The Third Sister

Princess Celestia

I don't think I'll ever forget that day, the day we met her. Young as we were, seeing that city for the first time, meeting the one who became our big sister, that kind of thing never leaves you. I understand why she left, with Luna's... exile, not to mention the doctor's passing, she needed some space. Of course locking herself away in that city of hers was a bit overkill in my opinion, but she just smiled that annoying smile of hers, the 'I know something you don't' smile. I swear, I am going to learn how to do that smile myself. Anyway, there's been talk of starting a new trade port, and I can't say I disagree too much with the location.

After all, Eleanor already supplied the lighthouse.

Twilight grinned as she saw the Cutie Marks of her and her friends floating above the map. It had been too long since she had gotten to go, the time that Starlight had been summoned still baffled her. But now it was her turn, yay!

"So, watchya rekin the map called all of us for?" asked Applejack.

"I have no idea," Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.

"Shush," Twilight said as the marks started moving. Rarity's eyes sparkled as it moved in the direction of Manehatten, but it moved past to a spot off the coast.

"So, is the problem underwater or what?" asked Rainbow.

"Give me a second," said Twilight, "Pinkie."

"Here you go," Pinkie said as she pulled a magnifying glass out of her mane and handed it to her.

Twilight studied the map with it for a few seconds before squealing in glee. "The map's calling us to the old Manehatten Lighthouse. It's said to predate the city itself, and nopony has ever ventured inside."

"I've heard about it," said Rarity, "there are several artists who've taken inspiration from it. Not to mention all the mystery around it, all that time without a lighthouse keeper and yet the light still shines every night."

"Maybe it's haunted," said Rainbow.

"Haunted?" Fluttershy shuddered, "you know maybe I'll stay here this time."

"I'll see you all at the station for the 8:15 express," Twilight said, not listening.

Twilight and the others, including a shivering Fluttershy, stood in front of the doors of the lighthouse.

"Ooh this is so exciting, we're going to be the first ponies to enter since it's construction," said Twilight.

"About that sugarcube, how are we going to get in?" asked Applejack.

"Let's try knocking," said Pinkie. Walking up, she rapped loudly on the door, with no answer. "Maybe we need to knock harder." Before anyone could stop her, she pulled a massive war hammer out of nowhere and smashed it into the door. To their surprise, the door didn't have so much as a scratch. "Huh, guess no one's home."

Rainbow whistled, "Guess that's why nopony could get in."

Fluttershy looked at the door, "Um, Twilight, what does this say?"

"Oh that's just one of the many mysteries of the Lighthouse, not what it says, it an old language that not a lot of ponies use anymore, but it's been translated," Twilight explained, "the meaning and why it's there are the mystery. 'All good things on this earth flow into the city'."

"Manehatten's a trade city, no real mystery there," said Applejack.

"True, unless you take into account the fact that the Lighthouse predates the city,” Twilight countered. “What city could it be referring to?"

All of a sudden, the door suddenly clicked and swung open slightly, causing everypony to swing their heads in its direction.

Twilight squeed as she pushed it open and trotted through, the rest following behind. "Give me your secrets."

"I must say, the décor is much more modern then I thought it would be," said Rarity as she eyed their surroundings. The interior was styled in brass, with an art deco theme.

As they descended the stairs, they saw a banner that read 'Utopia starts with us'. Underneath it was a metal sphere with a glass door and a lever in the middle. Twilight quickly stepped in, her friends close behind.

"It looks like an elevator of some sort," said Twilight, "I wonder where it leads?"

"Let's find out," said Rainbow before pulling the lever. As soon as it hit the bottom, the door closed on its own, locking them inside, before the whole chamber descended. Before long it entered the water.

"I wonder how deep it goes?"asked Fluttershy as depth markers passed by the window. 5 fathoms, 10, 15. After passing 20 fathoms a projector screen passed over the window. An advertisement for something called a Vita-Chamber was displayed before being replaced by an image of a triangular symbol as a female voice emanated from unseen speakers.

"Welcome. A long time ago I came to Equestria, a place quite unlike my old home. I met two young fillies that I adopted as my younger sisters, you may have heard of them, their names were Celestia and Luna. They sought to make Equestria a place where all are equal, but sadly there were more obstacles than they could overcome. Old prejudices, nobles believing in their superiority, nothing that could be fixed just by them taking the throne. So, I decided to create a place of my own, a place based on my old home, a place called, Rapture."

The screen retracted to reveal a massive city underneath the waves, causing them all to gasp in awe as the voice continued.

"A place where a pony's past and status is left at the gate. A place where the only respected currency is the sweat of your brow. And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can be a place for you as well."

The sphere they were in cruised along allowing them a panoramic view of Rapture, as well as the various marine life that swam among the buildings. After a few minutes they approached a tunnel of metal girders, each strut lighting up with a line of the same words that were on the door of the lighthouse, except in a more modern language. The sphere locked into a cradle that lifted it into a dry chamber where it opened.

"Looks like we're here," said Twilight.