The Different Prince

Sizewise I was big enough to take care of myself in most situations. The poor bat pony princess had to wait outside. Just so long as I promised to bring her something back. Alongside Twilight and Lyra I stepped past the door into a giant empty room with a thick floor of dust. Our torches could only illuminate so much of it at once.

"The walls inside are smooth," Twilight commented. "But the walls outside were jagged. The heat that caused the rocks to melt had to of started in here." She knelt down and picked up a handful of the dust. "It's ash. But it's not pitted or jagged."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lyra asked.

"It means that is wasn't a volcanic erupting to turned the stone walls into obsidian," she said ominously. She began digging more into she found the floor. The floor was partly melted, partly whole stone blocks. She nodded. "The ashes acted as an insulation against the heat, that's why the floor isn't as damaged at the walls... and ceiling?"

We all looked up. The ceiling was too high to see. I took a torch and began flying upwards. It was quite a ways, but I reached the ceiling easily enough. It was black as well. In fact, it looked like it had started to drip when it was melting. Except the center, which had a perfect whole in it. Past whish was sandstone I soared back down and told Twilight.

"It wasn't a volcano," she mused. "Whoever built this, purposefully lit a fire inside hot enough to turn the walls to glass. Perhaps and ancient civilization of fire worshipers."

More ponies began filing in to explore. Save for the door and the odd hole in the top, we couldn't find another door, until Mrs. Velvet began digging in the center of the room. where the ash was deepest. We gathered around, curious, until the reached the bottom. where was found an untouched stone, sticking out slightly higher than the other around it.

"There," she said pointing at it. "Anyone got a crowbar?"

A moment later we were standing beneath the obsidian tower in a hallway for giants.

I looked up at the trap door. "A little small for a giant equine, don't you think?"

Twilight nodded. "Odd yes. Everything else is obviously made for them."

When a few guards dropped down we began our journey forwards, the hall angling downwards. The walls were made from giant stone blocks that fit perfectly together. No evidence of mortar ever touching them. Eventually the hall opened up and we nothing but darkness beyond our torches. A eerie blackness with nothing for the light to reflect off of.

"It's so cold," Lyra shivered. "It's like an icebox in here."

"We should leave for now and formulate a plan," Mrs. Velvet declared. "If we move forward without any landmarks, we'll never find our way back."

We all agreed, though, I was a little upset I couldn't bring back something for Nectarine like I had promised. She understood though. Good filly.

* * *

I was pushed the sidelines once we got back up. I suppose it would look terrible for all involved if I got lost down there. Preparations were being made to set up a second base of operations down there. Twilight was even sending mother a request for more workers.

I sighed as I returned to my tent and collapsed on my cot. They said they'd call me when they felt it was "safe" enough. I was sulking.

"Off the cot colt," a voice said behind me. Turning, I saw it was Mrs. Velvet. "You heard me. I seem to remember somepony promising he would take a bath."

There was no sense in arguing.

Privileges of rank, the royals had their own personal bathing area. A giant copper tub with hot water and many soaps to choose from. Velvet got in the bath with me.

"Oh, that feels great," she sighed as she took a pitcher and poured the hot water over her head. "You know that we love you. Right Gold Coast?"

I nodded. "Though, as the prince? a stud? or just myself?"

"For yourself of course," she chuckled. "Though being the prince and a top of the line stud doesn't hurt any. It's one surprise after another with you. Firstly, you're born a male alicorn. Then it's talking, surging across the continent, whatever that was at your party, and now you seem to have lead us to discover an ancient civilization thanks to a skeleton you saved from the garbage." She laughed. "Perhaps you're the Alicorn of Luck."

I shrugged and moved forward, zeroing on her breasts. She smiled and began shampooing my mane. "Awe, wish Shining was still at home. I think that's why I accepted this job to be one of your wetnurses. Something about a colt at your nipple that makes you content."

She poured water over my head to wash away the suds. "Don't get me wrong. My Night Light is an alright subsistute. But when you have somepony you raised, or helped raise in your case, had them rely on you... it makes for a special emotional connection."

"What about Twilight?" I asked.

"With mares... it's just communion, a bonding between family and close friends," she explained. "But for a colt, they seem to look at you in that moment as if you are the provider of all good things."

I thought on that a while.

* * *

It was a little before dinner before we were given the all clear and I was allowed back down in the ruins. Velvet had okayed me being down there, as they had set up a second kitchen down there so I wouldn't miss a meal. This time when I went down it looked totally different.

Unicorns had created lights spells and stuck them to every surface they could find. Even going to far as to be carried up to the ceiling by the pegasi to stick them there. It was only a small section, measureless space was still shrouded in darkness, but it was enough to uncover what we were originally looking for.

The mummified remains of thousands of giants lay scattered about beneath a dome of carved stone blocks.