearing?” asked Flurry from behind.
“What do you think I’m wearing! This is like Somnambula’s pharaoh hat thingy! She might think I look cool in it!”
“Pffft! If you say so.”
“Where is she anyway?”
“She was just over there buying something.”
“Hey, Somnambula, I have the same hat you’re-”
“Shhhhh! What’s she doing?”
Flurry stopped Stormy as Somnambula appeared to be busy over at another adjacent shop. She was talking to a peddler that was selling old used goods that appeared to be from many years ago.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to pay for it?” she asked him. “It’s old, but it must be worth something.”
“Not at all, Lady Somnambula,” said the peddler. “Consider that a symbol of my gratitude for ridding us of that fowl Anatankha. This village would have been long gone if it weren’t for you!”
“Well, if you insist. I appreciate your generosity.”
Somnambula bowed politely to the peddler and then walked away with a small shabby urn in her hoof.
“Somnambula, what did you get?” asked Flurry.
“I’ve been searching for this ever since I escaped from limbo,” Somnambula explained as Flurry and Stormy gathered around. “I found an inscription on a tablet some time after I returned that told me to look for an urn of this description.”
“An urn like that?” Flurry said.
“But there’s probably tons of those around…uh, no offense, Somnambula,” Stormy added as he quickly remembered who he was talking to and went back to gazing at her.
“Yes, but this one is special because it is a puzzle. The top of it is closed, but if I turn it around just right…”
Somnambula began to fiddle around with the urn. There were colored rings with symbols on them and she tried to match them up in a specific sequence that she knew how to decipher. A tiny scroll popped out of the top.
Somnambula looked carefully at the scroll. She then used her feathers to unroll and read it aloud.
To she who walks blindfolded yet does not fall
Stands up to a sphinx when her people call
Follow this path to find a temple out yonder
Your gift awaits you! Waste time no longer!
-An Old Friend
“That’s interesting,” Flurry said, stroking her chin.
“Cool! A treasure hunt!” Stormy beamed.
“What’s this here about treasure now?” Applejack asked.
“Somnambula’s on a track for some clues leading to something this little note told her about,” Flurry explained as everyone else gathered around.
“Very interesting, but I’m not sure what this is talking about,” Somnambula said. “I’m sure this must be a note that was meant for me a very long time ago, but whoever wrote it is sadly long gone now. I wonder what this ‘gift’ is they have left for me.”
“Well, we best not keep you waiting any longer,” Rainbow Dash said. “Let us know what it is when you come back.”
“Mommy wait! Can we go with her?!” Stormy said, moving in closer to his mother.
“Eh, I dunno, Squirt. This wasn’t exactly on our agenda for things to do in Southern Equestria.”
“Mommy, pleeeease?! We might find some really cool treasure!”
“Well this thing is meant for Somnambula, don’t forget, Stormy,” Chip said, pointing to the letter in Somnambula’s hoof.
“What makes you think he cares about the treasure, Chip?” Pumpkin whispered into Chip’s ear as she pointed out how Stormy had hearts floating out of his eyes again.
“Eh, you make a valid point.”
“Well guys, we did have some more things left to do today,” Spike said, taking out an itinerary and unfolding it. “Next up we were going to go see the royal gardens and then we head back to the inn for the night, but…eh, tomorrow might work out if we get up early enough in the morning.”
“This note also has a map that leads to a secluded area in the mountains,” Somnambula said, showing the note to Spike. “It isn’t too far from here and it’s not dangerous. I can wait to go there tomorrow if you would all like to come with me.”
“Well, I mean I don’t mind going if you kids wanna go,” Mrs. Cake said.
“I think it sounds like a cool idea, Mom,” Pound said with the rest of the kids nodding in agreement.
“Cup’s right,” said Applejack. “We could just add that to our itinerary and check it out. We might find somethin’ pretty special!”
“Alright then, how’s eight o’clock tomorrow morning sound to you guys?” Spike said, taking out a quill to write on the itinerary.
“Yeah, let’s do it!” Pumpkin said as the rest of the kids cheered.
“YES!” Stormy said, pumping his hoof in to the air.
“Hey Storm, what’s with the hat?” Pound asked.
“It’s called looking awesome, Pound! By the way, how do I look Somnambula?”
“Hehe, it becomes you, little Storm Streak.” Somnambula giggled as she patted him on the head.
“She…she complimented and touched me…”
Stormy lowered himself to the ground slowly as Somnambula walked away with the urn and the paper, back to her house in the village.
“Well Stormy, I hope your suggestion will lead us all to a really cool treasure tomorrow,” Flurry told him.
“Forget the treasure,” Stormy said, still gazing at Somnambula as she walked away.
“Come on, we best get him to the inn before he follows her,” Pound teased, trying to lead Stormy in the other direction, while his face was still love-struck.
“What do you think this thing is that’s waiting for Somnambula?” asked Pumpkin.
“I dunno, but I’ll bet it’s worth looking into,” Flurry replied.