Unlocking the secret of a note left by Celestia and Luna's mother
One day, Luna finds a note that was left for her and Celestia by their mother, Queen Galaxia. The note mentions a hidden room, underground somewhere in Equestria, that is full of ancient valuable artifacts that were traded, crafted and stolen during times of war when Galaxia was a filly. These valuables are possibly worth more than anyone could ever imagine. The two sisters decide to task Flurry Heart, Neighsay, and the Young Six with finding this legendary treasure and bringing it above ground.
Luna had just returned the books that she had checked out from the library, and was about to look at one she was saving for last. She and Celestia were going to look at it together. They had started reading to cope with their sorrow over losing Starswirl and the other pillars. They had all died of different causes and were buried in an undisclosed location. Stygian was still alive, but his whereabouts were unknown and they had no way to summon him. After stopping at the shelf, she gently pulled down an extremely worn and leather covered book. It was covered in a layer of dust on three sides, and looked very fragile. This book was so old, that it was recommended to put it in a box while carrying it. After returning to the palace, Luna arrived in Celestia's room and opened the box. Celestia eyed the book and saw that there was no title on the front cover. Luna took a deep breath and blew off the dust. She inadvertently blew so hard that the book was whipped open and dust was thrown in Celestia's face.
"ACHOO!", Celestia sneezed.
She ended up sneezing so hard that Luna's mane was ruffled by the wind. Luna shut her eyes and opened them when the gust was gone.
"Sorry, Sis. I guess I blew too hard.", Luna said quietly as she fixed her hair.
Celestia forgave her sister and then saw something peculiar about the book. There was a small lump behind the page on the right. Lifting it over, the sisters saw that a compartment had been cut into the book. In this small opening, was a crown and a parchment envelope. They quickly realized that both the crown and the writing on the front of the envelope could only belong to one pony they knew all too well: their mother, Queen Galaxia.
The writing said: "To my two babies, Celestia and Luna".
"I wonder what Mom would have hidden in here.", Luna thought out loud.
"There's only one way to find out.", Celestia said as she opened the envelope.
Inside was a piece of parchment that had a note written on it.
"My dears,
If you're reading this, then pay attention. Long ago, when I was a filly, the world was at war. Equestria had not yet been founded. I happened to overhear the six pillars discussing the construction of an underground room, in which to store the most precious of valuables ever known to exist. After the founding of Equestria, the pillars relayed this information to the leaders of the three races. Over time, artifacts that were either crafted, traded, or stolen as war trophies were placed in this cavernous chamber. All I know about the location of this place is something I heard from Starswirl; "The secret lies on top of the world." Since I had my hooves full after giving birth to you, I do not know how large the chamber is, where it is, or how much is in there. I feel that this could be the largest treasure in Equestrian history. Who knows how much it could be worth? If you happen to find it, construct a museum and place everything inside for all to see and learn about our early days.
Love, Mom."
Luna and Celestia were speechless.
"Why did Mom never tell us about this?", Celestia wondered.
Luna guessed that they may have been so young that the story would have scared them. Celestia felt that Luna was right. They sent a scroll to Twilight, telling her that she deserved a break from being sent on missions, and that they would be summoning the Young Six in the morning. They also asked her to send a scroll to Flurry Heart, telling her about the upcoming mission and to gear up. They explained what was going on, and Twilight agreed with them that she could use a rest.
"I think we should send Neighsay as well, he could use some time to get to know the Young Six a little better, and he is about to learn more about our history than he could ever imagine. He shall be one of the first.", Luna suggested.
"Good idea, sister. We shall inform him in the morning.", Celestia replied.
At dawn, Celestia and Luna went to the EEA and informed Neighsay of the mission that he was joining.
"Your majesties, I would be honored to go with them on this quest. I've already gotten acquainted slightly, but I would appreciate a chance to learn more about their species. I can't wait to find out if your mother was right.", he replied excitedly.
The Friendship Express arrived two hours later and the Young Six got off and shook limbs with Neighsay.
"Great to see you all again. I hope you are ready for this.", he said as he loaded his supplies onto the train.
