• Published 23rd Jun 2017
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The Olden World - Czar_Yoshi



Equestrian culture loves cutie marks. Filly Starlight Glimmer hates them and never wants one. So, she leaves Equestria.

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Camp

Lazily, Starlight Glimmer opened a single eyelid, though it didn't tell her anything she didn't already know. It was day again. Her horn felt a little better - good enough to use. And once again, it was raining.

Resting her chin in the crook of a leg, the filly looked glumly out at the enticing, green patch of grass on the far side of the lake that was presently being flattened by the weather. She wasn't hungry, but her bread was gone. Hopefully, the rain would let up within the next day, or she would be forced to soak herself again in order to graze. And she still couldn't properly sun-dry her things.

She huffed a bored sigh, using her telekinesis to draw swirls in the dust on the cave floor. A headache swiftly sprang up, causing her to stop. She wasn't that stubborn. Instead, she rolled over, laying on her back and looking up at the many shades of mineral deposits etched on the ceiling.

That, however, caused her running nose to swiftly plug. Flipping upright and standing on heavily cramped legs, she groaned loudly and stomped a hoof, venting her displeasure to any who were nearby to hear it. The echoed flow of the cave river quickly swallowed all reverberations, and soon Starlight was once again alone with only the water for noise.

For several moments, she just stood still, staring across at the far cave wall for no reason in particular. Then, owlishly, her head swiveled until she was facing further downriver, looking past her belongings at the ledge that trailed into blackness... and shrugged, stepping toward it. She had nothing better to do. She might as well keep exploring.

Summoning a dim glow to her horn, Starlight kept her ears well-perked, listening intently as the sounds of the rain and the world outside died away, only to be replaced by cave noises like drips and gurgles and the echoing, omnipresent flow of the river. The stone was smooth beneath her unprotected hooves, sloping slightly downhill to match the river's alarmingly swift pace. A hunch told Starlight that there would probably be a waterfall somewhere deep within the cave. That, she didn't want to fall into.

Soon, the familiarities of cave travel set in. Like old habits, memories of endless dusty labyrinths and relying on her own horn to tell direction floated across her eyes, reminding her to look down at all times in the event of spiky stalagmites. Starlight rounded a bend, fairly certain she had reached the point where the sun was only a myth. She felt a chill, not as all-encompassing as the bleak mountain hearts she had pierced before, but still decidedly uncomfortable when she was on the mend from chills. And then, just when she began to shiver... the path widened.

Starlight brightened her horn, holding still through the bout of nausea that came with it. Maybe using magic so early hadn't been such a good idea, after all. However, all thoughts of tipping over and curling up were swiftly banished from her head as she saw what the room contained.

It was filled with wooden crates - nearly a dozen of them. They were dusty, and clearly old, but their deliberate architecture was plain to see. Some time, some ages ago, another creature had been this way, and seen fit to bring cargo. Wherever civilization was, it couldn't be too far.

More important, however, was the possibility that the crates held something of use. Starlight sized one up, sticking her tongue out and squinting across its length. It was easily bigger than she was, the kind of thing for which a full-grown stallion would be paid bits for moving at a job. Rearing gingerly up to try to make out the top, Starlight hopped a little... and frowned. It appeared to be nailed shut.

Feeling her horn, she figured she could magic it open... but wasn't really up to that right then. Instead, she dropped back to the ground, poking around for anything else of interest.

Quickly, she discovered a keg, the remains of several burlap bags, and what looked like a very old stump. Starlight paused at the last item, curious. What would someone have dragged a thing like that in there for?

Its surface was smooth, almost polished, and hard enough to use as a table. It seemed to be sloped toward one end, and the base at its lowest section had a concavity that practically begged to be sat in. Was that what this was? A desk?

Starlight licked her lips and tried it. It was clearly meant for somepony much bigger than her, but its function was undeniable. A thought crossed her mind, and she felt around, searching for shelves or drawers.

Suddenly, part of the stump slid open under her telekinetic pressure. A flat, recessed sheet of wood slipped out, and in that was a thin, neatly-bound book. Dry and dusty, it lifted easily in her hooves, a tingle of magic that might have been a preservation charm reacting to her presence. Starlight set the book on the desk... and sneezed violently, turning away just in time.

Shuddering, she turned back to it. It had an unmarked cover and loose, open binding, begging to be read. However, her dizziness from acting as a lamp was rising, bringing a wave of nausea along with it. Wisely, she stood back up, deciding it was time to bring this expedition in the caves to its end.


Back at the entrance to the cave, Starlight lay as close to the rain as she dared, allowing the misty air to purge her lungs and refresh her headache. It worked to an extent, after which nothing but time seemed to help. So, she opened the book, reading aloud by cloud-covered sunlight.

Dear future explorer,

I am Sosa, explorer of minor renown. Based on whether I survive this expedition, I imagine you will either know me as an adventurer of legend or have never heard of me at all. I can only guess at how the world has changed in the years, decades, or even centuries since my time in these mountains, but it warms me to know that as long as there is mystery in the world, there will be those like yourself who actively seek it out.

At the time of this writing, I was on a quest to explore and record these venerated hills, that future generations might have a chance to know and love their majesty as I do. Should I have succeeded in my goal and earned the world's fame, this journal will undoubtedly prove to be a historical artifact of great import. Take it, and with it earn yourself a slice of the fame and riches that I myself may have enjoyed. They will be nothing compared to the beauty of this wilderness that you and I have shared, but if I am given them, I pray you will be, too.

On the other hoof, should I fail in my journey and perish before returning my knowledge to civilization... please. I beg of you, complete my life's work. Take my journal and return with it alive, so that creatures of all types might benefit from what I died to see. Show these mountains to the world.

I leave to you this journal, and bid you luck in your own quest. May the mountains be with you.

-Sosa

Starlight flipped through the rest of the pages, sticking her tongue out in disappointment. They contained no maps, no directions, and nothing but boring, flowery poetry. Still, Sosa's camp might prove useful to plunder, depending on how well it had been preserved. She'd go back to it later, when her horn stopped wanting to kill her.

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