The journey through the reservoir to the Underground City of Kappas, as Mizuko had called it, was the epitome of unsettling experiences for Lilligold. Journeying through a dark, damp reservoir, following behind a bunch of scary-looking bipedal turtle-frog hybrid… things. Kappas, right. She needed to start remembering these terms, lest she possibly spell trouble for herself.
Their journey took them further down the corridor where she’d found Mizuko, taking lefts and rights down stone-walled corridors which looked to be in excellent condition without a single speck of grime or mold anywhere along their surfaces. A series of lit torches adorned the walls after a small distance, when the sunlight filtering through the entrance had faded away. The entire atmosphere would’ve been very eerily serene, had it not been for Gesuru and his friends making a racket up front as they chatted amongst each other, occasionally playfully batting each other or slapping their backs like friends were want to do. Only this sense of camaraderie helped to calm Lilligold’s nerves, even if it was only between their guides.
Eventually, the sounds of distant activity echoing through the corridor reached her ears. A quick glance at Mizuko confirmed that she’d heard it too, and they shared a brief, curious glance. The group soon came upon an opening from which natural sunlight poured. Gesuru and his friends turned into the opening first, followed soon after by Mizuko and Lilligold, who both gaped at what they saw.
Before them was an enormous, natural cavern, sunlight pouring from an opening near the top, with a natural spring set into the center. Brick walkways criss-crossed the spring, along which sat a multitude of structures. Some were vaguely pony-esque in their design, having thatched roofs and driftwood walls, while others were more ornate, constructed out of bronze and sporting the kind of swirling patterns traditional to ancient Neighponese architecture. Signs hung over many of the smaller driftwood buildings, with symbols indicating various types of services and other commerce: a cup of noodles with chopsticks, an open book, etc. Kappas littered the crosswalks, some moving along, some seated and chatting, and others swimming in the giant spring.
Nothing about the city was especially awe-inspiring on the surface. Indeed, for being an underground city, not much about its actual layout and construction was particularly amazing. And yet, Mizuko found herself at a loss for words, though her mind was abuzz with questions, not the least of which being how such a place was still a secret to the populace of Neighpon. There was even an opening right up above where anyone could easily see the city! Why hadn’t the existence of the Underground City of Kappas ever been made public!?
An influx of possible answers for why it had never been discovered flew through Mizuko's conscience, most of which entailing kidnapping and murder. Suddenly, she was feeling a lot less comfortable being there, but before she could voice her concern to Lilligold, their attention was drawn to Gesuru’s friends storming down the stone staircase leading to the city, shouting excitedly and waving their photos above their heads.
”They’re eager to impress their girlfriends,” Gesuru said with a snort. He turned to the two mares as they returned his gaze. ”Shall we head down as well?”
Mizuko just stood still, not moving a muscle, the fear coursing through her rooting her to the spot. Lilligold was just left confused without context as to what Gesuru had said.
Gesuru raised an eyebrow. ”Is something the matter?” he asked.
Finally, Mizuko worked up the nerve to speak. ”How come no one has discovered this city?” she asked, doing her best to sound calm and collected, for Lilligold’s sake. ”The Underground City of Kappas is nothing more than a myth to the rest of Neighpon.”
Gesuru blinked. ”... It is?” Mizuko nodded, to which Gesuru placed his hands behind his head, casting his gaze upwards in thought. ”Actually, that makes perfect sense.”
”Why?”
Gesuru said nothing for a moment, keeping his gaze up, before eventually sighing and giving Mizuko a wistful smile. ”Let’s get going. Your little friend there needs help, after all.”
Mizuko blinked herself. ”... Of course.” She turned to Lilligold, seeing that the other mare was still taking in the sights down below. “Let’s go, Lilligold.”
Lilligold turned to her. “Oh, uh, right, of course."
The three followed after Gesuru’s friends down the staircase. Along the way, Mizuko warred with herself over prodding Gesuru for details on why the kappa race apparently decided to go into hiding. Nothing about his demeanor suggested his people actively wanted to keep their existence a secret, but it was quite clear looking at how much work went into building the city that they did actively seclude themselves from the rest of civilization.
It was then that all the stories she’d heard about kappas came to the forefront of her mind. The bipedal reptiles as told in the stories were a group of pranksters at best, and merciless killers at worst. Tales of them stealing, drowning unsuspecting ponies, and other heinous crimes were told to little fillies and colts who might wander too close to rivers unsupervised. Her own parents especially, seeing as how she loved swimming at every chance she could get. But as an adult she thought she understood that those tales were just that, cautionary tales meant to keep foals safe.
But now she knew that kappas were real, and were apparently not very keen on freely journeying to the surface world, at least not publicly. If something horrible happened that forced them to go into self-imposed exile, it would explain why all the stories about kappas were less-than-flattering. With that realization, Mizuko suddenly felt a strong surge of sympathy for the legendary aquatic race.
”Oh my gosh! Is that a foreigner!?”
Mizuko was snapped from her thoughts by the loud exclamation. Looking up, she noticed the three of them had made it to the city’s outer limits. A small group of kappas on the street in front of them were giving them starry-eyed looks, or, more specifically, Lilligold. Looking over, she saw that the pink mare had shrunk in on herself under their collective gaze.
Smiling, Mizuko reached over and gently patted Lilligold’s withers. “I’ll help you get through this, don’t worry,” she soothed.
She felt Lilligold’s body loosen up a little as she returned her gaze. “Thanks, Mizuko,” she replied, smiling. “I owe you big time after this is all over.”
“Showing me that ‘purewater lily’ will be enough.”
Lilligold giggled.
”What are you two chatting about?” Gesuru asked.
”It’s not important,” Mizuko replied, turning to him. ”Where’s the hospital at?”
”Follow me,” he replied, and began heading down the street, Mizuko and Lilligold following right behind again.