They all nodded and Celestia supplied them with two-way radios so they could communicate with her and Luna. Then she explained that Flurry Heart was coming as well.
"She will be waiting for you at the Crystal Empire. I have a feeling that Starswirl was referring to Mount Everhoof when he mentioned the top of the world. The peak is essentially the highest point that Luna and I know of."
"If I remember correctly, you said she is Princess Twilight's niece.", Neighsay asked.
"That's right, she is very adventurous and will be a big help if you must climb or rappel.", Celestia confirmed.
They boarded the train and left for the northern regions of Equestria. On the train, Neighsay explained his ideas for learning about each of the other five races.
"I will interview each of you individually to learn about your races and the cultures of your homelands.", he said to Yona, Ocellus, Gallus, Silverstream, and Smolder.
Ocellus volunteered to go first. She explained how Thorax got acquainted with Cadence and Shining Armor after gaining Twilight's trust. After Twilight declared that Thorax was her friend as well as Spike's, Cadence allowed Thorax to meet Flurry Heart while she was still a baby. Thorax also learned that sharing love was a way to show care, love, and friendship to others instead of being selfish and taking love. Queen Chrysalis retaliated by capturing the Main Six, Cadence, Shining Armor, Flurry, and Celestia and Luna. Thorax then shared love with Chrysalis and changed form. The other changelings followed suit and took colorful forms as well. Chrysalis refused to change and planned revenge against Starlight Glimmer. Later on, Starlight, Trixie, Thorax and Discord were awarded with the Equestrian Pink Hearts of Courage for securing a bond with the changelings. After Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow were sealed in stone, the changelings became eternal allies with the ponies of Equestria.
Night fell as the train took them further and further north. Arriving in the Crystal Empire, they met Flurry on the platform, and she led them to where she had set up camp for the night.
"We will be climbing to a high point, so this climbing gear is an absolute must.", she said as she handed out ropes, harnesses, helmets, ice axes, and goggles.
They ate a small meal and laid down under the stars. They had planned ahead and brought coats for the extreme cold that they would be feeling. They were ready to begin searching for the way to the legendary treasure room.
Everyone was up early the next morning to start climbing. The journey was treacherous, due to massive crevices, strong winds, and slick ice patches. Numerous times, someone would lose their footing and nearly fall off. Luckily, the ropes held strong and no gear was lost. It took three and a half weeks to reach the summit. At the top, they found a loose rock which covered a small hole. Ocellus reached in and pulled out a pyramid made of granite. There were markings cut into the square base, but no one could tell what it was supposed to be. It appeared to be part of a horseshoe surrounded by leaves. There was also a piece of parchment in the hole. Yona read the message after Gallus pulled it out.
"The chamber can be found under the Everfree. Look under the tree we planted and you will know where to head next."
No one knew what was being referenced in this message. Smolder decided to radio Celestia to see if she knew anything.
"The Pillars planted the Tree of Harmony. That's where Luna and I found the Elements of Harmony many years ago. They want you to look under the tree.", Celestia responded over the radio.
They did not hesitate to get off the mountain. There came a point when they could not climb down any further because there was nothing sturdy enough to hold a climbing anchor. The rocks were too sharp to allow for rappelling, so they had to parachute down. After touching down in the snow, they boarded the train and set off for Ponyville. Neighsay spoke up that he was ready to learn about another race, and Yona stepped in.
"My leader, Prince Rutherford originally tried to make a peaceful delegation to Equestria. In the beginning, he and some of the other yaks reacted negatively to anything that they had even the slightest issue with. He tried to declare war, but Pinkie Pie managed to tell him how great Equestria really is. He realized how wrong he had been and called off the declaration of war, thus forming a friendly bond with the ponies."
"That is a very dramatic decscription that you have given me. I am sorry for snapping at him when I originally inspected the School of Friendship.", Neighsay replied calmly.
Once the train arrived in Ponyville, everyone stopped at Twilight's castle so Flurry could say hi to her aunt. Then, they began their journey to the Everfree.
After reaching the Everfree Forest, they began searching for the path to the tree. They searched for an hour and then Silverstream spotted the staircase. Reaching the tree, they started looking around until Sandbar spied a crack in the rock. They started hacking at the ground until they found a hollow space directly under the roots. Neighsay found a carving in the wall and snapped a picture of it. Showing it to the group, only Ocellus recognized the layout of the area that was depicted.
"We have to go to the changeling kingdom. The star seems to be in the spot where the castle is. Only I know my way around the castle. So you will need to keep up with me."
They set off and started progressing towards the Changeling Kingdom. They arrived in the kingdom after a week of travel. Thorax welcomed everyone and listened to what they had to say about why they came on such short notice. They entered the hive and started making their way through the shifting passages. Finally, they arrived at a doorway that was not made by the changelings. They forced the door open and followed the twisting tunnel into a dark musty room. They turned on their flashlights and searched the small room until Yona found a loose stone. After breaking it out, they found a note that mentioned a key and where the next clue would be found.
"The key is a medallion with a horseshoe surrounded by leaves that has been passed down through generations. Only under a volcano where winged fire breathers dwell can you find the next step."
Upon reading the note, Smolder realized that the fourth clue was under the volcano in the Dragon Lands.
"Let's go. We need to be careful, because we're going to be dealing with extreme heat.", she explained to everyone.
After boarding a train to the Dragon Lands. Neighsay asked Smolder to explain how the dragons had gotten a strong relationship with the ponies. She explained how Spike had been called to the Dragon Lands when the previous leader, Torch, called all dragons to compete for the title of being the next Dragon Lord. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity had accompanied Spike on the trip to the Dragon Lands. He had originally gotten the staff, but he chose to give it to Torch's daughter, Ember. Torch was initially upset that his daughter had become the new leader because she was not strong like he was. Ember then proceeded to explain that one doesn't have to be strong to be a leader, and Torch came to realize that Ember was right. Twilight formed a friendship bond with Ember and they became allies.
Arriving in the Dragon Lands, the group explained to Ember why they had come. Ember led them to the base of the volcano, and showed them an opening that had been exposed after a recent earthquake. Yona used her strength to move some of the rocks out of the way, and they ventured inside. They made their way through the scorching hot caverns until they reached a large room with a tablet hung in the wall. The tablet had a message engraved on it, but it was written in an ancient version of the dragons' language. Smolder was able to translate the message, having learned about this language before being enrolled at the School of Friendship.
"The treasure sleeps under a massive forest in a hoof dug cavern. To know where you must go next, the seeker must descend into the darkness where the eagle and lion hybrids dwell."
Gallus became nervous, and started shuddering. Flurry managed to calm him down and then asked him what was wrong.
"The message said to descend into the darkness where the eagle and lion hybrids dwell. There is a deep chasm in Griffonstone. I am afraid that we will have to go down there to find our next clue.", Gallus said shaking.
The ground began to shake violently as an eruption began to get closer. Ember rushed into the tunnel to help everyone escape. They got out just as the cave was starting to collapse. Lava streamed down the volcano's slopes and eventually covered the tunnel entrance. Knowing where they had to go next, they set off for Griffonstone.
On the way to Griffonstone, Neighsay reached out to Gallus.
"How did your region better its relations with the ponies?", he asked.
"That's a good question. Professor Dash was friends with one of the griffons when she was a filly, but broke up when she was older. This griffon's name was Gilda, and did some mean things to some of Dash's friends, which caused her to split off their friendship. Later on, when Dash and Pinkie Pie were called to Griffonstone for a mission, Gilda told them about our early days. Griffonstone used to have a centerpiece called the Idol of Boreas, but it was stolen and got lost in the Abysmal Abyss. Dash tried to retrieve it, but it fell deeper. She and Pinkie gave a recommendation to Gilda that they should treat each other more nicely, but we are continuing to struggle.", Gallus explained.
After reaching Griffonstone, Gilda met them on the platform and asked if she could help them descend into the abyss. The group agreed and then set up camp for the night. They were up early in the morning and they started descending. It was pitch black after they had gone a certain depth. Even with headlamps, it was extremely hard to see anything. They reached the bottom of the chasm after two hours of constant and arduous rappelling. Gallus picked up the lost idol and put it in his backpack to later take to the surface. They searched for twenty minutes until Silverstream noticed a faded painting of a place she knew in a heartbeat. The final clue would be underwater in Seaquestria.
"We must go to Seaquestria and swim into the catacombs beneath Queen Novo's palace. The last clue is somewhere in the forgotten halls.", she explained.
Neighsay was unsure of how they would get out of the chasm because they wouldn't be able to see where they were going if they tried to climb back up. However, Gallus noticed a set of steps cut into the wall of the chasm. Using them as a ladder, they carefully made their way up to ground level. After returning the idol, they boarded a train to the hippogriff territory.
Night fell as the train left Griffonstone. Before going to sleep, Silverstream went to Neighsay's compartment to tell him about how the Hippogriffs had gotten acquainted with the ponies.
"Before Twilight started the Friendship School, Equestria was attacked by Tempest Shadow and the Storm King. My aunt, Queen Novo, and the residents of Seaquestria used to be hippogriffs as well, but they fled into the ocean when the Storm King attacked. Hippogriffia on Mount Aris still exists today, and some of us are able to transform back and forth between seaponies and hippogriffs. After the Storm King was defeated and Tempest was reformed, we kept our alliance with Celestia and Luna.", Silverstream explained before going back to her compartment.
It was dawn when the eight explorers arrived at the station. They found their way to the pool that led underwater unto Seaquestria, and then used the shard of Queen Novo's pearl to transform for water breathing. When they reached the palace, Silverstream greeted her aunt and explained their mission. She then specified that their final clue was somewhere under the palace. Novo led them through the eerie hallways until they reached a place where the ceiling had been broken. Swimming up, they found an air pocket and were able to transform back to normal. The carving on the wall showed an X over part of the Everfree Forest, indicating where the entrance to the treasure room was located.
"I think I know where we are going now. Our map of the Everfree shows that the X is where Celestia and Luna's old castle stands. We will have to investigate the castle until we find the entrance to the chamber where the treasure is hidden.", Sandbar concluded.
They swam back to the surface, and then boarded the train, bound for Canterlot. They were excited about finally uncovering the greatest treasure in Equestrian history. First, however, they were going to bring the two sisters with them. Flurry also suggested bringing Twilight and her friends too. So, after going back to Ponyville, she rushed to her aunt's castle and knocked on the door. When Twilight answered, she hugged her niece and then listened to what Flurry had to say.
"Aunt Twilight, we have determined where the treasure is hidden and we would like you and your friends to come with us.", Flurry said proudly.
Twilight accepted the offer, and then Cadence and Shining Armor showed up.
"We can't let you have all of the fun, sweetheart. We're coming with you as well.", said Cadence with a smile.
Flurry hugged her parents and then everyone set off for the forest.
In the forest, Everyone looked at the map to see where the X was leading them. Luna and Celestia thought for a minute and then realized where where they were going.
"The X points to our old castle.", Luna said after studying the map.
As the group set off, they encountered timberwolves at least three times. They managed to fight them off, and then they soon reached the castle ruins. As the Young Six began searching, Celestia and Luna started wondering how they could have not known about the fact that this treasure was under their castle.
"My guess is the entrance was hidden long before we built the castle.", said Celestia.
Neighsay came rushing back. He had shocking news for the two sisters.
"Silverstream says she thinks they may have found the entrance."
Everyone met up with the Young Six at the bottom of the spiral staircase that ran a long way underground. Smolder led them to a carving on the wall. It looked older than some of the other spots in the castle.
"The map says something about the chamber being behind a carved mural of the pillars.", she said.
They began striking at the mural with chisels and picks until they found a hollow space behind it. Once the hole was large enough to climb through, they turned on their flashlights and began navigating their way through the dark tunnel.
After ten minutes of walking, the group reached a massive room with old steps built of wood. Some of them were rotted and were likely to collapse. Yona almost fell a few times, but she was caught before it was too late. They soon found that the stairs were far too treacherous to use. They decided to use their harnesses and ropes to descend. Those with wings did not have to rappel. They did have to swing side to side to ensure they landed on platforms rather than in thin air. Thirty minutes later, they reached a room that seemed to be empty.
"How could we have hit a dead end? We didn't see any other rooms in the wall.", Cadence wondered.
They looked around for a bit until Twilight happened to step on a raised carving. The carving sank in and triggered a door to open. Following this new opening, they arrived in a bigger room, but there still wasn't anything to find. Flurry spotted several carvings on one wall, and noticed that one was slightly hollowed out. There was an opening that was shaped like a pyramid in the center. Around it were engravings that showed leaves around part of a horseshoe.
"Could it really be that simple?", she asked herself as she pulled out the stone piece they found atop Mount Everhoof.
"The secret lies on top of the world.", Celestia and Luna said as they saw what she was doing.
The stone piece fit perfectly in the opening, and completed the image of leaves around a horseshoe. Neighsay studied the engraving for a moment and then realized that he knew something existed with the same pattern. He pulled out his EEA medallion and lined the images up. When he slid it into the hollowed space, the medallion seemed to fit as if it was meant to be put there. He slowly turned the circle until everyone heard a click as the circle stopped rotating. Gallus pushed on the back of Neighsay's medallion and it moved inward with a crisp click. Suddenly, they felt a draft sweep through their hair and across their skin. They also heard the sound of stone moving. They looked over and saw that the wall under what seemed to be an archway had moved. Neghsay pulled his medallion back out and they entered this newly opened tunnel which led to a room that contained many artifacts from time long past. Everyone began looking at whatever caught their eye.
"Scrolls from Starswirl's collection.", Twilight breathed.
"These books explain in incredible detail about the anatomy of pegasi and unicorns." Ocellus said quietly as she opened an old book on an ornate stone table.
Smolder noticed a square pedestal in the middle of the room and started examining it. She called Twilight over to look at it, and asked if Twilight knew why their voices sounded as if they were echoing.
"What if this room is bigger than it looks?", Twilight wondered.
Smolder breathed a fireball at the bowl on top of the pedestal and it caught the flame. Sparks appeared halfway down one side and fire shot out along a railing. The sound of the fire caught everyone's attention. They all rushed to the edge to see what was happening. The fire continued down the rail until it began splitting off and lighting up more and more. The room turned out to be absolutely ENORMOUS, and chock full of tens of THOUSANDS of artifacts from the earliest years of Equestria, and some artifacts from times earlier than that. Luna and Celestia looked at each other in astonishment at how much treasure was here.
"YES!", they chanted as they hugged each other.
"YOUR MOM WAS RIGHT!!", Flurry Heart crowed.
They began taking pictures of everything and had articles written about the treasure. They soon set out plans for the museum to be constructed in Canterlot. Once everything was brought to the museum, citizens all over Equestria began coming to see this huge plethora of artifacts. The massive collection was soon called: "The National Treasure of Equestria," and it became extremely famous. No one would stop visiting the museum, and even those that found the treasure would often visit the collection to learn things they never knew. Weeks later, Galaxia appeared to Luna and Celestia in spirit form.
"Well done, my dears. You have uncovered the long lost secrets of our history that I told you about.", she said warmly in a congratulatory manner.
She hugged her two daughters and then returned to the heavens.
Two months later, Flurry Heart bought a rare book about Celestia and Luna's early life, when she found a note inside the back cover.
The note read:
"Whoever finds this, is about to begin the journey for the most breathtaking sight in all of Equestria. Legend tells of a city made entirely of gold. This lost city has no name, so it is known by few as simply, "The Gold City." This map will help you find your way to the place where the city can be found. Good Luck!
Signed, Anonymous"
Flurry was shocked. She quickly wrote a letter to both Twilight and the Royal Sisters. They were excited as well. A new quest awaited.
Everyone met together in Canterlot and looked at the map that Flurry had found in the book. It showed four stars around Equestria with arrows that all pointed to a single spot in the Everfree Forest. Below the map was a single note that explained what the stars were.
"The locations marked with stars are areas I have explored. I found giant crystals at these spots. I have no idea who put them here, but I know that they glow if hit with enough magic. They also appeared to emit beams, but I did not know why until I found a spot in the woods where the beams crossed. I am led to believe that this spot is where the entrance may have been to the cavern where this gold city is hidden. Part of the legend about this place said that the crystals would turn to dust once the city was somehow exposed for all to see, since they will not be necessary anymore. Alas, I never succeeded in finding the city. I only came as far as the forest. I devoted my life to finding this place, but I was heartbroken when I saw how much money I had put into my expedition. If I had continued, I would have had nothing left with which to sustain myself. Long story short, I had to abort my quest in order to save up for retirement. I hope someone will find my notes and finish my quest."
Nopony could believe what they had just read.
"Whoever this was, came extremely close to finding the city.", Twilight said sadly.
"I agree. I wouldn't want to go so far and then have to stop due to possibly running out of bits either.", Neighsay replied.
Nevertheless, they all set off to find the crystals. They found the first one relatively easily, since it was atop the Crystal Palace. It didn't put off a beam when they lit it, so they assumed that the crystals were in pairs. Celestia asked Cadence to radio them when the crystal emitted a beam, and then they left to find the others. When they came close to the Everfree, Flurry had an idea.
"I will stay at Aunt Twilight's castle and you can split up to find the remaining crystals. Radio me when each one is lit, and then meet me at the north edge of the forest."
Nobody objected, and they went their separate ways. They had copied the map so that everyone knew where they were going. Twilight headed south, Celestia and Luna headed east, and Neighsay headed west. Within a day, Celestia radioed in that she and Luna had found the eastern crystal on a ledge in the mountains overlooking the badlands. Two days later, a call came in from Neighsay.
"I have found the western crystal. It was three miles west of Vanhoover. It emitted a beam once I lit it."
"That means the southern crystal is paired with the one in the Crystal Empire.", Flurry said.
The following morning, Twilight called in with a report on her progress.
"I have reached a long abandoned place that appears to have belonged to a villain named Arimaspi. He was the one that stole the idol of Boreas in Griffonstone before falling to his death in the Abysmal Abyss. I found the crystal at the highest point, and have lit it."
Just then, a radio call came in from Cadence. She said that the crystal in the Empire had emitted a beam. Everyone met at the north edge of the forest and they ventured in. The beam that connected the northern and southern crystals shone overhead. Soon they reached the center of the forest. Looking up, they saw the lights crossed. They started looking around until Twilight tripped on a root and pulled on a tree branch. Instead of breaking, the branch moved like a lever and a door opened in the side of the tree. Turning on flashlights, they stepped inside and climbed down a cramped shaft until they found themselves in a wide underground earthen tunnel. Pressing on for many miles, they eventually slid down a slippery slope into a partially flooded stone tunnel. They found a mechanism built into the wall and began turning it until they had forced a door open. When they went through this door, they found themselves standing in a wide open cavity in the cave. There was a little bit of light coming through an opening in the cave ceiling, but even then they could not see, even with their headlamps. So once they had walked a little further, Flurry created a powerful orb that would be bright enough to illuminate the area. Once lighting it and sending it up, the cave became lit up and everyone was in shock at what they saw. They were standing at the base of a temple built entirely from 24k gold bricks. Looking around, they found themselves surrounded by multiple buildings built from the same gold. They were standing in the center of the golden city.
"WHOO!!", Neighsay shouted.
"WE FOUND IT!!", Twilight and Flurry cheered at the same time.
They began taking pictures and then joined the royal sisters at a spot that Luna had found. There was a stone wheel connected to some type of mechanism under the city, and they could not see what it was supposed to do. They struggled to turn the wheel, but it eventually came free. Once it started turning on its own, they heard a loud grinding noise that hurt their ears. They felt themselves moving, and suddenly fell down from how much they were shaken. When they opened their eyes, they were no longer underground. Looking around, they found themselves in what was known as the Badlands. The city was constructed underneath this part of Equestria, and the wheel was part of a mechanism that raised the city above ground. The crystals had turned to dust like the legend said. News reporters from all around Equestria came to write articles about the city, and it was declared a major landmark and an example of extreme craftsmanship. Everyone came to see the city, and could not get enough of it. Celestia declared that if anyone tried to steal bricks to sell them, they would be thrown in jail. Everyone understood how important it was to keep this city in its beauty, and did not dare steal anything. The city would remain standing until the end of the world.